Opinion time: Let me take you back — Remember during D23 Expo 2022 when Josh D’Amaro announced the Hatbox Ghost would finally reside in Florida’s Haunted Mansion? Not many expected this news, so it was a nice little surprise. And to be frank, this was a silver lining to come out of that year’s lackluster Parks, Products & Experiences panel, as there wasn’t much else announced— despite then-CEO Bob Chapek stating that 2022’s event was “going to be [Disney’s] biggest, most over-the-top D23 Expo ever!”
Well, fast forward to July 28th of this year, when Disney Parks Blog announced that the Hatbox Ghost would be located in the Endless Hallway at Magic Kingdom‘s Haunted Mansion — where he now [permanently] resides. Why is this a problem for some die-hard Haunted Mansion fans? Read on, dear reader…
Who is the Hatbox Ghost?
The Hatbox Ghost is an iconic specter among the 999 happy haunts of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. Because he was removed from the Mansion shortly after the ride made its debut in 1969, he is known as the “lost ghost.”
Before the Haunted Mansion even opened at Disneyland in 1969 (and in 1971 at Walt Disney World), guests were excited to check out the latest animatronic from WED, as the Hatbox Ghost was heavily marketed and said to be quite advanced for its time.
1969 promotional article for the Haunted Mansion from retro-daze.org; 1969 “Story of the Haunted Mansion” with Hatbox Ghost front and center
The Hatbox Ghost lived for a very short period in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion during Cast Member previews. WED wasn’t 100% happy with the special effect of Hattie’s head in the hatbox (guests could still see the ghost’s original head through the darkness while it was also appearing in the box). Sadly, Disney pulled him just before the mansion’s grand opening, and he never returned.
A very small pool of people were able to see what the original Hatbox Ghost looked like, until images surfaced online years later.
However, 45 years and many technical advances later, Disney teased the return of the Attic’s long-lost specter. On May 9th, 2015, the Hatbox Ghost was reintroduced to Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. And, this time, the effect worked perfectly!
If the Hatbox Ghost is so amazing at Disneyland, why am I unhappy about him being at Walt Disney World’s Mansion? Let’s examine the story…
The Haunted Mansion Experience
In the Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion, the scenes are laid out as follows:
- ACT I – Setting the Stage
- Foyer
- Stretching Room
- (Load Doombuggy) / Portrait Hallway
- Library
- Conservatory
- Music Room
- Stairway
- Endless Hallway & Corridor of Doors
- Seance Circle
- ACT II – The Spirit Realm
- Ballroom
- Attic
- ACT III – Grand Finale
- Graveyard
- (Unload Doombuggy)
In his Disney Editions book, The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies, Imagineer Jason Surrell explains how the story is broken up into three acts:
“Though not as intricately constructed as a Shakespearean play, a story exists. In fact, Imagineering legend and Disneyland veteran Tony Baxter believes that, in the end, combining the seemingly divergent work of Marc Davis and Claude Coats inadvertently gave the Haunted Mansion a fairly solid three-act structure. In Act One, which begins slowly and ominously in the Foyer, guests anticipate the appearance of the happy haunts, and experience poltergeist activity and unseen spirits. Madame Leota provides the curtain that separates Act One and Act Two. The medium conjures up the spirits and encourages them to materialize, which they promptly do in the swinging wake in the Grand Hall and the Attic. The descent from the attic window into the Graveyard takes guests into Act Three, in which they are completely surrounded by the ghosts who are enjoying the manic intensity of a graveyard jamboree. Finally, one of three Hitchhiking Ghosts materializes beside guests in their Doom Buggy before the exit.”
When the average guest enters the Haunted Mansion, they may not immediately understand the story laid out before them, but it’s all there; enveloping them in their very own ghost story.
Act I: During the pre-show and while seated in their Doombuggy, riders see and hear strange things happening… doors knocking, walls stretching, footprints appearing out of nowhere, “hinges creak in doorless chambers,” and objects floating – such as the candlestick down the Endless Hallway. Only “regions beyond” this scene do we finally meet the mysterious Madame Leota; a disembodied head in a crystal ball holding a seance to “call in the spirits, wherever they’re at.“
This is when our Ghost Host narrator chimes in with “the happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They’re assembling for a swinging wake…”, confirming ghosts are now going to appear — the mysterious happenings were occurring because of the afterlife inhabitants, who had yet to materialize to us mere mortals. Cue Act II.
