Before 999 happy haunts moved in, Disney’s most ghostly attraction haunted Imagineering itself. For over a decade, Walt’s team couldn’t agree: should the Haunted Mansion be spooky or silly?

In this Halloween special from Main Street Stories with Eric, we’ll explore the eerie origins, creative conflicts, and magic behind one of Disney’s most beloved attractions. From the illusions of Yale Gracey and the eerie art of Claude Coats, to Marc Davis’ humor and X Atencio’s lyrics for “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” this is the story of how the Haunted Mansion became a perfect blend of fear, fun, and imagination.

Then we’ll follow the spirits east to Walt Disney World, where the mansion found its forever home in Liberty Square, bigger, bolder, and more haunting than ever.

999 happy haunts have made this place their home and they’d love to have you join them.