Credit: Inside The MagicDisneyland has officially changed the way guests experience one of its most iconic rides.
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Disneyland guests can now once again wait in the regular standby queue for Haunted Mansion, with the ride’s new queue officially opening. Disneyland first announced last year that the Haunted Mansion would be undergoing changes, specifically with its outdoor queue.
While the original Disneyland Resort is home to numerous classic rides, Haunted Mansion remains one of the theme park’s most popular and cherished attractions, providing thrills and chills to guests for decades. First opening in 1969, Haunted Mansion has essentially become an institution within Disney theme parks, with the ride now being found all over the world.
Over the last several months, guests have been able to watch as pieces of the original Haunted Mansion queue were torn up and demolished, with Disneyland designing and creating brand-new, more immersive areas for guests to wait in. This meant that for the last few months, the only way to experience Haunted Mansion was to pay for a Lightning Lane or snag a Virtual Queue reservation.
However, this all changes today, November 26, 2024, with Disneyland officially dropping the Virtual Queue system from its version of Haunted Mansion.
The news was confirmed via reputable Disney Parks scooper Scott Gustin, who shared the update on Twitter/X:
NEW: Starting today, a virtual queue will no longer be offered at Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland Park. Guests will be able to experience the attraction through the newly updated standby queue or Lightning Lane.
NEW: Starting today, a virtual queue will no longer be offered at Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland Park. Guests will be able to experience the attraction through the newly updated standby queue or Lightning Lane. pic.twitter.com/GQ63yl4abE
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) November 26, 2024
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Guests are now able to enter the newly updated queue or purchase a Lightning Lane pass to ride Haunted Mansion.
Virtual Queues are distributed to guests every day on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 7:00 a.m. If guests miss out on the original drawing, they can try to snag another reservation later that day at 12:00 p.m. While helpful, this makes getting to ride certain attractions a lot more stressful, as there’s a chance guests could miss out on select rides and experiences.
When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge first opened, its main attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, operated in a similar fashion, requiring guests to reserve a Virtual Queue return time to ride. It was very common to see guests frantically refreshing their phones throughout the day in the hopes of getting a Virtual Queue reservation for the attraction.
Currently, only two attractions at Disneyland require a Virtual Queue: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and World of Color—ONE.
Haunted Mansion is currently in the middle of Haunted Mansion Holiday; the limited-time overlay inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
From now until January, guests can hop aboard a doom buggy and enjoy a Halloween/Christmas-inspired adventure complete with music and characters from the classic stop-motion animated film.
Are you excited about this Haunted Mansion update?