The Hatbox Ghost has officially made the leap from the Haunted Mansion to Disney Cruise Line — in cupcake form, no less. The Cake Bake Shop's chocolate Hatbox Ghost Cupcake is now available at sea, complete with a custom hat box that might just steal the show.
Hatbox Ghost Cupcake (Chocolate) — $14.95
For those who may not know, the Hatbox Ghost is an animatronic character originally created for the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. He's depicted as a cloaked, top-hatted ghost whose head eerily disappears from his body and reappears inside the hat box he carries. In November 2023, the beloved character also joined the happy haunts of the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
This spooky sweet treat was spotted at Sweet on You aboard the Disney Fantasy. The cupcake itself is a chocolate cake with a small amount of filling, topped with buttercream icing and a white chocolate hat. It's a perfectly good cupcake — but the real showstopper is the packaging.
The Box Is the Star
The cupcake arrives nestled inside a hat box designed exclusively for Disney Cruise Line by Cake Bake Shop. Open it up and you'll find the interior lined with the Haunted Mansion's iconic purple wallpaper — the kind that seems to stare back at you with eyes and faces. It's an incredibly cool detail that any Haunted Mansion fan will appreciate. (Fair warning: you may find yourself bringing the box home to display alongside your Haunted Mansion collection.)
How Does It Taste?
The cake itself is incredibly moist and delicious, though it does lean a little one-note as a plain chocolate cupcake. A bit more filling would have gone a long way toward breaking up the monotony. The buttercream icing is very sweet — perhaps a touch too much of it, according to those who tried it. Still, the overall experience is a worthy splurge, especially given that extra-purchase pastry items on Disney Cruise Line have historically been a little lackluster.
It's genuinely exciting to see Disney partnering with Cake Bake Shop to elevate those additional-purchase offerings. Yes, a Disney cruise already comes loaded with included food and drink, which makes it tough to justify paying extra for anything — but this one earns its price tag.
Rating out of 7: 5
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
This cupcake is a must-buy for Haunted Mansion fans. It photographs beautifully, and the box alone is worth the price of admission. One helpful note: it wasn't spotted until later in the voyage, so it's unclear whether it's a new mid-cruise arrival or if it only appears during the Halloween night of a Halloween on the High Seas sailing.
Would you pick this up on your next Disney Cruise? Let us know!