Big Haunted Mansion CHANGE Revealed For Classic Scene, Confirming Ongoing Rumors

In this week's Mickey Visit Disneyland This Week update, we discussed the rumors surrounding changes to a classic Haunted Mansion scene ahead of its re-opening this week.

Due to a year of refurbishments which resulted in an extended Haunted Mansion outdoor queue and new giftshop, Haunted Mansion Holiday has stuck around longer than usual. When the attraction reopens on January 18, 2025 this will be the first time we've seen the regular Haunted Mansion in nearly a year!

When the ride reopens, guests will be greeted with a big change for a classic scene and one that has been rumored for quite some time.

Imagineers Change Classic Bride Attic Scene

Walt Disney Imagineering has debuted a new version of the Haunted Mansion bride that changes the tone of the story from the previous version. This bride tells a drastically different storyline than the “black widow” bride which held an axe as the heads of her husbands vanished from the portraits in the room adding, “To death 'till us part.” with a sinister smile as guests exited the attic.

This new version of the Haunted Mansion bride has received updated projections and appears to float while holding a candelabra in her hand rather than an axe. This design of the bride holding a candelabra goes back to the original concepts Imagineers had for the Haunted Mansion and connects the bride to the earlier scene in the ride when we see a candelabra floating in the hallway. The candelabra will also appear a third time in the cemetery crypt at the end of the ride.

This new bride still has a beating red heart that is in time to the haunting wedding march that plays in the attic and has a far more sorrowful face. According to Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering, Kim Irvine, that is intentional as the Imagineering team wanted to highlight the sadness in her face.

If you're unfamiliar with who Kim Irvine is, she has a long history with the Haunted Mansion that I loved hearing more about on The Imagineering Story series on Disney+. Irvine has been with Disney Imagineering for 55 years and was mentored by Walt Disney's initial team of designers. Madame Leota in the attraction is actually inspired by her mother, Leota Toombs!

Irvine discussed the inspiration for the changes beyond just updating the technology for the bride and how the Imagineers wanted to change the story back to original concepts of a “lost bride in the attic mourning the loss of her husbands” and how this is now a story about “lost love.”

Disneyland Changes Can Bring Controversy

Disney fans have a close connection to the Haunted Mansion and like with any change to a classic attraction, this is bound to have a bit of controversy especially when fans learn more about the reasoning for this change.

Irvine spoke about part of the motivation behind the change focusing on being “really careful about the sensitivities of people” since the ride celebrated “someone chopping off her husband's heads.” Irvine went on to say that the original scene was a “weird story” as the original bride was essentially an “axe murderer.”

Irvine did address those that might be unhappy with the change saying, “I know the fans — some will like it and some will say, ‘Oh, you changed something again.’ That’s our job. That’s what we’re here for.” which is a nice callback to the famous Walt Disney quote that's often circulated when changes to classic attractions happen.

According to Walt Disney, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

As a diehard Haunted Mansion fan myself, I always bristle a bit at change but I am more thrilled to hear about the bride receiving updated technology as that was far overdue. Since the change goes back to original concepts for the iconic attraction, I am on board with this change although I will always be a bit wistful for our “black widow” bride.

READ MORE- Disneyland Haunted Mansion Shop is Now Open, But We're Still Conflicted About One Key Part of the Design

Changes Coming Soon to the Stretching Room

For many of us, the first scene that came to mind when thinking of a change for the Haunted Mansion wasn't the bride! The controversial stretching room scene that ends with a hanging corpse has been highlighted for years as a scene that has its days numbered.

Irvine acknowledged a change is coming to that portion of the ride saying, ““We’re still looking at that. That one is complicated, structurally … One thing at a time.”

This story was first reported by the LA Times.

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