I know I’m going to get a lot of hate for this...
but Disney should get rid of the Ghost Host’s hanging body.
I know it is an iconic Haunted Mansion effect, but it really needs to go. We can’t forget that the Haunted Mansion is an attraction at the Magic Kingdom and there shouldn’t be a hanging body anywhere in the Magic Kingdom or in any Disney park for that matter.
It is also so very unneeded. Have the Ghost Host say “There’s always my way!”, let the lights flicker, and play the sound of a man falling to his death. Subtle and simple.
For those who don’t have a problem with the effect, I want to know why. I get that it doesn’t bother some people, but it really... unsettles me. Yes, I know it is supposed to unsettle you, but should I really be thinking about someone hanging themself while at WDW?
EDIT: I didn’t explain it clearly, but my problem with the hanging body is it’s unexpected, graphic depiction of suicide. This should not be acceptable in a family-oriented attraction.
“Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are not doing a child a favor by trying to shield him from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil.”
The Disney Parks and films are full of dark subject matter. In Pinocchio's Daring Journey and the films, there are kids who drink and smoke and turn into donkeys and never see their parents again. In Bambi, the mother gets shot. In Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, you go to hell at the end. In Pirates of the Caribbean, they DROWN a mayor in a well, steal and drink, and burn the city down. In the Mansion, besides the hanging corpse, you have dead guy opening a coffin and an axe - wielding bride who murdered her husbands. If all these things were removed, the parks would be boring and lose their sense of adventure. Also keep in the mind Walt's quote about lights and shadows. He did not treat his kids like fragile flowers. He taught them all about the good and evil in this world, but also taught that good will always triumph. My parents taught me the same thing. You're entitled to your opinion, but removing the corpse would be a big mistake and it would contradict the whole point of the attraction. Like they said, don't look up if it bothers you. The scene does not need to be toned down just because a few people don't like it.