Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion has reopened after an extensive refurbishment, and one of its most notable updates is a complete reimagining of the attic ghost bride scene.
The new Haunted Mansion bride looks phenomenal. The floating effect is done extremely well. Also, I love the cat chilling next to her. 👏
The a “ghost will follow you home” scene has also been updated when the ride reopens tomorrow (Jan. 18).
(Source: https://t.co/7L7LgFA3vb) pic.twitter.com/wIxxiSOh7y
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) January 17, 2025
This change reverses the controversial revamp led by Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald in the mid-2000s, which transformed the bride into a “Black Widow,” figure who eliminated multiple husbands for their wealth. The new version returns the bride to her original concept as a heartbroken spirit searching for her lost love, a move that many fans see as a course correction. Fitzgerald’s version of the bride was even turned into a meet and greet character who appeared in Disney Parks and interacted with families while making jokes about her victims and hatchets.
The Bride should be an everyday character at Disneyland! It would incredible 🔥🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/YPhBFSXkD5
— 🔥 FIVE FIRES 🔥 (@thecalibae) January 3, 2025
Fitzgerald, whose changes to classic attractions have sparked considerable backlash over the years, is infamous among Disney enthusiasts for his polarizing projects. Most notably, Fitzgerald led the 1999 overhaul of Journey Into Imagination with Figment, which gutted the beloved original attraction created by Disney legend Tony Baxter. The updated version removed the Dreamfinder character and drastically changed Figment’s role, leading to fan outcry that persists to this day.
Fitzgerald’s work also extended to Disneyland Paris, where he spearheaded changes to Phantom Manor, bringing it closer to the American Haunted Mansion attractions. This disappointed fans who had appreciated the unique tone and storyline of Phantom Manor as it originally stood.
The newly revamped bride scene in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion is a striking departure from Fitzgerald’s infamous Black Widow Bride. The sinister axe-wielding character has been replaced by a sorrowful figure that uses cutting-edge projection technology to appear as if she is floating while holding a glowing candelabra.
The new Ghost Bride in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland – YouTube, Los Angeles Times
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Her beating red heart is a nod to earlier iterations of the bride, and she’s now surrounded by portraits of her lost loves, whose figures gradually fade away, emphasizing themes of grief and loss.
Disney purists might see this as a big win. But the opinions of those who hold Disney’s storied past in high regard apparently had nothing to do with this decision.
According to Kim Irvine, the “creative” director of Walt Disney Imagineering, the decision to move away from Fitzgerald’s version of the bride was deliberate. But rather than chalking it up to a return to form for a classic attraction that respects the original vision of legends like Rolly Crump, Yale Gracey, and Xavier Atencio, Irvine opined about sensitivity and the modern day audience.
“The bride that used to be in there was an axe murderer, and in this day and age we have to be really careful about the sensitivities of people,” Irvine said to the LA Times. “We were celebrating someone chopping off her husband’s heads, and it was a weird story. I know the fans — some will like it and some will say, ‘Oh, you changed something again.’ That’s our job. That’s what we’re here for.”
Disney imagineering’s Kim Irvine at the Haunted Mansion – YouTube, Los Angeles Times
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Irvine’s quote seems to practically scream that this move was orchestrated by Disney’s Stories Matter department, the division of the company charged with addressing cultural sensitivity within Disney’s entertainment offerings. This was the department responsible for changing Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Regardless of the motive behind this change, it marks a clear pivot from Fitzgerald’s vision of the Mansion, which critics argued skewed too dark and lacked the delicate balance of eerie humor and melancholy that defined the original attraction.
The head of Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland – YouTube, Los Angeles Times
However, while fans may celebrate the return of the classic bride, this refurbishment also raises concerns about potential additional Stories Matter-driven changes. Irvine acknowledged that the infamous hanging man in the stretching room has been under review due to supposed “sensitivity” issues and potentially “triggering” people. This confirmed a long-standing rumor that the popular scene featuring the grizzly demise of the Ghost Host was in the crosshairs of Stories Matter.
Removing such an iconic element would fundamentally alter the Haunted Mansion’s narrative and strip it of its macabre humor—a hallmark of its storytelling.
“We’re still looking at that,” Irvine said of the hanging man scene. “That one is complicated, structurally … One thing at a time.”
How do you feel about the Haunted Mansion ghost bride change? How would you feel if the hanging man was removed from the Haunted Mansion stretching room? Sound off in the comments below and let us know!
It’s current year. You can’t admit how much spousal abuse and homicide is performed by women. If you did, women would stop seeming like the perpetual victims.
Next stop: Disney announces the bride’s “lost love” is canonically another woman. Oh, they’ll do it in supplemental material that you don’t have to engage with to enjoy the ride, but it’ll be out there.