Welcome Foolish Mortals

The History of the Haunted Mansion

When Disneyland first opened on July 17th, 1955, the Haunted Mansion was not one of the original attractions. Before its opening, the Haunted Mansion went through several concepts and redesigns. During these early stages, no one could decide if the attraction should be spooky or funny, but Disney’s Imagineers would eventually seamlessly combine both elements into the ride Disney fans know and love today.

Although construction started in 1962, it was paused soon after as Walt and his team of Imagineers began their preparation for the New York World’s Fair, which took place from 1964-1965. Right when it seemed like construction would start back up, Walt died in 1966. After his death, the ride evolved significantly. The Haunted Mansion was initially supposed to be a walk-through attraction, but following the World's Fair, the Omnimover ride system was invented. This continuously moving track allowed for greater ride capacity and was later named the “Doom Buggy” to fit the mansion's haunting theme.

The ride eventually opened on August 12th, 1969. It featured a stretching room, floating objects, a séance, ghost brides, and many other spooky scenes. It was a huge hit for Disneyland and its success eventually led to other versions all around the world.

Learn More at Wikipedia