As Halloween Draws Closer, One Attraction Seems Beyond Disney’s Crowd Control Strategies

As one of the most popular festivities of the year draws closer, one attraction proves its popularity yet again.

Going to the Walt Disney World Resort is one of the most magical experiences in the world. From the incredible attractions and rides at the Disney Park to the wonderful lands that guests can enjoy, there’s a lot to love. Of all the Disney World attractions, one of the most iconic is undoubtedly Disney’s Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square, Walt Disney World Resort.

Recently, the attraction not only proved its popularity but also sparked a debate on the efficacy of Disney’s crowd control methods.

Lightning Lane Appears Almost Useless for Haunted Mansion

Halloween is around the corner, and of course, all the Foolish Mortals looking to try their fate in the Haunted Mansion are emerging. Every year around this time, the Magic Kingdom becomes incredibly crowded—and in particular, guests are enthralled with the Halloween festivities on display.

Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion has been known to get extremely crowded this time of the year, and this year was no exception. Disney guest jokekiller94 shared a photo that depicted the size of the Lightning Lane line for Haunted Mansion, and it’s exactly what a seasoned Disney guest would expect.

The line for haunted mansion Lightning Lane!
byu/jokekiller94 inWaltDisneyWorld

Related: Is Disney’s Haunted Mansion Really Haunted?

Many commented on the crowds that one might expect at this time of the year, and some even shared that “Looking at the wait times now reminds me why we don’t go during fall or spring breaks…”

However, while many certainly expressed their discontent with this level of crowds at the Magic Kingdom, some fans explained the line was shorter than it looked. One shared, “I was in a line like this in august. It’s about 10 mins. Most of it is people who for some reason have a very hard time scanning their magic bands. This is still much shorter than standby.”

Another fan added extra context, explaining, “Also doubling on this. Lightning lane looks ‘long’” because it stacks up at scanners because people can’t figure out how to scan. Passed the scanners, it’s much shorter. When I was a cast member at MK, I couldn’t tell you how many people I heard say ‘not much of a lightning lane huh!!’ No, it still really is the lightning lane even if people don’t have their tickets ready to scan and back up the entry!”

Of course, ultimately, almost any Disney Fanatic will agree that buying the Disney Genie suite and using Disney Genie+, Lightning Lane, and the Individual Lightning Lane certainly makes going to Disney a lot easier. But the photo serves to demonstrate—if for nothing else—the popularity of one of Disney’s most iconic rides.

More on the Haunted Mansion attraction

The Haunted Mansion attraction is a dark-ride attraction located at Disneyland Resort, Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, and Tokyo Disneyland. Two Haunted Mansion-inspired manors also exist at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland, respectively.

The attraction is known for its iconic characters—Madame Leota, Master Gracey (named for Yale Gracey, the Disney Imagineer who notably worked with famous Imagineers Marc Davis, Ken Anderson, and Rolly Crump), the Hatbox Ghost, among other well-known characters.