We're Spilling a HUGE SECRET About the Haunted Mansion in Disney World

The Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom is pretty iconic, and we are letting you in on one secret to this beloved ride.

Haunted Mansion

Located in Liberty Square, this iconic attraction invites guests to hop aboard a Doom Buggy and journey through the mysterious rooms and eerie grounds of the mansion. Inside, 999 Happy Haunts are waiting to greet visitors — and as they love to remind everyone, “There’s always room for one more!” Just like many attractions across Disney World, the Haunted Mansion is filled with clever details and hidden touches. One fun example? Some of the mansion’s stone turrets are actually designed to resemble chess pieces!

Of course, noticing those hidden details is only part of the fun. While you might joke about becoming the mansion’s 1,000th resident, there’s also a way for guests to dive even deeper into the story by channeling their inner detective and solving a mystery of their own.

That’s right! You become more than just a rider getting to tour the mansion; you can become a DETECTIVE to solve the murder mystery of the Haunted Mansion. When you’re in the queue for the attraction, check out the Dread Family busts. They can be found in the outdoor portion of the queue (which by the way, the outdoor part of the queue has tons of fun surprises!). Once you find the family’s busts, you’ll find a riddle. Each riddle will take you one step closer to what weapon was used to pull off the heinous crime. And once you use your detective skills to find the correct weapon, it will point you to the killer!

Dread Family

Here’s what is engraved on each of the family’s epitaphs:

Uncle Jacob

“Greed was the poison he had swallowed. He went first, the others followed. His killer’s face he surely knew. Now try to discover who killed who.”

Bertie

“Avid hunter and expert shot, in the end, that’s what he got.” His also features a bottle with a skull and crossbones.

Aunt Florence

Her plaque features a revolver with the following riddle: “Never did a dishonorable deed, yet found face down in canary seed.”

The Twins- Wellington & Forsythia Dread

Their headstone features a bird laying on its back with the text “Departed life while in their beds, with identical bumps on their heads.”

Cousin Maude

Finally, Cousin Maude’s has a hammer engraved above the riddle, which reads, “Our sleeping beauty, who never awoke the night her dreams went up in smoke.”

Who do you think committed the crime?

So, who do you think did it? You can save the solving for the next time you are in line for the Haunted Mansion, because we don’t want to spoil the fun. Besides, you’re the detective, and it can make waiting in line more fun!

Can you SOLVE the mystery?

If you can’t wait for the next time you’re in line to ride the attraction, you can always pick up our FREE and BRAND-NEW DFB Guide – Winning at Disney! Not only does this guide have the answer to this murder mystery, but it also has the BEST TIPS for other Disney World rides, too!

Get the Guide Here!

For more Disney World secrets and tips and to stay up to date on all the latest Disney news, make sure to continue to follow along with us here at DFB!

This Is the ONLY Ride Hack You Need for Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT

Need help booking your dream Disney World vacation? Our friends at Small World Vacations would be more than happy to help you plan! You can fill out a Disney World interest form here!

DON'T DO IT ALONE!

Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise.

Their agents compare current offers to find the best deal for you -- they've literally saved their guests millions of dollars since 1996. Plus, their services are 100% FREE FOR YOU! (They're DFB's recommended travel agency, and you can see why here!)

So book that trip now, then sit back and enjoy planning your Disney World Trip with a DFB-approved expert! Click here for a no obligation price quote today, and let them know DFB sent you 🙂