News Hatbox Ghost coming to Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion

[Animaniac93-98]

Never realized how much the canopy affects the perspective. Night and day difference.

Tree growth has also impacted the appearance of size over time, depending upon which trees have been planted, pruned or removed.

 

[aladdin2007]

Oddly I love it with the mossy hanging trees around it, and yet also love it without the trees, the house looks so huge and forboding on the hill. Both looks suit it well in its own way. I still wish they would bring back the howling dog sound outside, heaven forbid we have too many original classic details in place.

 

[JustInTime]

"Planned" is a funny word . . . The Hatboxes that were installed alongside Constance could be seen simply as a nod to the infamous character that used to share that scene, rather than any sort of meaningful indication that he would be returning. Clearly he did, in the end, but correlation does not equal causation. There wasn't really any guarantee he was coming for the better part of a decade.

There had been a behind the scenes push for the return of The Hatbox Ghost from around the prep stage of Disneyland's 50th anniversary, but it never gained sufficient support to move money behind it. Meanwhile Constance moved into the attic not long after . . . but as I think is clear from the difference in their finished product, Constance and the eventual Hatbox Ghost had some different people devising their illusions. So it's more like Team A set the ball hoping some Team B would be able to spike it down the line. And thankfully they did.

I understand there were a couple real attempts at prototyping a figure between 2008 and his eventual return in 2015, if not also sooner, so things had been simmering for a while. More than once he came really close to happening before things fizzled. Guillermo Del Toro even set the plan for his unproduced Haunted Mansion movie to feature the HBG as either a or the main character, which would likely have all but secured his return to the ride had that movie been made and done well. So clearly there were people gunning for it to happen.

Ultimately I think it helped that the character proved to be merchandisable for nearly a decade. By the time they had a prototype that was a strong enough illusion it could be viewed upclose (and not somewhere hidden in the distance of the Graveyard or Ballroom, as had been considered) they were also in need of fun little plussings to tout as part of Disneyland's Diamond Celebration. So it was decided to go for it - but it had to be outside the attic rather than in, because, ironically, the means of achieving Constance filled the attic with too much ambient light for him to look right in his old spot. Which is funny both because the Constance team wanted an eventual HBG return, but also because that's very nearly the same issue that caused The Hatbox Ghost to be removed from the ride in the first place.

I've heard a few times now that The Hatbox Ghost at WDW may not appear in the same spot he does at Disneyland, which I haven't been able to confirm but is interesting to consider. Personally I'd love to see them give the whole attic another pass, put him in his old spot, put a new, creepy, non-Constance Bride in her original spot, and just do it up that way. But Constance also moves merchandise now, and as the trailer shows both characters are going to be in the new movie, so I'm sure they'll both be sticking around.

Where was Constance originally?

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Where was Constance originally?

Well, before Constance the very first Attic Bride at Disneyland (Who was simply called "Beating Heart") was tucked away in the corner on the left side of the ride track, right by the bend where the Doombuggies make that hard right turn - today that spot is basically between the 2nd and 3rd Husband Portraits you see in the Attic (Frank and Reginald). This photo is from Disney World's Attic, not Disneyland's, but you can imagine the first Bride would have been basically right in front of that Tapestry:

After The Hatbox Ghost was removed from the ride the Bride was moved to his spot by the exit so that the Attic still had some sort of finale element to it. But she was on the Right side of the track, not the Left where Constance is now. The Bride jumped from the right side of the track to the left in 2006 when Constance was added because they didn't want to close the ride for her install, so the Old Bride stayed in her spot on the right while they somewhat secretly installed the one on the Left.

Here's a Blueprint of the Attic with all the new/old Bride and Hatbox Ghost spots marked out. The new Hatbox Ghost's placement is just out of frame on the bottom, since they moved him onto the balcony overlooking the Graveyard instead of putting him back where he started:

Mind you, all this is Disneyland-centric - at Walt Disney World the Bride was always at the end of the Attic on the right side until 2007 when Constance was added, and she's always been in the same spot as DL's Constance at the end of the Attic on the left side of the track. Meanwhile, The Hatbox Ghost has never been installed at Walt Disney World . . . yet!

