2025 Artist Insights: Disneyland Manor Tree Topper

Welcome to Disneyland Manor

A new tree topper and two new ornaments will soon appear to complete our Disney The Haunted Mansion Collection.

Disneyland Manor Tree Topper
Disney The Haunted Mansion Collection

What could be better than one tree topper in our Disney The Haunted Mansion Collection?

The only answer to that is TWO tree toppers! For the third and final year of our collection, the Disneyland Manor Tree Topper has arrived in all its haunted glory, along with two new ornaments, The Hitchhiking Ghosts and The Opera Singers.

Keepsake Artists Jake Angell and Orville Wilson are both fans of the attraction and have enjoyed working on the collection. Jake shares, “My family has been to both parks and this is absolutely our favorite ride. We went to Disneyland for the first time two years ago during Halloween season. It was fun to see the Manor with all the Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas decor. I’m always amazed at the details you find each time you ride. One of my favorite parts is the first hall with the stretched paintings. The excitement just builds from there.

Orville has been to both parks as well. “My last time through the ride was at Disneyland, so l have more memories of this one, which helped as I designed the tree topper. Plus, I always do a lot of research so I can get the sculpt details just right. I found photos of when The Haunted Mansion was first constructed and a website with tons of great images that showed all the minute details. I started from the ground up, made the whole building and then added all the rustic details from there.

“One of the main features of the tree topper is the wrought iron railing that goes around the entire building. We did those pieces in stamped metal, so all the patterns will actually be there. And you’ll recognize the weather vane at the top of the decorative roof. It all gives you the feel of an eerie, old, haunted mansion, and it gets even more fun when the tree topper windows all light up and you hear The Haunted Mansion theme. I’m such a fan of the technology.”

The Opera Singers
Disney The Haunted Mansion Collection

Once the tree topper is turned on, the show begins, and that’s when the ornaments begin interacting with lights and sounds of their own. Keepsake Artist Jake Angell brings you this year’s The Opera Singers ornament.

“For this ornament,” Jake says, “we used two lights, one inside the female singer to make her glow and another just below the male singer. I love the ghostly look we’ve been able to pull off with these translucent ornaments.”

Jake did his share of research as well. “In addition to my own experience at Disneyland, I did some deep dives on the internet to find photos and read what historians have said about the early Disney Imagineers who created the ride. The interactivity between the ornaments and the tree topper really gives you a sense of being there with the music and dialogue-it brings back a lot of good memories of our visit!”

Jake sums up the collection for all the artists who have been part of it. “If you are a fan of Halloween, Disney Parks and the fantastic rides-or even just one of those-you will love what we’ve all collaborated on as a collection for these ornaments. You definitely relive the ride each time!”