See inside Disney's Haunted Mansion bar with first-look photos of swimming phantom fish and Hitchhiking Ghosts (exclusive)
EW has exclusive first-look photos from the Disney Treasure ship's new Haunted Mansion Parlor, featuring a portrait gallery and the infamous Donald Duck chair.
There's always room for one more (drink) inside Disney's new Haunted Mansion Parlor bar — and Entertainment Weekly has exclusive first-look photos previewing the grim-grinning aesthetic of the first-ever bar themed to the beloved ride at Disneyland, Disney World, and Tokyo Disneyland.
The crypt doors have finally creaked open on the anticipated Haunted Mansion experience, which introduces the "next chapter" of the rides' storied lore, according to Disney, and incorporates many references to Haunted Mansion elements — including the iconic trio of Hitchhiking Ghosts reflected in a mirror above the bar, a miniature version of the foreboding Grandfather Clock on the bar's mantlepiece, and the signature purple-patterned wallpaper from the beginning of the ride plastered around the lounge.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Also appearing in EW's exclusive first-look photos is a sneak peek at the distinct chair — which fans often affectionately refer to as "the Donald Duck chair" for its similarities to Donald's face — tucked away in a corner next to a window illuminated by a large full moon on the other side.
Above the mini Grandfather Clock is a painting that appears to reference the famous Flying Dutchman image that fans can see in the Portrait Corridor within the Haunted Mansion ride, with the painting of the healthy vessel changing to reveal a tattered, sinking ship when lightning strikes inside the hallway.
Amid a roster of new, exclusive drinks furthering the lounge's narrative, the Haunted Mansion Parlor incorporates a powerful tribute to an influential former Disney Imagineer, Rolly Crump, who, before his death in 2023, devised years ago a concept for a ghostly aquarium populated by the spirits of departed fish. Inside the new lounge, the idea comes to life — with the dead aquatic creatures swimming around, just as Crump envisioned.
Ideas from famed Disney animator Marc Davis can be found on the parlor's walls, too, with his famed Mariner portrait occupying space aboard the ship, against the backdrop of the bar's story about the sudden disappearance of an ill-fated sea captain and his mysterious fiancé. Portraits of both figures can be seen inside the bar, teasing the grim story — and, perhaps, the true identity — of those involved.
"Tales of the doomed couple’s first encounter all began when the captain received a dramatic distress transmission from another vessel. He wasted no time in altering his course to aid in the rescue, but as he neared the source of the call, he found only a mangled wreckage and a lone survivor — a woman floating amongst the debris," reads Disney's synopsis. "With bright green eyes, chestnut hair, and a golden key hanging about her neck, it is no wonder that the captain was immediately taken by her beauty. The pair became inseparable and were soon engaged to be wed." But, as guests can tell by looking at the bride's portrait in the right light, the captain might not have married the woman he thought he fell for.
The Disney Treasure ship also contains other interior spaces that lift creative inspiration from Disney parks attractions, including the Skipper Society lounge that closely mirrors that of the Jungle Cruise boat rides found at Disney World, Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland — complete with nods to the rides' legendary skippers and their adventures through the Nile, Amazon, and Congo rivers.
A defunct parks attraction will also get a tribute aboard the Disney Treasure via the Periscope Pub, a bar with a nautical, submarine-inspired vibe inspired by the former 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage ride that operated at Disney World's Magic Kingdom from 1971 to 1994.
Other attractions slated to set sail within the Disney Treasure later this year include Marvel and Coco dining experiences, the Tale of Moana and Beauty and the Beast stage shows, the AquaMouse water coaster, and 1923, a restaurant named after Walt Disney Studios' founding year and featuring props from the studio's beloved animated movies like Tarzan, The Lion King, Aladdin, and more.
The Disney Treasure cruise ship's maiden voyage is set for Dec. 21. See EW's exclusive first-look photos from inside the Haunted Mansion Parlor above.