If you’ve walked through Liberty Square lately, you know things are looking absolutely CHAOTIC right now. The Haunted Mansion, that gorgeous Gothic beauty that’s been scaring guests since 1971, is currently covered in green construction scrim like someone wrapped a present but forgot to make it look good.
Liberty Square used to be this peaceful colonial-America-themed corner of Magic Kingdom with cobblestone streets, the Liberty Tree, and the Hall of Presidents (you know, that show where people either sleep or get weirdly emotional about animatronic presidents).
The whole vibe was very “step back in time to the 1770s” with the Haunted Mansion serving as the creepy Gothic mansion on the hill that didn’t quite fit the colonial theme but somehow worked perfectly anyway. For FIFTY YEARS, this land barely changed. Like, they’d touch up paint here and there, but the general atmosphere stayed exactly the same, which is honestly impressive for a Disney park that’s constantly tearing things down and building new stuff.
But then Disney decided to drain the ENTIRE Rivers of America, clear out massive chunks of forest, and basically turn the whole back section of Magic Kingdom into the world’s biggest construction site for Villains Land and this Cars racing thing called Piston Peak National Park.
Now Liberty Square, which used to be quiet and atmospheric, sounds like you’re standing next to a highway construction project with all the heavy machinery and earthmoving equipment running constantly. The trees around the Haunted Mansion that made it all dark and spooky? Gone. The peaceful river views? Drained. The general sense of being transported to another time?
Temporarily suspended while Disney builds what they’re promising will be amazing new lands. And in the middle of ALL this chaos, the Haunted Mansion itself needed some exterior work because apparently Florida’s humid swamp weather is really hard on fake-aged Gothic architecture.
Disney Put a Photo of the Mansion ON the Mansion (We’re Not Making This Up)
So here’s what’s happening: Disney just installed a GIANT printed photo of the Haunted Mansion’s facade over sections of the green construction scrim that’s been eating more and more of the building over the past few weeks.
Haunted Mansion Refurbishment Gets Photo-Realistic Scrim Wrap as Exterior Work Continues at Magic Kingdom https://t.co/D38pPY2zCH
— WDWMAGIC.COM (@wdwmagic) February 17, 2026
Yes, you read that correctly. They printed a picture of the building and stuck it on top of the actual building. It’s like when you’re a kid and you lose a tooth, so you draw a tooth on paper and hold it in front of your mouth for photos. Except this is a multi-billion dollar company doing it to one of the most famous attractions in the world.
But here’s the thing: this is actually Disney’s way of telling us “yeah, this is gonna take a while.” When Disney bothers to print custom photo wraps for construction barriers, it means they’re expecting the work to last long enough that plain green walls would be too depressing for guests. Short construction projects get plain scrim. Long construction projects get the fancy printed treatment.
And let’s be real, the photo doesn’t look TERRIBLE. It’s definitely better than staring at unmarked green barriers, even if it can’t replicate the actual three-dimensional details, the weathering effects, or the creepy lighting that makes the Mansion so photogenic. At least when you’re walking by, you get some sense of what’s supposed to be there instead of just “giant green wall.”
The concerning part? Disney hasn’t announced when this is going to be done. Radio silence. And the scrim keeps GROWING. What started as “oh, they’re just working on one section” has turned into “wait, how much of the building is covered now?” More and more of the facade disappears under construction barriers every few weeks.
But Don’t Freak Out, The Ride Is Still Running
GOOD NEWS: The Haunted Mansion is OPEN. You can still ride it. The queue works normally. Everything inside is exactly the same.
This is JUST exterior work. They’re basically giving the outside of the building a spa day because Florida weather is brutal on theme park architecture. Here’s what’s actually happening:
PAINT AND STONE WORK – They’re repainting the woodwork and stabilizing the fake-old brickwork so it looks “intentionally decayed” instead of “actually falling apart.”
ROOF STUFF – Minor repairs on the spires and weather vanes that make the Mansion’s silhouette so recognizable.
LANDSCAPE REMOVAL – They temporarily ripped out all the dead-looking plants and flowers around the building so the scaffolding could sit properly. Don’t worry, the plants were SUPPOSED to look dead, that’s part of the theme.
The BEST part? You don’t have to do anything differently. Just walk up and get in line like you normally would. The Doom Buggies are running, Madame Leota is still in her crystal ball, the singing busts are still harmonizing in the graveyard, and the hitchhiking ghosts are still trying to follow you home.
Let’s Kill Some Internet Rumors Right Now
Social media has been LOSING IT with theories about what’s “really” happening to the Haunted Mansion. Time for some truth bombs:
THE STRETCHING ROOM IS NOT CHANGING. The pre-show where the room elongates and you see those creepy portraits? Still there. The hand-painted artwork by Marc Davis? Untouched. The “hanging man” effect at the end? Not going anywhere. Disney Imagineering considers that room basically sacred ground.
THEY’RE NOT INSTALLING DIGITAL SCREENS. No LED replacements for the classic paintings. No “modernization” of the show. The interior is completely off-limits for this refurbishment.
