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

[LSLS]

I’ll admit I’m starting to really not care about the placement anymore. The Hatbox Ghost is a cool effect still and there are far worse things happening in the parks. I’ll just wait for the end result at this point.

Yeah, I actually really feel this. At first I wasn't thrilled, but I think it's fair to take a wait and see approach here.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I mean, the one thing I like about this placement is you'll get a longer look at him. It feels like a quick glance at Disneyland.

Definitely agree with that, really couldn't take it in/fully appreciate at Disneyland when I rode it

 

[MisterPenguin]

In the end, people online will be upset, but through the passage of time many will forget, as the doombuggies march on.

Memento mori

 

[splah]

The design story (meaning the physical effects) clearly builds. This violates that. Hands down. And there will be nothing in the attraction that explains why this figure is randomly inserted in full form where everything up to that point and after for awhile is far more subtle. The rule isn't because of the incantation. It's because the physical ride has a clear design progression that is violated by this.

i equate this to the handling of the shark in Jaws. Only seeing hints of the shark build up the suspense. We only see glimpses of ghosts until they're all revealed. That's why i have trouble with the placement it doesn't fit the surroundings.

now someone said above WDWs may not be the same as DLs, if that's the case maybe they're addressing the that concern with a modification of how the effect is presented.

 

[MisterPenguin]

The "Leota rule" can be gleaned from the ride itself.

The ride tells, however, an inconsistent rule.

"I, Leota, a materialized ghost will ask other ghosts to materialize."

"The ghosts have picked up your sympathetic vibrations and now will materialize... just like Leota over there who already materialized. I guess you all were giving off sympathetic vibrations much earlier than I thought! Mwahahahahah."

She breaks her own rule.

I will not be gaslit into believing that the Leota rule isn't already broken.

 

[DavidDL]

In this case that would have been the obvious decision and we wouldn't be having this discussion or having this discussion in a more positive light.

Right. But Disney chose to rock the proverbial boat by placing him somewhere else.

Which means someone involved in the decision making at Disney has the answer as to why the Hatbox ghost is visible at this point. Because I don't believe for a second that the (formerly true) concept of us not being able to see any kind of spirit before this point wasn't brought up beforehand, especially with how much emphasis modern Disney tends to give modern attraction storylines (sometimes to an eye-rolling degree). But like many other rumors, stories or otherwise ambiguous tales surrounding the Mansion, perhaps how it is possible is up to us to interpret. Unless they plan to share more information in the coming weeks with some sort of "behind the scenes" YouTube video or something.

Maybe Disney simply wanted to drive home the idea of the Hatbox ghost not being like the other, more common, run of the mill haunts in the house? One way to showcase that would be to show that he (like other major players similar to Leota) are not subject to the limitations that the other spirits face.

Because to a first time rider of Disneyland's version who doesn't know it's history, the Hatbox ghost likely just comes off as another seemingly random ghoul. But in WDW, he will be the first physical one they see. Which makes him "special" in some way to both newcomers and longtime fans (for whom he shatters rules).

 

[Br0ckford]

The happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize.

Feel the vibrations.

 

[lazyboy97o]

But if modern Disney is really as cheap, lazy and uninspired as many fans would have us believe, then why didn't they just put the Hatbox ghost where they did out in Disneyland and call it a day? Surely that would take less effort and money. But they didn't. Which means a group of folks got together at some point and discussed this change and made the conscious decision to move him to this location. Maybe they realized they'd have to change some "rules" of the ride to do so but regarding those rules: it's Disney's haunted house and some of those rules could be already be brought into question.

This has already been addressed. The Mansions are not entirely identical and the Disneyland placement would not be the easy thing to do. They got together to find an alternate placement once it was determined that Disneyland’s placement was not an option.

These types of projects are not entirely driven by the creative team. It doesn’t matter if the Disneyland was far and away their preferred location, if infrastructure they need is not there and not part of their scope of work, then there is not much they can do change the situation. This is basically one of the oldest fights in theme parks, it’s a deep structural (organizationally) issue that Disney is not alone in having to handle.

 

[Bocabear]

WDW does have the Library and Music Room scenes...plus the crazy stairs hall...so in some ways WDW's version seems a little more fleshed out. Though I think Disneyland's exit from the stretching gallery to the boarding hall is much better. I wish they did a little something more with the boarding hall like the Disneyland Paris version which is stunning.

 

[DavidDL]

The ride tells, however, an inconsistent rule.

"I, Leota, a materialized ghost will ask other ghosts to materialize."

"The ghosts have picked up your sympathetic vibrations and now will materialize... just like Leota over there who already materialized. I guess you all were giving off sympathetic vibrations much earlier than I thought! Mwahahahahah."

She breaks her own rule.

I will not be gaslit into believing that the Leota rule isn't already broken.

