Disneyland Visitor Dies After Riding the Haunted Mansion

A woman died after riding the famous Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland on Monday, October 6.

According to KTLA, the woman was in her 60s, and died after she “suffered a heart attack.”

According to a report, Anaheim Fire & Rescue responded to Disneyland around 6:30 p.m. on October 6th after receiving reports of a guest who was unresponsive after exiting the Haunted Mansion ride. Sergeant Matt Sutter confirmed to KTLA 5 News that Disneyland security started CPR before paramedics arrived. The woman was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

As yet, there is not an official cause of death.

The Haunted Mansion is a beloved ride found at Disney parks in California, Florida, and Tokyo. While those parks feature the classic version, Disney’s parks in Paris and Hong Kong offer similar experiences called Phantom Manor and Mystic Manor, respectively.

I’ve always been fascinated by the history of Disney parks, and I was surprised to discover that the extensive Wikipedia page detailing accidents at Disneyland doesn’t mention any happening on the Haunted Mansion! It’s a bit different over at Walt Disney World, though. Their page lists a few incidents – back in 1991, a teenager unfortunately fell onto the tracks while moving between ride vehicles. Then in 2007, an elderly woman broke her hip while getting off the ride. More recently, in 2018, someone actually stole props worth $7,000! And sadly, in 2021, another guest, a woman in her sixties, broke her wrist while exiting. It’s a reminder that even in the most magical places, things can sometimes go wrong.

According to Disneyland’s website, the Haunted Mansion doesn’t have a height requirement and is designed to be spooky but not scary for young children. While the ride is dark and has some mildly frightening moments, it doesn’t contain any graphic or violent content, and the ghosts are presented as friendly. The ride itself moves at a slow pace.

10 Disney Movies That Deserve Their Own Rides

1. Up

Given how popular Pixar’s *Up* is, it’s surprising there isn’t a ride based on the movie at the parks. The film’s iconic house, lifted by countless colorful balloons, would be perfect for a ride. Imagine a simulator similar to Soarin’ Around The World, taking guests to the beautiful Paradise Falls, through the jungle, and even up to Charles Muntz’s airship, the Spirit of Adventure. It would be an amazing experience, but with one important rule: skip the first ten minutes of the movie – we want fun, not tears!

2. Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Originally, Disney hoped Atlantis: The Lost Empire would launch a whole series of movies. However, because it didn’t do well in theaters, those plans were cancelled. Although the film wasn’t initially a big hit, it’s since gained a dedicated fanbase and is considered a cult classic. The movie’s unique premise—inspired by Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea—would have been perfect for a submarine ride at a Disney park. In fact, Walt Disney World used to have a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride, but it closed in 1994 to make way for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It’s fun to imagine if that ride had been updated to feature the world of Atlantis: The Lost Empire instead – it would have been a natural fit! If only the movie had been more popular when it first came out…

3. Wreck-It Ralph

The movie *Wreck-It Ralph* would be perfect for a theme park ride, especially because of the imaginative mini-worlds within it. *Sugar Rush*, the candy-themed racing game featuring Vanellope Von Schweetz, is a particularly strong concept. Like the *Carsthemed Radiator Springs Racers, a *Wreck-It Ralph* ride could involve two vehicles racing against each other. The ride could use impressive special effects to create a detailed world, and could even move both indoors and outdoors. While there’s been talk of a *Wreck-It Ralph* ride being developed, there haven’t been any official announcements yet.

4. WALL-E

A ride based on the movie *WALL-E* would be a great addition to Tomorrowland. It could be a thrilling simulator, similar to Star Tours, with WALL-E as the pilot. The ride could begin with guests experiencing WALL-E’s home on Earth before journeying up to the Axiom spaceship. Given how much critics and audiences loved *WALL-E*, it’s surprising the movie hasn’t been featured prominently in the parks yet. With Tomorrowland already focused on space and the future, *WALL-E* would fit in perfectly.

