It’s hard to believe that the HAUNTED MANSION is turning 50 years old this month and in celebration of the iconic Disney Parks attraction, we’re taking a look all week long at the history and legacy of the Disney classic! Today, we’ve got a fun retrospective look at some of the fun fact and details about the ghostly retreat where every room has wall-to-wall creeps and hot and cold running chills!
Courtesy of Disney, we have a look at some historical facts about the Disney classic!
- The idea for a haunted house at Disneyland was included in an early concept design sketch by Harper Goff dating back to 1952, when Disneyland was being conceptualized.
- The designers of the attraction originally wanted to make the outside of the mansion look scary. Walt Disney, however, wanted to keep the outside looking like a stately mansion, while letting the ghosts take care of the inside.
- The exterior of the attraction was built in 1962-63. It was unoccupied until 1969 while Walt Disney participated in the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair and his Imagineers were re-tasked to work on those timely projects. The World’s Fair experience made way for some of the technology that’s used in the Haunted Mansion.
- On August 9, 1969, after more than 15 years of development, the Haunted Mansion opened to the public.
- Within a week of the Haunted Mansion’s opening, Disneyland celebrated what was then its highest single-day attendance.
- The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland was the first major Disney attraction created without the direct supervision by Walt Disney. Although Walt reviewed many of the early vignettes, he never saw the completed show concepts.
- In 1966, New Orleans Square, where the Haunted Mansion is located, became the first new land added to Disneyland since the park opened on July 17, 1955.
- Originally, the Haunted Mansion was going to be a walk-through attraction where guests were led in small groups by a cast member who would describe scenes that lasted two to three minutes each.
- On November 26, 2003, Walt Disney Pictures released The Haunted Mansion in theaters with a robust cast that included Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Tilly, Terence Stamp, Marsha Thomason, and Wallace Shawn.
- In 2016, Marvel Comics debuted the “Haunted Mansion” comic book series.
Hurry Back!
We’re taking a week-long look at the classic Disneyland attraction with daily articles. Be sure to hurry back tomorrow and another look inside the HAUNTED MANSION!
More in Store
WAKE THE DEAD!
Mega fans of the attraction have the opportunity at Disneyland to help wake the dead with a special after-after hours merchandise release party (from 1am – 4am!) The “under the hill” soiree will take include a bunch of earthly delights includingspirited sips and bites, special entertainment, character encounters, photo ops, and access to several west-side park attractions, plus a few other supernatural surprises.
MORE INFO: Learn more about the event, details and pricing, including how to purchase tickets here.
‘Happy Haunts Materialize’ Exhibit
The Disney Gallery on Main Street is paying tribute to the Haunted Mansion with a fantastic new exhibit: Happy Haunts Materialize: Fifty Spirited Years of the Haunted Mansion.
See it for Yourself
Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion turns 50 on Friday, August 9, 2019. It’s open now through August 25th when it closes its annual conversion into the Haunted Mansion Holiday.
