When the classic Haunted Mansion reopens at Disneyland on Saturday, guests will be delighted to discover an even more hauntingly beautiful addition to the classic manor. In the attic scene, a new version of the bride will be found. The Los Angeles Times shared a first look at the new bride ahead of the attraction’s reopening. It hasn’t been seen in this form for over a year as the attraction didn’t reopen in its classic form in 2024. It was instead receiving an expansion to its grounds. When it did reopen, it was Haunted Mansion Holiday.
The bride that guests will see on Saturday is one that is hauntingly sad. Instead of being the black widow bride, this bride is one that is full of tragedy. She floats in the attic holding her candelabra with her red heart beating in time to the Bridal Chorus by Richard Wagner. This is done using the latest projection technology and a physical candelabra.
This also changes the story for the attraction a bit again. She is no longer a murderous bride who has chopped off their heads. While the pictures of her departed husbands still will be found in the attic, they now have their full bodies disappear instead of just their heads. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Imagineer Kim Irvine noted, “We were celebrating someone chopping off her husband’s heads, and it was a weird story.” Instead, the new story is one of sorrow. Irvine shared that the team that worked on this project really worked on heightening the sadness in her face.
“We thought, what if we change the story back a little bit to the original story that the Imagineers had about a lost bride in the attic mourning the loss of her husbands.” She continued, “It was a sad thing. It was a story about lost love.”
This story about lost love continues throughout the Haunted Mansion. The one the bride is holding is identical to the floating candelabra in the endless hall scene. The candelabra also appears a third time in the cemetery crypt near the end of the ride.
The update of the attic scene and the story of the Haunted Mansion is just one of many that have taken place through the years. This has included the addition of the black widow bride, the return of the Hat Box Ghost, and even Haunted Mansion Holiday itself. The attraction’s exterior has also seen changes with the expansion of the queue and the addition of Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond shop at the attraction’s exit. Magnolia Park, just outside the mansion’s grounds, has also been reimagined as New Orleans Square has been transformed in recent years.
As is the case with all things at Disneyland, change continues to happen and the park continues to evolve. This next step in the evolution of the Haunted Mansion is a nod to the past of the spooky manor.
Daps Magic will be stopping by Disneyland on Saturday when the attraction officially reopens to check out this new bride. Be sure to keep your eyes open for full coverage of the reopening of the Haunted Mansion and the arrival of this bride.
Here is a look at the last time the classic version of the Haunted Mansion was open at Disneyland:
