Truth about the Haunted Mansion that PUREST don't wanna hear!

[getback]

One thing that is fact is the skin of the dancers can be improved with little cost. slowing thing down with a slight skip in their step woudl definately help. The fast smooth spin is not good to me. Also for them to disappear and then reappear would help. Just like the people at the table.

 

[Sweettears]

One thing that is fact is the skin of the dancers can be improved with little cost. slowing thing down with a slight skip in their step woudl definately help. The fast smooth spin is not good to me. Also for them to disappear and then reappear would help. Just like the people at the table.

That scene is my favorite part of HM. Maybe I don't understand the technology enough to envision how it can be improved but last trip we were stuck front and center in the balcony overlooking the scene. Looked pretty good to me despite having seen it umpteen times.

How does your vision for change improve upon this?

 

[getback]

Like I siad, having them appear then disappear. Also have them bounce a little more rather than a smooth spin. Slowing down a little also.

 

[nytimez]

I wondered what the OP meant about the "purest" (the most pure; untainted).

Then I realized that the OP meant a "purist" (traditionalist).

That's what caught my attention, too, LOL.

 

[yitbos96bb]

The fact that I am about to mention is hurtful to the Haunted Mansion purest, but it is FACT. For those people that have NO nostalgic connection to the Haunted Mansion and visit the Mansion for the first time, most of them find it kinda cheezy. To them the Ballroom Dancers are nothing more statues wax statues on a spinning wheel and the pop-up ghost are nothing more than masks on a broom handle.

The fact is, most of the people that loved the Mansion, love it due to nostalgic reasons and how what they seen when they were a kid seemed cutting edge.

In my opinion, there is a way to fix that. Use modern technology, but do not change the character. They can simply display the character in a more advanced style. The Ballroom dancers can be recordings of actual people dancing. The pop- up ghost can use mist-like effect that is a lot more realistic and modern.

Disney realizes this fact. Since 1997, all the enhancements to the Mansion have been geared to be less cartoony and more realistic.

The fact is simple. If it does not evolve in time, it will die. YES! In time the purest will decrease and there will be nothing left but the current new crowed that find it cheezy.

It is true, if you use modern technology in the wrong way it can ruin things, but I think the moves Disney has made with the Mansion in the last 13 years has been great.

Before you all rip my head off, ask yourselves, do you think Walt would want outdated technology in his attractions!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just FYI, it's purist, not purest.

Walt might improve the technology, but I doubt something that beloved would have been replaced... of course I doubt Walt would have replaced Mister Toad or 20000 Leagues... so there you go.

 

[yitbos96bb]

Yes, absolutely, definitely, and without a doubt we want this more than almost anything else Disney could possibly do.

The only thing the current version of Imagination has going for it is that its a little better than the Journey into Your Imagination version which preceded it. There is no comparison to the almost 29 year old original attraction by either of the newer attempts, which ought to tell us something about what often happens when Disney decides to update a classic attraction.

The original Tiki Room was also vastly superior, which of course is the exact point dpmfloyd was making, that we do not need what happened to JII to happen to the Haunted Mansion. Its just that in the case of something already dumbed-down, then we do need either an update or a return to the original - and remember what happened the last time Disney selected the update option. How did that work out, again?

Any Imag version was better than the Figment free version. Agree 100% though... I'm for updates (Star Tours definitely needed up) when they make sense... there was no reason to replace the original ride, except to blend that stupid Imagination Institute concept. I loved and still love the 3-D Star Trek Borg Musical... I mean Captain EO... way more than HISTA. Bring back the Dream Finder!

 

[dpmfloyd]

Yes, absolutely, definitely, and without a doubt we want this more than almost anything else Disney could possibly do.

The only thing the current version of Imagination has going for it is that its a little better than the Journey into Your Imagination version which preceded it. There is no comparison to the almost 29 year old original attraction by either of the newer attempts, which ought to tell us something about what often happens when Disney decides to update a classic attraction.

The original Tiki Room was also vastly superior, which of course is the exact point dpmfloyd was making, that we do not need what happened to JII to happen to the Haunted Mansion. Its just that in the case of something already dumbed-down, then we do need either an update or a return to the original - and remember what happened the last time Disney selected the update option. How did that work out, again?

bingo.

 

[DizCaptain]

3-D Star Trek Borg Musical... I mean Captain EO...

I see I'm not alone on noticing that. Borg queen was well represented though, I must say.

 

[Sweettears]

Like I siad, having them appear then disappear. Also have them bounce a little more rather than a smooth spin. Slowing down a little also.

I may be missing something but everytime that I have gone the ghosts appear and disapper regularly.

 

[skier_pete]

I can't really understand what exactly is the OP complaint. That HM isn't modern enough? That it's too modernized? That they've made changes? That they haven't made changes? I can't tell.

They did a major overhaul of this attraction in 2007, it was closed for about 5 months, most of the summer. We rode it right before and right after. There were many, many changes made during that refurb,most with updating the technology. I especially like the improved audio-spaciality (is that a word) of the dialog, as well as the attic. I noticed at the time they really reduced the pop-up ghost.

