Welcome, foolish mortals… Disney’s Haunted Mansion is arguably the most beloved dark ride in theme park history and a testament to the power of Disney Imagineering. So much incredible concepts, illusions, and design went into making the attraction, but the final product wasn’t all what Disney planned.
If you compare the original concepts and the ride we know today, you’d think they were two different attractions. Before Gracey Manor opened her gates to the public in 1969, the Imagineers had a completely different vision. What was the manor like before the doors creaked open? Have a look at these ten concepts that were laid to rest.
A Walkthrough Attraction
Before the introduction of the Doom-Buggies, the Haunted Mansion was meant to be a walkthrough attraction, similar to the haunted houses seen around Halloween, but with more of a Disney flavor of course. Guests would have been exposed to different scenes and ghostly encounters created by elaborate illusions and special effects.
While this sounds like a good idea on paper, in practice, some of the illusions took more time to reset and some only worked some of the time. Seeing as this was counterproductive and time-consuming, the designers scrapped the idea and brought in the omnimovers that we know today.
Captain Gore and the Pirates of the Caribbean
The Haunted Mansion is home to some of the most delightful ghost characters in all of Disney, that much is certain. But there was a time when the Imagineers wanted a not-so-happy haunt to be the main attraction of the manor. Originally, the mansion’s owner was Captain Gore, a Bluebeard-inspired pirate who had the habit of hacking up beautiful brides.
The character was also created to give a sort of tie-in to Disney’s Pirates of the Carribean attraction, but because of the graphic nature of his story, Gore was cut from the concept. He does, however, live on in the Haunted Mansion’s comic book series as a main antagonist.
Headless Horseman Encounter
The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World was meant to be Disneyland 2.0, a bigger and better version of the original park. So, it makes perfect sense that Disney would want a Haunted Mansion attraction there too. But since the park has Liberty Square instead of New Orleans, the Imagineers wanted to give it something different.
Originally, Disney World’s mansion was supposed to be inspired by Disney’s version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and would have concluded with a frightening encounter with the Headless Horseman. But when the Imagineers decided to stick more to the Disneyland version, there was simply no room for the galloping ghost.
Peter Lorre’s Ghost
Before guests were guided by the haunting tones of Paul Frees as the Ghost Host, another character was envisioned to welcome and guide guests through the manor. After guests were introduced to the mansion’s lore, a cast member would then turn them over to the disembodied voice of the Lonesome Ghost, a specter with an affection for the living.
Voiced by actor Peter Lorre, the ghost would welcome them in a cheery, yet morbid, fashion before guiding the guests through the different rooms of the manor, making macabre jokes along the way. But like so many concepts, the Lonesome Ghost was scrapped in favor of Frees.
Knight of the Living Dead
Aside from the goofy-looking pop-up ghosts in the graveyard scene, the Haunted Mansion really doesn’t have what we’d call jump scares. However, that wasn’t always the case. There was a time when the suit of armor in the Endless Hallway wasn’t just a rattling figure, but a living cast member who would jump at guests.
Supposedly, during the ’80s, Disney introduced live actors in the suit of armor to startle guests, resulting in some rather traumatized guests. There’s even supposedly a dressing room still behind the “breathing door” in the Endless Hallway. The stunt was short-lived, not due to frights but budget cuts.
Other Live Actors
It might come as a surprise that live-actors in the Haunted Mansion are not a new concept. From the beginning, actors were planned to be used as both guides and ghosts to make sure the planned illusions went according to the script. The attraction would have been led by a butler character who would cue certain effects to complete the experience.
Unfortunately, due to restrictions involving the effects, the live actors were scrapped and replaced by cast members who lead guests into the Stretching Room and onto the Doom Buggies. At least the “spirit” of the idea still lives on.
The Wedding and the Wake
The Graveyard scene in the Haunted Mansion is arguably the fans’ favorite, what with its massive number of Happy Haunts. There was a time, however, where the graveyard would have featured a regular who’s-who of horror characters. Along with the swinging wake, there was to be a wedding featuring many a famous monster.
This Monster’s Ball would have featured appearances from iconic characters of the genre such as Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Wolfman. Due to licensing disputes with Universal, however, the monsters were cut from the ride, but Dracula can be seen in one of the mansion’s portraits.
Historic Haunts
Along with the iconic monsters from other media, there were originally ghosts, gags, and other references to famous/infamous figures in history. Those of you familiar with Haunted Mansion history will no doubt know of the Sinister 11, a set of portraits scattered through the boarding queue. Some of these actually feature figures who were supposed to appear in the ride.
Rasputin, Jack the Ripper, Guy Fawkes, and Count Dracula appear in painted portraits before you board the Doom Buggies. Originally, the pictures were supposed to flash and alter like the ones in the hallway before the library, but sadly they remain static spooky decor.
The Museum of the Weird
If you’re as steeped in the Haunted Mansion’s lore as we are, you will no doubt know the name The Museum of the Weird. This was meant to be a walkthrough attraction at the end of the original ride which would have featured various oddities on display. Such items included a coffin clock, a candle made from a corpse, and a man-eating-plant.
Though this idea was eventually scrapped, bits and pieces of the museum still exist in the attraction, most notably a chair with a spooky face, a demonic clock, and Madame Leota’s caravan outside the attraction in California.
The One-Eyed Cat
Though the Imagineers tried to steer clear of an outright antagonist in the final product, there was still one last attempt at a definite villain in the mansion, one with a surprisingly over-the-top scare. At one point, an evil one-eyed black cat was to have hidden in various rooms in the manor. He hated mortals and would stalk visitors to the mansion.
After appearing here and there at various points, the cat would transform into a hideous grimacing skull and the eye would burst into hellish flames. Seeing as this might be a bit on the overkill side, the character was cut, but can still be found on the side of the composer’s crypt in the Disney World queue.
