The Haunted Mansion Project
During the development of Disney’s Haunted Mansion, dozens of storylines, architectural designs, props, and characters were explored, many of which were abandoned and rarely seen again. After researching these forgotten ideas, I realized they deserved more than a few sketches, and that together they could form a Haunted Mansion of their own. Over the past year, I’ve been creating photorealistic 3D models based on these concepts, some as faithful recreations, others with added creative interpretation, along with a few of my own designs. The final project will be a full walkthrough featuring the mansion’s exterior (originally designed by Ted Rich and Leota Toombs), its courtyard, and graveyard, to be shared online as an educational showcase for fans and scholars alike.
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 stories 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.
Here you can see the latest rendition of the Rich & Toombs Mansion exterior. Due to the lack of views of the building from other sides, I sought the help of professional architects that understood the foundations of Georgian architecture in order to convert this drawing into something that makes sense in 3D.
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.
Some concepts are completely unused while others have similar alternatives within the ride itself. One of the original concepts for the Haunted Mansion storyline heavily involved the Headless Horseman. While not officially used in the Haunted Mansion today, a similar headless character created by Marc Davis is. To honor both original concepts, I merged the two together to create a fountain that would sit at the front entrance to the mansion. The design is meant to look like a simple run-down statue, though the pose of the knight on horseback is similar to the Ken Anderson Headless Horseman sketch while the head, which has fallen off and is resting on the ledge of the fountain, is a 3D sculpt of Marc Davis's original sketch for the Headless Knight.
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.
Return To Dreamer's Point