Even if one wanted to make the argument that, "She's casting a spell." or "The crystal ball is what allows you to see her." that still means there are other avenues available to us at Guests which would allow spirits to be seen. If all Leota has to do is say something or utilize a specific object to make herself visible to riders, then certainly other major players like the Hatbox ghost have similar options available to them.

The fact that they know what these are make them different from the other 997 or so spirits who needed help.

 

[wdwmagic]

It “remains to be seen” if Disney is installing the hatbox ghost during that closure window.
Also remaining to be seen.. Apparently someone in Germany stole 5 metric tons of Nutella. Police haven't arrested anyone yet, but they are questioning Gunter Hogsbargen , the 700 lb man that smells like chocolate & hazelnuts, who guards Nutella's storage facility.

Well, although it seems logical, there is a fair amount of reliable info suggesting that it won't happen in that closure.

 

[celluloid]

Maybe the entire thing was budget cut and we will just get a hat on an end table and his face.will occasionally appear.

 

[DavidDL]

This has already been addressed. The Mansions are not entirely identical and the Disneyland placement would not be the easy thing to do. They got together to find an alternate placement once it was determined that Disneyland’s placement was not an option.

These types of projects are not entirely driven by the creative team. It doesn’t matter if the Disneyland was far and away their preferred location, if infrastructure they need is not there and not part of their scope of work, then there is not much they can do change the situation. This is basically one of the oldest fights in theme parks, it’s a deep structural (organizationally) issue that Disney is not alone in having to handle.

Sorry, fair enough. I don't know enough about their structural differences and just assumed with them having been built so closely around the same time and these scenes being so similar that it would have been the immediate option available to them.

I still believe, however, that in their search for a secondary location, that someone on the creative side would have had to of come to some form of justification for this placement. Even if it meant having to change or retcon elements of the Mansion as they existed before.

 

[FettFan]

The ride tells, however, an inconsistent rule.

"I, Leota, a materialized ghost will ask other ghosts to materialize."

"The ghosts have picked up your sympathetic vibrations and now will materialize... just like Leota over there who already materialized. I guess you all were giving off sympathetic vibrations much earlier than I thought! Mwahahahahah."

She breaks her own rule.

I will not be gaslit into believing that the Leota rule isn't already broken.

Technically, the Leota Rule is broken by Funeral Guy.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Sorry, fair enough. I don't know enough about their structural differences and just assumed with them having been built so closely around the same time and these scenes being so similar that it would have been the immediate option available to them.

Again, it is not a structural issue with the facility.

 

[FettFan]

This has already been addressed. The Mansions are not entirely identical and the Disneyland placement would not be the easy thing to do. They got together to find an alternate placement once it was determined that Disneyland’s placement was not an option.

These types of projects are not entirely driven by the creative team. It doesn’t matter if the Disneyland was far and away their preferred location, if infrastructure they need is not there and not part of their scope of work, then there is not much they can do change the situation. This is basically one of the oldest fights in theme parks, it’s a deep structural (organizationally) issue that Disney is not alone in having to handle.

Personally I would have put Hatty at the cemetery gates and retired the groundskeeper.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Well, although it seems logical, there is a fair amount of reliable info suggesting that it won't happen in that closure.

This is definitely surprising. How long can it take to plug him in? I would have expected them to avoid having this curtain up at the Haunted Mansion, of all places, during up-charge Halloween parties. Bizarre scheduling.

 

[celluloid]

The ride tells, however, an inconsistent rule.

"I, Leota, a materialized ghost will ask other ghosts to materialize."

"The ghosts have picked up your sympathetic vibrations and now will materialize... just like Leota over there who already materialized. I guess you all were giving off sympathetic vibrations much earlier than I thought! Mwahahahahah."

She breaks her own rule.

I will not be gaslit into believing that the Leota rule isn't already broken.

I think it is more a fully materialized thing.

Of course ghosts are present. Through CMs(necessary) shadow play casting down from pianist etc...
But it's still a slow reveal. It's all shadows, hands, sounds and heads as far as the ride goes.

I think it more or less takes away the pacing. Not a hard fast rule. The grand ballroom is the first time we see fully realized ghosts from our Doombhggies. By design, this feels earned as even from the start our host is invisible and lowers our safety bar and we eventually earn the trust.

This definitely changes that. Whether one cares or not is individual.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Technically, the Leota Rule is broken by Funeral Guy.

The dude who had the hand on the door removed wanted this gone, but it was deemed too iconic. I agree with that assessment.

While we are complaining about nonsense, let’s criticize the weather. Is it a thunderstorm or not?!?!

 

[lazyboy97o]

Personally I would have put Hatty at the cemetery gates and retired the groundskeeper.

I’m not sure he would work there. There’s a good bit of light in the cemetery.