DISNEYLAND UPDATE: Haunted Mansion Secrets, Holiday Hustle & What’s Next!

It’s hard to believe, but this marks our final Disneyland Update of 2024. As the Disneyland Resort bids farewell to another festive season—brimming with twinkling lights, seasonal treats, and bustling crowds—we’re turning our attention to the exciting surprises just waiting to materialize in the new year.

With holiday décor soon disappearing like ghosts in the night, the Haunted Mansion is gearing up for its most intriguing transformation in years. A reimagined bride, cutting-edge effects, and the return of the classic attraction are just weeks away. And that’s only the beginning—there’s plenty more news as Disneyland transitions from holiday hustle to a fresh start for 2025.

So, grab your eggnog latte (or your peppermint mocha) one last time, and let’s explore what’s happening now and what’s just around the corner at the Happiest Place on Earth.

I Do… and I Did 

The Haunted Mansion has all sorts of surprises from the other side… a new store and a not-so-well-hidden reveal of a famous ghost’s new look. Let’s start with the shop and then take a look at the new murderous maven of the mansion. 

New Haunted Mansion Shop – Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond

Madame Leota has added proprietor to her resume with the opening of her new shop at the Haunted Mansion’s exit. The shop opened last week during pass holder blackouts. As a result, there were no long lines to get into the new shop. Had Magic Keys been unblocked, there would have been hundreds of people in line to see the tiny new shop. 

The shop is intended to look like a carriage house, and it fits that bill… but it also feels gigantic next to the Mansion. It would have benefited from some forced perspective and a little less height. There’s a lot of wasted vertical space that could easily have been cut.  

But new details added to the exterior do help it blend in a bit. 

Inside, the shop is packed with thematic details and lots of Mansion merchandise. This is one of those spaces where you need to look up to see all the details. 

One of my favorite elements is this portrait of Leota Toombs. She was the original Madame Leota in the crystal ball. She was also the mother of the Imagineer who art directed this new shop, Kim Irvine. It’s a lovely tribute. 

Leota has a room above the registers with a day bed and a black cat on a Morticia Addams-style chair. 

And a bit of Haunted Mansion history has also made its way into the shop from the archives. When Madame Leota’s ball began floating in 2005, the light fixture above it was removed to enable the new effect. It’s been in storage ever since but can now be seen in the new shop above another of Leota’s crystal balls. 

At the moment, most of the merchandise in the store has been seen elsewhere, but we understand new merchandise is in the works. 

The store is incredibly detailed on the inside, with lots of special lighting and audio effects (you hear instruments play, bells ring, ghostly sounds, etc); however, like the new Haunted Mansion queue, not all of the items were created by Imagineering (we found at least one item available on Amazon).

For more about the new shop, including our walk-through video, please visit our dedicated article:

Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond Shop Now Open At Disneyland!

Oh, yes, there is one more very important clue from Leota…

Haunted Mansion’s Bride Gets A New Chapter

For the first time in over a year and a half, the Haunted Mansion will be converted back to its non-holiday version this January (the Mansion closed for an extended refurbishment after the holidays ended in January of 2024 and reopened in holiday mode for Halloween time). But when the attraction reopens on Jan. 17th, some exciting changes will materialize.

Nestled within the newly unveiled Madame Leota shop is a curious portrait—a depiction of the Haunted Mansion’s infamous bride. But eagle-eyed fans will notice something unusual: it doesn’t quite match the current version of the sinister serial newlywed we’ve come to know.

For months, we’ve been sharing whispers that Imagineering is crafting the next evolution of this iconic character. It seems her story, much like her collection of unfortunate husbands, is about to get an unexpected surprise.

Over nearly 55 years, the bride has undergone many transformations. In the Mansion’s early days, she was a spectral mannequin with a glowing red heart, with endless “I dos” heard alongside the ominous thumping of her heart. Her presence was mysterious but more of an eerie set dressing than a fully fleshed-out story.

By 2006, however, the attic gained a darker edge. Portraits of her many ill-fated grooms materialized, each losing his head—literally—before our eyes.

Scattered wedding gifts filled the space, and the bride herself received a high-tech upgrade. Using projections, she became an interactive specter, delivering chilling vows:

“I do, and I did.
In sickness and in wealth.
You may now kiss the bride.
We’ll live happily ever after.
Till death do us part.
Here comes the bride.
As long as we both shall live.”

The hatchet in her hand—and her ominous delivery—left no doubt about her true nature.

The bride (known as Constance) has become a central figure in the Haunted Mansion’s evolving narrative. Her character helped tie together the attic’s eerie ambiance, adding a chilling clarity to the story.

But soon, Constance will undergo another transformation. When the Mansion reopens on January 17th (pending successful testing of her new effects), a reimagined bride will take her place in the attic. This latest iteration of the bloodthirsty bride promises to be a cutting-edge blend of classic and modern techniques, combining Pepper’s Ghost illusions, projections, and figure animation. Imagineering’s goal is to elevate her to the same standard as her spectral neighbor, the impressive Hatbox Ghost, who greets guests in the next scene.

