Credit: Joel/frikitiki, FlickrGrim grinning ghosts are most certainly not coming out to socialize at one Disney park, with Haunted Mansion shutting its doors as of today. The closure – which is expected to last for just over a month – will see the park strip away much of the theming that entertained guests up until yesterday.
Haunted Mansion Prepares for Changes at Disney Park
The Haunted Mansion first opened at Disneyland in 1969 after years of development by Walt Disney Imagineering, blending gothic horror with playful humor. Its “999 happy haunts” became an instant classic, establishing a tone that balanced eerie atmosphere with family-friendly storytelling rather than genuine fear.
Like plenty of other Disneyland staples, the attraction later spread worldwide, inspiring distinct versions at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris (where it’s known as Phantom Manor), and Hong Kong Disneyland (where Mystic Manor puts a totally different, less spooky spin on the concept).
As of today, one version of the ride is out of action.
Tokyo Disneyland has closed its Haunted Mansion – which, unlike its sister attractions, can be found in Fantasyland – for a closure that will last until February 18.
Theming Change Incoming for Haunted Mansion
Like past January closures, this provides the park with an opportunity to strip its holiday theming.
Similar to Disneyland’s version, the Haunted Mansion at Tokyo Disneyland adopts an overlay inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas during the Halloween and Christmas seasons. The most recent stint for Haunted Mansion Holiday Nightmare started in the middle of September, with the overlay debuting several weeks before the rest of Tokyo Disney Resort started celebrating spooky season.
Haunted Mansion Holiday Nightmare features a slew of characters from the Tim Burton classic, including Jack Skellington in his “Sandy Claws” best, Sally, Zero, and Oogie Boogie.
When the ride reopens, it will be back to business for the attraction’s regular array of ghosts.
Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Closure
Back at Disney’s OG theme park, Haunted Mansion Holiday had its final day on January 11.
The attraction is now closed, leaving New Orleans Square with one less attraction until your Ghost Host is ready to conduct further tours.
Disney has yet to confirm a reopening date, instead encouraging guests to “check back for updates” on its website.
Are Bigger Changes on the Way for Haunted Mansion?
While guests are used to this biannual switch between Haunted Mansion and Haunted Mansion Holiday, rumors have increased in recent years that Haunted Mansion is due for a larger upgrade.
Following other changes to problematic elements across the parks – such as the eradication of the “we wants the redhead” scene in Pirates of the Caribbean and the removal of Splash Mountain at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom – some think Disney will eventually strip the hanging corpse scene from the stretching room pre-show of Haunted Mansion for fear that it may trigger some guests.
In 2021, Michele Hobbs, an Imagineer who managed a lengthy refurbishment for Haunted Mansion, discussed the idea with the Los Angeles Times.
“It’s been discussed for sure,” Hobbs said. “It’s definitely something that we’re thinking about.”
Half a decade later, the corpse is very much still there. However, in the years since Imagineers confirmed discussions about the hanging corpse scene, several nooses have been removed from Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris, suggesting that it’s still something under consideration.
Do you prefer Haunted Mansion or Haunted Mansion Holiday?