Walt Disney World Ruining Haunted Mansion Ride With Major Change, Fans Say

The Hatbox Ghost is set to debut in the Endless Hallway in The Haunted Mansion ride later this year.

By Allison Schonter

The Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park is a must-do attraction, but not everyone is on board with Walt Disney's upcoming plans for the beloved ride. As parkgoers take their seat on Doom Buggies to embark on "a grave journey through a labyrinth of haunted chambers," they will soon be met the Hatbox Ghost, who is set to return to the attraction later this year, but his location in the Endless Hallway is ruining the experience for some fans.

The Hatbox Ghost – a creepy audio-animatronic whose face disappears from between his shoulders and hat, only to reappear inside of his box – is as legendary as the ride itself. The animatronic was one of the figures seen on The Haunted Mansion ride when it first opened at Disneyland in 1969, but Imagineers ultimately made the decision to remove the animatronic after only a few weeks due to the technology simply not being good enough for the effects Imagineers were hoping for. After decades of the Hatbox Ghost being nothing more than lore, Disney announced at the D23 Expo back in September 2022 that the Hatbox Ghost would debut at Disney World's Haunted Mansion attraction at Magic Kingdom in 2023 (the figure returned to Disneyland in 2015).

Last week, Disney revealed more details about the Hatbox Ghost's return, revealing that the figure will haunt the Endless Hallway. In a statement, Disney said, "The Hatbox Ghost will appear to guests as they pass the Endless Hallway, welcoming himself inside from the swinging wake in the cemetery and grinning at the Doom Buggies as they set off deeper into the mansion." The location is a stark change from the figure's original haunting spot. Back in 1969, the Hatbox Ghost was located across from the Bride, suggesting he was one of her beheaded husbands, and the upcoming change isn't going over well with everyone.

On Twitter/X, one person asked, "Do you guys ever think about how the hatbox ghost showing up before the seance scene ruins the narrative point of no ghosts being visible on the haunted mansion until Leota calls them out for a swinging wake." Another person reacted to the news by sharing, "Endless Hallway? Nope," with a third parkgoer writing, "Literally what happened to the narrative storytelling of not being able to see visible apparitions until Leota holds her seance???"

Disney has not responded to the backlash surrounding the Hatbox Ghost's new location at this time. According to the company, "Guests will soon see temporary barriers materialize as we await his apparition." It is unclear when exactly the Hatbox Ghosts will make his debut in the Endless Hallway.

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