Disneyland Resort has revealed a significant update to its classic Haunted Mansion attraction, but not all Disney Parks fans are pleased. Earlier this week, construction walls came down around a newly designed gift shop and expanded courtyard area in New Orleans Square, adjacent to the beloved ride, sparking strong reactions.
Disneyland Park’s Haunted Mansion attraction has been enchanting guests since 1969 with its eerie ambiance, iconic ghostly characters, and spooky charm. But this year, Walt Disney Imagineering took on the task of reimagining elements of the experience, including a new carriage house-style gift shop and expanded queue area, meant to enrich guests’ overall immersion in the world of the Mansion.
Modernization began earlier this year. Despite the ongoing construction, Haunted Mansion Holiday, the attraction’s seasonal overlay, has continued to operate with a Virtual Queue system. With the construction walls finally down, Disney Parks fans got their first look at the finished project.
TikTok user @burrinisays shared a video giving fans a first glimpse at the area’s new layout, including changes that have left some fans missing familiar features. One notable absence is the beloved fountain that used to anchor the space; it’s now reportedly repurposed as a planter in the revamped queue.
@burrinisays The walls are down next to the haunted mansion just in time for your next disneyland trip! I couldn’t be more thrilled that the walls are coming down and the projects are going to be finished shortly. Be sure to check the app to verify if they will still be using the virtual queue once the actual queue finally opens. But as of now it is not open yet #disney #disneynews #disneyland #disneypark #hauntedmansion #disneycreator #losangeles #california
“Unfortunately, we did lose the fountain, but there is now plenty of space to walk around,” the TikToker noted.
Reactions to the updates have been mixed. Many fans expressed disappointment over the changes after Redditor u/TheDisneyScoopGuy shared an image of the new building:
The walls are down around the new Haunted Mansion gift shop!
The walls are down around the new Haunted Mansion gift shop!
byu/TheDisneyScoopGuy inDisneyland
For some, the final product didn’t live up to the original concept art:
“So boring,” one Disney Parks fan wrote. “It really does look like a couple Home Depot sheds slapped together.”
Yet some fans defended the project, arguing that the updates aligned well with the Haunted Mansion’s historical architecture and New Orleans Square’s aesthetic.
“It does match the mansion architecture,” one commenter said. “The Mansion is a Greek revival antebellum home. The carriage house is a blend of French colonial and urban/rural Southern tradition, which is exactly what you’d expect to find in New Orleans or the surrounding parishes.”
Others pointed out how the new structure improves the area’s overall flow, smoothing the transition between the Haunted Mansion and nearby Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
“It kind of helps alleviate the jarring transition from Haunted Mansion to Splash Mountain, because it’s so tall it hides Tiana’s now,” another user wrote.
Does the new Haunted Mansion gift shop look better or worse than in the original concept art? Share your thoughts with Disney Fanatic in the comments.
