After nearly a year, the full Haunted Mansion queue is open at Disneyland, ushering guests into a new outdoor experience as they wait to ride the classic attraction. The landscaped line area opened Tuesday, which means a virtual queue is no longer needed to access the ride. Guests can either enter the standby line or purchase a Lightning Lane pass to get a later return time.
The Haunted Mansion closed in January for a long refurbishment and expansion of its exterior garden. While it was closed, much more landscaping was added, including statues, metal wall art, a gazebo and a greenhouse-like roof adorned with hanging plants. The statues are reminiscent of New Orleans cemetery art, with mournful women draped in flowing dresses and spooky-looking angels. A new accessible elevator is also up and running, decorated with faux tombstones with punny names.
Some of the art pieces are nods to Madame Leota, the medium who summons the ghosts in the ride, like colorful orbs placed throughout the garden. There’s even what appears to be a tribute to Mystic Manor, the Hong Kong Disneyland version of the ride, in the form of a cymbal-crashing monkey statue. There’s also a sign that reads, “Attenti al gatto” (beware of the cat) with an image that looks much like the red-eyed cat awaiting guests within. For long waits, guests now have so much more to pore over, which you can see in the YouTube video below:
The plaza beside the ride and New Orleans Square train station, which were closed during Haunted Mansion construction, also reopened Friday. Guests can now utilize the train station once more, although they’ll have to wait a bit longer for the new Haunted Mansion gift shop. Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond, at the exit of the ride, is set to open sometime this winter.
