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

[celluloid]

I actually just went ahead and watched another ride through of WDW's mansion and forgot that the host says, "Every room has wall to wall creeps." at this moment, too.

In this new context, "creeps" could be taken quite literally and be seen as a form of addressing the Hatbox ghost, albeit indirectly. Since the scene will literally now be filled with the Hatbox ghost, candelabra ghost and possessed knight

Sure. If referencing the wall to wall carpet wordplay justifies it. I think it's more about the eyes on the wall you pass painted and lit.
We can retcon and justify, but it's not what the line was intended for in the carefully.paced attraction.

 

[celluloid]

The "Leota Rule" was also something I innately assumed to be the case as a kid without having been told. The person in the coffin I don't consider to be a "ghost", it's a physical body. Whether it's an actually dead corpse being moved around by an invisible spirit (entirely possible as we know the ghosts can still interact with physical objects even if they're not visible). Or some unfortunate person who was presumed dead but days later woke up inside a coffin. A phenomenon that has happened in real life. Or the famous Edgar Allan Poe horror story (and likely something Disney used as inspiration for Mansion) Fall of the House of Usher.

Leota herself warrants special exceptions to her own rule given the circumstances. She's a medium, which means she had the power to bridge both the living and dead worlds even while alive. Meanwhile, the crystal ball is not only a physical object that she as a ghost can manipulate, it's also a magical object that connects the real and spirit world and can project images of things that are otherwise not visible. So yeah, she can get away with "breaking her own rule" so to speak because of her own innate powers as well as the special properties of the object she uses to appear.

The butler and maid cast members I sort of assumed were still living beings who for whatever reason kept on serving the house as caretakers and were in on the joke the spirits were pulling on guests. Either that or are possessed by the spirits.

Yes, the original narration wordplay works with the coffin hand being unsuspecting recently or nearly dead not ready. He wants out of there, as in out of the confinement of his predicament. Not to meet us. (He is dying if he does not get out body can hardly contain his spirit)Grim irony that the ghost Host plays with throughout the ride in various ways. People forget other victim gags were once planned for.the HM but this is the only one that made it to remain(WDWs spider victim comes to mind)
And you greatly out why Leota works well as a character and transition to the last Third of the ride.

 

[DavidDL]

Sure. If referencing the wall to wall carpet wordplay justifies it. I think it's more about the eyes on the wall you pass painted and lit.
We can retcon and justify, but it's not what the line was intended for in the carefully.paced attraction.

Your wallpaper observation is clever! Hadn't considered it before even though it was right there in front of me. I've only been to WDW a handful of times, though.

 

[999th Happy Haunt]

Regardless of how we all feel about this, I am really enjoying the discussion that the change has warranted. You could never discuss or debate a linearly told attraction (pretty much everything built in the last 10 years) with such depth, it goes to prove how special the Mansion and many of Disney’s other classic attractions are.

 

[celluloid]

Your wallpaper observation is clever! Hadn't considered it before even though it was right there in front of me. I've only been to WDW a handful of times, though.

I get it. It's weird compared to the other coast where it seems similar on the surface.

One of the biggest reasons Haunted Mansion is so loved and.has thing like fam fiction spin offs and movie remakes. It's brilliantly written.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Sure. If referencing the wall to wall carpet wordplay justifies it. I think it's more about the eyes on the wall you pass painted and lit.
We can retcon and justify, but it's not what the line was intended for in the carefully.paced attraction.

The Wallpaper in that scene is itself a retcon - that scene had Floral wallpaper (as it still does at Disneyland) until 2007, when they continued the classic "Purple Wallpaper" further down the hall to meet the new Escher Stairs so they could justify the new blinking eye trick they had devised.

This wheel goes round and round and round . . .

 

[celluloid]

The Wallpaper in that scene is itself a retcon - that scene had Floral wallpaper as it still does at Disneyland until 2007, when they continued the classic "Purple Wallpaper" further down the hall to meet the new Escher Stairs so they could justify the new blinking eye trick they had devised.

