Disney has announced that the Haunted Mansion Parlor, an all-new bar inspired by the iconic Walt Disney World and Disneyland attraction, will materialize on board the Disney Treasure cruise ship when it sets sail in December 2024. This post shares a first look at concept art, design details, macabre merchandise and drinks in this first-ever lounge.
According to Disney Cruise Line, this one-of-a-kind experience will invite guests to partake in the next chapter of the Haunted Mansion, focused on the story of a jovial captain who entered the ghostly realm after a disastrous dinner with his beloved fiancé. Legendary characters from Haunted Mansion attractions around the world, as well as new seafaring arrivals, will come out to socialize in mysterious ways throughout the Haunted Mansion Parlor experience.
The Haunted Mansion Parlor will follow the nostalgic art style of the original 1969 Disneyland classic. True to the original attraction, the lounge aboard the Disney Treasure will blend humor with Imagineering’s distinct brand of spooky storytelling. The design of the Haunted Mansion Parlor will be reminiscent of a first-class drawing room from the classic cruise liners of the golden age, invoking inspiration from the original Haunted Mansion with a nautical twist.
Disney Treasure’s Haunted Mansion Parlor will include tributes to the Disneyland and Walt Disney World attractions, from the iconic purple wallpaper framed by wooden finishes to a mantel clock atop an inviting fireplace to a distinctive purple armchair tucked in the corner (fondly known as the “Donald Duck Chair” among Disney diehards). Guests will also encounter a few new ghoulish faces in a portrait gallery depicting the Disney Treasure’s own ghostly residents.
The Haunted Mansion Parlor will feature a custom musical arrangement inspired by the attraction’s original score. This is being arranged and adapted by composer Shruti Kumar and Walt Disney Imagineering, and will set the stage for an ever-escalating anthology of illusions that immerses guests into the mysterious lore of the Haunted Mansion.
Deliciously Chilling Drinks
At the Haunted Mansion Parlor, guests will sample from a selection of ghostly cocktails that capture the spirit of the famed theme park attraction, The Haunted Mansion.
- Blood orange and sour cherry flavors will harmonize in a shimmering zero proof cocktail served in a specialty mug aptly titled, Sympathetic Libations.
- The Ghoulish Delight will be an ube-flavored treat that everyone will be able to enjoy. The drink, with hints of sweetness and nuttiness, will incorporate decadent ube fudge, oat milk and tapioca pearls in a purple concoction garnished with a gummy eyeball and ube glitter.
- A spooky twist on a classic margarita, presented to guests amidst a swirl of flavored smoke, will be another signature drink at the Haunted Mansion Parlor. Topped with a lemon salt foam, this tequila-based cocktail will contain a secret message, only to be revealed by black light.
Mysterious Merchandise
The Haunted Mansion Parlor will introduce an exclusive array of horrific homewares and spooky souvenirs to the shops onboard the Disney Treasure:
- The Haunted Mansion Parlor Music Box will be a keepsake inspired by the eerie music box that will play a melodic soundtrack inside the Haunted Mansion Parlor. As the rumors go, this mysterious box belonged to the captain’s bride-to-be and only opens in the presence of malevolent spirits.
- Honoring the memorable grandfather clock seen in the original Disney Parks attraction, the Haunted Parlor Mantle Clock will loom over the fireplace inside the venue, instigating mysterious happenings when it strikes 13. As a part of the new merchandise collection, Disney Cruise Line guests will be able to bring home their very own mantle clock, just like the one from the parlor.
- Featuring the same octopus design from the bar’s entrance onboard the Disney Treasure, the Haunted Mansion Parlor Sculpted Mug will depict an aura of intrigue and will be accented with a variety of sea life, including a hidden Mickey Mouse-shaped barnacle.
- The Haunted Mansion Parlor Mirror will allow guests to take home a piece of the magic, offering a ghoulish surprise to unsuspecting users when the hitchhiking ghosts mysteriously appear.
Here’s an artist’s concept tour of the Haunted Mansion Parlor:
Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion Parlor! 🔮👻 Take a look at this first-of-its-kind lounge coming to the all-new Disney Treasure. Check out the @DisneyParks blog for more: https://t.co/Vn4OuwhAnE pic.twitter.com/lsdPjeAyVS
— Disney Cruise Line (@DisneyCruise) October 24, 2023
Disney Cruise Line and the Haunted Mansion Parlor’s happy haunts are eager to welcome foolish mortals to this spirited space on board the Disney Treasure in December 2024.
