Rumor: Haunted Mansion Restaurant at Disney World
Rumors are swirling that a Haunted Mansion restaurant will be added to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. As Disney has done more to created a Haunted Mansion ‘expanded universe’ over the last several years to capitalize on its popularity among fans, it would come as no surprise that this idea has been pitched as a blue sky concept.
However, I want to stress that this is a rumor at this point, and an incredibly vague one at that. I’m only sharing it because I think it’s interesting food for thought, and because I have a (likely) unpopular opinion on it. In terms of sources, despite other articles pointing to “multiple sources,” I do not believe that to be the case. It all likely stems from this forum thread of eclectic musings by reliable insider WDW1974. While I wouldn’t bet against him, I don’t think others regurgitating his information means there are suddenly other sources.
I’d question the veracity of this rumor because I’m not sure where it’d fit, logistically. While there is a bit of room around the Haunted Mansion showbuilding and beyond the facade, accessing these plots of lands would require a lengthy walk and would add to even more bottleneck around the existing Haunted Mansion queue. Converting Columbia Harbour House is another possibility, but that would be incredibly poor placement…
Given that this already happened with Jungle Cruise and Skipper Canteen, and that Walt Disney World fans have been clamoring for more Haunted Mansion for years (it still shocks me that the leaked Haunted Mansion room concept at Port Orleans French Quarter never came to fruition), this does seem like a plausible rumor.
However, I’d also bet that tons of blue sky concepts for “expanding” Haunted Mansion have been pitched, but that doesn’t mean any of them are going to happen. Haunted Mansion has a legion of devoted fans, and Disney has no doubt considered ways to cash in on that. Up until now, it has deemed merchandising the best way to go about this. Despite this rumor, I would not be surprised if that remains the case.
Also, just because the concept worked with Jungle Cruise (and I use “worked” liberally there, as Skipper Canteen is not exactly a resounding success with guests) does not mean it would work with Haunted Mansion, which is a very different attraction than Jungle Cruise.
The humor in Jungle Cruise is self-aware, and while not necessarily self-referential, that works for Skipper Canteen. Haunted Mansion is mostly black humor that’s inexplicably both macabre and laconic.
It’s fairly easy for Skipper Canteen to exist as restaurant that’s also a natural extension of Jungle Cruise. A Haunted Mansion restaurant would have a more difficult time nailing the ethos of its attraction.
If such an idea for a Haunted Mansion restaurant were to go forward, I’d hope it’s more like Explorer’s Club Restaurant at Hong Kong Disneyland, which is thematically tied to Mystic Manor (which you could call Hong Kong Disneyland’s answer to Haunted Mansion, but without any shared bloodlines).
There are shared motifs and visual styles between Mystic Manor and the connected Explorer’s Club Restaurant, both of which are in Mystic Point, but there are not explicit references to Lord Henry Mystic or Albert the Monkey. The connections are inferred and subtle.
For me, Explorer’s Club works precisely because its connection to Mystic Manor is more a wink and a nod, with parallels in an underlying S.E.A. theme. There’s no attempt to sell guests on a clever story, or pander to them.
What worries me about a potential Haunted Mansion restaurant is that the concept could devolve into self-referential fan service pretty easily. Or, that Imagineering would conjure up a lot of new Haunted Mansion lore to “enhance” the backstory of the attraction.
I realize Haunted Mansion has attracted a lot of passionate fans, probably more than any Disney attraction. I also realize there’s an insatiable appetite for more whenever something connects with audiences. Like films and the sequels they spawn, this can be a good or bad thing.
Depending upon your perspective, this is either borne out or disproven by the Haunted Mansion interactive queue added a few years ago. My feelings on the interactive queue are fairly mixed.
I think the complaints that it kills the foreboding atmosphere of the Haunted Mansion are overblown; I also think elements of it are fairly cheesy and aimed at fan service. I do know that I wouldn’t want an entire restaurant in the vein of the interactive queue.
I’m not saying a Haunted Mansion restaurant is an inherently good or bad thing. I’m just pointing out the potential for pitfalls. Given those potential pitfalls, my preference would be to let sleeping dogs lie, and for Imagineering to come up with an original concept for a restaurant if one is “needed” from an operations perspective.
