Change Hits Disney World’s Haunted Mansion — But You’ll Have to Look Closely!

Rides, restaurants, hotels — nearly EVERYTHING seems to be changing in Disney World these days!

But over at Magic Kingdom, one specific (and beloved) ride is in the middle of getting some very specific changes. The Haunted Mansion will soon be home to the iconic Hatbox Ghost. You’ll be able to find him within the endless hallway portion of the ride. Disney had previously indicated that guests would soon see temporary barriers inside Haunted Mansion due to the ghost’s arrival, and now we may have spotted some updates.

During a recent ride on The Haunted Mansion, we noticed that some of the area near the endless hallway — specifically the space by the armchair that seems to have an uncanny resemblance to Donald Duck 😉 — was NOT visible (from what we could see).

From the looks of it, the chair could have been hidden behind a curtain, but it’s possible that something else was also blocking the view. Given the darkness of the ride, it can be tough to see exactly what’s happening back there, but the change is something we wanted to warn you about so you’re aware of it before you next hop on the ride.

Disney has said that temporary barriers will appear in the ride as they prepare for the Hatbox Ghost’s arrival, and this spot is right by the endless hallway (where the Hatbox Ghost is meant to appear). So, these could be the barriers Disney previously mentioned, or it’s possible that more/different barriers are on their way.

Hatbox Ghost in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion

Disney has indicated that the Hatbox Ghost will arrive in Disney World in 2023, though no exact date for his debut has been identified yet. Keep in mind that the Haunted Mansion is also set to temporarily CLOSE soon. It’ll be closed for maintenance from August 7th through the 9th.

Disney has NOT confirmed whether this is related to the addition of the Hatbox Ghost, but we’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for updates.