This wheel goes round and round and round . . .

The regular wallpaper in the corridor of doors area has always had eyes in the mansion. Just not always glowing that comes before endless hallway. The line was always written due to many things in The Mansion having that style of things watching you. From the wallpaper, to the Donald chair, clock, carpet and wall moldings.
The glowing eyes came in of course as you stated pre these scenes from the end of former spider area to the endless hallway.

The entire line is a parody on an old real estate bragging point of Wall to Wall Carpet. Much like the line it comes next to with a parody of hot and cold running water being hot and cold running chills, where when working you also get a physical chill to address it.

 

[DavidDL]

... The person in the coffin I don't consider to be a "ghost", it's a physical body. ...

I've always considered them to be a ghost because of the (now removed) narration that referred to them as one. But, that narration has obviously not been played for a long time so I obviously can't say with certainty that statement still applies. Disney will change it however they see fit so it's hard for me to say if previously, now unspoken, lines are Mansion "canon" or just another mysterious story about the house.

Regardless of how we all feel about this, I am really enjoying the discussion that the change has warranted. You could never discuss or debate a linearly told attraction (pretty much everything built in the last 10 years) with such depth, it goes to prove how special the Mansion and many of Disney’s other classic attractions are.

Same. One of the things I always try to tell myself when changes like this come around is that investments like these mean that Disney thinks the Haunted Mansion is something still worth maintaining. Or updating. Or whatever. I know we won't always agree with what changes, retcons, etc. they make to it but as long as it is still standing for future generations to fall in love with, then I think that is a good thing.

I doubt the Haunted Mansion of 100 years from now will look the same as it does today but if the attraction endures that long in any iteration, then I think that's wonderful. I understand the sentiment that changes like these could cause an attraction's downfall over time but I don't think that is the case in this instance.

As fans, whether we agree or disagree, what's really important is staying passionate about the attraction in general. Because Disney will (hopefully) see that and will (again, hopefully) take that into consideration when making their inevitable changes to keep the Haunted Mansion maintained, relevant and endearing for fans young and old.

 

[celluloid]

I've always considered them to be a ghost because of the (now removed) narration that referred to them as one. But, that narration has obviously not been played for a long time so I obviously can't say with certainty that statement still applies. Disney will change it however they see fit so it's hard for me to say if previously, now unspoken, lines are Mansion "canon" or just another mysterious story about the house.

That's cool that you see it that way but X actually wrote the narration to reference the guy not quite dead yet with wordplay, and he actually voices it himself. It was the idea of a victim. Whether really a person in danger or s ghost playing a prank as they pretend to scare people is another story.

Canon or not. (Which in theme parks in this sense is just current intended presentation) We have enough books and other documentation to tell us from the WED people themselves those kinds of things.

If ghosts has ever shown themselves as much as they did pre our visit and seance scene, entrusting us, than there would be no point to showing the Caretaker and dog so scared and shaking. The ghosts have never materialized like this before. Design choices in Haunted mansion are amazing. Like a great cartoon surreal.

 

[DavidDL]

... Design choices in Haunted mansion are amazing. ...

On this, we agree.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

That's cool that you see it that way but X actually wrote the narration to reference the guy not quite dead yet with wordplay, and he actually voices it himself. It was the idea of a victim. Whether really a person in danger or s ghost playing a prank as they pretend to scare people is another story.

Canon or not. (Which in theme parks in this sense is just current intended presentation) We have enough books and other documentation to tell us from the WED people themselves those kinds of things.

If ghosts has ever shown themselves as much as they did pre our visit and seance scene, entrusting us, than there would be no point to showing the Caretaker and dog so scared and shaking. The ghosts have never materialized like this before. Design choices in Haunted mansion are amazing. Like a great cartoon surreal.

Just a quick fact check - Dal McKennon is the voice of the occupant.

