Disney World To Change Haunted Mansion Attraction After Disneyland's Cultural Sensitivity Update

It seems that the Walt Disney World Resort is gearing up for another change at one of its classic attractions.

2025 is becoming known as the refurbishment year at the famous Central Florida destination with numerous small and large-scale updates happening resort-wide. In fact, just recently, Disney received the green light to begin its overhaul of the Rivers of America–a part of Frontierland that is being sacrificed to make way for the Pixar Cars update happening at Magic Kingdom.

The Frontierland change is perhaps Disney’s bravest project as both the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island are being demolished for good. Presently, Frontierland’s anchor ride, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, is closed for a lengthy refurbishment lasting through 2026.

Further afield, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Tropical Americas retheme of DinoLand U.S.A. is firmly underway. The theme park has already lost a number of attractions, including TriceraTop Spin, to make way for the Pueblo Esperanza update. The land, which also got the construction go-ahead from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), is expected to open in 2027.

Across the resort, other refurbishments are in motion. From the ongoing work at Test Track in EPCOT to the announced final show of It’s Tough to be a Bug! in Animal Kingdom and the future changes at Muppet*Vision 3D and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, many guests are seemingly delaying their visit to Disney World until the refreshed experiences are launched or reopened.

Looking ahead, more changes are coming to the resort. Magic Kingdom Park will seemingly be shuttering its Haunted Mansion attraction in Liberty Square to make way for updates. There have been no confirmed closure dates as of yet, but the newly filed permit lists a completion date of October 31, AKA Halloween.

Many are, of course, wondering if this scheduled update will mimic the changes made at the Disneyland Resort version of the ride, where the attic bride scene received a new storyline. Previously, the bride–Constance Hatchaway–wielded an axe and celebrated beheading her husband, but now that has all changed.

“We thought, what if we change the story back a little bit to the original story that the Imagineers had about a lost bride in the attic mourning the loss of her husbands,” Kim Irvine (Disneyland’s Walt Disney Imagineering creative director) told the Los Angeles Times. “It was a sad thing. It was a story about lost love.”

The Disney executive commented on how the Mouse House must reflect the current culture and be sensitive to messaging. “The bride that used to be in there was an axe murderer, and in this day and age we have to be really careful about the sensitivities of people,” Irvine explained.

She added: “We were celebrating someone chopping off her husband’s heads, and it was a weird story. I know the fans — some will like it and some will say, ‘Oh, you changed something again.’ That’s our job. That’s what we’re here for.”

Irvine’s comments about how some guests will be more apprehensive of the update echo what Disney Experiences chief Josh D’Amaro told audiences at last year’s INBOUND festival in Boston, MA. There the executive explained that while Disney may not always get things right, it is striving to provide enhanced experiences for future generations of guests.

As previously mentioned, the permit looks to have work completed by Halloween.

“Disney has filed a Notice of Commencement today for work at the Haunted Mansion in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, with Facilities Asset Management (FAM) overseeing the project and MLC Theming listed as the contractor,” WDWMagic wrote.

“The permit, valid through October 31, 2025, is filed for ‘general construction,’ but MLC Theming’s involvement suggests the work may focus on show elements rather than backstage infrastructure or ride system upgrades.”

While the Haunted Mansion–with its dedicated fandom–is popular year-round, Disney World will definitely want the attraction open for its spooky season both for regular guests and for its hard-ticketed Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party event. No dates have been confirmed for the annual holiday event just yet, but if it’s anything like last year, Disney will commence operations even earlier than before.

Also closed in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom is The Hall of Presidents. This attraction, which features all of the United States of America’s former presidents, shut down following the election of President Donald Trump as the 47th President.

However, rumors are swirling about just how Disney will manage Trump’s return to office. Numerous signs pointed to something being different with this refurbishment and it may mean Disney World will move the attraction in a new direction following Trump’s controversial new measures.

It’s clear Disney is putting a lot into its current footprint but with the looming shadow of Universal Orlando Resort’s latest venture, Universal Epic Universe, many theme park fans are wondering when Disney will pull the trigger on a fifth gate.

How do you feel about the Haunted Mansion closing for updates at the Walt Disney World Resort? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!