NEWS: Haunted Mansion & King Arthur Carrousel Get Makeovers at Disneyland
Guests will be returning to Disneyland Park in just a few weeks, and fresh improvements are in store for guests visiting the Haunted Mansion and King Arthur Carrousel. Learn more below.
Here are all the details from Disney Cast Member Michael Ramirez:
Upon your return to the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland park, you may discover the ghosts have been busy updating a few elements in and around the estate…
Outside, freshly landscaped details now adorn the site for dearly departed pets, representing their stories from beyond the grave.
Inside, a keen eye will notice a few dastardly design embellishments along the portrait hallway, including the return of an old, perhaps familiar face. One of the Mansion’s original portraits known as “April to December” once again graces the hallway. As you step closer to your doom buggy, you’ll see the lovely young woman aging before your eyes!
The video below highlights some of the happy haunts’ handiwork:
We are looking forward to the planned reopening of Disneyland Resort theme parks on April 30. Both a theme park reservation and valid admission ticket for the same park on the same date are required for guests ages 3 and up. Guests must have a valid theme park admission ticket in order to make a reservation. Theme park reservations will be limited and subject to availability and, until further notice, only California residents may visit the parks, and in groups no larger than 3 households, in line with current state guidelines. For details on how to make a theme park reservation, click here.
While the Mansion hosts 999 ghosts, there’s still room for one more!
King Arthur Carrousel at Disneyland Park
Beloved since Disneyland park’s opening day in 1955, King Arthur Carrousel is the whirling center of Fantasyland, a regal throwback to the days of knights jousting and ladies fair. While we have been preparing for the reopening of Disneyland Resort’s theme parks, Walt Disney Imagineering recently completed an extensive refurbishment of this fan-favorite attraction. When we open our park gates on April 30, you’ll be delighted to discover a brightened version of the carrousel, sparkling with 14k gold leaf accents, vibrant details and bold colors.
Each steed was hand repainted, and more than 30 colors were used. With each horse slightly different from one another, riders both young and young at heart can look forward to finding their perfect mount among the 68 leaping horses. In the video below, Imagineer Kim Irvine describes the magical updates to this classic attraction.
We cannot wait for you to experience such a whimsical journey inside the heart of Disneyland park.
RELATED ARTICLE: New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park – What You Need to Know
by Chad and Cindy Nykamp
Walt Disney once said, “Disneyland would be a world of Americans, past and present, seen through the eyes of my imagination — a place of warmth and nostalgia, of illusion and color and delight.” This idea can be seen in New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park. Learn more about this amazing land below.
1 – Overview of New Orleans Square
New Orleans Square evokes the energy, elegance, colorful culture, music and architecture of the French Quarter, where guests can celebrate the spirit of this Dixie-loving land. It features the classic Disneyland Park attractions, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, along with distinctive boutiques and restaurants that give guests a little taste of the Big Easy in the 1800s. From swashbuckling pirates to hitchhiking ghosts to street musicians, New Orleans Square certainly has character.
2 – Can’t Miss
Each year, Jack Skellington gives the Haunted Mansion a Christmas makeover, complete with jack-o-lanterns and wreaths, a real gingerbread house and kooky characters from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Haunted Mansion Holiday is open throughout the Halloween and holiday seasons at Disneyland Park.
3 – Attractions in New Orleans Square
New Orleans Square has two indoor attractions: Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. In Pirates of the Caribbean, guests set sail as Captain Jack Sparrow attempts to plunder the town’s treasures. Ghosts and ghouls await guests who choose to take a tour of the Haunted Mansion. The land also includes New Orleans Square Station, from which guests can embark on a circle tour of Disneyland Park aboard the Disneyland Railroad.
4 – Entertainment
New Orleans Square buzzes with jazz and blues of the French Quarter, with regular performances from live entertainers such as the Royal Street Bachelors, The Bootstrappers and Jambalaya Jazz.
5 – Dining
New Orleans Square is home to the famous Blue Bayou Restaurant, where guests can dine on Cajun and Creole specialties, like the Blue Bayou Bouillabaisse, inside the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. Cafe Orleans also offers delicious table-service options along the Rivers of America. Guests may grab quick Southern favorites like jambalaya at the French Market Restaurant and gumbo in a bread bowl at the Royal Street Veranda. Guests may even choose to plan ahead and use the mobile ordering feature on the Disneyland app to order their favorite food and beverages from the Royal Street Veranda and Mint Julep Bar.
6 – Imaginative Landscaping
The landscaping in New Orleans Square evokes grace, beauty and history. Towering trees provide shade and seem to have stood there for a century. In fact, some predate Disneyland Park itself. When Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles was being re-landscaped in the 1960s, Imagineer Bill Evans salvaged some of the park’s trees to be replanted in the developing new land.
7 – Fun Facts About New Orleans Square
- The Haunted Mansion celebrated its 50th anniversary on August 9, 2019.
- Guests can interact with the mysterious pirate Fortune Red (located outside the Pieces of Eight shop and adjacent to the exit of Pirates of the Caribbean) through the Play Disney Parks mobile app, without inserting a quarter. His treasure chest is packed with dozens of fortunes, and a series of tall tales from his adventures on the high seas. Using the app, guests may collect one fortune and a piece of the fortune teller’s story each day they visit the park.
- The mast of a ship can be seen just over the rooftops of the buildings along Orleans Street, giving the area the feeling of a port town.
- Pirates of the Caribbean features more than 120 Audio-Animatronics figures.
- New Orleans Square is filled with relics brought back from New Orleans by Walt Disney and his wife, Lillian.
- The upper stories of the New Orleans Square buildings are private areas, home to the membership-only Club 33 and 21 Royal, a residence once envisioned by Walt and Lillian Disney as a luxurious oasis for hosting celebrities and dignitaries. Guests who are seeking a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable epicurean experience may book an evening at 21 Royal, complete with fine dining and exquisite service. For details, visit 21RoyalDisneyland.com.
- If you look up at the ironwork on the 21 Royal balcony, you’ll see the initials W (Walt Disney) and R (Roy Disney, Walt’s brother) in the design.
8 – Cast Member Tips
- A favorite snack in New Orleans Square is the Mickey-shaped beignets found at the Mint Julep Bar.
- The courtyard between French Market Restaurant and Haunted Mansion is a quiet, shady spot – great for relaxing and taking a break.
- Guests may plan their visit to the French Market Restaurant around a performance of the Royal Street Bachelors to enjoy great music while dining.
- The merchandise locations in New Orleans Square, such as Le Bat En Rouge and Mlle. Antoinette’s Parfumerie, are great places to find unique souvenirs and gifts.
- Dining reservations are recommended for Cafe Orleans and Blue Bayou Restaurant, as these locations are very popular.
For a no obligation, FREE Quote on a Disney vacation package, please contact our travel partner Magical Vacation Planner at 407-442-0227 (407-442-0215 for Spanish). You can also request a FREE quote online by Clicking HERE.