While Constance’s addition in 2006 was a delightful upgrade to the attic scene, her technological enhancements have since been overshadowed by the Hatbox Ghost’s 2016 debut. So, Imagineers have poured their creative souls into this latest addition, as well as upgrades to lighting, sound, and visual effects – and if all goes as planned, guests might just lose their heads over what’s to come.

Holiday Hullabaloo

Holiday revelers flocked to Disneyland for Christmas despite ticket prices at $206 per day.

With larger crowds inevitably come longer wait times, but the queues were even more crazy thanks (no thanks) to Lightning Lane. Since almost everyone in the parks was a tourist, there were far more guests using Lightning Lane than usual, and that swelled waits for both Lightning Lane and standby.

Here’s what Friday at 2 p.m. looked like: 

The wait times weren’t much lower in California Adventure:

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the skip-the-queue systems cause longer wait times as Cast Members need to weave in Lightning Lane guests when the two queues merge, causing the standby line to pause.

The holiday crowds also increased restroom waits, which impacted both men and women (but it’s always worse for women).

Pirates Crowd Control

Completing the newly expanded Haunted Mansion queue and the grand opening of Leota’s gift shop means that Imagineers can turn their attention to the queue chaos in New Orleans Square created by Pirates of the Caribbean. And as we’ve recently shared, they are already hard at work on ideas for doing just that. And it couldn’t come soon enough…

On Christmas Eve, the Pirates of the Caribbean queue turned New Orleans Square into a complete nightmare. The line stretched from the attraction’s entrance all the way to the Haunted Mansion, clogging an entire artery of the land and making navigation a frustrating ordeal for guests. It’s simply unacceptable for a single attraction to disrupt an entire area of the park.

The root of the problem? Lightning Lane. Despite previous assurances that Pirates’ Lightning Lane was only a temporary measure, it has remained in place even after Haunted Mansion and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure implemented their own Lightning Lanes. The result are foot traffic jams that could have—and should have—been avoided. There’s no sugarcoating it: this situation was allowed to spiral out of control for one reason—greed. It’s time for Disneyland to stop this insanity and end Lightning Lane at Pirates of the Caribbean.

Even if Lightning Lane is eventually removed from Pirates of the Caribbean, the attraction’s queue will still need expansion—and that space will have to come from somewhere nearby. Unfortunately, there’s not much room to spare.

Possible solutions include repurposing the Royal Street Veranda quick-service window, Port Royal shop (currently selling Haunted Mansion merchandise), and utilizing the adjacent 21 Royal Street courtyard between Port Royal and the Pieces of Eight shop at the attraction’s exit. It’s a lot more space than you might imagine if it was all opened up to a new themed queue.  

 

The question is whether Disney will act quickly to address the issue following this holiday season’s chaos or opt for a temporary fix, such as a virtual queue on high-traffic days when the line spills over. Regardless, this is a problem that won’t be ignored for long. The ever-expanding use of Lightning Lane is impacting even non-Lightning Lane attractions, creating ripple effects throughout the park. And while Disney’s love of the extra revenue Lightning Lane brings is undeniable, it’s clear this system is taking a toll on the overall guest experience.

Downtown Disney Updates

ESPN Zone Gets Called Off The Bench

With all the changes to the Downtown Disney District, the one noticeable standout has been the very large building formally occupied by ESPN Zone. While occasionally used for temporary pop-ups, the space has largely been ignored, but it seems its time on the bench has finally come to an end.

Last week, we noticed construction walls arrived around ESPN Zone even though there has been no official announcement about its future. However, recent permits show that the building will be subdivided into at least three spaces, two downstairs and one upstairs. 

It’s possible this could become the home to the Loungefly/Funko store we’ve been awaiting news about. 

Wonderful World of Sweets and Parkside Market Coming Soon?

Following the pre-Christmas opening of the D-Lander and Avengers Reserve stores, the two remaining Downtown Disney projects we’re still waiting for are Wonderful World of Sweets and Parkside Market, which looks ready to open any day now.

Walls are now down around Parkside Market. Last month, we ran into some Parksie Market employees who said they had been shooting for a Christmas soft opening, so we expect some or all of the complex may open any day now. 

Likewise, Wonderful World of Sweets is also unwrapped and nearly ready to preview.Signage is in place and crews are hard at work getting the space ready for guests. 

You can find all the news about Downtown Disney in our guide:

Downtown Disney Transformed: Updates on New Restaurants & Shops!

Construction Kingdom

There are few construction projects left in the parks. But a few of those turquoise walls still remain in Tomorrowland… including the zero-progress planter project at the entry to the land. 

Nearby, the Pixie Hollow refurbishment project is mostly complete, but Tink is still not meeting guests.

