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

[yensidtlaw1969]

To give this more of a visual explanation, here's a chunk I cropped out from one of the diagrams of the ride layout found online-

View attachment 734957

The rectangle shape i've highlighted in green is where the Hatbox Ghost was installed at Disneyland. Presently at WDW, this is where the fake siding and roof is located as your vehicles exit the attic. And yes prior to Hattie's installation, that exact same rectangular section used to be present at DL as well. When Hattie was installed, they cut out part of the rectangular section to expand the balcony space for his scene.

For clarity's sake, here's a rough approximation of Disneyland's Attic Balcony Before The Hatbox Ghost was installed (which matches the current architecture of WDW's Attic Balcony), and then a general idea of the modifications that were made to DL's Attic Balcony for the HBG. Not 100% exact, but it tells the basic story of how the space was redesigned. Imagine the Doombuggies gliding out of that open portal on the left, then "falling" backwards off the space with no railing.

Before:

After:

At Disneyland, The Hatbox Ghost stands in front of the space with the open doors. If you had X-Ray vision, Constance woul be located just behind the Gable Roof between the portal and the chimney.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

For clarity's sake, here's a rough approximation of Disneyland's Attic Balcony Before The Hatbox Ghost was installed (which matches the current architecture of WDW's Attic Balcony), and then a general idea of the modifications that were made to DL's Attic Balcony for the HBG. Not 100% exact, but it tells the basic story of how the space was redesigned. Imagine the Doombuggies gliding out of that open portal on the left, then "falling" backwards off the space with no railing.

Before:

View attachment 734979



After:

View attachment 734980

At Disneyland, The Hatbox Ghost stands in front of the space with the open doors. If you had X-Ray vision, Constance woul be located just behind the Gable Roof between the portal and the chimney.

Aww, heck - through the powers of Photoshop, we can ALL have X-Ray Vision:

Before:

And After:

For WDW, sub out the 1969 Hatbox Ghost in the "Before" diagram for the 1971 Bride, since he was never installed at WDW (despite being built), and then ignore the After diagram because that's not happening at WDW.

 

[Great Caesars ghost]

How about pairing him with another iconic HM figure?

View attachment 734970

Look at that beautiful symmetry, the contrasting color schemes and reason for the Caretaker and his dog to be frightened! A perfectly reasonable place to put him right after we exit the attic. He'd be the first ghost we encounter as we enter into the cemetery.

Look at the LP artwork for the original "The Story And Song From The Haunted Mansion".
He's dead center on the album art, right by the gates.

View attachment 734973

Why not place him there? Hmmm, and consider this dismaying observat...whoops, got carried away.

 

[wdwmagic]

A photo of the Hatbox Ghost area this morning

Work begins on the Hatbox Ghost installation at Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion

Work begins on the Hatbox Ghost installation at Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[Prince-1]

A photo of the Hatbox Ghost area this morning

Work begins on the Hatbox Ghost installation at Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion

Work begins on the Hatbox Ghost installation at Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion

www.wdwmagic.com

Very excited to see this when it goes live.

 

[Great Caesars ghost]

I couldn’t agree with you more but is there enough time for his full effect after the buggy turns away from the caretaker and the graveyard entrance

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

I couldn’t agree with you more but is there enough time for his full effect after the buggy turns away from the caretaker and the graveyard entrance

That's not happening. But yes, there would be. Funnily enough, many YouTube videos showing the on-ride footage will either breeze through this section or cut it out entirely from their video because there's nothing really going on in this area. Hattie would be welcomed.

 

[JohnD]

A photo of the Hatbox Ghost area this morning

Work begins on the Hatbox Ghost installation at Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion

Work begins on the Hatbox Ghost installation at Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion

www.wdwmagic.com

This may have already been mentioned but doesn't this negate the point of the séance scene? Ghosts don't materialize until after she summons them. Now, all of a sudden, here is the Hatbox Ghost before you enter the scene with Leota. It would have been better to put him somewhere in the attic. Either before or after the bride.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

This may have already been mentioned but doesn't this negate the point of the séance scene? Ghosts don't materialize until after she summons them. Now, all of a sudden, here is the Hatbox Ghost before you enter the scene with Leota. It would have been better to put him somewhere in the attic. Either before or after the bride.

Sadly, common sense has been lost in Imagineering. That, or just too many "yes people" and and not enough contrarians to enact a meaningful dialogue or change.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

This may have already been mentioned but doesn't this negate the point of the séance scene? Ghosts don't materialize until after she summons them. Now, all of a sudden, here is the Hatbox Ghost before you enter the scene with Leota. It would have been better to put him somewhere in the attic. Either before or after the bride.

