There’s probably not a more iconic ride at Walt Disney World than Haunted Mansion, but even this classic ride has a few problems we can’t ignore.
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While Walt Disney World is home to dozens of incredible rides and attractions, each with its own backstory, none compares to Haunted Mansion. First opened at Disneyland Park in 1969, Haunted Mansion has remained not just one of Disney’s most famous dark rides, but one of the world’s most iconic theme park attractions of all time.
Walt Disney World’s version opened along with Magic Kingdom in 1971, letting the spookiness continue on the other side of the country. Today, versions of Haunted Mansion exist all across the world, and even aboard the Disney Cruise Line.
While many fans (including us) would consider Haunted Mansion a perfect attraction, there are a few parts of this classic experience we can’t help but get annoyed by.
Getting Stuck
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Getting stuck is annoying no matter what ride or attraction you are riding, but it’s especially rough on Haunted Mansion. Haunted Mansion is an omnimover attraction. This means all cars move at the same speed at the same time on the same track, like a conveyor belt. While innovative and efficient, this means that if one cart needs to stop, they all have to.
This results in stops for all riders on Haunted Mansion, turning what should be a seamless, creepy experience into something more like bumper cars. Sometimes guests won’t stop at all, but other times they will stop multiple times.
During a recent trip, the ITM team stopped for around 15 minutes. It’s not the biggest problem in the Disney World, but we certainly wish stops were less frequent on Haunted Mansion.
The Queue
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Don’t get us wrong—we absolutely love the queue for this attraction at all the Disney theme parks. But it’s specifically Walt Disney World’s version that gets us annoyed. See, right before guests make their way into the mansion, they are grouped up and funneled in through the door.
After this point, guests are no longer in a single-file line but rather one large group.
It’s very common to get boxed out and lose your place in line during this section. It’s very easy to lose your party, making sticking together a challenge. It’s also unpleasant, especially for those who may feel claustrophobic.
Similar issues persist on other attractions, such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which also uses a funnel system in its queue.
The queue itself can be tough to wait in, as a decent chunk of it is outside. There are awnings that cover the queue thankfully, but the brutal Florida sun still makes waiting outside not a very comfortable experience.
The Hatbox Ghost
This iconic character made his debut at Walt Disney World’s version of Haunted Mansion in late 2023. Although the character had been a part of the story and lore of Haunted Mansion for decades, it was not fully represented until just a few years ago.
While the animatronic itself is cool and the disappearing head trick is fun, some fans have expressed disappointment and annoyance over the way the character was brought into the attraction. The character is illuminated with bright blue lights which take away from the ride’s iconic floating candelabra scene.
The character’s inclusion also raises questions about Haunted Mansion’s storyline, as guests can see the Hatbox Ghost well before Madame Leota’s seance. It’s a small thing to complain about, but the Hatbox Ghost feels slightly out of place compared to the rest of the mansion.
Do you agree or disagree? What’s your favorite ride at Magic Kingdom?
The post Things We Can’t Stand About Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom appeared first on Inside the Magic.