Or, and I think we can all agree on this, no original concept is necessarily if Imagineering just adapts the screenplay for 2003’s smash-hit Haunted Mansion film into a restaurant. (Eddie Murphy was robbed at the Oscars that year.) I am willing to get behind this idea if it’s an elaborate piece of dining performance art and if all the actors who appeared in the film as singing busts appear nightly as entertainment.
Regardless, I want to reiterate that this is only a rumor at this point, and I would not put too much stock into it happening in the near future. I know I’m probably in the minority on this one as I’d be perfectly fine with Walt Disney World not treating it as a “theme park IP,” whereas I know many fans are eager to have more Haunted Mansion experiences. Given the resonance of the attraction with fans and its popularity with casual guests, I think its “expansion” (in some form–not necessarily a restaurant) is an inevitability. If a Haunted Mansion restaurant does come to pass in the near future, I just hope the Imagineers handle the concept with restraint and respect for the source material, and don’t try to beat guests over the head with more “story” or creating a bunch of new canon.
Your Thoughts
What do you think about the rumor of a new Haunted Mansion restaurant at Walt Disney World? Would you like to see this happen, or would you prefer a different concept? Thoughts on directions Disney might go with the idea? Share your ‘Armchair Imagineering’ and other ideas/questions/concerns in the comments below!
I would love it !!!! Haunted Mansion is such a Disney icon and a restaurant would be awesome !! I can’t wait !!!!
I love Memento Mori, and I was very impressed with Abracadabar when I popped in for a drink last fall, so if they do something along those lines, in terms of balancing theme with gimmick, then I’m totally on board. Now if only Guillermo Del Toro would do the HM movie he’s been promising us for years now! 🙂
I love all things spooky and scary, including Halloween and Haunted Mansion! This rumor makes me happy! I hope they make it work, hope that it’s super cool and, of course, has that magical Disney touch! It reminds me of a haunted mansion restaurant that my husband and I went to in Cape May, NJ, which I LOVED! And I’m so excited to take my family for the first time to the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party this fall! Aside from all of that, Tom, your pictures are AMAZING! I absolutely love that first one with haunted mansion on the hill! Truly unbelievable! You definitely are a talented photographer!
This would be so awesome, for me the Haunted Mansion is hands down, my most favorite ride ever! So a HM-restaurant is like music to my ears. Also I know it’s still a rumour.
Seems like every Disney Park in the world is getting awesome new areas, rides and other cool establishments. I mean, Pandora land, Star Wars themed land, multiple restaurants, DL Tokio and Shangai have some awesome unique rides. So sad Disneyland Paris only gets refurbishments and minor updates of old rides.
‘If in doubt, toss ’em a restaurant’
Pretty sure that’s on all the Suits doors, just above their names, now.
I think the sign might say something about LE merchandise, actually. 😉
Hahahaha truth!
I always thought the Port Orleans Haunted Mansion rooms would be a bust if they ever materialized (ha!), because kids wouldn’t stay there. How many pre-schoolers would be game to stay in a haunted house? Not mine, that’s for sure.
But I’m wondering — with Pandora, Star Wars, Skipper Canteen, etc — at Disney’s renewed focus on the adults, especially adults without kids, as their rainmakers. And, yes, much of it is self-referential at this point. More and more so. And that’s not slowing down. It’s as though they decided they didn’t want to work hard anymore, so let’s just make a purple wall dog toy and call it a day.
I usually like to go with the flow and actually find it interesting to see what’s trending and emerging at Disney — especially how Disney is being perceived by its newest fans, young and old. I’m not the person who complains when they change a ride or re-work an element. But I would worry a bit about this one.
I think we’ve seen a lot in the last few years that shows a renewed emphasis on older demographics–even the marketing has shifter (in some aspects a bit). This is nice, because for a while it felt like Walt Disney World was not interested in you if you weren’t a family with school-age children.
I still wonder about those Haunted Mansion rooms. Even if kids would have zero interest, would that matter? There seem to be more and more dedicated Haunted Mansion fans, to the point that if there were ~20 themed rooms, they’d book so quickly that an “unknowing” family would never even have a shot at them. Once the recession ended, maybe occupancy rates climbed enough that Disney didn’t see a reason for more themed rooms?
