Greetings, foolish mortals! In celebration of a certain spectral spectacle recently materializing on the silver screen, we’re compelled to embark on a spine-chilling photographic expedition through the eerie corridors of the original Disneyland Haunted Mansion. So, dear guests, brace yourselves as we traverse the shadowy realms of this ghostly retreat. Glide past dancing phantoms, capture ghastly glimpses of grinning ghosts, and dare to peek into Madame Leota’s séance room. There’s no turning back now, your ghost host insists. Descend, if you dare, into our photo journey… where the spirits are always eager for one more in their number…
The Haunted Mansion:
The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, located in New Orleans Square, first threw open its creaky doors to eagerly awaiting “foolish mortals” on August 9, 1969. The development of the Haunted Mansion started much earlier, however, with original concepts dating back to the early 1950s when Walt Disney first conceptualized a haunted house attraction for his yet-to-be-built theme park. The mansion’s exterior was completed in 1963, but the attraction’s interior lay dormant for several years due to Walt Disney’s focus on the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair and his untimely death in 1966.
The Haunted Mansion stands as a landmark in Disneyland’s history not only for its popularity but for its pioneering use of technology. Disney Imagineers utilized innovative techniques to create the mansion’s ghostly inhabitants, employing a theatrical illusion known as Pepper’s Ghost along with audio-animatronics to bring the spectral denizens of the mansion to life. The mansion’s unique blend of humor, horror, and technical wizardry, delivered with the whimsical storytelling that has become a hallmark of Disney attractions, has made it a beloved fan-favorite for over half a century.
While some folks prefer the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay of the attraction, I much prefer the original version.
Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion In Photos
One of our favorite spots on the Mansion grounds is the Pet Cemetery.
When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker, where the air is deathly still — that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight!
Our tour begins here in this gallery, where you see paintings of some of our guests as they appear in their corruptible, mortal state.
There are several prominent ghosts who have retired here from creepy old crypts all over the world. Actually, we have 999 happy haunts here — but there’s room for a thousand. Any volunteers? (Laughs.) If you insist on lagging behind, you may not need to volunteer.
And now, a carriage approaches to take you into the boundless realm of the supernatural.
We find it delightfully unlivable here in this ghostly retreat. Every room has wall-to-wall creeps, and hot and cold running chills…
… This one can hardly contain himself.
Wizards and witches, wherever you dwell, give us a hint, by ringing a bell!
The happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They’re assembling for a swinging wake, and they’ll be expecting me… I’ll see you all a little later.
Re-introduced in 2015, the Hatbox Ghost fits perfectly in the transition from the attic to the cemetery.
When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake, Spooks come out for a swinging wake. Happy haunts materialize and begin to vocalize. Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!
Now, don’t close your eyes and don’t try to hide, for a silly spook may sit by your side.
Shrouded in a daft disguise, they pretend to terrorize. Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!
As the moon climbs high o’er the dead oak tree, spooks arrive for the midnight spree.
Creepy creeps with eerie eyes start to shriek and harmonize. Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!
When you hear the knell of a requiem bell, Weird glows gleam where spirits dwell.
Restless bones etherealize, rise as spooks of every size! Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!
Ah, there you are! And just in time… there’s a little matter I forgot to mention — beware of hitchhiking ghosts!
Hurry back! Hurry back! Be sure to bring your death certificate… if you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now! We’ve been dying to have you…
Haunted Mansion Reader Submissions:
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve asked our readers to submit their favorite photos that they have captured of the Haunted Mansion. Here are some of the haunting photos that were submitted.
Haunted Mansion Video Ride-Through
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Let’s Hear From You
We hope you have enjoyed our tour of The Haunted Mansion. You can ride this attraction and notice something you’ve never seen before over several visits. Tell us what you think? Will you go to see the haunting new movie while it’s in the theaters? Do you prefer to wait for films to come out on Disney+? Let us know in the comments below. Remember, sharing is caring.
More from the Haunted Mansion movie premiere:
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More Haunted Mansion Reading
Disney’s Haunted Mansion and the Invention of Halloween as You Know It