What to Know
- Madame Leota's Somewhere Beyond debuted Dec. 23, 2024
- The Haunted Mansion-inspired shop sits just "beyond" the famous Disneyland attraction
- The shop, which pays haunting homage to the Haunted Mansion's famous medium, was part of the ride's outdoor reimagining, a major renovation that began in early 2024
- A ticket to the Anaheim theme park, and reservation, are required
- Haunted Mansion Holiday, the attraction's seasonal overlay, is on view through Jan. 6, 2025; the original Haunted Mansion experience will return a little later in 2025
Encountering a spirited yarn in the days leading up to the yuletide, when the nights are long, and the air possesses a distinct chill?
Christmas stories wrapped in a ghostly veil are a centuries-old tradition, making the surprising December debut of a phantom-tastic spot perfectly timed.
That spot? It's Madame Leota's Somewhere Beyond, the new shop inspired by the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Park.
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Brimming with otherworldly odes to its stately neighbor, the shop pays ethereal homage to Madame Leota, the crystal ball-occupying medium who holds sway around the middle of the world-famous ride.
The ride, which features Doom Buggies ferrying guests through a cavernous manse and graveyard, first opened in 1969, but fresh and frightful additions have often graced its ghostly footprint.
An annual overlay during the holidays, one that's inspired by "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas," magically materialized nearly a quarter century back, while construction on a new outdoor queue began in early 2024.
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That area officially debuted earlier in the fall of 2024, with one more element still to be revealed: the Haunted Mansion shop, fashioned to look like the quintessential caretaker's building.
Set to open at some point during the 2024-2025 winter season, Madame Leota's Somewhere Beyond made its official debut two days before Christmas 2024.
And, yes, just two days after winter's arrival, upping the eerie enchantment of the busy holiday period at The Happiest Place on Earth.
A portrait of Leota Toombs Thomas, "the Disney Imagineer whose likeness was used to bring Madame Leota to life," is on prominent display in the shop; other items, like a bat lamp previously seen in the Le Bat En Rouge shop in New Orleans Square, add to the atmosphere.
Float past some of the photos of the shop now, and admire the design, details, and haunting merchandise found within.
