Pop quiz! What’s the spookiest attraction in any Disney Park?
If you didn’t answer Haunted Mansion (or Phantom or Mystic Manor!) then we want to know your definition of spooky! This iconic attraction has five iterations at Disney Parks around the world, and we’re taking a tour of all of them!
Come along as we tour all five Haunted Mansion attractions around the world!
Haunted Mansion — Disneyland
The original Haunted Mansion attraction opened in Disneyland in 1969. It is located in New Orleans Square and looks like a large antebellum mansion.
The pre-show for the ride is a large, slow-moving elevator called “the stretching room” which gives guests the feeling of the room stretching and there being no method of escape.
The attraction itself features Omnimover doom buggies that take guests through a haunting tour to witness ghosts, ghouls, a seance, and all sorts of creepy delights.
The OG attraction has even left us with some favorite characters such as the Hat Box Ghost and Madame Leota.
Haunted Mansion — Disney World
The Haunted Mansion in Disney World is very similar to the one in Disneyland. It opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971 and features many of the same scenes like the hitchhiking ghosts, the hatchet bride, and the graveyard.
The difference here is that the ride is longer with some added scenes as the building is MUCH bigger in Liberty Square. On this version of the attraction, you’ll also see the portrait hallway, library, and piano room.
Haunted Mansion — Tokyo Disneyland
The Tokyo Disney Haunted Mansion opened with Tokyo Disneyland in 1983 and looks a whole lot like the Haunted Mansion of Disney World. It is a part of the park’s Fantasyland.
Besides a few small differences in scenes, this attraction is pretty much a replica of the Disney World attraction without the 2007 updates.
Phantom Manor — Disneyland Paris
Phantom Manor is a spin on the original Haunted Mansion attraction. You can find it in Disneyland Paris’s Frontierland where it has been since the park opened in 1992.
The story of Phantom Manor is different and more involved. Instead of being a general ghostly residence, Phantom Manor tells the story of Frontierland titans, the Ravenswoods.
The family has a melancholy tale of an evil father keeping his daughter from being wed by murdering her suitors. The featured characters in the home are the young bride and her skeleton-faced father.
Many of the scenes are similar to the Disney World version, with alterations made to better represent the storyline. The biggest change comes after the graveyard. Instead of heading to the “hitchhiking ghosts” segment, guests are transported to a ghoulish version of the Wild West.
This land for lost souls represents the climax of the attraction and the bride “follows you home” instead of hitchhiking ghosts. Oooh, creepy!
Mystic Manor — Hong Kong Disneyland
Finally, we have Mystic Manor, perhaps the most unique of the five. This attraction opened in 2013 in Hong Kong Disneyland’s Mystic Point.
Due to differences in Chinese culture, Mystic Manor doesn’t have many references to the deceased at all. Instead, the story is much more fantastical. Essentially a prestigious collector of antiquities has found a music box with the power to animate objects.
When his monkey companion touches the music box, the mansion comes to life — at first fantastical before getting out of hand. It is a stretch from the original Haunted Mansion concept, but the OG was the inspiration after all.
Plus, it is the only version of the ride to NOT use an Omnimover ride vehicle. Instead, it is trackless, like Rise of the Resistance in the domestic parks!
How many Disney Haunted Mansion rides have you been on? Tell us in the comments!
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