Disney’s Haunted Mansion Overhauled Once More: New Changes Announced

Big change is afoot at Walt Disney World Resort’s Haunted Mansion.

There are plenty of iconic theme park attractions out there, but few have achieved legendary status quite like the Haunted Mansion. Debuting at Disneyland in August 1969, this eerie masterpiece reinvented the haunted house experience.

Credit: Disney

Guests step aboard an iconic “Doom Buggy” for a spine-tingling journey through a spooky New Orleans mansion teeming with “999 Happy Haunts,” combining immersive storytelling and thrills that have kept fans captivated for decades.

Since its debut in New Orleans Square, the Haunted Mansion has sparked adaptations worldwide. At Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, the ride takes on a Gothic revival style and offers a slightly extended experience.

Disneyland Paris features the darker-toned Phantom Manor, blending with Frontierland’s theme. In contrast, Hong Kong Disneyland’s Mystic Manor replaces ghosts with a magical box that brings objects to life, reflecting cultural differences.

Credit: Disney

These attractions have received plenty of updates over the years. At Magic Kingdom Park, new effects were added to the attraction in 2007, while 2011 saw a new “interactive queue” featuring new crypts and tombstones honoring Imagineers. Last year, the park also welcomed the Hatbox Ghost to the ride (sparking plenty of drama about the character’s placement in the process).

Earlier this year, it was reported that Disneyland was quietly updating its version of the ride to scrap the hanging corpse effect in the stretching room as a part of its sensitivity updates across the parks.

Haunted Mansion’s disembodied “Ghost Host” points out that as the room has no doors or windows, it has no way out. “Of course,” he adds, “there’s always my way,” with lightning then illuminating a hanging corpse hanging from the ceiling.

Credit: Disney

While the rumor only affected Disneyland at the time, the assumption was that it would (or will) eventually come for Magic Kingdom’s version of the ride, too, similar to how Disney has gradually updated all versions of Pirates of the Caribbean and is in the process of doing for Peter Pan’s Flight.

We’ll have to wait and see whether that’s the case. However, in the meantime, Magic Kingdom Park seems to be pushing ahead with another update for the ride.

As per Blog Mickey, one scene has been updated during the attraction to (nearly) resemble its former state. This shows the Duke and Duchess seated together again at the picnic table, with both animatronics now positioned back in their former seats.

While they’re not currently moving or toasting as they previously did two years ago (which was when the scene was last active), it’s huge progress for the attraction and surely a good sign of what’s to come.

Credit: Disney

Disney’s poured a lot of money into Magic Kingdom’s version of Haunted Mansion in recent years. Last summer, it updated Madame Leota, restored Prince Amenmose, the mummy that sips tee, and Rolly Crump’s Candleman was added to the attic portion of the ride.

Last year also saw Disney attempt to transform Haunted Mansion into a successful film franchise, à la Pirates of the Caribbean. Two decades after its first attempt with Eddie Murphy in 2003, it released a big-screen adaptation, this time featuring LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, and Danny DeVito.

Like its predecessor, the film didn’t exactly make waves with critics or the box office (it earned $117.5 million on a $150 million budget) but was still relatively well received by some fans of the original attraction.

What’s your favorite part of the Haunted Mansion?