Immediately following the seance scene is the Ballroom: a lively setting filled with spirits dancing, celebrating, performing, moving… guests finally see them. They’ve made their grand -visible- entrance. From there, riders journey further into the mansion and graveyard, meeting even more of the happy haunts face-to-face (Act III).
All of this to say, we don’t see the residents of the Haunted Mansion until they have materialized via Madame Leota’s seance. Therefore, installing the Hatbox Ghost before this moment makes no sense. Simple as that.
Why the Endless Hallway?
You see, the Hatbox Ghost is always seen in the Attic. In any iteration, this spooky guy with a mysteriously transparent hatbox resided there. Even during the Disney Parks presentation at last year’s Destination D23, special effects Imagineer Daniel Joseph, accompanied by The Muppets’ Uncle Deadly and Gonzo, said the Imagineers couldn’t find Hatbox Ghost until very recently… and Gonzo asked if they had checked behind all of the hatboxes in the Attic.
Rather than close the attraction for an extended period to rework the Attic to accommodate his new build and support, and spend a little more money in the process, Disney decided to install the Hatbox Ghost in a space that doesn’t fit the story of the Mansion or this ghost.
Florida’s Haunted Mansion has received some fresh upgrades over the years: the creepy-eyed wallpaper, Escher staircase room, video-enhanced hatchet-wielding bride, and the outdoor graveyard extended queue. However, this change is the only one that completely breaks the attraction’s storyline.
And sure, you can argue they’re twisting the narrative to accommodate the new 2023 film… but, is that the best idea? The Haunted Mansion is a sacred attraction to a lot of fans. It’s an original piece of Disney history; touched by Walt, imagined, and created by his closest associates.
Yale Gracey with the original Hatbox Ghost
This isn’t just a random ride. This is an impactful piece of theme park history, and the 50+-year-old attraction’s storytelling deserves integrity. Breaking the flow of acts I and II for a brand new film’s spinoff story seems careless.
As recent as the 2016 Haunted Mansion comic series from Marvel, the Hatbox Ghost is seen throughout the residence only after Leota calls in the spirits: strange and “invisible” things happen > Leota’s seance > ghosts appear > Hatbox Ghost gives a tour of the mansion and its residents. The simple change of adding Hatbox before ghosts are supposed to materialize degrades Madame Leota – another iconic, original attraction character.
It’s difficult to understand why they’ve strayed away from placing him in the Attic, the Graveyard — or perhaps the attraction’s ending. I’d even accept introducing Hattie as an updated finale scene, or maybe a little Hatbox Ghost just like Little Leota? To me, just about anything seems better than throwing out the concept of Madame Leota’s seance and the Ghost Host’s narration. I’d rather see the Haunted Mansion closed for a refurbishment while the new figure is installed in the attic than see them break the foundational story of the beloved attraction.
At last year’s Destination D23 event, it was finally revealed the Hatbox Ghost would be seen in the East Coast Mansion in late November 2023 (happy almost-1-year anniversary, Hattie). This is also where Imagineer Daniel Joseph clarified that the Hatbox Ghost is an unhappy haunt, unlike the 999 other spirits, and as a result, can somehow show up wherever and whenever he pleases… no sympathetic vibrations needed. At least they’ve formulated a story around it, but it still doesn’t feel right.
Hurry Back…
Thank you, fellow foolish mortal, for listening to me ramble… but, what do YOU think? Does the Hatbox Ghost belong in Florida’s Haunted Mansion? And, if so, should he have been placed where he was always intended to be in the attic, or is it alright to place him anywhere if the average guest won’t know the difference? In another comparison, what if they installed a Jack Sparrow animatronic before the drop on Pirates of the Caribbean?
P.S. While we’re inserting more new content into the parks, please just give us a limited-time Muppets Haunted Mansion overlay already!
