The Ghostly Retreat, an Airbnb in Fullerton, CA, themed to Disney’s The Haunted Mansion, will play host to a special event benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Taking place on Sunday, February 25, 2024, the event will feature some of the talented folks who helped create the famous Disney attraction and related properties.
Tickets to the event are $100 and give the ticketholder access to the extraordinarily detailed and immersive Ghostly Retreat, typically only open to guests who book an overnight stay. They’ll also receive an original 11″ x 17″ art print created exclusively for the event by Disney illustrator Rick Law, which can then be autographed by the five special guests in attendance at no extra cost.
Special guests in attendance at the Welcome Foolish Mortals: A Haunted Mansion Reunion at the Immersive Ghostly Retreat include:
- Tania Norris – A former interior designer at WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) who designed several areas of the original Haunted Mansion and the iconic purple wallpaper.
- Joe Lanzisero – Disney animator turned Imagineer; Joe led the design for many unique projects around the world, including Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland. Mystic Manor is considered the “Haunted Mansion of the 21st Century.” It expands on the original idea of a “house of illusions” but with modern technology and an original story.
- Garner Holt – Garner L. Holt is the founder and president of Garner Holt Productions, Inc., the world’s largest designer and builder of animatronics and other mechanized magic for theme parks and other attractions. His company created animatronics and detailed props for the Haunted Mansion Holiday attraction overlays at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland.
- Kirk Thatcher – Kirk Thatcher is an Emmy award-winning writer/producer, director, actor, and songwriter, as well as a creature maker and designer for both film and television. Thatcher directed, co-wrote, and designed characters for the Disney+ Original Movie, “Muppets Haunted Mansion.”
- Rick Law – Rick Law has been an illustrator and producer who has worked in Hollywood and with The Walt Disney Company for three decades. He illustrated the covers of many Disney VHS and DVDs, and his work has spanned across all forms of popular entertainment media: films, TV, music, theme parks, print, toys, and video games.
Additionally, the creator of the Ghostly Retreat, Jeff Schiefelbein, will be on hand to answer any of your questions about the development and build of this impressive location. Jeff has over 20 years of experience in production design, props, and special effects.
Limited tickets are being sold to ensure every guest has their special time with each of the special guests. The Ghostly Retreat access, art print, and autographs are all included in the price of admission. There are no additional charges at the event. Proceeds from this event are being donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. For more information or to buy tickets, visit Eventbrite.