 

[JustInTime]

Well, before Constance the very first Attic Bride at Disneyland (Who was simply called "Beating Heart") was tucked away in the corner on the left side of the ride track, right by the bend where the Doombuggies make that hard right turn - today that spot is basically between the 2nd and 3rd Husband Portraits you see in the Attic (Frank and Reginald). This photo is from Disney World's Attic, not Disneyland's, but you can imagine the first Bride would have been basically right in front of that Tapestry:

View attachment 711870

After The Hatbox Ghost was removed from the ride the Bride was moved to his spot by the exit so that the Attic still had some sort of finale element to it. But she was on the Right side of the track, not the Left where Constance is now. The Bride jumped from the right side of the track to the left in 2006 when Constance was added because they didn't want to close the ride for her install, so the Old Bride stayed in her spot on the right while they somewhat secretly installed the one on the Left.

Here's a Blueprint of the Attic with all the new/old Bride and Hatbox Ghost spots marked out. The new Hatbox Ghost's placement is just out of frame on the bottom, since they moved him onto the balcony overlooking the Graveyard instead of putting him back where he started:

View attachment 711871

Mind you, all this is Disneyland-centric - at Walt Disney World the Bride was always at the end of the Attic on the right side until 2007 when Constance was added, and she's always been in the same spot as DL's Constance at the end of the Attic on the left side of the track. Meanwhile, The Hatbox Ghost has never been installed at Walt Disney World . . . yet!

Thank you!! This is fantastic

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Tokyo's HM has bats in the attic, just rubber things on strings, but a nice effect none the less.

Did WDW ever have them?

 

[HMF]

Tokyo's HM has bats in the attic, just rubber things on strings, but a nice effect none the less.

Did WDW ever have them?

 

[HMF]

Tokyo's HM has bats in the attic, just rubber things on strings, but a nice effect none the less.

Did WDW ever have them?

Yes, Prior to 2007 There were bats on strings in the WDW Attic.

 

[zipadee999]

Yes, Prior to 2007 There were bats on strings in the WDW Attic.
View attachment 712098

Cool picture. I love seeing shots like this of the pre-2007 attic. They’re pretty hard to find

 

[HMF]

Cool picture. I love seeing shots like this of the pre-2007 attic. They’re pretty hard to find

Here's another one.

And another

This is the earliest flash photo of the original bride known.

And here is the Bride as she looked right before the 07 refurb.

 

[Scuttle]

Tokyo's HM has bats in the attic, just rubber things on strings, but a nice effect none the less.

Did WDW ever have them?

Thunder Mountain can lend the HM theirs.

 

[Starship824]

Is there any rumors or updates on this. It’s the end of June and we still have no information about this other than a TikTok from April.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Is there any rumors or updates on this. It’s the end of June and we still have no information about this other than a TikTok from April.

Just something else they can “re-announce” at the next D23

 

[jinx8402]

Just something else they can “re-announce” at the next D23

I think it makes sense that they would want it done for the Halloween Parties, but this is Disney we are talking about so who knows lol.

 

[Touchdown]

Got to close soon for that, 6 weeks away from the first party.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I would have thought by the day the movie releases but have no idea.

 

[doctornick]

Just yet again proof at how WDW gets ignored by the suits in Burbank. No reason WDW should have had this eons ago as well as the BTMRR explosions.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Isn't this just a fairly independent figure that could be added overnight?

Doesn't seem like something that would take closing the ride down to do

 

[Touchdown]

Isn't this just a fairly independent figure that could be added overnight?

Doesn't seem like something that would take closing the ride down to do

It will if the doom buggy rotation needs to be changed.

 

[doctornick]

Isn't this just a fairly independent figure that could be added overnight?

Doesn't seem like something that would take closing the ride down to do

It was done after hours at DL but over the course of a few weeks IIRC and so there was a dark scrim covering the area for a while. I think they had to close down the ride for a day or two to configure a new movement for the ride vehicles.