Turning to commentary, we’re really excited for this and think it could be what makes the Disney Treasure for diehard theme park fans. As previously discussed in our Disney Treasure Cruise Ship First Look, this ship feels a lot like Adventureland on the ocean. The theme of the Disney Treasure is really strong, with the ‘thrills, capers, and adventure’ motifs offering a lot of opportunities.
While this is the official reveal of the Haunted Mansion Parlor, it’s been widely rumored since even before the Disney Treasure reveal. So we sort of expected this would be the replacement for Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge. It’s not the “Trader Sam’s At Sea” that many fans wanted to see, but I can’t imagine there will be much disappoint with getting the Haunted Mansion Parlor instead.
One thing we discussed with the Destination D23 announcements was how so many of those things were tailormade for diehard fans rather than mainstream audiences. That it’s great to see Disney once again treating the theme parks themselves with reverence, and not just as a dumping ground for intellectual property from Disney+ or movies.
It’s refreshing after the last decade, and also shows that the company finally “gets” that there’s a huge fandom that only exists due to the parks. That’s been obvious at Disneyland for decades, but not Walt Disney World.
This isn’t exactly the same as that, but it’s a similar idea. Haunted Mansion is one of the few original attractions that has cracked into the mainstream pop culture zeitgeist–it’s recognizable even to those who aren’t theme park fans.
Not only that, but there was just a major motion picture about the Haunted Mansion this summer, and it’s entirely possible that the bar began development with the assumption that movie would be a hit. (It wasn’t.)
Regardless, it’s a bold bet for Disney Cruise Line to replace a Star Wars lounge–one of the most popular and recognizable brands in the world–with a Haunted Mansion bar. That would’ve been true even if the movie topped the box office for months on end and, again, it did not.
Redoing Test Track to include nods to World of Motion, adding the Barker Bird to a new Pirates of the Caribbean tavern, or bringing back the old version of Soarin’ all at Walt Disney World is one thing. Expanding the presence of theme park intellectual property aboard a brand-new Disney Cruise Line ship is another thing entirely. We love to see it.
Frankly, nothing of value is lost with swapping out Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge and replacing it with the Haunted Mansion Parlor. While that Star Wars bar was a fantastic idea–and offers surface level fun and cool visuals–its execution left so much to be desired.
In fact, Hyperspace Lounge actually made our List of the Worst of the Disney Wish Cruise Ship. In our view, it felt like Imagineering blew 90% of its budget (probably more) on the screen behind the bar, and didn’t have enough money to finish the rest of the lounge. So they bought some lava lamps from Spencer’s and called it good.
That’s hyperbole, but it’s not that far off. Unless you’re fully fixated on the screen, Hyperspace Lounge really did feel like sitting in an empty, windowless room. The rest of the space was very underdressed, and it made suspension of disbelief difficult. At least, for us. There just wasn’t enough that was engaging or well-themed to give it lasting appeal once the initial novelty of the screen wore off.
Already, it’s clear that the Haunted Mansion Parlor won’t have that issue. It’s teeming with detail from the attraction, from the wallpaper to the aforementioned Donald Duck Chair and so much more. While the screen with the Hitchhiking Ghosts and who knows what other surprises will certainly be cool, what we’re most relieved about is that the Haunted Mansion Parlor won’t use the screen as a crutch to ignore all other themed design.
The whole environment here looks thoughtfully done, with a refreshing thoroughness and level of Imagineering that’s missing from Hyperspace Lounge (and frankly, a few other spaces aboard the Disney Wish). The furniture, fixtures, carpet–everything–makes the Haunted Mansion Parlor look oddly cozy and eerily intimate. It actually does remind me a bit of Trader Sam’s, except with a more cohesive and singular style.
Ultimately, we’re really looking forward to the Haunted Mansion Parlor and hope that it’s both well-designed and well-received by regular guests. The concept art shows a level of detail and depth that’s really promising, and that alone–regardless of the IP attached–should make this an improvement over Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge.
Even though there’s a lot of overlap with the Disney Wish, we like what we’ve seen of the Disney Treasure thus far. As mentioned before, we’d really like to see the differentiation taken a few steps further by removing the level of luxury retail and also making a few other improvements. Although the layout is locked in (regrettably, if you ask us), there are ways that the Treasure could iterate and improve on the Wish. The Haunted Mansion Parlor is a step in the right direction, as are a few of the other new venues. Here’s hoping that there’s more to come!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of the Haunted Mansion Parlor? Pleased that this is the bar that’s materializing on board the Disney Treasure, or do you wish it were Hyperspace Lounge, Trader Sam’s At Sea, or something else? Does this have you more excited for the Disney Treasure? Do you plan on booking a cruise aboard this ship, or are you awaiting more details? Do you agree or disagree with our advice and assessment? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