No matter how this restaurant comes to fruition, I think the reaction is going to be pretty polarized.
I am all for it. Were else but Disney do you go in search of thematic dining?
The decorating ideas are endless, the menu selections/names of dishes could be hilarious
and I love the idea from a previous poster, of the dining room from the mansion. You could be eating and all of a sudden a projected ghost could be beside you!
Also, while I assume knowledgeable, I think WDW1974 is a little snotty regarding his assessment of WDW park goers. Some people do not care to try new foods, so be it. And some, when spending a lot of money they have saved a long time for, do not want to experiment and pay for an expensive meal they may not enjoy. Again, their business. Not everyone is a snobby foodie.
So, I was just reading and commenting on your DLP Trip Report from last month when I noticed this update. First, thanks for crediting me. That almost never happens with what I put out (especially by your insane pal Corless) and my stuff is liberally ‘borrowed’ or ‘shared’.
I am not the only one who knows of this, though. Martin Smith has also confirmed through his own network of sources. It is a done deal. The question is timing. Current timetable suggests an opening in Fourth Quarter of FY ’20 with a now slashed budget upwards of $25 million.
I will agree with you on the self-referential part. It is really bothering me now. WDW was always about nostalgia, but NOT for itself, its attractions or even for your past visits to the resort. It was nostalgia for other times and places and that’s very different than having Iago joke about heading over to the HoP for a nap or Martin Short chortle about getting a FP for Soarin to now things like gift shops, bars and restaurants that all are fan service (if you try to tell me BoG is quality theming or food, I may have to hunt you down in the wilderness and accidentally nudge you off a cliff!)
This will be more of the same. It apparently came about when dining for The Star Wars Experience was being designed. Indeed, it has been described to me as a ‘dining experience’ … so I’m wondering if you’re talking about a $75 a head PLUS alcohol PLUS special souvenir mugs deal.
I haven’t tried Skipper Canteen yet, but will this fall. I can’t say the reviews are exciting to me (the 40% CM discount is).
But I worry about the unstoppable trend of turning theme parks into BRAND/IP parks that is taking place. No, I don’t like the Momento Mori gift shop, for instance. The Mansion used to exist in a land — Liberty Square — and is now on the verge of basically becoming the entire land, excepting the HoP (which ought to be real fun when it reopens … trust me, there will be violence in there) and the one giant WoD Christmas Crap store and the now ruined LIberty Tree Tavern.
BTW, as I’ve corrected people on MAGIC, this dining experience will not be taking over the CHH nor will it take place in the attraction.
Can’t say much more beyond that part of the park will be seeing significant redevelopment and look totally different a decade from now.
Again, thanks for the shoutout.
Oh, and please, please, please don’t wind up writing a piece about how wonderful the new DVC IKEA Villas at What Once Was Disney’s Wilderness Lodge are. They have utterly destroyed my WDW home and I will lose respect for anyone — even you, the Disney Blogger to the Stars — if they defend that atrocity. (Was actually going to send you a note in private about some of these deep thoughts, but since you wrote the column … 🙂 )
You must not read my ‘news’ posts here, then (I don’t blame you), because I regularly cite you as the source. My point with the ‘single source’ remark was that I don’t believe other blog posts have unique sources outside of you. (I wasn’t aware that Martin had confirmed this.)
Thanks for the insight into the form that this will take. That clarifies some questions I had, and certainly makes sense from the perspective of available space. While I’m not a fan of more upcharges, at least having a more intimate experience makes sense given the scale of Haunted Mansion…I guess?
Skipper Canteen is good–or at least, was the couple of times we went. They’ve since (partially) changed the menu a couple of times. Keep in mind that this is a restaurant that had an ambitious menu…and then think of Disney’s target demographic, particularly in Magic Kingdom. Now those tepid ‘reviews’ might make a bit more sense.
I have no thoughts on Wilderness Lodge yet. My hope is that they’ll replant the trees removed, but I’m not holding my breath. Whether that occurs will play a big role in my ultimate view of the ‘expansion.’
