DL Haunted Mansion Changes

[Sarangel]

Caution: This contains spoilers.







From MiceAge.com:

In the séance scene, some of the cornier special effects created in the '60s will be replaced with more modern effects. As Madame Leota continues her eternal incantations, ghostly apparitions will fade in and out as if they were struggling to cross over from the spirit world by Madame Leota's invitation. Those faces will become more important later in the ride, as they'll show up again.

The biggest changes will be coming to the attic scene, as that's where the new plotline will be most evident. As it is now, the attic scene is simply a cluttered and dusty place with a ghost inexplicably dressed like a bride with that spooky beating heart. But when the additions are all installed, the bride will become a much more sinister character who has apparently been killing off all of her previous husbands. As the doombuggies pass through the attic, riders will see portraits of several dashing young gentlemen, with each portrait piled next to "the loot" that the man brought in to the marriage.

Those portraits will look familiar as they'll be the same faces that were just beginning to appear in ghost form back in the séance circle. But a new special effect will allow the heads of these gentleman to suddenly disappear from the portrait, as if they had been decapitated in a grisly murder. And when riders arrive at the exit of the attic scene, the bride will still be there, this time in a new location and clutching a bouquet of wedding flowers that magically turns into a blood stained axe as each vehicle passes by. Fans of the Haunted Mansion will instantly realize how this alters the attraction, as it is now implied that the house belongs to this bride and she has been luring rich husband after husband who meet a headless demise shortly after they take their vows. The entire backstory of "Master Gracey" and his lovely young bride that became so popular in the last 10 years, mostly via the Internet, will be rendered obsolete.

More changes are still to come at the end of the ride, but these are likely to be far less controversial. The iconic "Hitch Hiking Ghosts" who appear in your doom buggy via those magic mirrors will make the jump to the 21st century. Instead of the extremely simple figures that barely nod their head as they appear in your car because they are literally mannequins on sticks attached to a turntable behind the two-way mirrors, more advanced and animated figures will now join you. They'll be able to move their arms and hands and really be expressive as they appear to interact with you in the vehicle. The hope is that this remake of the final scene of the ride will leave people asking "How did they do that?!" in the same way people do when they currently leave the clever Turtle Talk show at DCA. This is all part of Bob Iger's stated desire to use the latest technology to improve Disney's classic storytelling, and that's why the funding didn't get approved fast enough to install these changes before the ride reopens next week. But by the busy Easter Vacation period, these additions should all be installed and switched on.

And you can bet that these changes to Haunted Mansion will cause quite a stir from the online Disney community, which is exactly what WDI is expecting. Certainly there will be outcries from the diehards, but the Imagineers working on this project openly admit that they are aiming these show changes to the other 99% of Haunted Mansion riders who have never heard of Master Gracey or the convoluted story of his bride awaiting his return from sea. The Imagineers would simply like to create a bit of a plotline where currently none exists, and try and bring some cohesiveness to what is now a collection of spooky scenes that don't have any real connection to each other.

Much like the decision to close the Millionaire show was made after it was discovered the weekend audience was made up primarily of the same core group of 1,000 or so Annual Passholders, these Haunted Mansion changes are aimed at making the ride a better experience for the average tourist or the first time Disneyland visitor. That this plot twist to Haunted Mansion was able to fly under the radar for so long due to the late budget approval only will make these changes more of a shock to the diehards, and both WDI and TDA have braced themselves for impact.

All I can say is, "Whoa!" That, and, "perhaps this explains the Bat en Rouge shop changes that YoHo posted."

Sarangel

 

[YoHo]

If Hope is Lurking,

SEE, I'm not the only one that didn't know all about this!!!!
(She and I were talking about this saturday at Disneyland.

I'm intregued. I always thought the master Gracey thing was dumb.

I will say that I find it interesting that while they are moving Pirates closer to it's movie, they're taking HM as far away from it as possible. Kinda funny.


despite my general disgruntlment with Disney, if these changes as described seem subtle enough to add interest without being dumb.

