Happy Birthday Haunted Mansion! 56 great years! Opened its doors on August 9, 1969!!

[joseph821]

Today 56 years ago, August 9th, 1969 - Haunted Mansion opened its doors for the first time! One of my all time favorite attractions.

It is a shame it is not open today on its birthday, August 9, 2025. It is down for refurb for the Holiday Overlay installation. Orginially it was to close on August 11 but then the refurb was moved up by 2 days.

Honestly, it is time to have the Haunted Mansion be open all year.

I am not using this thread as which one the original Haunted Mansion or the Holiday Overlay version is better or worse or brings in more crowds. The holiday overlay was never meant to become a permanent addition every year but that is what it has become.

I am sure Walt Disney and the imagineers behind the Mansion never expected the Mansion to be open less than 8 months a year.

It is time that the Walt Disney Company and Disneyland build Jack and the Nightmare before Christmas gang its own stand-alone attraction in Disneyland or DCA and let the Haunted Mansion be open all year long.

Yes Walt himself said Disneyland would always be changing and growing - this is not a "change" - but a hijacking of the Mansion - and it really should stop and build Jack his own attraction. Christmas in August stop! I do not think Walt would approve Christmas in August at his beloved park. Let the overlay start in November and close in early January is a better compromise.

I love the Mansion. I have enjoyed the overlay but build Jack his own attraction.

I wonder how people would feel if Peter Pan or Pirates were open less than 8 months a year and an overlay took over.

Long live the Haunted Mansion!! Hope to see you open on your Birthday next year!

Happy 56th Birthday Haunted Mansion!!

Joseph

 

[BrianL]

I agree with everything you said.

Also, Happy Birthday Deathday?, to the Grim Grinning Ghosts!

 

[Tomorrowland 67]

The Haunted Mansion is my favorite attraction. It's a classic that still reminds me of the first time I rode on it.

 

[mdmost]

I like Nightmare Before Christmas. It's a fun overlay. It has no business being up until November 1st. It makes no sense to me to have the single best haunted attraction completely made into a Christmas ride during Halloween. I'm so thankful we got to ride in last week. This is why I'll always feel the WDW version is the better one.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1954299132438524052

 

[MillauFr]

I am sure Walt Disney and the imagineers behind the Mansion never expected the Mansion to be open less than 8 months a year.

It is time that the Walt Disney Company and Disneyland build Jack and the Nightmare before Christmas gang its own stand-alone attraction in Disneyland or DCA and let the Haunted Mansion be open all year long.

Yes Walt himself said Disneyland would always be changing and growing - this is not a "change" - but a hijacking of the Mansion - and it really should stop and build Jack his own attraction. Christmas in August stop! I do not think Walt would approve Christmas in August at his beloved park. Let the overlay start in November and close in early January is a better compromise.

Does it really matter what its creators intended? I like the overlay and would be absolutely devastated if they didn't do it every year.

 

[joseph821]

Does it really matter what its creators intended? I like the overlay and would be absolutely devastated if they didn't do it every year.

I think Walt's opinion trumps mine or yours. The overlay was never meant to be a permament installation. It has been going on for over 20 ++ years time to make a NBC attraction already. Why cannot Haunted Mansion be in its original form as it was intended?!

The Jungle Cruise had an overlay "The Jingle Cruise." It lasted 3 to 4 seasons at WDW and Disneyland then ended. These overlays were substantially changed each season. Time to make a NBC attraction on its own.

 

[LKing]

Personally, I like the overlay but I go often enough that I would be fine with it just being a Christmas overlay. That said, I wish they removed Jack Sparrow from POTC. To me, he doesn't fit and it feels forced.

 

[Tinkaboo]

Well said, my friend! Totally agree!

 

[Tinkaboo]

Personally, I like the overlay but I go often enough that I would be fine with it just being a Christmas overlay. That said, I wish they removed Jack Sparrow from POTC. To me, he doesn't fit and it feels forced.

Well,if they remove Jack Sparrow, then they need to take out all the politically correct nonsense and PUT THE REDHEAD BACK IN, "We wants the redhead,"
They ruined the ride when they changed all that. And put back the screen with Davy Jones on it....
OR
revert back to its original design completely, with no Barbossa, no Johnny Depp, no Phantom voice of Davy Jones at the end...it doesn't make any sense anymore.
I doubt that enough people nowadays have seen the movies to know and if they are going to make any more with Johnny...then be done with it...unless they are still paying him money for his image...which I doubt.

 

[MillauFr]

I think Walt's opinion trumps mine or yours. The overlay was never meant to be a permament installation. It has been going on for over 20 ++ years time to make a NBC attraction already. Why cannot Haunted Mansion be in its original form as it was intended?!

The Jungle Cruise had an overlay "The Jingle Cruise." It lasted 3 to 4 seasons at WDW and Disneyland then ended. These overlays were substantially changed each season. Time to make a NBC attraction on its own.

Walt does not generate any profits for the Disney Corporation. You and I do.

 

[StarlitNight05]

Well,if they remove Jack Sparrow, then they need to take out all the politically correct nonsense and PUT THE REDHEAD BACK IN, "We wants the redhead,"
They ruined the ride when they changed all that. And put back the screen with Davy Jones on it....
OR
revert back to its original design completely, with no Barbossa, no Johnny Depp, no Phantom voice of Davy Jones at the end...it doesn't make any sense anymore.
I doubt that enough people nowadays have seen the movies to know and if they are going to make any more with Johnny...then be done with it...unless they are still paying him money for his image...which I doubt.