But, to those that call it cheesy, I don't think HM was EVER intended to be scary, at least to adults. As we always explained to DD - listen to the song lyrics:
"Now don't close your eyes,
And don't try to hide.
Or a silly spook may sit by your side.
Shrouded in a daft disguise,
They pretend to terrorize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize.

During that '07 refurb they reduced the scaryness of the pop-up heads in the graveyard...I assumed to make it less scary to little kids.

Also, to the OP - you really should correct your post to say "purist". It makes it hard for me to take any argument you make seriously if you can't spell. (But, perhaps that's just me and spelling doesn't count for anything anymore.)

 

[DCTooTall]

I just want to ask anyone else who's seen the current "temporary" hitchhiking ghost projections.....


Is it just me, or do they REALLY remind you of the Casper movies?

 

[Figaro972]

no matter what still love the mansion and still love going to Disney

 

[dismichael]

HM has gone through cosmetic updating, but I think it would be detrimental to the ride to skew its current image. People don't wanna go on it hoping to be scared stiff, the entire point of the ride is to make death/ghosts humorous. Yes, it's nostalgic and part of its charm, but that's no reason to change it. Peter Pan's Flight is "nostalgic" too, yet it remains possibly the most crowded/popular ride in the park. I think Disney has been doing this for a while, and knows EXACTLY what they are doing, hence, why they do it. If it meant losing money, I don't doubt they would have it changed and scaring the pants of people in no-time.

 

[RoundtownGirl]

I would be concerned about adding a lot of new effects and having a ride that is always having technical difficulty and needed to be shut down. The new queue looks interesting and I'm excited to see how that works out.

I like it as it is. Would I ride it with some updates? Certainly. I enjoy it even more now that I've learned the story behind the ride. This is classic Disney to me.

 

[pilferk]

Like I siad, having them appear then disappear. Also have them bounce a little more rather than a smooth spin. Slowing down a little also.

They're ghosts.

The speed and tempo isn't meant to be "natural". They're supposed to look like they're floating at breakneck speed, around and around the dance floor....faster than any "normal" person could.

I don't disagree that you could put more modern tech into the attraction, or update it (again). They're doing a lot of that with the new que, which is neat. They did a bunch of it during the last rehab (the 3-d audio is killer, as is the new Madame Leota scene). I'm sure they'll do more in the future.

But the effect mentioned above was actually done for a very specific reason, and it wasn't because the tech of the day didn't allow for realistic movement.

 

[kamik86]

As an engineer I loved the ride... I was having so much fun trying to figure out how everything is done!!

I still haven't figured out the footprints in the part with the stairs... does anyone know? I know paint with a blacklight will light up like that but to make it appear and disappear like that wouldn't work.

I doesn't appear to just be a light shining from inside the stair as its even and you can't see any sort of hole when its off, so if this is the case it must be some type of covering to make the stair look whole but still let the light through?

I do agree the dancers with a smooth spin is better... ghosts shouldn't bounce since they are floating.

 

[pilferk]

OK...first a caveat, then a small rant.

During the course of the following rant, I'm going to cite some relatively specific examples. It does not mean I don't like certain parks. It does not mean I don't like certain rides. It does not mean I hate the globe parks, the mouse parks, or anything else. It's just how I see things...agree or don't.

The thing I like most about WDW is that it's relatively timeless, while still being relatively fresh, during any given visit. You have classics (which should be lovingly maintained and refreshed when appropriate) that almost act as a museum to times gone by, when the grass was greener, a la Norman Rockwell paintings. On top of that, you have more modern attractions that take advantage of the newer tech, cooler whiz bang effects, and (in many cases) more interactive experiences. It's a nice mixture.

My problem is this: I don't want WDW to morph into IOA (see caveat above, FYI). IOA is a great park. WWOHP is, by all accounts, an amazing spectacle with a stupendous piece of tech at it's centerpiece. But I look at that park....and while I have a GREAT time while I'm there....it's not the same. And I don't mean that Disney has more magic, or that it has more "soul". I'm strictly talking about the attractions, themselves. There's not the same sense of "gravitas" when riding those attractions.

And then look around: Jurassic Park? My kids have never seen those movies. Toon Lagoon? Dudley Doright, Betty Boop, and Popeye were approaching the end of their runs on TV when I was young...my kids have never seen them. Marvel is a great property, and Spiderman is an amazing ride...but it's 10+ years old. Ditto on Hulk. And when you rely on tech (like Spidey does) to draw your audience, you eventually get left behind (FJ), and the lines dwindle. It seems like those types of rides lose their luster much quicker than something like HM or POTC does. HM and POTC and IASW....those types of attractions have been drawing crowds for decades and probably will for decades to come. Will Hulk? Will Spidey? The funny part: Suess may have the longest staying power of any of the current IOA properties (HP remains to be seen), given the contracts on the books.

