Interview: Inspiration for The Haunted Mansion Parlor on the Disney Treasure

Hi everyone!

The Haunted Mansion Parlor on the Disney Treasure immediately became our favorite space on any Disney Cruise Line ship when we experienced it during our media cruise this month. The new lounge expands on the story of The Haunted Mansion, including adding additional inspiration from Disney Legends Rolly Crump and Marc Davis.

We spoke with Senior Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering Danny Handke about the new lounge. Watch our video and read more below!

During our interview, you can hear the amazing sound effects (including at the beginning, as a ghost was “breaking through”).

It was apparent pretty quickly that there were stories being told over a period of time, and I asked Handke about that. He told us that it was a 30-minute show experience. “From funeral to funeral…you go from one funeral to the next funeral, just like it does in The Haunted Mansion”. He said if you stay a little longer that you’ll pick up other details.

“The experience itself follows the structure of the attraction. So it goes from these creepy environments where ghosts are trying to break through”. He continued, “You’ll hear them knocking, you’ll hear them moaning. So we have to call upon Madame Leota to lead a seance”.  She then materializes in the mirror behind the bar, which happens with so many other residents of The Haunted Mansion.

Handke says, “And then we assemble for the full swinging wake. The ghosts materialize, we hear ‘Grim Grinning Ghosts’ and the whole thing comes to life”.

We then asked about the inspiration behind The Haunted Mansion Parlor. Rolly Crump had designed a ‘Museum of the Weird’ concept that was never built in The Haunted Mansion, but you can see it take life in the lounge.

Handke answered, “When we started this journey four years ago, we knew we wanted to recapture the feeling of The Haunted Mansion with the classic wallpaper, a lot of those architectural details. We went to our Disney Mansion art library.” They started pulling art from Marc Davis, Claude Coats, Ken Anderson and Rolly Crump. “We just wanted to immerse ourselves in those Imagineers and what their thought process was. In fact, our ghost pirate was inspired by an original piece that Marc did for the Haunted Mansion that never came to be”. He also pointed to the Ghost fish aquarium, which was inspired by Crump.

Jeff asked Handke if where you sit effects your experience. Handke replied, “It does. On this side of the room, you have a ghostly fireplace. You have specific paintings and the thirteen hour clock here.” On the other side, there is the bride’s music box and trapped souls are trying to break out. He encourages guests on a 7-night cruise to come back more than once, and try out different seats. Jeff and I did that over several nights. There is so much to see and hear in The Haunted Mansion Parlor, with experiences happening all over the room.

One thing that guests will notice is that there are eyes starting at them from various portraits and around the room. Handke said, “That’s the best thing about The Haunted Mansion, eyes looking at you everywhere”.  The portraits in the gallery mimic the ones from the attraction, “but with a nautical twist”.

We can’t wait to be back on the Disney Treasure and enjoy The Haunted Mansion Parlor again.

The Haunted Mansion Parlor has also been announced for the Disney Destiny, which debuts in November 2025.

 

The Disney Cruise Line invited us for a 3-night sailing on the Disney Treasure. All views are ours.