Haunted Mansion Liberty Square Magic Kingdom

Ride Length

Individual Attraction Selection

No

Genie+

Yes

Haunted Mansion Highlights:

  • Disney Genie+ Attraction

  • Board a “Doom Buggy” on this slow moving tour of the Haunted Mansion
  • Beloved opening day classic featuring 999 happy haunts

Introduction | Attraction | Ride Logistics | Shopping | Interesting Facts

INTRODUCTION

Since it debuted with the opening of the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971, the Haunted Mansion has been one of the best-loved attractions at Walt Disney World Resort. Located atop a hill overlooking Liberty Square, this spooky house is home to 999 happy haunts — but there’s room for 1,000. Any volunteers?

ATTRACTION

Themed after the English Tudor style found in lower Hudson River Valley in New York, the stately Haunted Mansion looks down on Liberty Square. The queue was redesigned in early 2011 to become more interactive.

As you enter the courtyard of the Haunted Mansion, you can now see, touch, hear, and play with several new, interactive elements added to the queue experience.  One of the main attention-grabbers is the new Decomposing Composer’s Crypt. The new tomb has interactive instruments that sound as weird as they look. CLICK HERE for more photos of the new queue.

 

ATTRACTION: When Mansion Maid or Butler (Cast Member) invites you inside, you enter the mansion’s foyer.  Your invisible host greets you… your “Ghost Host.” Look over the fireplace, and you will see a portrait that ages — that’s Master Gracey, the former owner of the mansion.

You’re then directed into an octagonal room with unusual paintings encircling the walls. Before your eyes, the paintings change — they seem to grow longer and longer, even though the floor and ceiling aren’t moving, and as they stretch, you realize they are not as they seemed.

From this room, you’ll exit to a dark passageway, where you’ll go to your “Doom Buggy” ride vehicle to tour the mansion. Synchronized speakers inside each doom buggy allow your Ghost Host to explain the supernatural events unfolding around you.

Your egg-shaped vehicle glides silently through the library, conservatory, hallways, ballroom, attic, and even graveyards. Guests ride past a seance being held by Madame Leota, a disembodied head projected from a crystal ball. She calls the spirits to materialize before you!

In the ballroom scene especially, note the holographic images that dance and cavort around the room. The ghosts appearing here are caused by a variation of an illusion called “Pepper’s Ghost.”

Following the ballroom, you’ll tour the attic. Here you’ll see the story of the Bride Constance — who gets married five times, but her husbands keep mysteriously disappearing.

After the attic, your doom buggy will tilt backward and lead you to the graveyard, where the ghosts are having a ghostly party! You’ll see ghosts playing instruments and having tea parties, a frightened grave digger, and the iconic singing busts!

Finally, your doom buggy turns sideways, and you pass in front of a mirror. Thanks to a little Disney magic, “hitchhiking” ghosts appear inside each doom buggy. Thanks to a current technology update, the ghosts even appear to interact with riders now!

As the ride nears its end, look up to the right and see Little Leota, the small figure perched on the ledge above urging you to “hurry back…hurry baaa-aaack…” Her form and voice also both belong to Leota Thomas.

For more details, backstory, and history behind the Haunted Mansion, check out this AllEars video!

RIDE LOGISTICS

Lightning Lane access for Haunted Mansion is available with the purchase of Genie+. It is a very popular attraction, with standby lines averaging between 30 and 90 minutes.

There are no height or age restrictions for Haunted Mansion, but many children are fearful of its darkness and scary scenes. 

There is a “Chicken Exit” directly as you exit the Stretch Rooms before loading into the Doom Buggies. If you decide to exit, talk to a Cast Member who can direct you.

Accessibility: Guests using an ECV or a wheelchair must transfer out to ride this attraction. Audio Description and Translation Devices can be used on this attraction.  Some Captioning Available. Ask at Guest Relations.