The lagoon in front of the meet and greet was recently reopened… 

But it’s already collecting dirt. Like any pool, they need to regularly vacuum the bottom. To be fair, we noticed this two weeks ago and decided to hold off on reporting it to give them a chance to notice and clean it up. They didn’t, so enjoy the photos… 

Beyond the dirt, there are also napkins and other garbage in the lagoon already. 

It’s a shame that the park doesn’t have enough maintenance support to keep a beautiful space like this clean. 

In the good news department, additional seating for diners has been added along the walkway between Avengers Campus and Cars Land in California Adventure.

Little fire bucket lights have been strung in the trees. 

Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar 

As the holiday celebrations come to a close, several attractions will also be closing, including lengthy refurbishments for the Disneyland Railroad and it’s a small world, both expected to return for the resort’s 70th anniversary celebration beginning on May 16, 2025.

Currently Under Refurbishment:

• The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (adding “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” show): April 16, 2024 – May 15, 2025
• Meet Tinker Bell in Pixie Hollow: Sept.16 – TBA

Upcoming Refurbishments:

• Disneyland Monorail: Jan. 6 – TBA

• Mark Twain Riverboat: Jan. 6 – 10
• Grizzly River Run: Jan. 6 – TBA
• Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind: Jan. 6 – 23
• Haunted Mansion (holiday take down): Jan. 7 – 17

• Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe: Jan. 7 – TBA
• Disneyland Railroad: Jan. 13 – Spring 2025
• it’s a small world: January 21 – Spring 2025

This & That

Live at 5 x 2!

Last week, Dusty treated viewers to a double dose of holiday cheer with two live park tours: Disneyland on Christmas Day and Knott’s Berry Farm on Dec. 26th.

Because Magic Keys were blocked out for the week between Christmas and New Year’s, we spent the second day of our parks visit at Knott’s Berry Farm… and it sure looked like we weren’t the only ones with that idea! Not only was Knott’s absolutely packed, we ran into quite a few Disney passholders.

And speaking of Knott’s Berry Farm…

We were accompanied by former Imagineer Christopher Merritt, who wrote a book about the charming Knott’s Bear-y Tales attraction as well as a new Disneyland history book coming out for the 70th anniversary.

Drones in Anaheim?

There are drone shows in Orlando, so why don’t we have them at Disneyland? We know Disney has the technology to produce drone shows because they recently presented one at Disney Springs…

… and don’t even get us started about Disneyland Paris.

If you’ve ever wondered why Disneyland doesn’t host dazzling drone shows like those seen in Orlando or Paris, the answer comes down to safety. There’s simply no viable location to launch drones or fly them over the park without the risk of a potential disaster—whether it’s drones falling on guests or onto the busy freeways surrounding the resort.

That risk became all too real during a holiday drone show in Orlando this past weekend (this was not a Disney show). According to the Federal Aviation Administration, several drones collided mid-air during a Saturday evening performance, causing debris to fall into the crowd below. Tragically, a child was hospitalized and required heart surgery after being struck by one of the falling drones.

The incident occurred just before Christmas at Eola Lake, Florida, where thousands of spectators had gathered to enjoy the show. While drone technology allows for breathtaking displays, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks involved, especially in crowded urban areas like Disneyland.

Ho, Ho, Ho (and Gawrsh!)

With Christmas behind us, Disneyland replaces the Santa meet and greets in the park with Santa Goofy (except for the Christmas Fantasy Parade where Santa trades his classic Christmas suit for leisure wear).  

Santa Goofy is again appearing at Redwood Challenge Trail in California Adventure and for the first time at the Fantasyland Theater as well. 

Guests can meet Santa Goofy and participate in holiday activities through Jan. 6, 2025.

Magic Key Extras

To soften the blow of being blocked out during the holidays, new Disneyland Magic Key Extras have been unlocked for January 2025, including 50% off Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

• Jan 6-31, 2025 – 50% Off Lightning Lane Multipass (discount applies when purchasing on days that your Magic Key pass is used for admission).
• Jan. 7-13, 2025: Souvenir Pin Giveaway & Disney Character PhotoPass Event from 2-7 p.m. at the Starcade in Tomorrowland (one pin and lanyard set per Magic Key holder, while supplies last).
• Jan. 7-31, 2025: New Year Disney PhotoPass Magic Shots available from dusk (approximately 4:30 p.m.) to park close during that time frame.
• Jan. 8 – Feb. 19, 2025: Refillable Popcorn Bucket (while supplies last). The bucket can be refilled on those dates with standard popcorn for $2 per refill.

Indy Queue Redo

Over the years, the original spiel shown in the queue as old-timey news reels was cut down to just the actual safety portion, but now some of the entertainment has been added back.

Look not into the eyes of the idol! 

MiceShots

Let’s share a few parting shots and just a bit of news to go along with them…

Enjoy the holidays while you can, they end January 6th.