It may seem like the Haunted Mansion has been at Disneyland forever — and it has been around for more than 50 years. But before that, it took fifteen years to plan this quintessential Disneyland ride, which features a cast of busy ghosts in residence in a haunted "retirement home."
Disney Haunted Mansion gets gussied up for Halloween and Christmas every year, and what better way to do that than to turn to Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" for inspiration. The decorations are so extensive that it closes in late September and again after January 1, so it can go back to normal.
01of 03
What You Need to Know About the Haunted Mansion
Most people who have experienced the Haunted Mansion would tell you it's a must-doride if you have time.
Restrictions:No height restrictions.Children under age seven years must be accompanied by a person aged 14 years or older.
Ride Time:19 minutes
Recommended for:Everyone
Fun Factor:High. Haunted Mansion is one of the best rides at Disneyland.
Wait Factor:High. You can use aFastpass to shorten your time in line.
Fear Factor:Low, but there's a short period of darkness and noise in the expanding room after you get inside and before you enter the ride queue.
Herky-Jerky Factor:Low
Nausea Factor:Low
Seating:Ride vehicles are mounted to a moving sidewalk. You board by stepping onto the surface, then take a small step up into the vehicle. Each seat can hold two adults and a child, or three adults if you don't mind being close together. But really, don't try to cram three full-sized people into one Doom Buggy. It's a tight fit, and where will the ghost sit?
Accessibility:If you're in a wheelchair, go to the front porch of the ride and enter with everyone else, then ask a cast member for help. They will stop the Doom Buggy to let you get on. Service animals are not recommended on the Haunted Mansion ride. Pick up a handheld captioning device at Guest Relations. More aboutvisitingDisneyland in a wheelchair or ECV.
Continue to 2 of 3 below.
02of 03
How to Have More Fun
Don't ask a Haunted Mansion cast member for a death certificate. You may have seen that so many times online that you think it must be true, but it isn't — and may have never been.
While standing in line,look for hidden Mickeys among the gravestonesand on the hearse.
The first few minutes in the Disney Haunted Mansioncan be claustrophobic, as everyone crowds into the stretching room. You'll also experience about5 seconds of complete darkness. Small children may be frightened by that and the noise.
The songyou may find running through your head after riding is called "Haunted Grim Grinning Ghosts."It was composed by Buddy Baker, with lyrics written by X Atencio.
Haunted Mansion isone of the coolest places to goon a hot dayat Disneyland. Literally. It may feel so good that you'll be hoping the ride stops for a minute so you can enjoy it.
Look for the Hatbox Ghost who shows up just after you leave the attic area. He does a nifty little trick that involves his head and the box.
In the stretching room, it may feel like the ceiling is rising, but in fact, it's just the opposite. The chamber is actually an elevator that's going down. It leads to an underground passageway to the show building.
You cansee all the Disneyland rides at a glance on the Disneyland ride sheet.
While you're thinking about rides, you should alsodownload the essential Disneyland apps (they're all free!) andget some proven tips to minimize your Disneyland wait time.
Continue to 3 of 3 below.
03of 03
Fun Facts
Disney Haunted Mansion opened in 1969, 14 years after Disneyland began.
One of the hardest parts about running the Haunted Mansion is keeping it looking grungy. They have to bring in dust and cobwebs. Otherwise, the air conditioning system filters them all out.
The clock in the long hallway is stuck at midnight, but only a few riders notice that a demon is eating the clock face - and its tail is the pendulum.
How many ghosts live inside the Haunted Mansion attraction in Disneyland park? 999
Is It Different Than the Haunted Mansion in Florida?
California’s Haunted Mansion looks much different outside than the one in Florida, looming over you as you walk in. Inside, you’ll find a better-decorated boarding area.
Some of the scenes that are part of the Florida ride are in the California queue instead. You’ll find other fun differences and similarities throughout.
The most fun — and significant — differenceis that California’s Haunted Mansion is the only one that turns into Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.
