999 Happy Haunts and Counting – The History of Disney’s Haunted Mansion

Posted:  Educational Parks

Welcome, Foolish Mortals, to this week’s edition of the DVCR Blog! I am your host, your David’s team member host, here to bring you on an adventure through the concept and history of one of Disney’s most beloved rides, the Haunted Mansion! 

Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom in the evening. The red brick façade of the mansion is illuminated blue and orange, and the black wrought iron spikes of the fence in front of the attraction are visible in the foreground.

Our journey begins here with this blog post, where we can pretend we’re back in the 1950s when the idea of a haunted attraction was thought up by Walt Disney. 

he red brick and beige stone building of the Haunted Mansion is seen in daylight. In front of the mansion there is green foliage made to look overgrown, as well as red roses in the garden that is surrounded by a green-grey wrought iron fence.

While planning and designing Disneyland, Walt had an idea for a “house on the hill” that would be right off Main Street. He then discussed the idea of a “ghost house” with Imagineers Ken Anderson and Harper Goff in the form of a walk-through ride. This would have consisted of Cast Members acting as guides, leading guests through the story of the Haunted Mansion, previously owned by a sea captain and his bride. 

A worn-looking metal sign reading “Kindly Step This Way” in a gothic-style font with a small right-pointing arrow below the wording is posted on a reddish-brown brick wall.

The idea eventually formed into what we are familiar with today, involving the Omnimover system (Doom Buggies), developed by Imagineers, to help with the capacity for the ride and avoid overcrowding. 

A grey metal sign reading “Board a ‘Doom Buggy’ to tour the happy haunt of 999 ghouls and ghosts who are ‘dying’ to meet you!” in white gothic-looking script is posted on a reddish-brown brick wall in the Haunted Mansion ride queue. The sign also states “supervise children at all times” and advises that those in wheelchairs must transfer to a ride vehicle.

The original concept was intended to look like a decrepit house that fit into the general New Orleans style that you may see at Disneyland. However, as Walt had a knack for cleanliness and order, they wanted the mansion to still look neat and well-kept, so the original mansion in Disneyland was inspired by a Victorian home in Baltimore. 

Five marble and stone tomb busts in the Haunted Mansion queue. The busts feature the creepy likenesses of various men, women, and children who were once occupants of the mansion. They are arranged in a semi-circle in front of a reddish-brown brick partition wall and black wrought iron fencing.

The mansion located in Walt Disney World flaunts a more gothic style, giving it its own charm for this spooky attraction. The mysteries of the mansion are also inspired by the Winchester Mystery House, as Walt visited this infamous haunted house during the development for the ride. 

The red brick and beige stone building of the Haunted Mansion is seen under a pink and orange sunset. In front of the mansion there is green foliage made to look overgrown, as well as red roses in the garden and a black old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage.

The red brick and beige stone building of the Haunted Mansion in daylight. In front of the mansion there is burgundy and green foliage, seen behind the green filigree spikes of the iron fencing in front of the attraction.

The ride finally opened in August of 1969 at Disneyland after being delayed due to the 1964 World’s Fair, which took imagineers away from the project for quite some time.

The Stretching Room of the Haunted Mansion. There is blue and red striped wallpaper and shadowy gargoyles holding flickering taper candles. On the wall there is a portrait of a grey-haired woman holding a rose and sitting on a tombstone

Did you know there was a debate about whether the Haunted Mansion would be scary or funny for guests? Disneyland has always been a family-friendly park, so when two different designers, Claude Coats and Marc Davis, were put in charge of the project, they both had differing views on how the attraction should be. Coats wanted something spooky, while Davis wanted something far funnier, as he previously worked on the new rendition of Jungle Cruise that we’ve come to know and love. In the end, the final results fall in the middle, with some chilling frights and some charming ghostly scenes for guests to enjoy.

A portrait of a man transforming into a skeleton hangs in a bronze frame. There is black and gold damask-style wallpaper, a crimson curtain, and carved wood paneling that also decorate the wall the portrait hangs on.

Five semi-transparent ghost figures play various instruments in a band in the dark Haunted Mansion graveyard room. Tombstones and leafless trees are also seen in the area around the ghosts.

One of the aspects of this ride that makes it so beloved is the special effects! Marc Davis, one of the Imagineers on the project, brought everyone’s favorite Hatbox Ghost to life, along with some other characters that appear to be see-through throughout the attraction.

The shadowy, faceless figure of the Hatbox Ghost appears to be holding a carrying case in which you can see his spooky severed head. The Hatbox Ghost wears a suit, cape, and top hat and also holds a cane, and is lit up blue in the darkness of the attraction setting.

One of the ways that Imagineers were able to create these see-through effects is through a projection technique called “Phantasmagoria” or “Pepper’s Ghost!” Perfected by John Henry Pepper in the 1800s, this technique consists of strategically placed panes of glass set at an angle out of sight from the viewer. When light is reflected on the subjects hiding below (the dancing animatronics in this scene), this creates a ghostly scene where it looks like these figures can appear and disappear instantaneously! 

The Bride of the Haunted Mansion appears to be glowing and is wearing a white wedding gown and long veil. She is seen in the dark of the wood-paneled attic, and there is an old-fashioned tiered wedding cake on the left.

Five semi-transparent, blue-tinted ghost figures play various instruments in a band in the dark Haunted Mansion graveyard. There are grey tombstones surrounding them, and 2 owls with glowing red eyes sit in the tree above them.

Today, this attraction is able to accommodate approximately 2500 guests per hour and remains one of the pivotal attractions at Disney theme parks around the world. 

The brick and stone façade of Haunted Mansion is lit up blue and purple at night. In front of the attraction you can see people in queue, and there are glowing streetlamps visible by the ride exit.

The grey tombstone of Madame Leota from the queue of Haunted Mansion. The tombstone is seen through overgrown green foliage and reads “Dear sweet Leota beloved by all, in regions beyond now but having a ball.” A carving of Madame Leota’s face also decorates the tombstone.

On your next visit, be sure to check for any hitchhiking ghosts on your way out. And remember, with 999 Happy Haunts, there’s always room for one more if you dare. 

A green and grey metal oval-shaped sign reading “The Haunted Mansion” in a gothic-style font is displayed on a reddish-brown brick wall. At the top of the sign there is a scary face carved with horns, wild hair, and snakes. At the bottom of the sign there is a small skull and crossbones.

~Elyse 

 

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