The Haunted Mansion stories

Image via Flickr by Mike Sagmeister.

So how did the tales of the ring come about? The Cast Members! No one really knows which ones, but multiple park employees invented a history for the Haunted Mansion, because there wasn’t one in place when the attraction was built. Some of those histories included parts about the ring that can be found at the Magic Kingdom. Because of that, the very people that were making the Haunted Mansion run served as sort of undercover Imagineers. It’s an interesting example of how the employees of the Mouse play an important role in the park experience and the parks' histories.

Disney’s stance on the ring

Image © Disney.

Disney never officially commented on the cement ring even as the stories became more and more widely heard. They actual removed the ring from the pavement in a renovation called the Re-Haunting in 2007, but were met with an uproar of protests from the Disney faithful. In 2011 they brought the sensation back with an official ring that looks like an actual engagement ring instead of a piece of sawed-off pipe. It’s good to know that the Disney parks listen to their fans and respect the parks’ histories, even when those histories didn’t come from Disney itself!