The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney’s Haunted Mansion – A Disney Nerds Book Club Review

I don’t know about you but after watching the Disney+ Original Series, “Behind The Attraction,” I wanted to know more about my favorite attractions. Specifically, my all-time favorite, The Haunted Mansion. So I found,  “The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney’s Haunted Mansion” by Jeff Baham and got more details on this iconic ride.

Jeff Baham is the creator of DoomBuggies.com which is the site to visit for all things Haunted Mansion. So who better to write about this attraction that an uber-fan!

The book is split up in two part, the history and the experience. Which means this book is full of info and tidbits that not every super fan may know.

The history starts with Walt’s idea, even diving into possible inspirations for Walt’s original idea. It’s interesting to follow the story from Walt’s head to what we have as a ride. Which we all know is completely different but still amazing. I loved reading about each imaginers’ influence on the attraction. They discussed every aspect of the ride, even the music! The book even talks about merchandise and how they originally promoted Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. Then the experience section goes through the ride as if it was a narration for someone who’s never ridden it but with so many extra details.

I also enjoyed the photos and illustrations that were included in the book. They really helped you see and visualize everything so much more. It really felt like I was take a peek into Disney Archives with the addition of the photos.

Now there are two version of this book. I read the most recent revised edition that came out in 2018. Both versions include a forward by Rolly Crump which is a great addition. The most recent version includes a chapter about the “Nightmare Before Christmas” overlay in Disneyland. Reading that chapter made that overlay rate even higher on my must do list!

This book mainly covers Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion which is understandable since it is the original. But as someone who only knows the Walt Disney World version, I still enjoyed this book. You could see how the ideas, planning, and creation for the Disneyland version relate to the Walt Disney World one. We all know there are similarities to these two attractions and some differences.

I really loved this book and it gives me an even greater love and appreciation for The Haunted Mansion, in every Disney park. If you love this attraction as much I do then I highly recommend reading this book.