Home » Featured

Fans Angered Over Controversial Haunted Mansion Change, Call Out Hypocrisy

in Disney Parks, Disneyland Resort, Featured, Haunted Attractions

Posted on by Krysten Swensen 3 Comments
A dimly lit room adorned with eerie decor, including an old portrait in an ornate frame and a ghostly figure of Constance Hatchaway, a bride in a glowing blue dress hovering mid-air. Shadows and dim light contribute to the haunting atmosphere.

Credit: Disney

On January 17, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion finally reopened in its original state after more than a year. As fans will most likely remember, the attraction shut down last January for a major renovation of the ride’s queue and the construction of a new shop outside the exit.

The attraction finally reopened in late July, but it reopened as Haunted Mansion Holiday, since it was close to the beginning of the Halloween season.

Haunted Mansion Holiday closed on January 7 and finally reopened on January 17. Fans were thrilled to finally ride the original attraction, since it had been nearly 18 months since they had been able to do so.

Haunted Mansion at Disneyland at night
Credit: Disney

Related: New Haunted Mansion Shop Finally Open at The Happiest Place on Earth!

When the attraction reopened, it was not the same as the one that closed all those months ago. Disney made the controversial decision to change the attic scene with murderous bride, Constance Hatchaway.

Before the attraction closed, Constance would be standing right by the attic exit, wielding the dangerously sharp axe that she used to behead her five former husbands. She would also say things like, “Here comes the bride,” “In sickness and in… wealth,” and “As long as we both shall live.” It was the perfect amount of creepy.

However, Constance now holds a candelabra and floats in the corner.

In a dimly lit haunted mansion, a mysterious female ghost floats in a glowing white dress, holding a candelabrum. Beside her, an old portrait of the same woman is visible. The atmosphere is eerie and otherworldly, echoing a scene straight out of Disney’s more spooky tales.
Credit: Richard Harbaugh / Disneyland Resort

According to longtime Disney Imagineer, Kim Irvine, said that Disney had to be “really careful about the sensitivities of people.

“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. 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.”

This decision really upset a lot of fans, who thought that Disney should not change such an iconic character because she might upset a small percentage of guests on the attraction.

This is an INSANE quote

Related: Disney Fans Can See a “Real” Ghost at the Haunted Mansion

Kim Irvine is the daughter of famed Disney Imagineer Leota Toombs, most famously known for providing the face of Madame Leota in the ride, and the voice of Little Leota as guests exit.

Some commented that having Constance be an axe murderer wasn’t being celebrated, it just added to the creepiness of the whole attraction.

The axe murderer story was fittingly scary, reverting her back into just a sad woman longing for her dead husbands sort of feels sexist lol. Heaven forbid a woman be a killer, her story is soley longing for men. And speaking of weird, “celebrating” is a weird word choice. Meh.

Other commenters pointed out the hypocrisy of the situation, especially with the announcement that a Villains Land was coming to the Magic Kingdom. The new Villains Land will not open for a few years, but when it does, it will feature villains like Maleficent, The Evil Queen, Ursula, and Scar. These are all villains that have done terrible things, including poisoning and murder.

Everyone’s saying it but I genuinely can’t comprehend how they’re gonna reconcile this mindset with a Villains Land.

I’m not even upset about the bride change, I think it looks good, but if this is really their reasoning… even having Gaston in the parks at all is INSANE, then.

The bride scene is not the only change coming to Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. Imagineers have also said that they will digitize the hitchhiking ghosts scene at the end of the attraction. Disney World’s version was updated years ago, and it will be a fun change to the classic scene.

They also said that they are still considering removing the hanging corpse from the stretching room, which has been a controversial scene for years.

Disney has not said if they plan to update the bride scene in Disney World. However, if they listen to guests, they might decide to keep it the way it is.

Do you like the change to the bride scene in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland? Or do you think they should have kept the scene the way it was? Share your thoughts in the comments!

View Comments (3)