THIS IS JUST FACADE MAINTENANCE. That’s it. That’s the story. Florida is basically a swamp with theme parks built on top of it, and buildings need regular maintenance to survive. The Mansion gets this treatment every few years.
If you see anyone claiming the Stretching Room is being gutted or the show’s getting a complete overhaul, they’re wrong. Disney does overnight maintenance on the pulleys and cables occasionally, but this current construction has ZERO impact on anything inside the building.
The Real Drama: What’s Being Built NEXT DOOR
Okay, so the Mansion’s exterior work is boring and routine. But the construction AROUND the Mansion? That’s where things get interesting.
There’s a MYSTERIOUS NEW BUILDING going up right next to the Haunted Mansion’s interactive queue. Recent permits from Walt Disney Imagineering show this thing is strategically placed between Liberty Square and the upcoming Villains Land.
Here’s what we know:
IT’S A SIGHTLINE SHIELD – The building blocks views of the massive Villains Land show buildings from Liberty Square. Can’t have guests in colonial America seeing giant villain castle spires, ruins the magic.
IT’S GONNA LOOK GOTHIC – Based on the placement and theming needs, this building will probably look like it belongs to the Haunted Mansion estate. Think abandoned carriage house or forgotten mansion wing.
IT MIGHT BE MORE THAN JUST A WALL – The footprint is big enough to house restrooms, shops, or even a small transition experience that bridges Liberty Square and Villains Land. Disney’s being super secretive about it, though.
This building is part of the MASSIVE Beyond Big Thunder expansion that’s completely transforming the back of Magic Kingdom. We’re talking:
VILLAINS LAND – An entire land dedicated to Disney bad guys with attractions, dining, and entertainment. Dark, twisted, everything Liberty Square is NOT.
PISTON PEAK NATIONAL PARK – A Cars-themed area with rally racing where the Rivers of America used to be. Yes, they drained the entire river for this.
THE LION KING ATTRACTION – Eventually coming to this area with water elements and next-gen animatronics.
The Haunted Mansion is literally standing on the edge of the biggest construction zone in Walt Disney World right now. The forests that used to surround it? Cleared. The river it used to overlook? Gone. The trees that created that spooky canopy? Significantly thinned out.
What This Means If You’re Visiting Soon
DON’T SKIP THE MANSION – Yes, the outside looks weird. Yes, there’s construction everywhere. RIDE IT ANYWAY. It’s still one of Disney’s best attractions and everything inside works perfectly.
PHOTOS WILL BE WEIRD – You’re not getting that classic Haunted Mansion exterior shot right now. The scrim ruins it. But honestly, the printed photo on the scrim is kind of a funny documentation of this weird moment in Magic Kingdom history.
MORNINGS ARE BETTER FOR THE QUEUE – With all the trees gone, the outdoor queue and cemetery area get WAY more sun than they used to. If you’re waiting in line on a hot Florida afternoon, it’s gonna be rough. Hit it early.
WATCH FOR EASTER EGGS – Disney sometimes hides fun details in construction barriers. Keep your eyes open for potential Villains Land teasers or Haunted Mansion references in the printed scrim or surrounding construction stuff.
EMBRACE THE CHAOS – Liberty Square is a construction zone right now. There’s gonna be noise, there’s gonna be barriers, there’s gonna be equipment. It’s temporary, and eventually we’re getting TWO WHOLE NEW LANDS out of this mess.
Our Hot Take
Look, is it sad seeing the Haunted Mansion covered in construction scrim? Absolutely. The building is GORGEOUS and it’s one of the most photographed spots in all of Magic Kingdom. Does the printed photo wrap help? Kinda? It’s definitely better than plain green barriers, even if it looks a little ridiculous when you think about it too hard.
But here’s the reality: Disney is in the middle of the biggest Magic Kingdom expansion in DECADES. They drained an entire river. They’re building TWO massive new lands. The whole back section of the park is basically a giant construction site. The Haunted Mansion’s exterior maintenance is honestly the LEAST dramatic thing happening in Liberty Square right now.
And the most important fact? THE RIDE STILL WORKS. You can still walk through those doors, experience the Stretching Room, board your Doom Buggy, and see all 999 happy haunts exactly like guests have been doing since 1971. The exterior might look janky, but the interior is pristine.
Plus, how long is this gonna last? We don’t know because Disney won’t tell us (typical). But eventually the scrim comes down, the facade gets revealed looking fresh and properly spooky again, and everyone forgets this ever happened.
So if you’re planning a Magic Kingdom trip and you’re wondering whether to skip the Haunted Mansion because of construction, DON’T. Get in that queue, ignore the weird photo-wrapped exterior, and enjoy one of the greatest attractions Disney ever built. The 999 happy haunts are waiting, and they don’t care what the outside of their house looks like right now.
And honestly? When Villains Land and Piston Peak finally open and everyone’s losing their minds over the new stuff, we’ll all be looking back at photos of the Mansion wrapped in a picture of itself and laughing about how weird 2026 was for Liberty Square.
Just ride the thing. Trust us.
