Disneyland Adds Live Actors To Haunted Mansion’s “50 Years of Retirement Unliving” After-Hours Events

“When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still — that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight!…” That is the time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the most famous haunted house theme park attraction in the world, Disneyland’s The Haunted Mansion, which first opened its doors to guests exactly five decades ago on August 9, 1969.

Upon entering Disneyland, guests of the“50 Years of Retirement Unliving“ after-hours events  were treated to a grand opening in the form of the uniquely creepy show “13th Hour – ‘Awaken the Swinging Wake!’” on Tom Sawyer Island’s “Fantasmic!” stage across the Rivers of America as they watched from New Orleans Square.

Guest Could also  meet and have their photos taken with Constance Hatchaway (The Bride) in Frontierland, Sally Slater (Tightrope Girl) in Adventureland, and Ezra, Phineas, & Gus ( The Hitchhiking Ghosts) in Critter Country.

Guests attending this after hours event, could take a night-time cruise on the famous Mark Twain Riverboat, complete with foreboding fog on the water and a trip-long performance by the SCAREolers, who sang a cappella renditions of some very recognizable Halloween and dark Disney hits.

The Haunted Mansion had a bright light that shone behind it, as if its ghosts were breaking free to flood the park, and fog surrounded guests as everyone cheered for funeral processions. Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion, this special event added live actors to the endless hallway, grand ballroom and hitchhiking ghosts scenes in the dark ride.

A YouTube video posted by WDW News Today captured the updated scenes.

Video Credit: WDNT

A knight in shining armor marched jerkily across the endless hallway and struck defensive poses with a lance near the beginning of the ride. A ghostly live actor in a vintage suit chatted amiably and animatedly with the animatronic figures sitting near him at the long table in the grand ballroom.

When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake,
Spooks come out for a swinging wake.
Happy haunts materialize and begin to vocalize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!

Now, don’t close your eyes and don’t try to hide,
For a silly spook may sit by your side.
Shrouded in a daft disguise, they pretend to terrorize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!

As the moon climbs high o’er the dead oak tree,
Spooks arrive for the midnight spree.
Creepy creeps with eerie eyes start to shriek and harmonize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!

When you hear the knell of a requiem bell,
Weird glows gleam where spirits dwell.
Restless bones etherealize, rise as spooks of every size!