In this post we give an overview of Haunted Mansion, a dark ride at Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park in Walt Disney World. We cover the basics of the ride, how to ride it, and our thoughts on the experience before closing with an FAQ. Read on to learn more!
Related Posts
This post is a quick guide to Haunted Mansion, but we have related content that dives deeper into topics. Our Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane post covers Lightning Lane strategy in depth. The Magic Kingdom Rides and Entertainment Guide gives brief introductions to all the park’s offerings. For putting together your day at the park, we have a One Day Plan for Magic Kingdom.
Haunted Mansion Basics
Haunted Mansion is a dark ride at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The ride
does not offer rider switch
is a Tier 2 ride on Lightning Lane Multi Pass
does not have a single rider line
is NOT a part of Early Entry at Magic Kingdom
is about 7 minutes long
Where is Haunted Mansion located?
Haunted Mansion is located in the Liberty Square land at Magic Kingdom.
Entering the park, you’ll head to the hub and take your second left—not the first left going to Adventureland, but the second left going into Liberty Square. Passing by Sleepy Hollow (a snack stand) and Hall of Presidents on your right, you’ll come to a fork where left goes to Frontierland and right goes to Haunted Mansion.
How to Ride Haunted Mansion
After, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Haunted Mansion is the closest to a “popular” Tier 2 ride at Magic Kingdom. It’ll usually make sense to book it in advance, but I’d definitely not settle for an afternoon time if I could instead book a morning time on most anything else.
If you’re not using Multi Pass, Haunted Mansion can be a good ride to visit in the morning if you’re spending significant time on the west side of the park. But if you’re in Tomorrowland or the eastern part of Fantasyland zipping through short waits, you can probably keep doing that rather than trying to time the walk over to Haunted Mansion just perfect.
With or without a Lightning Lane, Haunted Mansion has a central enough location that you don’t have to overthink timing.
Keep in mind Haunted Mansion isn’t a part of Early Entry, so guests without Early Entry have a fine shot at getting on the ride early. While I prefer to start with Jungle Cruise or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion could be a good first ride in this case, particularly if you’re visiting Magic Kingdom with small children.
And since we’re on the topic of visiting with kids, let’s talk about our experiences with Haunted Mansion and our toddler. I’d say until 12 months, Zoe just didn’t have enough understanding of anything to be afraid on the ride. From about 12 months to 15/18 months, they’d get a little nervous, and from about 15/18 months to 2 years, they really did not enjoy the ride. At about 2 years, they were still nervous but didn’t have a bad time on the ride. So, basically, if your little one is going through their “stranger/everything danger” phase—or even if not, really—you might want to approach this one cautiously.
We Got 999 Happy Haunts, Want To Be One?
Haunted Mansion is a dark ride through a haunted house. There are 999 happy haunts—but room for 1000? Care to join?
This isn’t the type of house where monsters are going to be constantly jumping out at you. The first two thirds are more just creepy vibes, while the last third is much more whimsical.
The attraction starts with the famous stretching room, where the Ghost Host introduces himself and prepares you for the ride. Exiting that room, you’ll board your “doom buggy” and be on your way.
The ride starts with a creepy trip through the haunted house before the ghosts “materialize” and start singing their upbeat “Grim Grinning Ghosts” song. As mentioned above, while this isn’t a jumpy/scary ride, it can make little kids uncomfortable.
My personal review of Haunted Mansion is that it’s fantastic. It’s the sort of ride that should be discussed as an artistic model in classrooms of all types…but that doesn’t make it for everyone.
There are a lot of layers. The sounds matter. The scenes are deliberate. The Ghost Host plays a crucial role in his presence and absence. I’m not sure you want to be thinking about all that while you’re just supposed to be riding around a haunted house.
That’s okay, because the ride is plenty fun. There are enough cool effects—old, but cool—to keep you entertained. And by the end you’ll be singing “Grim Grinning Ghosts” the whole way home.
Haunted Mansion FAQ
Is Haunted Mansion scary?
While I know from personal experience the ride can scare small children, I’d guess all but the most skittish adults won’t find the ride scary.
Does Disney World get Haunted Mansion Holiday?
No. Haunted Mansion Holiday is an extensive overlay that the ride in Disneyland gets, but there is no such overlay in Walt Disney World. The ride stays the same during the holiday season.
Is the Hatbox Ghost coming to Walt Disney World?
The Hatbox Ghost is now a part of the Haunted Mansion at Disney World, and you can look forward to it during your next visit!
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
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Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.