Definitely been mentioned and discussed

So those that adhere to the strict storyline certainly find this problematic (a seemingly high percentage of folks in his thread)

Others less so just as elements of ghosts before (moreso further back in time as has been lots of changes to the Mansion over the years) already and the Hat Box Ghost seems to not follow the "rules" anyway (travels around the world between the various Mansions, definitely is depicted that way in the new movie, etc)

I think most interested to see the final product - some more hopeful/optimistic than others that it will make sense with whatever new storyline they put to it

 

[HMF]

This may have already been mentioned but doesn't this negate the point of the séance scene? Ghosts don't materialize until after she summons them. Now, all of a sudden, here is the Hatbox Ghost before you enter the scene with Leota. It would have been better to put him somewhere in the attic. Either before or after the bride.

That is exactly the argument we have been discussing.

 

[Drdcm]

I just had a thought. The number of times I have been stuck listening to Leota summon the spirits over and over again has tainted my perceived narrative of the ride. Because of the ride stoppages always seeming to happen there for me, I can now get onboard with the concept that she is in another room of the house summoning spirits at all times and that it is in fact non-linear.

 

[JohnD]

Definitely been mentioned and discussed

So those that adhere to the strict storyline certainly find this problematic (a seemingly high percentage of folks in his thread)

Others less so just as elements of ghosts before (moreso further back in time as has been lots of changes to the Mansion over the years) already and the Hat Box Ghost seems to not follow the "rules" anyway (travels around the world between the various Mansions, definitely is depicted that way in the new movie, etc)

I think most interested to see the final product - some more hopeful/optimistic than others that it will make sense with whatever new storyline they put to it

When you consider the original imagineers went to great pains to get the ride just right. They settled on a little scarier at the beginning and more fun toward the end. It was the seance scene that enabled the transition to finally seeing ghosts. Now you have the Hatbox Ghost pop up out of nowhere. When going through the attic, I always thought there was room on the right just as you enter it. I wouldn't have minded seeing it in a different location from DL as long as it appeared after the seance scene.

 

[HMF]

This will be mentioned in my upcoming article but there was an art director in WDI who actually had them remove hands from one of the doors because he was so stalwart about the Leota rule.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Definitely been mentioned and discussed

So those that adhere to the strict storyline certainly find this problematic (a seemingly high percentage of folks in his thread)

Others less so just as elements of ghosts before (moreso further back in time as has been lots of changes to the Mansion over the years) already and the Hat Box Ghost seems to not follow the "rules" anyway (travels around the world between the various Mansions, definitely is depicted that way in the new movie, etc)

I think most interested to see the final product - some more hopeful/optimistic than others that it will make sense with whatever new storyline they put to it

So the rules established in the attraction don’t matter but the rules established in the movie, which are not conveyed in the ride, do matter?

 

[JohnD]

Those making the decisions today are not the creative visionaries of the past though. They don't think about this stuff, or don't care. That's why we get a Moana splash pad in Epcot. I'm willing to bet money that this was some team of 20-somethings who have been given an explanation of "fans love and want hatbox ghost, make it happen" and that was the extent of the proposal. If they thought about this more than "I bet he could fit here" I'd be interested to know what their thought process was.

He should be in the graveyard, for what it's worth. Being in the attic also takes away from the bride and the whole point of that scene (projection-face bride issues aside).

Good point. Attic for me would have been fine as long after seance. But your point about the graveyard makes more sense.

 

[JohnD]

I'd heard prior to today that he would end up basically where the Chair is now, but I can't say with 100% certainty. Did not sound like he would be *in* the Endless Hallway itself, though:

View attachment 733706

I hope the Donald chair is still visible somewhere.

 

[JohnD]

One thing that the movies never seem to do(based on marketing with this new one, unless there is the twist I am figuring that all the main mortals in the movie are all ghosts who are returning home) is that in The Haunted Mansion, originally, the ghosts never seek to be suffering. The bride add ons made that heavier later. The rides concept jas always had them retired and happy to do so, even pitching it to you that there is room. Like a nice retirement country club for ghosts.

Both movies seem to just want to make it some curse.

I saw the movie yesterday. Let's just say that is addressed in the movie.

 

[JohnD]

People seem to forget the casket scene in the parlor. That is the first time you see a ghost and it happens well before the seance scene.

That's a skeleton, not a ghost.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

That's a skeleton, not a ghost.

You might want to take some time to catch up on this thread, a lot of what you're posting has already been addressed.