One thing many Haunted Mansion fans are drawn to is the world-building of the Haunted Mansion rides. There are many different versions of the Haunted Mansion at each of the Disney parks and every detail of every ride was carefully crafted by Disney's Imagineers.
Haunted Mansion is a good film. Director Justin Simien has given us a movie that is a perfect tribute to the beloved Disney theme park ride of the same name. This film is hilarious from time to time but, it could have been absolutely hysterical with the talented cast that they assembled.
The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland is getting a new garden in the outdoor queue. Construction begins in January 2024. The ride queue itself is set to be completely overhauled, with additional theming and more interactive elements to keep guests entertained as they wait to board their Doom Buggy.
The Haunted Mansion closed for refurbishment on January 22, 2024, while the Grim Grinning Ghosts materialize an expanded queue and a new retail shop. Since a reopening date has not been announced yet, even Madame Leota cannot predict the expected closure dates for January 2025 at this time.
Spooky vibes (and creepy narration) exist, but overall, the ride is tame, with no actual jump scares or gory content. Expect singing and dancing ghosts, creepy watchful eyeballs, a delightfully spooky medium, and a graveyard scene where ghosts party their way through a cemetery celebration.
The Haunted Mansion is dark and contains some mildly frightening scenes, but there is no gore. The ghostly residents are friendly and the ride is slow-moving.
The main ghost is a serial killer who convinces people to kill themselves by pretending to be dead people that they miss. The child in the movie climbs through the cellar where the serial killer hid his bodies. Two people are possessed, and not in a fun silly way. So beyond inappropriate for children.
The Haunted Mansion is a dark ride attraction located at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland. Although differing slightly in each location, the attraction places riders inside a haunted manor infested with "999 happy haunts". At Disneyland Paris, the attraction is called Phantom Manor.
Disneyland closed the Haunted Mansion on January 22, 2024. There has been no statement on when the Haunted Mansion will reopen, but as of May 2024 we have provide a construction update looking at the progress on the mansion.
While it isn't back-to-back new attractions like we might dream about, there is exciting stuff coming this year! Downtown Disney will debut several new dining locations throughout 2024, Fantasmic! will finally return after its infamous dragon fire, and Tiana's Bayou Adventure will finally open in Critter Country!
The Haunted Mansion is a franchise owned by the Walt Disney Company. The franchise originated with the eponymous dark ride that opened in Disneyland's New Orleans Square in 1969, one of the last Disney theme park attractions overseen by Walt Disney himself.
In August 2023, Disney Parks Blog announced that the Anaheim, Calif. resort's iconic attraction would close in January 2024 in order to “expand on the story and lore of the Haunted Mansion” ride located in New Orleans Square.
Anderson envisioned stories for the mansion, including tales of a ghostly sea captain who killed his nosy bride and then hanged himself, a mansion home to an unfortunate family, and a ghostly wedding party with well-known Disney villains and spooks.
In 1969, the ghosts that appear in the ride were created with a clever, low-tech method know as a Pepper's Ghost, which is effectively a 2D illusion created with reflections and named after John Henry Pepper, who used this projection approach for entertainment during the 1800s.
Haunted Mansion is a comedic, ghost story that has enough laughs and light moments to balance the dark side of this Disney movie. It is still, however, quite scary in parts, which makes it unsuitable for children under 10 years. Parental guidance is recommended for children aged 10-12 due to the supernatural themes.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/269415492_cc8d346fde_o-56a387435f9b58b7d0d272e9.jpg "Why Disneyland's Haunted Mansion Is a Top Attraction (1)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/4521461057_819e31a143_o-58f7b3575f9b581d5968ea7a.jpg "Why Disneyland's Haunted Mansion Is a Top Attraction (2)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/IMG_5508-1000x1500-56a387f43df78cf7727ddf84.jpg "Why Disneyland's Haunted Mansion Is a Top Attraction (3)")