5. Mulan

Although the movie *Mulan* was successful enough to get a live-action remake, it hasn’t yet inspired a theme park ride. Many believe Mushu, Mulan’s dragon companion, deserves a chance to be featured, just like Figment at Epcot. With Epcot already having a China pavilion, a *Mulanthemed ride would be a perfect fit. Given the movie’s exciting action sequences, a roller coaster would be ideal. Riders could experience the story by racing on the Great Stone Dragon, passing by Hun soldiers, beautiful Chinese buildings, and even Mulan herself, ultimately leading to the thrilling final battle against Shan Yu.

6. The Jungle Book

Although Disney’s parks have the Jungle Cruise, they still lack an attraction specifically based on *The Jungle Book*. Mowgli, Baloo, and their friends would be a perfect addition to the Adventureland jungle! Picture yourself drifting down the river while hearing Baloo cheerfully sing “Bare Necessities” from the shore. Incorporating characters from *The Jungle Book* into the Jungle Cruise would be a simple change, but it would enhance the ride’s Disney charm. And just imagine all the fun bear-related jokes the skippers could tell!

7. Brave

As a huge Disney parks fan, I’ve always loved their interactive rides like Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters and Toy Story Mania! But you know what I think they *really* could add? An archery ride! Imagine a dark ride based on *Brave* where you actually get a bow and arrow – well, a virtual one! You’d aim at moving targets to score points, with harder targets worth more. They could set it in cool locations from the movie, like Merida’s castle, the witch’s workshop, and the Scottish Highlands. Just a friendly warning though – definitely don’t shoot the will-o’-the-wisps; I’ve heard that’s supposed to be really bad luck!

8. The Emperor’s New Groove

Disney’s *The Emperor’s New Groove* is a really unique movie. It’s made even better by its fantastic voice acting – David Spade is hilarious as the self-centered Emperor Kuzco, John Goodman is warm and friendly as Pacha, Eartha Kitt is delightfully wicked as Yzma, and Patrick Warburton is perfectly clumsy as Kronk. If a ride based on the movie were created, a flume ride would be a great fit. Remember when Yzma tells Kronk to pull the lever? That moment could be recreated as a fast, exciting drop, just like their journey to Yzma’s lab. Later, when Pacha and Kuzco (who’s turned into a llama) are floating down the river on a log, a second drop could happen when they go over the huge waterfall – and maybe even splash down near some rocks!

9. Hercules

Disney’s *Hercules* is a surprisingly clever, funny, and heartwarming animated film that deserves more recognition. It features fantastic songs, including the energetic “Zero to Hero” and Meg’s emotional ballad, “I Won’t Say (I’m In Love).” A theme park ride based on the movie could take guests on a thrilling journey with Hercules and Pegasus, starting in the majestic Mount Olympus and descending into the Underworld. There, they’d encounter the witty Hades, and after Hercules rescues Meg, everyone would return to Mount Olympus for a grand finale performance of “A Star Is Born” by the Muses. Of course, the ride would end with a gift shop filled with merchandise from the film – we’re especially hoping for a pair of those iconic Air-Hercs sneakers!

10. National Treasure

I remember back in 2007, everyone was talking about *National Treasure* and the new sequel, *Book of Secrets*. They even ended *Book of Secrets* with a cliffhanger, so a third movie seemed inevitable! Around that time, Nicolas Cage actually said it would be a dream come true to have a *National Treasure* ride at Disneyland. It felt like the franchise was on its way to becoming Disney’s next *Indiana Jones*. But for whatever reason, it just didn’t quite get there. *Indiana Jones* has that timeless quality that *National Treasure*—as much as I enjoy it—doesn’t. That’s probably why they never considered changing the *Indiana Jones* ride to fit the City of Gold from *Book of Secrets*. Still, a dark, thrilling ride taking you to that legendary city would have been incredible, and imagine animatronic Nic Cage battling an animatronic Ed Harris – that would have been absolutely iconic!

2025-10-09 00:27