Quantcast

Disneyland Resort >> Disneyland Park >> New Orleans Square

Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion is currently in its Haunted Mansion Holiday form. This will be the case through the end of the 2010 Holiday season and it will close for two about two weeks in early January 2011 to remove the overlay.

Haunted Mansion is one of the iconic Disneyland attractions. On the drawing board from the very early on, it took years to get the attraction built, even though the mansion was there for years. With a long queue through the mansion grounds the ride begins with an elevator ride that leaves initiates wondering if they actually moved or if it was just an illusion. The hallway after the elevator features changing paintings and before you're actually on the ride you've seen a decent show. Once aboard an omnimover the ride winds through several themed rooms that put all county fair haunted houses to shame.

For the Halloween and Christmas holiday seasons (usually mid-September through early January) Haunted Mansion is completely redecorated into Haunted Mansion Holiday, based on Nightmare Before Christmas.

General Information - Hide Section
  • Location: At the far end of New Orleans Square, just before moving into Critter Country.
  • Date Opened: 8/9/1969
  • # of Ride Units: 131 Doombuggies on the track at once.
  • Ride Capacity: Each Doombuggy can hold two adults comfortably.
  • Restraint Method: Lapbar
  • Ticket Rating: E Ticket
  • Ride Photo: No
 
Time Commitment Information - Hide Section
  • Open/Close: Opens and closes with the park.
  • Wait Times: Wait times for this attraction vary quite a bit throughout the day. Early morning and late evening it will rarely be longer than 10 minutes while during midday it can top 40 minutes. Don't be too worried by extremely long lines as the ride has a large capacity and they move quickly. During the Nightmare Before Christmas holiday overlay, the FastPass will be turned on and is recommended as the lines tend to be longer during this period.
  • Length of Ride: 7 minutes
  • FastPass: Not usually, but when the holiday overlay is installed, FastPass is available.
  • Single Rider: No
  • Queue Description: The queue winds through the grounds of this antebellum mansion, though it is only during longer lines that it goes through the more interesting areas with views of the graveyard.
Access Information - Hide Section
  • Health Restriction: None
  • Ride Access: Go through the main entrance gate and head to the front porch of the mansion. Wait at the chain for instructions from the cast member. Cast members generally ask people in wheelchairs if they can negotiate the steps in front of the mansion. What they often neglect to mention is that if you say yes, you could be standing anywhere from 5-15 minutes before boarding. If you cannot be on your feet for this long, let them know that fact. Those who cannot walk or negotiate the steps will be taken through a side entrance. People using wheelchairs will remain in them until you board a Doom Buggy.
  • Wheelchair Transfer: Transfer is required. Several buggies have been cut away on one side, permitting people to slide directly onto the seat or to use a transfer board. If you took your wheelchair with you into the mansion, you will not exit the ride at the normal location, but will return to where you boarded. To board/exit the ride, you will be required to step into/out of a Doom Buggy from a moving walkway. If you are using a wheelchair, the cast member will stop the ride so that you can enter/exit the vehicles at your own speed. However, if you are using a cane or other adaptive device, you will normally exit the ride by stepping onto a moving walkway. If you suffer from vertigo or other balance issues, this may be a problem. If you feel that you may have difficulty doing this, be sure to inform the cast member at the loading area. They will put a sticker on your vehicle, which will let the cast member at the exit area know to stop the ride so that you can exit the vehicle onto a stationary floor.
  • Service Animals: Yes
  • Audio: Audio is used to atmospheric effect throughout the ride, but also provides narration. Assistive listening devices are available.
  • Weight and Size Issues: The "doombuggies" are large and should accommodate just about anybody.
Parenting Information - Hide Section
  • Height Restriction: No
  • Child Swap: No
  • Other Issues: This is a dark ride and is often scary to little ones and intimidating to school-aged children. The stretching room is the scariest part of the attraction with a spooky voice, the room going pitch black, followed by thunder, a hanging body and the other guests often scream loudly. When the In the stretching room, put your hands over infants’ ears in anticipation of the volume. The ride vehicles do not stop to get on them. You board from a moving sidewalk so be prepared to balance yourself and children that need help getting on board. The same goes for debarking at the end of the ride.
History and Trivia - Hide Section
  • At this location: Though it took quite a while to open, Haunted Mansion is the first use of this space.
  • This Attraction's history: The mansion exterior of Haunted Mansion actually made its appearance years before the ride finally opened. Disney's Imagineers knew they wanted a haunted house type attraction here (and so the exterior was built as a teaser), but it took years to settle on design and finally get the attraction built and opened. The exterior was built in 1962, but the attraction did not open until 1969. The ride has seen minor tweaks over the years, but otherwise remains mostly unchanged. The Nightmare Before Christmas holiday overlay has become an annual tradition that began in 2001.

    In late spring 2006, the attraction saw a significant change in the "storyline" of the attraction. While the attraction never really had an official story and was more a series of vignettes, the changes in the attic room first seen on May 5, 2006, gave a significant new backstory to The Bride, long present as a mysterious figure with a visibly beating heart.


You can help us keep these guides current. If you see anything incorrect on this page, or if you have additional information that should be added, please fill out our form.