ORLANDO, Fla. — "Greetings, foolish mortals," and welcome a new(ish) permanent guest to Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion — the Hatbox Ghost.
His arrival at the beloved Magic Kingdom dark ride has been highly anticipated ever since it was announced at Disney's Destination D23, according to the Disney Parks Blog.
The "iconic grim grinning ghost" has a long history tethered to the Haunted Mansion. Disney says the Hatbox Ghost first appeared at the Haunted Mansion in 1969 — when the ride first opened — in Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. However, he mysteriously disappeared not long after. Disney says he "came out to socialize" again at Disneyland in 2015, but he's never graced the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion...until now.
"Materializing next to the Endless Hallway, the Hatbox Ghost emerges through a cobalt blue glass-paned door under the cloak of night," Disney Parks Blog said in part. "Traces of muddy footprints mark his path as he arranges his cart of hatboxes and luggage. Lit by the moon and the warm glow of a dim lantern, guests come face-to-face with the Hatbox Ghost, grimly grinning as he takes fiendish delight in unnerving visitors with his heady parlor trick."
According to Collider, the Hatbox Ghost was taken from the ride shortly after debuting with Disneyland's Haunted Mansion because its special effects didn't work the way Disney Imagineers intended, especially with the technology at hand in the late 1960s. However, even those brief few months cemented the character as an icon synonymous with the ride.
For fans of the Haunted Mansion, the Hatbox Ghost, while physically absent from the ride for most of its history was kept alive through the ride's lore and Disney merchandise such as pins, shirts, mugs, etc.