 

[2Xited4Disney]

how about the right coast???..... guess I'd better plan a trip to cali

 

[exDS vet]

My only problem with the change to the attic scene is that it sounds a bit bloody and could possibly scare some kids. The Haunted Mansion was never meant to be a scary ride. Hence the whole "999 happy haunts" slogan.

But if it's an enhancement designed to "plus" the ride with something new and original, I have no problem. At least there won't be an Eddie Murphy AA character.

 

[All Aboard]

If I was able to pick and choose what would get updated, I'd start with those ridiculous gigantic spiders along side the staircase. Don't remember if Disneyland has them too, but I just never understood why there would be 4 foot wide spiders in the house.

Second, a tamborine, trumpet, bell, etc. swinging around on wires are ripe for replacement by something a tad more believeable.

Third, that odd etch-a-scetch looking light thing in the saence room that randomly draws a green line on a screen. What is that supposed to be?

Fourth, the wiggling "scream" looking ghost in the tomb. Out of place with the rest of the graveyard.

Finally, bringing the hitchhiking ghosts into the 21st Century.

Sounds like a few of these might be happening. But, I wouldn't touch the story or the attic scene.

 

[YoHo]

Well, it always sorta half happy, half scary.

 

[DancingBear]

My only problem with the change to the attic scene is that it sounds a bit bloody and could possibly scare some kids.

Agreed. I'd prefer something more subtle and gothic and less explicitly bloody. The other stuff sounds good.

 

[WhoLetTheMouseOut]

I know you are speaking of DL, and it all sounds great. I hope the funding continues to WDW. I have been very disappointed in the HM over the last decade, with the lack of maintenance and overall lack of attention to repair. These are classic "E-tickets" and need the TLC and attention they deserve.

 

[ChrisFL]

What? no Eddie Murphy? Why not?

 

[YoHo]

For those waning changes to WDW, be reasonable, they can't even get their load belt to work right.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I think the changes sound great and I do hope that they decide to make the changes at WDW as well.

 

[Sarangel]

Maybe they could use Eddie - as a severed head

Sarangel

 

[Linzybrooke]

Maybe they could use Eddie - as a severed head

Sarangel

I was about to say the same thing...mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha

 

[YoHo]

It would be cool if they snuck Eddie in there as a hidden mickey kind of thing. not part of the actual plot.

 

[yensiD naF]

It would be cool if they snuck Eddie in there as a hidden mickey kind of thing. not part of the actual plot.

I think they should hang Murphy in the stretching room, or maybe play his laugh when the lights go out and all the idiots start screaming.

 

[dmk1021]

I'm new to this board and I'm fascinated by these great threads.

When are these changes to DL HM supposed to be in place? I'm leaving on Thursday (3/30), and I would kill to see them, since I have no idea when I'm going back to DL.

 

[YoHo]

Well, as of last weekend, no changes were in place. I would think in the next few weeks they'd start doing them for easter.

 

[Another Voice]

Actually as of yesterday there were no changes.

The only difference was that none of the "pop-ups" in the attic were working. It might mean something, but we've rather gotten used to that level of maintenance at Disneyland...

I think the rumor got ahead of the budget cycle on this one. With Disneyland already having a big year (thanks the celebration of WDW getting four new attractions), with Spring Break here - Summer on the way, and especially with 'Pirates' on an extended downtime, Disneyland won't close the 'Mansion'.

And since Disney is so terrified to show a pirate chasing a women, the chances of a bloody axe showing up are about as close to zero as you can get.

 

[ravenscroft1999]

The Haunted Mansion was never meant to be a scary ride

Not entirely true. The final treatment of HM was completed largely by two imagineers, Claude Coats and Marc Davis. Claude's ideas were on the whole , dark and sinister, while Marcs were more whimsical and playful. Most of Claude Coats ideas comprise the first half of the ride(the sinister and scary part) while Marc Davis ideas comprised the second half of the ride(the more harmless, playful half). So, that the brides scene is at the tail end of the "first" half, it is generally in keeping with the original concept.