Are you a fan of the Happiest Haunts on Earth? Let’s dive into the history of Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort‘s iconic Haunted Mansion attractions…
The Haunted Mansion is a cornerstone of Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park. After guests descend the Stretching Room, Doom Buggies take them on a slow-moving journey through the permanent home of 999 Happy Haunts. The not-so-scary haunted house-style attraction has even inspired two films of the same name.
Two TikTok content creators who run the account @themouselets recently dove into the history of the Haunted Mansion while cruising on Disney Treasure, Disney Cruise Line’s newest vessel. The ship features a Haunted Mansion-themed parlor, including a prop initially conceived for Disneyland Park’s New Orleans Square attraction.
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First, the Disney Parks fans revealed that the Haunted Mansion wasn’t originally conceived for New Orleans Square or Liberty Square.
“The original idea was a walkthrough attraction of a rundown, dilapidated building located on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland,” one of the TikTokers explained.
“But Walt hated the idea of there being a rundown building on his picturesque Main Street, U.S.A.,” the other continued. “So he pivoted to building a mansion in his brand-new land, New Orleans Square.”
The TikTokers then discussed the original concept for the attraction: a walkthrough “museum of the weird.”
“This was before the Omni Mover type of vehicle existed, which is what is now the Doom Buggies,” they explained.
Have you ever noticed that no ghosts are visible in the first half of the Haunted Mansion ride?
“Two of the Imagineers, Claude Coates and Mark Davis, actually disagreed on if the ride should be super silly or super scary,” one of the TikTokers said. “Claude Coates wanted a super scary ride with endless hallways and corridors full of doors. Mark Davis wanted silly, comical characters with tons of gags.”
The pair compromised. The first half of the Haunted Mansion is more ominous and foreboding, while the second half introduces guests to the Happy Haunts.
Finally, the TikTokers showed Disney Parks fans the abandoned concept art for the Haunted Mansion that finally came to life on the Disney Treasure: the Ghost Fish. Designers honored the early Walt Disney Imagineers’ ideas for a haunted fish tank, paying homage to the original “museum of the weird” theme for the Haunted Mansion.
Which version of the Haunted Mansion is better: Disneyland Resort’s or Walt Disney World Resort’s? Let Disney Dining know in the comments!
