It’s been said since before the first Haunted Mansion at Disneyland was even officially open that the attraction was the residence for 999 happy haunts. Signs sat outside the unfinished attraction for years, as guests were offered the chance to become the thousandth entry, but the Ghost Host narrator confirms that the building at both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom is home to 999 ghosts. So then who left when the new guy showed up? That's a query that was recently brought up on Reddit, and a solution was quickly found.
The Hatbox Ghost was added to the ride at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in late 2023 as one of the new attractions at Disney World. The same specter was added to Disneyland’s version of the ride a few years back. However, the character had been there on day one, as those who know the wild history of the Haunted Mansion are aware. So, technically, he wasn’t an addition there. But he was at Walt Disney World.
A Redditor recently posed the question to the r/WaltDisneyWorld board of just who got kicked out to make room for the Hatbox Ghost. While they’re certainly just having fun, there are more than a few perfectly reasonable answers. As one fan pointed out, the floating candlestick effect that is right next to where Hatbox appeared, vanished at the same time that he showed up, so maybe that’s who left:
The floating candlestick used the be at the end of that hallway. I don’t understand why it had to be removed. Why not leave both.
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Of course, it’s unclear if that effect is actually gone for good or simply being refurbished. So, perhaps, that’s not the missing spirit. Several others in the thread point out that the famous “Donald Duck Chair” -- an armchair that appears to have the face of Donald Duck stitched into it -- used to inhabit the space where the Hatbox Ghost is now. A chair of that design is now set to appear in a Haunted Mansion-themed lounge on board the Disney Treasure cruise ship launching later this year.
Whether or not the chair is a spirit is a whole other matter. The real answer, as one fan points out, is that, according to the (admittedly retconned) story of the Hatbox Ghost, he’s not technically a resident of the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World. (Maybe because he lives at the one at Disneyland). This is also why you see him before the Seance room. None of the ghosts that live in the house appear until after that moment:
The 999 Happy Haunts limit: The Hatbox Ghost is not a permanent resident. He can come and go as he pleases.
So if you’re all curious about how the Haunted Mansion math works out, that’s the story. And, if and when new elements are added to the Haunted Mansion rides, explanations will be made. Among the new things coming to Disneyland, that park's iteration of the attraction is now undergoing a major exterior upgrade and will open with an entirely new queue later this year. Perhaps some new explanations for things will come with it -- and give folks on Reddit even more to discuss.