The ride system at Haunted Mansion is a continuous-loading OmniMover, which allows for a steady flow of guests. Although this is a slow-moving, smooth ride, each “Doom Buggy” vehicle is programmed to dip and turn at specific moments, thus directing your attention to important show elements. Be aware that at some points, your “Doom Buggy” travels backward as it goes downhill.

The Doom Buggies can seat two comfortably, although it is possible to squeeze two adults and a small child (or three children) into one.

Be very careful as you exit your Doom Buggy; not only is it dark, but the Doom Buggies can move a bit as you step out.

Child Swap (aka Rider Switch) is available at this attraction. This allows one guardian to wait with a child while another rides, and then they can switch so the other guardian can ride without waiting in line again. Ask a Cast Member for the current procedure.

It takes about 7.5 minutes for your Doom Buggy to make its way along the 960-foot track of this attraction.

The Haunted Mansion is now a photopass attraction. Your photo is taken as you ride through the graveyard and will automatically show up on your My Disney Experience if you have a MagicBand on.

Don’t miss the pet cemetery — it’s on your left on the hill as you exit the Mansion.

SHOPPING

Memento Mori Relics from Regions Beyond is an amazing Haunted Mansion gift shop located to the right of the attraction entrance. Items range from apparel to limited edition prints and everything in between. A must-visit even if you just “window” shop.

 

Magic Kingdom Shopping at a Glance

INTERESTING FACTS

In the queue, you’ll see many headstones. Most names are honoring Imagineers who worked on the attraction, such as Marc Davis, Claude Coats, X Atencio, Leota Toombs, Rolly Crump, Harriet Burns, Fred Jorger, and Yale Gracey. Three of the headstones say Gus, Ezra, and Phineas, which are the names of the Hitchhiking Ghosts.

The Haunted Mansion is featured in different lands at four Disney theme parks worldwide. Hong Kong Disneyland has Mystic Manor (more in line with Chinese culture)

Disneyland — New Orleans Square
Magic Kingdom — Liberty Square
Tokyo Disneyland — Fantasyland
Disneyland Paris (where it is known as Phantom Manor) — Frontierland
Hong Kong Disneyland (known as Mystic Manor) — Mystic Point

The singing busts in the graveyard scene warble the attraction’s theme song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” Though sometimes mistaken for Walt Disney, the face on the bust on the left actually belongs to Thurl Ravenscroft, the song’s soloist. Ravenscroft is best-known as the voice of Tony the Tiger, the mascot of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal. In addition to Ravenscroft, the Singing Busts include Jay Meyer, Verne Row, Bob Ebright, and Chuck Schroeder.

Grim Grinning Ghosts, with lyrics by X Atencio (who also wrote the Ghost Host’s script) and music by Buddy Baker, was recorded by the Mello Men, a singing group made up of Bill Lee, Max Smith, Bob Stevens, and Thurl Ravenscroft. The group also provided the vocals in many Disney films and theme park attractions.

Legendary voice artist Paul Frees — known to many as Boris Badenov from “The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show”– is the attraction’s narrator, or “Ghost Host.” He also provided the voices for many of the rogues in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. 

The face of Madame Leota is that of the late Imagineer, Leota Toombs Thomas, and the voice that of Eleanor Audley, who also provided the voices of other well-known Disney movie characters: Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent and Cinderella’s Lady Tremaine.

In the back left of the pet cemetery at the exit, you can see a Mr. Toad statue honoring the extinct attraction, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

HIDDEN MICKEYS ALERT:

Ballroom scene — arrangement of plate and adjoining saucers on the banquet table.
Graveyard scene — the left hand of the grim reaper forms a Mickey outline with his fingers.

At Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, the Haunted Mansion adds extra flair! You’ll typically find real ghosts on the lawn, interacting with guests in the queue. Additionally, the Mansion Maids and Butlers get extra spooky makeovers!

FAQs

How long is Haunted Mansion?

The ride takes 10 Minutes

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Is Individual Attraction Selection available for Haunted Mansion?

No
Haunted Mansion is not eligible for Individual Attraction Selection

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Is Haunted Mansion included in Genie+?

Yes
Haunted Mansion is included in Genie+

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