As we get closer to the closing date for the Haunted Mansion ahead of its expanded grounds refurbishment, new construction walls have gone up in the attraction’s queue at Disneyland Park.
Construction Walls Up in Haunted Mansion Queue
We noticed the walls had gone up yesterday, January 9, 2024. The attraction is scheduled to close on January 22 for its grounds refurbishment. Reports indicate that the classic Haunted Mansion will not return to Disneyland Park until 2025 as a result of the refurbishment and timing related to Haunted Mansion Holiday.
As a result of the walls going up, the Lightning Lane and regular queues have also been adjusted. Guests purchasing Lightning Lane will now have to travel straight up to the front porch of the ride’s facade.
The regular queue for the Haunted Mansion is now designated by tape on the ground, around the perimeter of the construction walls.
Wait signs have been added to the walls, also, due to the queue being re-routed around them.
In addition, the popcorn cart near Haunted Mansion has been moved to accommodate the queue changes. Instead of its normal location, guests can now find it on the opposite side of the walkway in New Orleans Square.
The rest of this area has been roped off to help create more queue space.
Haunted Mansion Expanded Grounds Refurbishment
The expansion to the Haunted Mansion grounds was first announced in August 2023, with a “spirited metamorphosis” in the garden area to help build upon the lore of the classic attraction, as well as a new retail shop adjacent to the ride’s exit.
The official announcement for the grounds expansion references a “local legend” that suggested the manor as we know it was originally built by a prosperous sea captain, and that the mansion’s staff “faithfully maintains the happy haunting grounds” to this day.
The expanded queue will also include other details, like new gardens inspired by Master Gracey, Madame Leota, and the one-eyed cat.
The one-eyed cat was an original idea for the attraction by Imagineer Xavier Atencio, in which the cat would have appeared throughout the ride as a sort of antagonist. This idea eventually gave way to the raven seen in the final attraction, though many of the elements of that characterization were not used. A statue of the cat was added to the load area in 2021 alongside the return of the “April to December” portrait.
Each of the new gardens will have unique elements, including a water fountain and gazebo, themed statues, and landscaping. Leota’s garden will include items related to her incantations from the ride. There will also be a new greenhouse where the groundskeepers for the mansion grow their plants.
The new retail location will be themed as a carriage house for the mansion, with the inside shop belonging to Leota.
Will you be taking advantage of these last 12 days to ride Haunted Mansion before it closes for refurbishment? Which part of the new additions are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.
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