I’ve seen a few of your news posts, but I admit (and I mentioned this in MAGIC Land sometime recently) the volume of content you have been putting out of late means I wind up picking and choosing. In other words, if you do a review of breakfast at Chef Mickey’s or a Beach Club vs. Boardwalk post, then I’m probably sitting that out!
But I do appreciate that you note where the info comes from.
Can’t really add much on the dining experience. I will say I expect more and more of this type of place at least at the US parks.
Am aware of the menu ‘issues’ with WDW’s rather simple Guests (what is ARUGALA?!?! My PIZZA HAS CHICKEN ON IT!!!!!!!! I just want a plain steak and fries.) at Skipper Canteen. It still is quite successful from a financial standpoint as the tables do fill and the price points aren’t cheap. But it is the kind of place that you in no way have to book months out to dine there.
As to the WL, it just breaks my heart. They have pretty much destroyed it. No shrubs are going to replace those original, natural, pre-Walt Cypress and Pine. The new backstory ignores the original one and is so contrived to actually be insulting to those of us who are WL fans (I have stayed over 150 nights since staying opening week — now! — in 1994!) The new QSR is quite good, but open air on a lake in the swamps is insanity and it looks like it could be anywhere (much like the new DVC units in the Lodge building!) Even the cabins have a modern-rustic theme that shouts ‘Could be anywhere!’
Hi! I just gotta know what the HoP is? I tried google and got nothin’. My curiosity has now zoned in on that one because it sounds like it will be good tea. Please clarify! Thanks. 😀
Hall of Presidents!
A list of Disney Blogger acronyms and their meanings would be quite helpful at times…
The acronyms are actually created by Disney for internal use. Here’s a pretty comprehensive list: http://allears.net/tp/abrev.htm
That is perfect. Thank you!
I just hope they don’t touch Columbia Harbour House. I personally find it a peaceful place to eat. The tables don’t feel overcrowded together and upstairs is normally quiet. I could see a themed restaurant changing the relaxed Feeling it has now.
I completely agree!!!
Am i the only person who thinks this idea sounds abit gross/creepy? If they were to go the heavily-themed direction, I’m not sure that I’d want the spiderwebs and dust of the mansion’s theming to be around my food. Same goes for the idea of death anywhere near a restaurant. Can you imagine how quickly the coffin/ghost/tomb/corpse imagery could get weird? I think that of course Imagineering can make anything delightful, but something about eating in a place with all of that in its theme is a huge turn-off to the idea for me. I think this would have to be some kind of snack booth with light theming or it could very quickly turn sour.
I agree. Sounds gross/creepy. I do like your snack booth idea though. A coffin shaped rice crispy treat is cute. A coffin shaped table in a death room is creepy and weird… not in a good way.
There are a couple back stories to Haunted mansion, I’m not sure which one WDW claims as original, but they all involve quite a few characters. There is plot available to create a completely separate mansion.
As far as location, it would be difficult to build something that is close enough to maintain the thematic separations of the park and also not crowd the entry/queue. But it might be possible to go west from there; the old Tom Sawyer’s Island isn’t getting much use these days…
And on a totally unrelated note, I was just looking at google maps satellite imagery to see if there was a place they could shoe-horn in a counter service spot and I noticed something kinda creepy. There are no people in the park….
That’s what I was thinking too!
There are so many restaurant and resort rumors right now, I feel like Imagieers are either trolling bloggers/forums or throwing stuff to the wall to see what sticks.
I think it’s a modified version of the latter. Disney has indicated it will be investing a lot in the parks, and with other money-makers (e.g. ESPN) not performing as well, there’s a renewed focus on the Parks & Resorts division.
This means that a lot is being thrown around in Blue Sky development right now. Plenty of it never will see the light of day, but a lot will.
I hear your reservations, Tom, but c’mon! Where is your Disnerd enthusiasm?!? There is so much potential for this idea, IF it’s done right, of course… And here lies the crux of the matter, doesn’t it? But when I look at how successfully they adapted the Beauty and the Beast movie into a restaurant concept that is not cheesy or overdone, I remain hopeful that they could pull it off. Can you imagine a post-dinner Meet and Greet with Madame Carlotta or the Hitchhiking Ghosts??? I’m jumping on the Excited-train for this one (please join me, Tom!!!). And of course, upon exiting the imaginary HM restaurant in my head, we walk under a sign reading Hurry Back 😉
My reaction to this rumor can best be described as “passionate ambiguity.” That is to say, if this happens, I’m certain I will not have any middle-of-the road reaction, I will either love it or hate it, but I have no idea which. I guess it will all depend on the Imagineering.
