Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion has received a spirited refresh… Disney’s classic ghost house closed just after the holiday season in January 2024 for the lengthy construction projects that added the extended queue and gardens and Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond gift shop, but reopened again in July as Haunted Mansion Holiday, so it’s been a year and a half since guests have seen the “OG” Haunted Mansion – except it’s not exactly the same mansion we remember.
Following the eviction of Jack Skellington and the “Nightmare Before Christmas” crew at the end of the 2024 holiday season, the mansion reopened today with a “new” resident in the attic…
The ghost bride, Constance Hatchaway – AKA “the black widow bride” for her series of less-than-successful marriages – is now presented through special effects and projection technology as a floating spirit holding a glowing candelabra instead of an axe. She also no longer recites her vows. Instead, her still-beating heart echoes through the attic (a welcome throwback to the original version of the character) accompanied by a somber out-of-tune rendition of “Here Comes the Bride” played by a shadowy phantom pianist.
You may recall we got a “sneak peek” of the new bride in Leota’s shop…
While there’s no doubt Constance is murderous (photos of her unfortunate spouses are still stored in the attic), she appears sadder than before. Imagineer Kim Irvine told the L.A. Times that was intentional as it was decided to “rewind” to the original idea of a bride “mourning the loss of her husbands.”
“It was a sad story about lost love,” Kim told the Times. And she also said Imagineers “upped” the joy in the in the ballroom to contrast the attic scene that immediately follows.
The bride’s “presence” in the form of her floating three-armed candelabra is also seen in two other locations: in the endless hallway and later inside a crypt in the graveyard scene, suggesting she’s wandering the mansion and its grounds searching for her lost loves.
But she isn’t completely alone in the spirit world, she now has some company. The one-eyed cat, who’s seen as a statue in the attraction queue (on the right-hand side just before guests board their Doombuggies) can now also be seen next to the bride in the attic.
In addition, Imagineers took the opportunity to enhance lighting and sound throughout the attraction.
Upgraded projections are particularly noticeable with the graveyard’s flying ghost figures.
Want to see the bride for yourself? Here’s our full ride-through video:
As you might suspect, Disney is already getting some blow-back from mansion fans who criticize the “watering down” of the axe-wielding character. But Disney hasn’t really diminished her murderous habits. After all, the portraits of the bride’s many deceased husbands (with heads disappearing) prove her guilt.
Overall, we love the new creepier bride, which reminds us of how we remember the attraction in it’s early days, but with the benefit of modern technology. Enhancements to lighting, sound, and projections throughout the attraction are a subtle but notable addition. It’s wonderful to see the mansion looking so good after more than 55 years of operation.
If you haven’t seen the new Haunted Mansion queue, check out our video here:
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Let’s Hear From You!
Do you like the new iteration of the attic bride (with its homage to the original beating heart bride) or should Constance have been allowed to rest in peace? And do you think the hanging corpse in the stretching room may be the next to go? Let us know in the comments below.
