
One of the incredible things about visiting Disneyland is how much of Walt Disney is alive and thriving around the theme park. There are still so many opening-day attractions guests can ride that Walt once enjoyed, including the Disneyland Railroad, the Jungle Cruise, the Mad Tea Party, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, and more.
However, two of the park’s most popular attractions were not open on opening day, but they were still very close to Walt’s heart — Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion.
Related: How Walt Disney Can Be Your Guide on Your Next Disneyland Trip
As we said above, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion are two of the most popular and beloved attractions in the theme park. But which one comes out on top in a head-to-head competition?
Well, let the battle begin!
Related: ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Theme Park Coming in 2025
Round 1
The Ride Queue
Let’s be honest: The ride queue at Pirates of the Caribbean is pretty basic. Guests wait outside the building and then walk into the basic line right before they get into their boats.
Over at the Haunted Mansion, guests walk through a graveyard. They even see beloved pets buried in the pet cemetery, before they learn about dear old Fred, who had a great, big rock fall on his head. Then, once they exit the stretching room, they walk through a dark hallway with changing portraits before they board their Doom Buggies.
Disney crews are currently working hard to overhaul the Haunted Mansion queue, making it more immersive, similar to the one in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
WINNER: Haunted Mansion
ROUND 2
Immersive Storytelling
Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion are both located in New Orleans Square, which is why guests board their boats and head through the bayou. However, things take a turn, and they drop down two hills before becoming immersed in a world full of skeleton pirates, playing chess, inspecting maps, and sitting on huge piles of treasure.
Guests are then transported into the world of the living as pirates fire canons and sack a town as the residents try to hide and stay safe. The pirates are pillaging, plundering, rifling, looting, drinking, and having a grand old time. In 2006, Captain Jack Sparrow was added to the attraction, adding another layer to the story.
The Haunted Mansion takes guests into the Southern plantation-style home of Mr. Gracey, who is shockingly seen hanging from the rafters in the stretching room.
Once guests board their Doom Buggy, they are taken through the mansion, where they meet many of the 999 happy haunts who inhabit the house. There is a birthday party happening in the ballroom, a seance with Madame Leota, and even an ax-happy bride hanging out in the attic.
The Ghost Host says that there is always room for another ghost to join the ones who live there, and guests almost become one when they “fall” out of the attic window and join a swinging wake happening in the graveyard.
** BONUS Points: Every Halloween and Holiday season, the Haunted Mansion is transformed into the Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)-themed Haunted Mansion Holiday. The mansion is taken over by Jack Skellington, who shows guests what it looks like when two holidays collide! There’s also a new and unique gingerbread house featured in the ballroom scene every year.
WINNER: Haunted Mansion
Round 3
Nostalgia and Timelessness
From the time he started mapping out Disneyland, he wanted a haunted house as part of the experience. The Haunted Mansion was announced in 1961 and an official preview was shown on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color in 1965. However, when Walt died one year later, the opening was pushed back, and the attraction was redesigned.
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When it comes to Pirates of the Caribbean; it was actually the last attraction Walt participated in designing, and it opened just three months before his death. While he originally intended for the attraction to be a walk-through wax museum, after he saw the success of “it’s a small world” at the 1964 World’s Fair, he decided to make Pirates into a similar ride.
**BONUS Points: Ask any dedicated Disney fan, and they will tell you that certain smells transport them into the parks and make them yearn for a Disney trip. One of those scents is Pirates of the Caribbean water. The Haunted Mansion can’t come close to that.
WINNER: Pirates of the Caribbean
And the winner is…..
THE HAUNTED MANSION!
While both the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean evoke a ton of smiles and incredible memories, the Haunted Mansion comes out on top in a head-to-head battle. Of course, this is just one way to look at it. Every guest has their favorite attraction, and whether yours is the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, or another attraction, you are sure to have a magical time while experiencing them!
Do you agree with the verdict? What is your favorite Disney attraction? Share your thoughts in the comments!