I am always tempted to yell "We wants the Redhead" but I don't want to be one of those people.... That change makes no sense to me. That scene was offensive, but it's totally fine to drown someone in a well?!

Johnny Depp does feel sort of forced and cheesy, but then again, I don't mind looking at a Johnny/Jack animatronic. He's easy on the eyes

 

[BrianL]

I am always tempted to yell "We wants the Redhead" but I don't want to be one of those people.... That change makes no sense to me. That scene was offensive, but it's totally fine to drown someone in a well?!

Johnny Depp does feel sort of forced and cheesy, but then again, I don't mind looking at a Johnny/Jack animatronic. He's easy on the eyes

I actually like the idea of Redd as a pirate, but the scene the way they did it isn't very good. I would have kept, "We wants the redhead!", then Pirate Redd tells them off and fires a shot at them. Now, that's empowering and funny!

 

[BriannaRuth]

I agree, I wish they would just do the Christmas overlay after Halloween and leave it at that. The way they're doing it now, they're closing one of the best attractions in the park for way too many days each year.

I'm not a fan of having Johnny Depp all over POC because to me, it just takes me right out of the story when he pops up because he's so recognizable on his own vs as the character of Jack Sparrow. I don't think, "Oh, there's Jack Sparrow," I think, "There's Johnny Depp." It pops me right out of the story and momentarily reminds me that I'm just riding along in a giant set. OTOH, it does give me something to look for -- Find All the Johnny Depps. Used to do that with my kids when they were younger.

 

[mdmost]

Agreed on not liking the changes to Pirates. Pirates aren't good people, regardless of what the Johnny Depp movie tries to show. It was a better attraction with a better story before Captain Jack was added and the redhead was made a pirate. That said, my daughter was thrilled to meet Redd and take a picture with her.

I wore this shirt on our trip last week.

 

[LKing]

Regarding Pirates and Johnny Depp.... Entertainment Weekly states that Depp might do a sixth movie.

https://ew.com/jerry-bruckheimer-thinks-johnny-depp-will-do-sixth-pirates-movie-11789189

 

[joseph821]

Regarding Pirates and Johnny Depp.... Entertainment Weekly states that Depp might do a sixth movie.

https://ew.com/jerry-bruckheimer-thinks-johnny-depp-will-do-sixth-pirates-movie-11789189

Pirates hijacked my thread LOL! You see Haunted never gets its due!! Ha!
Yes I saw that. Disney will do that movie it will make boat loads of cash!

 

[LKing]

Pirates hijacked my thread LOL! You see Haunted never gets its due!! Ha!
Yes I saw that. Disney will do that movie it will make boat loads of cash!

Sorry about that!

There is always someone who is devastated when an attraction is closed. How many people visit Pixie Hollow? Month after month, people were frustrated with the extended closure. Now that it is reopened, it is a ghost town.

Regarding Haunted Mansion, there are logistics to how, and when, they transform different sections of the park. It isn't like the HM overlay team is sitting around all year, waiting to do HM. They may be the same people that set up DCA for OBB, then move to HMH, then IASW, then decorate the castle for the holidays, then remove OBB, etc. There are so many things that need to be transformed, and then returned to normal, between August and January. HMH is transformed first. It is a very popular overlay, sells a ton of merchandise, and works for their schedule.

 

[joseph821]

Sorry about that!

There is always someone who is devastated when an attraction is closed. How many people visit Pixie Hollow? Month after month, people were frustrated with the extended closure. Now that it is reopened, it is a ghost town.

Regarding Haunted Mansion, there are logistics to how, and when, they transform different sections of the park. It isn't like the HM overlay team is sitting around all year, waiting to do HM. They may be the same people that set up DCA for OBB, then move to HMH, then IASW, then decorate the castle for the holidays, then remove OBB, etc. There are so many things that need to be transformed, and then returned to normal, between August and January. HMH is transformed first. It is a very popular overlay, sells a ton of merchandise, and works for their schedule.

Joking! I know the overlay is popular and sells merchandise but I think build a NBC attraction already. Honestly it would nice to see traditional Halloween decorations in HM like a real live people dressed as a knight or a ghoul pop into a doom buggy like they did years ago during the original Hallowwen parties at Disneyland.

From a creative aspect, at least change it....only Anaheim and Tokyo do the overlay and the NBC movie always had a cult status in Japan and in Japan, Christmas is very minor. Build a NBC attraction in the Hollywood section of DCA. Have it year round there.
There are a significant minority that want HM all year round.
Dress up the HM for Christmas with Victorian spooky trees and other things.

NBC is a cult now and deserves it own attraction. The NBC overlay is done because the California/Southern California guest base and Keys want it.

If there was real money to be made Walt Disney World would do it at Magic Kingdom or EPCOT or Hollywood Studios, they do not because WDW guests and international tourists do not want it. WDW got rid of Grad Nights years ago...they linger on even with low partcipation because the CA base expects it.


Disney World brings in the lion's share of theme park profits vs Disneyland. The hotels, 4 parks vs 2 , many more restuarants and WDW sells the NBC merchandise without the overlay or an attraction.

Eventually the NBC overlay will be gone because corporate Disney will want the easier ways - uniformity and easier operations...less money expended. Tokyo is run and owned by Oriental Land Co and they do things differently.

Build the NBC attraction and the CA base can have it all year long and all the merchandise all year long...different merchandise geared to the attraction. HONESTLy it would be easy to duplicate the HM RIDE STRUCTURE in an attraction building based on the NBC Movie itself.