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The Haunted Mansion is one of the most recognizable and iconic attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland, and it has one of the biggest fan followings amongst any Disney park. However, a recent addition caused debate amongst the fanbase and even more discord upon removing an opening day fixture.
Credit: Disney
The infamous Hatbox Ghost recently made his long-overdue appearance in the Magic Kingdom variant in 2023, likely to coincide with the film adaptation starring Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson, and Jared Leto in the role of the grinning ghoul with a penchant for top hats. However, the choice to plant him in the endless hallway reportedly “ruined” the ride for certain guests, and it may have forced a familiar phantom out.
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From the Stretching Room to the Swinging Wake in the graveyard, the structure and lore of the Haunted Mansion are built on recognizable scenes and characters that tell this spooky and silly story, and fans instantly bolt on their hackles whenever something goes missing.
Haunted Mansion Character Goes Missing
Credit: Disney
A recent post on r/WaltDisneyWorld shared a photo of the Hatbox Ghost near the Endless Hallway with a caption that read, “The Ghost Host still says there’s 999 happy haunts, so who do you think got kicked out?” While done in jest, many users quickly pointed out that Disney removed a character to make room for the new animatronic.
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As the Doom Buggy rolls past the Hatbox Ghost, many visitors noticed the absence of the floating candelabra that completed the illusion of the Endless Hallway. u/MesaVerde1987 even shared the footage below that proved its absence.
Astonishingly, multiple users further down in the comments share a similar experience, including u/buccsmf1 who shares,
“Yeah no clue why they removed it. Used to scare the crap out of me when I was a kid!”
As ridiculous as it might sound for fans to be particularly upset about the removal of a prop rather than an actual character, the real reason fans are reacting this way might be that it gets in the way of one of the quintessential Disney Parks attractions commissioned by Walt Disney himself. As demonstrated by the Splash Mountain scandal, hardcore park-hoppers are quick to defend anything that threatens Walt’s original designs and intentions.
Did We Really Lose Anything?
Credit: Disney Parks
As many users quickly point out how the Hatbox Ghost replaced an essential element to the hallway’s illusion, many are also quick to suggest that it’s simply being repaired. However, the situation does bring. something from regions beyond into the light. Are fans getting too attached to the old Disney?
Related: Disney World Updates Madame Leota for Haunted Mansion Retheme
It’s often been said that Disney fans don’t know how to let things go, and doing so conflicts with Walt’s maxim of “keep moving forward.” The Disney parks were originally designed to be in a constant state of evolution, and dated effects are often removed in that process. Standing in the way of progress is a sure-fire way to keep the parks from prospering.
Placing the Hatbox Ghost at the expense of a floating candle stick might offend some legalistic Haunted Mansion fans, but it also brought a lost character back from the dead (no pun intended). It might not be everyone’s first choice, but it’s hardly a ride-ruining or story-ruining feature as some visitors might proclaim.
Do you think the manor loses more than a candelabra with this choice?
This post Disney Removes Haunted Mansion Character After 52 Years appeared first on Inside the Magic.
While these aren’t the things that should keep any of us up at night, if you are going to initiate the conversation, at least get it right. 1) To say that this is like the “Splash Mountain Scandal” in that fans get upset anytime something diverges from Walt’s intentions is, in fact, a false equivalence as, of course, there was no Splash Mountain in Walt’s time. 2) Fans getting upset about change usually rears its head when things are replaced for something new or “improved.” A missing prop does not fit that category. 3) There IS an actual problem with the placement of the Hatbox Ghost that you oddly don’t mention; the ride is scripted so that the guests “materialize for a swinging wake” only AFTER the seance room and the ghosts “feel your sympathetic vibrations.” Prior to that room, no ghosts are visible. Putting the Hatbox Ghost prior to that room actually goes against the script. Is all of this taking things far too seriously? Perhaps. But if that’s the conversation we’re having, let’s get the facts right.
What is really upsetting, to me, is in typical, “Disney Fanatic” style is the use of Madam Leota’s floating head in the introduction.