A new haunt has materialized inside the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, as a candleman figurine has been added to the attraction’s attic scene. The new prop resembles the “Candleman,” a character who has long been popular in the Haunted Mansion mythos. Its installation is a nod to Rolly Crump, the legendary Walt Disney Imagineer who initially designed the character; Crump passed away earlier this year at the age of 93.
Rolly Crump’s Candleman Added to Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom
The new prop appears in the attic scene on a table near the set of armor. It sits amongst a pile of trinkets.
The figure is quite small and, thus, difficult to spot and photograph. Included below is a side-by-side comparison of the prop and Crump’s initial design:
Crump designed the Candleman for the Museum of the Weird, an unbuilt walkthrough attraction that was intended to be a walkthrough exhibit experience, of sorts, for the Haunted Mansion. During conceptual meetings for the Haunted Mansion, Walt Disney noticed some of the frightening models and concepts that Crump had designed, ultimately asking him to spearhead a supplementary experience in which guests could encounter all of the bizarre creations Crump theorized.
The project was scrapped after Disney’s death, but some of Crump’s designs — namely the iconic ‘Donald Duck’ chair — were implemented into the final Haunted Mansion. Yet another one of Crump’s creations now lives on in the form of the Candleman; the prop was quietly added to the Disneyland Park version of the Haunted Mansion earlier this year as part of Haunted Mansion Holiday.
In addition to work on The Haunted Mansion, Enchanted Tiki Room, and other attractions, Crump worked on “it’s a small world.” He designed the Tower of the Four Winds, which sat outside the attraction at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. When the attraction moved to Disneyland, he was responsible for the final façade, drawing inspiration from Mary Blair’s work on the rest of the attraction.
Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion opened at Disneyland Park in 1969 and on opening day at Walt Disney World in 1971. A near-clone of the Magic Kingdom attraction opened at Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, and the ride has since served as the inspiration for several Disney attractions across the globe (Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris and Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland).
The atmospheric ride strikes a delicate blend between frightening and funny that has charmed generations. The Disneyland version of the attraction received a major addition in 2015 when the Hatbox Ghost, an original effect removed from the ride due to technical difficulties, was re-added. The Hatbox Ghost is due to debut in the Magic Kingdom version of the Haunted Mansion in late November.
Will you be keeping an eye out for the Candleman on your next trip through the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom? Let us know in the comments.
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