Tech is a fickle mistress. So are "pop culture" and existing media tie ins. They will draw you crowds quicker than ants to a picnic. But when the next great thing pops up across the street (or across town).....the crowds tend to follow (never mind keeping new tech operational to maximize throughput). Until WWOHP arrived, IOA attendance was generously described as static (and numbers had shown it falling in recent years..though because of the economy or the park was always left unspecified). I think THAT'S what you get when you rely on a constant stream of new tech. You see large peaks and DEEP valleys...but that's the audience you're catering to.

WDW has shown remarkable staying power and I don't think anyone can deny that at least PART of that is MK's almost reverence when dealing with many of their classic attractions. They do update and refresh them, but they don't modernize them JUST to modernize them. They don't "tech junkie" those attractions (and they clearly could) because it doesn't make sense to do that. They know their audience.

Again, I go back to the museum comparison:

IOA is a gallery FULL of recent modern art. Some of it is stupendous, with tremendously new techniques, that make you ooh and ah at the results. But...3 months from now, when you go back....you're less impressed. And, eventually, the turn over in that gallery is VERY quick, in order to keep people coming in.

WDW is the Metropolitan or the Louvre. You've got timeless classics hanging right next to modern impressionists (OK, maybe not RIGHT next to, but in the same building). You come back again and again to see the classics AND see what else, new, might have been hung since your last visit.

 

[thegoof213]

the first time i went on HM i was 5 i was scared to death to go on it but my dad finally talked me into it once i got off i wanted to ride it again and ever since then it has been one of my favorite rides because of that cheesy aspect with things like the dooom buggies etc. but thats what makes it so fun it so chessy that its hillarious i think if they change it i wouldnt want to ride it b/c i dont think it would have that Disney feel it would just be like a universal ride modern and high tech but not somthing that stays with you through your life

 

[snookiedoodles]

 

[Sweettears]

OK...first a caveat, then a small rant.

During the course of the following rant, I'm going to cite some relatively specific examples. It does not mean I don't like certain parks. It does not mean I don't like certain rides. It does not mean I hate the globe parks, the mouse parks, or anything else. It's just how I see things...agree or don't.

The thing I like most about WDW is that it's relatively timeless, while still being relatively fresh, during any given visit. You have classics (which should be lovingly maintained and refreshed when appropriate) that almost act as a museum to times gone by, when the grass was greener, a la Norman Rockwell paintings. On top of that, you have more modern attractions that take advantage of the newer tech, cooler whiz bang effects, and (in many cases) more interactive experiences. It's a nice mixture.

My problem is this: I don't want WDW to morph into IOA (see caveat above, FYI). IOA is a great park. WWOHP is, by all accounts, an amazing spectacle with a stupendous piece of tech at it's centerpiece. But I look at that park....and while I have a GREAT time while I'm there....it's not the same. And I don't mean that Disney has more magic, or that it has more "soul". I'm strictly talking about the attractions, themselves. There's not the same sense of "gravitas" when riding those attractions.

And then look around: Jurassic Park? My kids have never seen those movies. Toon Lagoon? Dudley Doright, Betty Boop, and Popeye were approaching the end of their runs on TV when I was young...my kids have never seen them. Marvel is a great property, and Spiderman is an amazing ride...but it's 10+ years old. Ditto on Hulk. And when you rely on tech (like Spidey does) to draw your audience, you eventually get left behind (FJ), and the lines dwindle. It seems like those types of rides lose their luster much quicker than something like HM or POTC does. HM and POTC and IASW....those types of attractions have been drawing crowds for decades and probably will for decades to come. Will Hulk? Will Spidey? The funny part: Suess may have the longest staying power of any of the current IOA properties (HP remains to be seen), given the contracts on the books.

Tech is a fickle mistress. So are "pop culture" and existing media tie ins. They will draw you crowds quicker than ants to a picnic. But when the next great thing pops up across the street (or across town).....the crowds tend to follow (never mind keeping new tech operational to maximize throughput). Until WWOHP arrived, IOA attendance was generously described as static (and numbers had shown it falling in recent years..though because of the economy or the park was always left unspecified). I think THAT'S what you get when you rely on a constant stream of new tech. You see large peaks and DEEP valleys...but that's the audience you're catering to.

WDW has shown remarkable staying power and I don't think anyone can deny that at least PART of that is MK's almost reverence when dealing with many of their classic attractions. They do update and refresh them, but they don't modernize them JUST to modernize them. They don't "tech junkie" those attractions (and they clearly could) because it doesn't make sense to do that. They know their audience.

Again, I go back to the museum comparison:

IOA is a gallery FULL of recent modern art. Some of it is stupendous, with tremendously new techniques, that make you ooh and ah at the results. But...3 months from now, when you go back....you're less impressed. And, eventually, the turn over in that gallery is VERY quick, in order to keep people coming in.

WDW is the Metropolitan or the Louvre. You've got timeless classics hanging right next to modern impressionists (OK, maybe not RIGHT next to, but in the same building). You come back again and again to see the classics AND see what else, new, might have been hung since your last visit.