The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion

by Jeff Baham

“Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows.” —Walt Disney, 1963

WED earned the whispered nickname “Cannibal Island” for eating up so much of the studio’s talent.

In Disney’s proposed blueprints for the park, upon entering the turnstiles guests would be greeted by an intriguing centerpiece: rather than a princess’s castle, guests would stare straight down through Town Square to a distant hill, upon which sat a formidable haunted house.

These attractions at Disneyland and Disney World are experiences, but they are not stories.