A woman in her 60s died Monday after suffering health problems after riding the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland, Variety has confirmed.
Anaheim police said the woman was unresponsive shortly after exiting the now-“Nightmare Before Christmas” themed ride. Disneyland security staff performed CPR on her until paramedics arrived and took her to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, police said.
The cause of death has not yet been determined. According to Sergeant Matt Sutter of the Anaheim Police Department, “There were no signs of operational issues at this attraction and it reopened quickly.”
The Haunted Mansion is described on the Disneyland website as a “slow-moving” attraction that is suitable for “young children.” The guest policy states, “Although the ride itself is peaceful, young children may be scared of the special effects.”
The ride first opened in 1969 in the New Orleans Square area of the California Amusement Park. This seasonal makeover began as an annual tradition in 2001. Although Haunted Mansion isn’t based on any existing IP, the vehicle spawned two movies, a 2003 film starring Eddie Murphy and a 2023 reboot starring LaKeith Stanfield.
The ride takes visitors to a haunted mansion, featuring floating heads, dancing spirits, and rooms with ever-expanding ceilings. According to Entertainment Weekly, this attraction is one of the only Disney attractions to explicitly depict human death, including a dead body hanging above visitors’ heads at the start of the ride.
Hong Kong Disneyland recently opened a Haunted Mansion-inspired attraction called Mystic Manor, where a monkey named Albert meddles with his owner’s magical antiques.
