54 Years Later, Disney World Confirms Haunted Mansion Attraction Reimagining

in Walt Disney World

The front of the Haunted Mansion, including its entrance and exit signs, at Magic Kingdom.

Credit: Anna Fox, Flickr

Walt Disney World Resort has rearranged some of the most iconic fixtures of the Haunted Mansion as part of ongoing construction at Magic Kingdom Park. Here’s the latest update from the Most Magical Place on Earth.

Construction at Magic Kingdom Park

Haunted Mansion facade blocked by scrim
Credit: Rick, Inside the Magic

For several months now, Walt Disney World Resort has been refurbishing and retouching the exterior of the Haunted Mansion. The changes come as early plans for the Piston Peak National Park expansion in Frontierland suggest that more of the backstage section of the Liberty Square attraction, which has never been visible to Magic Kingdom Park guests, will be “on stage” when the Cars (2006) area opens.

Earlier this month, scaffolding and construction walls came down from parts of the Haunted Mansion, revealing a repainted cupola that matches other dark green sections of the ride’s facade. Now, more barricades have been removed, revealing a few more changes to the iconic Liberty Square attraction.

Haunted Mansion Graveyard Rearranged

Haunted Mansion graveyard blocked by walls
Credit: Rick Lye, Inside the Magic

On July 19, WDWNT reported that several gravestones in the queue for the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom Park had been rearranged. The changes were revealed when the construction walls that had been in the queue since earlier this year finally came down.

According to the outlet, the headstone for “a man named Martin,” which was once at the back of a graveyard area behind the iron fence near the entrance to the Haunted Mansion foyer, is no longer visible. It has either been relocated to an area that is still behind construction walls or removed entirely. Its punny epitaph read, “The lights went out on this old spark.”

The headstone for Uncle Theodore now sits almost exactly where “a man named Martin” once rested, and a tall, round headstone for Cousin Algernon has also appeared nearby. Both headstones moved up from their former locations earlier in the queue. With the addition of these two headstones, the monument for “Our Dreamy Dorothea” was shifted a few feet closer to the entrance to the Haunted Mansion foyer.

The entrance to the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom Park, before Lightning Lane or FastPass signs were added.
Credit: Michael Gray, Flickr

The other monuments in the area–Cousin Huet, Wathel R. Bender, Madame Carlotta, and Madame Renatta–appear unchanged, as do the group of graves to the right, which include Good Old Fred, Brother Claude, Madame Leota, and more.

Even as construction walls and scaffolding disappear from much of the Haunted Mansion, work continues in some areas. Wooden boards still cover sections of the concrete leading to the foyer doors as work continues underneath overnight when Magic Kingdom Park is closed.

statues at Disney World's Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom
Credit: Disney

The Haunted Mansion continues to operate normally as construction continues. Keep an eye on the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date attraction information.

What do you think about the Piston Peak National Park expansion in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments!

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