New Orleans Gets a Starring Role in Disney’s Haunted Mansion

Disney's popular Haunted Mansion ride has come to the big screen with a star-studded cast and audiences are lining up to see it. But it's the setting of the movie that caught my attention when I brought my kids. (NOTE: The movie is rated PG-13, so not for all kids. Mine are 8 & 9 and loved it. The only offense in my eyes was just the scary story. Nothing else inappropriate.) The story is centered around an unconvinced New Orleans ghost tour guide who is dealing with grief himself. But things take a turn when he is faced with undeniable evidence of the supernatural.

The film stars LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto.

Popular New Orleans sites that are featured include Jackson Square, aerials of the CBD, Muriel's restaurant (which has its own haunted history), and the French Quarter. A careful viewer may get some NCIS: New Orleans vibes. One person even commented that the bar scene looks like it takes place in "Pride's Bar" from the show.

A Not-So-Spoiler Alert

The mansion facade looks like it could be right at home in South Louisiana, but I went on a deep dive after the movie and found the real location. It was actually built on two sound stages in New Orleans and Atlanta, Georgia. It looks different than the Disney World mansion, but very similar to the mansion at Disneyland.

Based on the Popular RIde

Since its opening in 1969, the Haunted Mansion ride has remained an enduring icon of the entertainment industry. The cast and Its unique blend of spook, sound effects, and a solid story have made it a cult favorite. The ride's memorable characters, such as the Hitchhiking Ghosts, are seen in the new movie along with the ghost-filled ball room.