Haunted Mansion | Deep Dive

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Next release: JUNE 16 | 4 PM EDT

WELCOME FOOLISH MORTALS

With the release of The Haunted Mansion later this month, we wanted to take a ghoulish look at the frightening fun that awaits us in this movie and where all of the inspiration comes from.

Three blue ghosts try to hitchhike with their thumbs out

WHAT IS THE HAUNTED MANSION?

Starting with the Disneyland ride in 1969, Walt Disney & his team created a ride called The Haunted Mansion. Throughout the attraction, the rider journeys from being a normal mortal and experiencing some ghostly shenanigans, to being selected as the next 'Happy Haunt' to join the Mansion and seeing all of the 999 different ghosts come out to socialize.

It's really not that scary of a ride. The songs are catchy & the animatronics are more fun than they are creepy.

A caretaker and his thin dog holding a light lamp

THE MANY HAUNTED MANSIONS

Both 2003 & 2023's The Haunted Mansion movies were based on the Disney theme park ride. The original from Disneyland was so popular that it spawned two other Haunted Mansion rides & two spin-off/similar themed rides.

DISNEYLAND

Opened: August 9, 1969

WALT DISNEY WORLD

The Haunted Mansion facade in Disney World

Opened: October 1, 1971

TOKYO DISNEYLAND

The Haunted Mansion facade in Disneyland Tokyo

Opened: April 15, 1983

OTHER SPOOKY ATTRACTIONS

PHANTOM MANOR

Opened: April 12, 1992

MYSTIC MANOR

Opened: May 17, 2013

SOME FAN FAVE GHOSTS

HATBOX GHOST

a ghostly skull smiles while holding a blue hat box

A creepy ghost who can teleport his skull between his body & the hat box that he carries everywhere.

THE BRIDE

a blue ghost in a bridal dress floats in the air

A woman who's husbands all had mysterious & sudden deaths haunts the attic.

LEOTA

a floating head in a blue orb with candles around

A disembodied head floats in the middle of a glowing crystal ball.

SINGING BUSTS

A group of busts in the graveyard sing songs for all to hear.

A woman in a glass ball looks at Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy looks concerned while staring at a skeletons arms

A person wearing curtains as if they were a ghost stands in a foyer

The 2003 Movie

In 2003, Disney released the first film adaptation of the ride starring Eddie Murphy as a mortal who gets trapped in the real-world Haunted Mansion. While initially not well received, the movie has now become a classic film to watch at Halloween.

Three characters stand around a ball while a fourth has her head floating in said ball

An endless hallway stretches on forever as a child looks into it

The 2023 Movie

Over the last decade, there have been updates & developments on a possible Haunted Mansion reboot film, with an all-new cast, director, writer, & more. Finally, throughout 2020/2021, we started getting real concrete announcements, culminating with the release of the film this month.