Disney World commemorated the 50th anniversary of the iconic Haunted Mansion, the expedition that takes people through some of the scariest thrills Mickey has to offer. 

During the celebration, a lot of fans raged about the surprises. Fans said that not only were some improvements made to the ride, but also, a few collectibles have been released. 

With an admission paid ahead of time, visitors indulged in after-hour park festivities on Aug 8-9.

 The first surprise of Disney’s celebration for the mansion was a couple more characters added to the attraction — live ones.  Actors danced through the grand ballroom, endless hallway and hitchhiker’s mirrors. This surprise made the horrors feel like they came to life.  

This chill-bound party kept the Halloween spirit throughout the park’s workers, so much so that alumnus Mitch McCroskey, who works with Disney’s very own Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, said, “Disney has seemed very excited about this anniversary. Haunted Mansion is a classic ride that almost every guest puts on their to-do list.” 

Having even the park’s staff excited must make the visitors even more. With all the buzz on the ride’s birthday, the wait time increased and McCroskey was excited for all the events that come from Halloween in the theme park. 

“Disney does a great job of honoring the rides with merchandise coming out,” McCroskey said. “By adding the new merchandise, it gets people interested in the rides again if they had lost any interest over the years.” 

Even after the ride’s anniversary party passed, Disney kept the spooky elements throughout a separate party known as “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween.” 

The Haunted Mansion is a landmark in the park and seems to host many core elements to this year’s bash.  The parade, character meet-and-greets and after-hour secrets all have been connecting into the celebration. 

The park’s spirits have been up with the fall season coming in.

“It’s been super fun to see everyone excited about celebrating such a classic ride,” McCroskey said.