The Haunted Mansion Project (WIP)

Over the course of the development of Disney's The Haunted Mansion, there were dozens of iterations to the storyline, architecture, props, effects, characters, and much more, many of which were scrapped and have seldom seen the light of day since their days on the drawing board. The more I researched the concepts, the more I came to two conclusions, the concepts deserved to be showcased in more than just a few sketches and there were enough of them that they could make up their own Haunted Mansion, so that's what I'm doing. Over the past year, I have been researching the concepts to determine how best to convert them into photorealistic models. Some of the models are near exact replicas to the concept art while others need a little extra creative touch to make them look good in 3D. I've even made some of my own personal designs to add my own personal touch. The final goal of the project will be a full walkthrough featuring the exterior of the main building (originally created by Ted Rich and Leota Toombs) as well as its courtyard and backyard/graveyard. When completed, the project will be posted online as an educational piece for the world to see.

A Breath of Stale Air

The Haunted Mansion is an icon, known across the globe for it's spooks and spirits, but what about the REAL ghosts of the Haunted Mansion? What about the spooks that never got their spotlight, the ghosts that never had their storied told, and the doorless chambers that never were? I always knew that I wanted to give these concepts a second chance, but I didn't know where to put them, how to house the forgotten until I saw one particular piece of concept art.

This artwork, found in A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth, gave me the perfect place to bring all of the unused concepts together.

A Dedication to the Imagineers Who Started It All

I don't just want to create models of the original concepts; I also want to honor the Imagineers who designed them. To do so, I created new tombstones that are tailored to the imagineers and what their jobs were. Not only is each tombstone unique, but the epitaphs are specific to the Imagineer. Normally, such custom and obvious designs would not be acceptable as the references are meant to be subtle, but since this is not meant to be a real Haunted Mansion, its somewhat more acceptable.

Unused Concepts New and Old

While many of the concepts are amazing enough to be recreated, not all of them are from before the Haunted Mansion was created. Eddie Sotto's amazing concept for an underground tunnel connecting the Mansion to Tom Sawyer Island would have guests entering through this very crypt, which was inspired by the legendary pirate Jean Lafitte. The concept would not only connect two attractions physically but would actually connect three of them. Haunted Mansion, Tom Sawyer Island, and Pirates of the Carribean would be connected through one storyline. Think of it like a Disney Imagineering Cinematic Universe or WDICU.

Adding Some Of My Own Ideas

What fun is it to work on other people's concepts if you aren't going to contribute your own ideas as well? The Mansion creates plenty of space to create many of the unused concepts from the ride, but in some areas, there's a little too much space. To fill it, I decided to make some of my own ideas, like a gazebo that was gifted to a young Constance Hatchaway by one of her first husbands or the greenhouse seen above. These designs not only help fill the extremely large estate grounds but also provide an opportunity to showcase my creativity and ambition.

What's Next?

Theres still lots to do. Currently on my list is a new version of Priscilla's Well, A new Pet Cemetery, the environment of the estate grounds, and a couple more personal designs. My end goal is to make the entire exterior of the mansion and the estate grounds, including a private graveyard, fountains, external buildings, and other various props and models. The final design will be a downloadable walk-through made on Unreal Engine 5, where people will be able to take the exterior part of the walking tour that the Haunted Mansion was originally intended to be.