The Disneyland Mews: August 9, 2014

Hello, humans. There are so many sources of Disneyland news on the Internet, but when I have read them, they all seem to focus on human events—boring! I’m adding another series of posts to my blog, therefore, that focuses on the important things going on in the parks. I’m calling it The Disneyland Mews, and here is your first look.

Return of the Cat Box Ghost
Fans of The Haunted Mansion are undoubtedly aware of the attraction’s infamous Hatbox Ghost, but even the most informed of Disney historians probably haven’t heard of the Cat Box Ghost. When the attraction first opened 45 years ago, there was a patch of dirt just behind the mansion itself that hadn’t been re-landscaped yet after construction was completed. Every night for a week, several of the groundskeeping cast members attempted to plant flowers in this plot, but when they would come back the next night, they found that all their work had been dug up and the patch was covered in cat poop.

In an effort to catch the cat (or cats) responsible, a guard was stationed outside the mansion one night. He swears he never saw any movement while he attempted to keep an eye on the plot, but the next morning, the flowers had still been replaced with kitty droppings. This guard coined the nickname the “Cat Box Ghost” when filling out his report. Finally, after about a month, the kitty moved on to some other territory in the parks and the new landscaping was allowed to flourish.

Decades passed with no sign of the ghost returning. Until this month, when it was announced that a family of humans would be allowed to spend the night in the Haunted Mansion. Now, for the last week, groundskeepers have been forced to pick up three bagfuls of dung every night in the same location that was so notorious 45 years ago. Is it merely a coincidence, or have the humans angered the Cat Box Ghost?

Space Mountain Found Property
This is a reminder to all cats who spend their time running around below the track on Space Mountain that we have rules about the number and types of fallen human possessions you are allowed to take back to your dens. Every cat is allowed to “rescue” one hat, one pair of sunglasses, and up to three wallets or purses per week. We’re certainly not implying that the humans deserve to get these items back—it’s their own fault for not securing them before riding, after all—but we want to make sure to spread the bounty among all the scavenging cats. Yes, these new measures are at least partially in response to your complaints about Reuben the hoarder cat, whose den had to be raided when it was discovered that he was sitting on over $100,000 worth of human possessions. We appreciate your cooperation with regards to this matter.

Yarn Giveaway in Pacific Wharf
Letitia the tabby has asked me to spread the word that she found an oversized human sweater in the dumpster behind Pacific Wharf while she was looking for clam chowder last night. It appears to be homemade and was made with a very loose knit, so we shouldn’t have any trouble unraveling it. Once the job is done, there will be quite the overabundance of yarn, and Letitia has kindly offered to share. Any cats interested in collecting their own spool of yarn are asked to meet behind Ghirardelli on Sunday night at 3am. Make sure to sharpen your claws before arriving.

Halloween Countdown
The black cats start anticipating the start of the Halloween season the day the Christmas decorations start to go up, and their waiting is finally almost over. It’s true, Halloween Time doesn’t officially begin until September 12th, but I know many of the kitties like to get started a little early by crossing guests’ paths and meowing ominously in dark places. Here is also a handy countdown you can use to track exactly how long remains until the season is officially upon us.

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