Imagineer for the Day – Haunted Mansion Café

In this Imagineer for the Day article, guest writer Natalie discusses her idea for a Haunted Mansion Café. It would be located in Liberty Square and feature some of your favorite Haunted Mansion haunts!

This article was written by a guest writer, Natalie, who runs one of our favorite Etsy shops! You can find her on Instagram too. Thank you Natalie for writing this amazing article about a Haunted Mansion Cafe!

Growing up my family loved creating and coming up with new ideas. You could say all of us had that creative itch with a day dreamer mentality. That is why we would come up with some of the best ideas for Disney, specifically Walt Disney World. The most lucrative idea we ever came up with was the Haunted Mansion Café.

Why?

The Haunted Mansion is one of Disney’s most loved attractions! The Nightmare before Christmas is one of Disney’s most popular movies and Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party is HUGE in the Disney community. Not only that, but even non-Disney lovers out there would love a Haunted and Spooky Themed Café. Travelers would come from all over for the new and one of a kind experience where it is Halloween all year round.

Details of the Restaurant

Décor – Well of course the décor would have a Haunted Mansion Vibe: from the wallpaper to cobwebs and maybe even some hitch-hiking ghosts to join your table. I also love the idea of having a Nightmare before Christmas layover during the holidays to match the Haunted Mansion. Keeping with the Café vibe, the atmosphere would not be too indulgent and fairly casual. I always imagined it with a 50’s vibe, reminiscent of the old Scooby-Doo Haunted Mansions (I know it is not Disney, but you get the idea).

Atmosphere – Music and lighting are everything. Lighting should be dim to create that “spooky” vibe but not so dim that you cannot read the menu or see your food. The music, however, is what really gets me excited. I love the idea of all Halloween and monster songs playing, along with the soundtrack of Nightmare before Christmas.

Cast Members – One of the best features of the restaurant will be the cast members. I imagine them dressed up as ghosts; wearing pale makeup and old fashioned costumes. Of course they would not be so spooky as to scare little children. They would have a fun and retro vibe to their look. My family also came up with the idea that when the song “The Monster Mash” plays each Cast member has to stop what they are doing (with some exceptions of course) and start dancing. This would keep everything fun and entertaining for families.

Food – I have not thought of specific menu items but of course the menu has to be themed like the rest of the restaurant. Soups or stews would have to come in cauldrons and even basic items would have to have that haunted twist on the menu. My father would joke and say the salad bar should come in a casket…. I personally think that is going a little bit far although I am sure some tourist would love it. As an adult over 21 I think it would be amazing to have alcoholic beverages (that could be made virgin) light up with glow in the dark ice cubes or have a “fog” illusion with dry ice. In fact, dry ice could play a part if there was a bar on the inside. The “fog” could surround the table top which would truly give an experience like no other.

Where?

Well of course this restaurant would have to be by the Haunted Mansion! Below is the location I would try and place the restaurant. Right now there is a Tangled Rest Area, but I would replace this with the Haunted Café. I believe Tangled needs more than a rest area and possibly her own ride or attraction instead. In the map below, it’s between the “21” and “23”, where the old Skyway station used to be located.

Wrapping It Up

Would you want to eat at the Haunted Café? What are your thoughts?

If you liked this article, you’ll love our Finding Nemo Imagineer for the Day article, our Opening Day Attractions article! Thank you again to Natalie for writing this piece for us. If you have an idea for an amazing ride or attraction, fill out our contact form to write for us!