Disney Parks: Hatbox Ghost Debuts in Magic Kingdom in November

A lot of exciting Disney Parks news came out of Destination 23 today, and fans of Disney World and Disneyland are excited about the upcoming changes. One new change comes on the heels of the release of Haunted Mansion, the latest film to be based on the beloved attraction. The film's villain was the Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto), the animatronic character who originally appeared in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion ride before being removed shortly after the ride debuted in 1969. However, the Hatbox Ghost was brought back to Anaheim in 2015, and now he's finally coming to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. 

It was announced during Destination 23 that the Hatbox Ghost is coming to the Haunted Mansion attraction in Florida in late November.  Disney Imagineer Daniel Joseph joined Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D'Amaro on stage for the announcement earlier today. Joseph revealed the Hatbox Ghost will be materializing in the Haunted Mansion as you pass the attraction's Endless Hallway.

In the original ride, the ghost appeared holding a hatbox, and the goal was for his head to materialize inside the hatbox. However, the limitations of effects in the late '60s never allowed it to be pulled off properly. In the years since the figure's removal, he earned a mythical reputation among Disney enthusiasts, only for the character to make his official return with modern upgrades in 2015.

Haunted Mansion Director on Jared Leto's Hatbox Ghost:

"It's very surprising. You'd be shocked to know who it was until you're told," Justin Simien revealed to Entertainment Weekly. "The character itself, it's part digital, part physical performance. We're trying to go for something scary that feels like it could exist physically in the real world, on the ride, but pushes the scare a lot further than the ride does. He knocked it out of the park. He's very menacing and terrifying."

In Haunted Mansion, a doctor (Rosario Dawson) and her 9-year-old son (Chase Dillon), looking to start a new life, move into a strangely affordable mansion in New Orleans, only to discover that the place is much more than they bargained for. Desperate for help, they contact a priest (Owen Wilson), who, in turn, enlists the aid of a widowed scientist-turned failed-paranormal expert (LaKeith Stanfield), a French Quarter psychic (Tiffany Haddish), and a crotchety historian (Danny DeVito).

Stay tuned for more updates from Destination 23.