Disneyland may remove longtime Haunted Mansion element, Imagineer says

(NEXSTAR/KTLA) — The creative team at Disneyland has considered removing one of the Haunted Mansion’s many “frightful delights,” according to an Imagineer.

Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Kim Irvine, the creative director of the Imagineering department, indicated that the hanging corpse seen in the stretching room section of the attraction might be removed at some point to avoid upsetting guests.

“We’re still looking at that,” Irvine said. “That one is complicated, structurally … One thing at a time.” (The L.A. Times had also reported in 2021 that Imagineers were considering the removal of the same ride element at the time.)

The hanging corpse, which has been a longtime fixture of the attraction, can be seen overhead in the cupola of the Haunted Mansion during a brief flash of light. The ride’s narrator, known as the Ghost Host, also reveals the body to be his own, suggesting it was his “way out” of the mansion.

Irvine, in the LA Times piece, did not elaborate on any discussions surrounding the potential removal of the corpse, nor why it might be "complicated."

A representative for Disneyland was not immediately available to comment on any potential plans to remove the corpse. Upon the ride’s reopening on Saturday, however, the hanging corpse could still be seen in the cupola in the stretching room, recent videos shared to YouTube show.

Other actual changes, meanwhile, have materialized since the ride’s reopening, including a new look and updated storyline for the mansion’s ghostly bride, who previously appeared as the ax-wielding Constance Hatchaway.

The bride's face now appears sadder than before, floating in front of guests while holding a candelabra.

“The bride that used to be in there was an ax murderer, and in this day and age, we have to be really careful about the sensitivities of people,” Irvine told the LA Times. “We were celebrating someone chopping off her husband’s head, and it was a weird story.”