Agreed. I can almost see this having two potential origins, with my reaction being contingent upon the genesis of the idea…
If Imagineering has some mind-blowing concept for this, and the idea is moving forward on that basis, I’m at least cautiously optimistic.
On the other hand, if this is something that is arising out of merchandise sales numbers and Imagineering is being told to “make it work” on that basis, I’m a bit fearful for what we may get…
I think nrc42’s idea of a quick service/snack stand is a very good idea. I’d much rather see that than a table service with a full theme. That being said, I am not Disney’s target audience for this (not being a huge HM fan…I’m a wuss and hate spooky things). But, something in the vein of Gaston’s Tavern would be really cool, with a signature drink and lots of details in the theming.
Oh I can totally imagine this as a Be Our Guest style immersive restaurant, which I would welcome 100%.
If they go the Be Our Guest route, that either requires the restaurant being set inside Haunted Mansion (which is not nearly as large of a scale as Be Our Guest) or having it be a second mansion/carriage house. Either of those approaches presents thematic issues I think Imagineering would like to avoid.
Honestly, I think this could work well. Theme the restaurant after the ballroom in the Haunted Mansion and use the Be Our Guest’s West Wing as an inspiration for the mood. You could even use the BoG Rose’s technology or the Haunted Mansion Holiday to do updates to the ghostly paintings.
So then there are two Haunted Mansion ballrooms? That presents continuity issues that Disney generally tries to avoid.
I share some of your reservations for a table service restaurant but I think a quick service snack stand sort of thing with appropriate theming and Haunted Mansion-themed treats would be really cool and wouldn’t need to take up too much room, either. I’d be fine with that sort of thing replacing Sleepy Hollow Refreshments (although full disclosure: this is coming from someone who can’t eat anything at Sleepy Hollow because of celiac disease).
The positioning of Sleepy Hollow relative to Haunted Mansion is pretty restrictive, I think. Selling Haunted Mansion-decorated snacks would be one thing, but if you go too heavily into the *interior* theme of Haunted Mansion, it would make that spot stick out from the rest of Liberty Square.
Subtle theming and a backstory about it being the Mansions original gatehouse or something, perhaps? Space is just a huge issue, as you said, and I don’t know what/where else in Liberty Square would work.
Or maybe it’s the cottage of the terrified groundskeeper.
Now that I’m thinking of it, the latter could be awesome. Incorporate the keys to the mansion, gardening tools, food/water bowl for the dog, a book about getting rid of ghosts…
Hire me, Disney.
There’s a restaurant in NYC (or there was; haven’t been in years) called (something like) “Jekyl and Hyde”. It’s cheesy, but it’s an interactive / totally immersively themed dining establishment. It’s like “Rainforest Cafe” in Dr. Jekyl’s laboratory. They’ve got a center “show” and there are areas where you can sit (the laboratory, the library, etc.). It’s really cool (don’t remember the food, though). My point is, I think a HM restaurant could be cool, if, as you said, they don’t try to retrofit a storyline into the theming. Just let it “be” (similar to BoG in Fantasyland… We know the story… No need to update or rehash it). Personally, I’d love a new, highly-themed restaurant.
At first I was all “OMG! A Haunted Mansion themed restaurant! Sign me up in 180 days!” Then I read some of your reservations, looked up the word “laconic”, and read some more of your reservations and now I fear such a thing would be just too much. Perhaps more HM themed merchandise would be a better idea than a full on dining experience.
This response is brilliant. Ditto everything you said.
For what it’s worth, traditionally laconic humor (which is what I meant) differs at least slightly from modern usage of laconic as a standalone term.
Here’s a description of laconic humor: http://www.harecoded.com/spartans-and-their-laconic-phrases-96348
I love that you care enough to elaborate on this.