Meet the Hatbox Ghost, the Haunted Mansion’s Most Famous Resident, & Enter Our Giveaway

We’re celebrating the Hatbox Ghost, also known as Alistair Crump, and the Haunted Mansion with a giveaway of a Haunted Mansion board game. But first, here’s some information about the Hatbox Ghost and the Haunted Mansion ride.

ABOUT THE HATBOX GHOST

In 1969, when Disneyland opened, the iconic Hatbox Ghost first appeared at the park’s Haunted Mansion. However, the original animatronic was quickly removed shortly after Disneyland’s opening. A new version of the figure was added back into the Disneyland version of the attraction in 2015, where he appears at the end of the attic scene.

Walt Disney World had to wait eight more years for the Hatbox Ghost to take up residency in its Haunted Mansion. In November 2023, Walt Disney World added the Audio Animatronic Hatbox Ghost to the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom. He literally materialized overnight, and the 999 Happy Haunts of the Haunted Mansion have been in high spirits ever since. 

The Hatbox Ghost appears as guests pass the Endless Hallway. Guests see a candelabra floating in a never-ending hallway. Outside the Endless Hallway, there’s a suit of armor on one side and the Hatbox Ghost on the other.

If you think the addition of the Hatbox Ghost completes the number of Happy Haunts, you are a foolish mortal, as he is always looking to find just one more!

ABOUT THE RIDE

The Haunted Mansion—which opened with the rest of Walt Disney World in 1971—proves that top-notch special effects don’t always require 21st century technology. Accompanied by the Ghost Host, riders in “Doom Buggies” on a conveyor belt are taken on a tour of dearly departed Master Gracey’s mansion. 

Interactive elements on the left side of the outdoor queue ensure that guests have something to occupy their time while they wait to be admitted to the mansion. Features include a music-playing monument and a ship captain’s tomb that squirts water.

During Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Lady Carlotta Duboi; her sister, Renata; and one of the twirling ghosts from inside the mansion’s dinner scene make appearances on the front lawn of the Haunted Mansion. The characters, sitting on a bench, interact with guests as they are about to enter the queue for the ride. They are hilarious and one of my favorite things to see. Check your app, as they are not always allowed to haunt outside the mansion.

When admitted to the mansion, you’ll first enter a foyer with a fireplace; then, you are quickly guided into a second pre-show room with wood paneling and four paintings above you that seem to stretch. 

Once you’ve boarded your Doom Buggy, you move from the parlor to the attic and through a graveyard. The effects change tone with each setting: Those found in the house are generally spooky, while the graveyard effects, such as a ghostly opera singer wearing a Viking helmet, are for laughs. Some kids get anxious about what they think they’ll see, but almost nobody actually gets scared. 

For all there is to see and do at Walt Disney World, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. To plan your family’s trip to Orlando, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up for our newsletter here. Be sure to follow us on Threads, X, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. #unofficialguide #theUGSeries

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