Years before the Haunted Mansion, the eerie attraction that has grandly and ghostily graced Disneyland Park for 55 years, began to rise, another elegant abode possessed a fantastical fictional feel.
But this storybook structure was not a ride-through attraction: It played the real-life home to a real-life Southern California family, the Disneys.
Walt Disney, his wife Lillian, and their girls created many happy memories in the picturesque charmer, which still stands, quite whimsically, on Woking Way in Los Feliz.
And sometimes, though not too frequently, the front door to the merry manse opens to tour guests, giving fans of the legendary animator and theme park creator a look at the icon's domestic sphere and the life the Disney family lived long ago.
Those rare tours will return on select 2024 Fridays and Saturdays beginning Sept. 13, which is, yes, Friday the 13th.
Led by charming and knowledgeable host Dusty Sage, the "Ghosts and Legends Tour of Walt Disney's REAL Haunted Mansion" is presented by Haunted Orange County.
Some of the experiences will have an ethereal "haunted" angle; it is said that an apparition or two frequents the turreted, castle-like location.
Spirited sensations have also been sensed by those who have called the Woking Way house their home or have visited over the years.
Other tours will offer a more historical focus, with a look-back at the fun the Disneys enjoyed within the house's handsome walls; some of the biggest luminaries of the era were guests of the family.
The fairy tale continues outside of the house, too: The petite playhouse Walt gifted to his daughters still stands, cutely and quaintly, near the swimming pool.
For architecture buffs eager to acquaint themselves with the look and loveliness of vintage Hollywood homes, the Woking Way tour is a treat; crosshatch windows, that eye-catching conical entrance, and an interior Juliet balcony are some of the fetching details, as well as a circular staircase and plenty of stained glass to admire up-close.
Tour tickets are available through the Haunted Orange County site.
And more magic is stirring: Some special guests may stop by select tours, so you'll want to keep an eye out for any intriguing announcements.