The ghosts are running out of time.
For more than half a century, Haunted Mansion has remained one of Disney’s most enduring attractions, combining macabre imagery with elaborate illusions and unexpectedly playful humor. Its 999 residents have become as recognizable as the Doom Buggies that carry guests through their decaying estates.
Yet the experience changes depending on which mansion guests enter. Disneyland’s original attraction occupies an immaculate Southern manor in New Orleans Square, while Tokyo Disneyland presents a darker Gothic residence positioned inside Fantasyland.
Both versions share familiar scenes, including Madame Leota’s séance, the ghostly ballroom, the graveyard celebration, and the mansion’s famous hitchhiking ghosts. Within days, however, neither park will be operating the attraction in its traditional form.
Tokyo Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion will close on August 4, 2026. Disneyland’s version in Anaheim will follow on August 8, beginning two closely timed seasonal transformations at Disney resorts on opposite sides of the Pacific.
Two Disney Mansions Prepare for a Holiday Takeover
The first closure will occur at Tokyo Disneyland, where guests have through August 3 to experience the regular attraction. The mansion will then remain unavailable for approximately six weeks, from August 4 through September 14.
It is scheduled to reopen on September 15 as Haunted Mansion “Holiday Nightmare,” Tokyo Disney Resort’s seasonal version of the attraction inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
The overlay brings Jack Skellington and other residents of Halloween Town into the mansion, replacing parts of the traditional experience with Christmas decorations, seasonal effects, and characters from the stop-motion film.
Haunted Mansion “Holiday Nightmare” will continue through January 7, 2027. The attraction is already scheduled for another closure from January 8 through February 4, allowing crews to remove the seasonal elements and restore the regular ride.
Disneyland will begin its own conversion four days after Tokyo’s closure. August 7 will be the final day guests can experience the California mansion in its classic form before it closes on August 8.
Unlike Tokyo Disneyland, the Anaheim attraction will be unavailable for less than two weeks. Haunted Mansion Holiday is scheduled to return on August 21, coinciding with the opening day of Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort.
The seasonal version transforms many of the ride’s most familiar scenes. Jack Skellington takes control of the mansion, Sally joins its supernatural residents, and Oogie Boogie appears near the conclusion of the attraction.
Madame Leota also abandons her usual séance script for holiday-themed incantations. Elsewhere, decorations blend Halloween imagery with a twisted version of Christmas, extending the film’s central collision of the two holidays.
One of the overlay’s most closely watched additions appears in the ballroom, where Disney installs a different gingerbread house each year. The edible display regularly incorporates new characters, moving components, and intricate confectionery details.
Anaheim Guests Face Months Without the Original Ride
Although Disneyland’s August closure will last only 13 days, the original Haunted Mansion experience could remain absent for several months after Haunted Mansion Holiday opens.
Disney has not confirmed an end date for the 2026 version of the overlay. However, the seasonal attraction traditionally operates throughout both Halloween Time and the resort’s Christmas celebrations.
Disneyland Resort’s holiday season will run from November 13, 2026, through January 6, 2027. Based on the resort’s usual calendar, Jack Skellington could retain control of the mansion until sometime after the new year.
That means guests visiting between late August and early January are unlikely to encounter the attraction’s standard scenes and soundtrack. Instead, Haunted Mansion Holiday will occupy the building through one of Disneyland’s busiest stretches of the year.
The lengthy seasonal run has long divided Haunted Mansion fans. Some consider the overlay an essential Disneyland tradition, while others object to the original attraction disappearing for a substantial portion of the calendar.
The upcoming closure follows several other changes around Disneyland’s mansion. Disney recently expanded its outdoor queue, introduced new accessible pathways, added storytelling details throughout the grounds, and opened Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond.
Those additions have placed renewed attention on the attraction whenever another closure appears on Disneyland’s calendar. For now, Disney has described the August shutdown as its standard annual conversion rather than a permanent overhaul of the ride’s interior.
Tokyo Disneyland guests have until August 3 to visit the mansion before its six-week closure. Visitors in Anaheim have until August 7 before the original Disneyland attraction disappears behind closed doors.
Once both transformations are complete, the 999 happy haunts will share their homes with Jack Skellington — at least until the holidays are over.