He's also the voice of the hard-of-hearing man who is paired with the Mummy in the Graveyard.

For the fun of it, he also voiced the Fox in Mary Poppins.

 

[celluloid]

Just a quick fact check - Dal McKennon is the voice of the occupant.

He's also the voice of the hard-of-hearing man who is paired with the Mummy in the Graveyard.

For the fun of it, he also voiced the Fox in Mary Poppins.

Oh wow. I always figured that was X not Dal Thanks for the correction.
Bill Lee is quite a few in the mansion as well. Which is funny because you can connect it back to that talent as Bill Lee is voice talent for the Mary Poppins story vinyl.

 

[DavidDL]

Aren't there two voices for the casket/coffin occupant? There's the high pitched, quick "Lemme outta here! Lemme outta here!" we all know but I know on some soundtracks/older recordings I've heard the occupant sound much lower pitched and monstrous.

Something like, "Leeemmeeee outtttaaaa heerreee...".

Unless of course, one is just the other slowed down/sped up. I don't know.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

The regular wallpaper in the corridor of doors area has always had eyes in the mansion. Just not always glowing that comes before endless hallway. The line was always written due to many things in The Mansion having that style of things watching you. From the wallpaper, to the Donald chair, clock, carpet and wall moldings.
The glowing eyes came in of course as you stated pre these scenes from the end of former spider area to the endless hallway.

The entire line is a parody on an old real estate bragging point of Wall to Wall Carpet. Much like the line it comes next to with a parody of hot and cold running water being hot and cold running chills, where when working you also get a physical chill to address it.

I get all of that - what I'm referring to is the Corridor of Doors Wallpaper Design not originally being featured in the Endless Hall scene.

Compare, Pre-2007:

And Post 2007:

Your initial post said of the "Wall to wall creeps" line that you "think it's more about the eyes on the wall you pass painted and lit.
We can retcon and justify, but it's not what the line was intended for in the carefully.paced attraction".

My point is that the painted and lit eyes are themselves a retcon - the attraction went its first 36 years without those painted and lit eyes present when that line was being said. Of course the Mansion has eyes everywhere, but that's not what you were talking about in the post I had quoted. The line was not intended for the effect it currently stands alongside, since that effect did not exist.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Aren't there two voices for the casket/coffin occupant? There's the high pitched, quick "Lemme outta here! Lemme outta here!" we all know but I know on some soundtracks/older recordings I've heard the occupant sound much lower pitched and monstrous.

Something like, "Leeemmeeee outtttaaaa heerreee...".

Unless of course, one is just the other slowed down/sped up. I don't know.

The deeper "Leeemmeeee outtttaaaa heerreee..." is played from behind the Doors in that scene.

For anyone else wondering, it can be heard here at the 32 second mark:

 

[DavidDL]

The deeper "Leeemmeeee outtttaaaa heerreee..." is played from behind the Doors in that scene.

For anyone else wondering, it can be heard here at the 32 second mark:

Thank you. For some reason I was misremembering that there were two different tracks used for the same occupant over the years.

 

[celluloid]

I get all of that - what I'm referring to is the Corridor of Doors Wallpaper Design not originally being featured in the Endless Hall scene.

Compare, Pre-2007:
View attachment 735072


And Post 2007:

View attachment 735073

Your initial post said of the "Wall to wall creeps" line that you "think it's more about the eyes on the wall you pass painted and lit.
We can retcon and justify, but it's not what the line was intended for in the carefully.paced attraction".

My point is that the painted and lit eyes are themselves a retcon - the attraction went its first 36 years without those painted and lit eyes present when that line was being said. Of course the Mansion has eyes everywhere, but that's not what you were talking about in the post I had quoted. The line was not intended for the effect it currently stands alongside, since that effect did not exist.

Gotcha.

 

[JustInTime]

The Leota rule was pushed during the 2007 refurb and it wasn’t something the original imagineers intended. The endless hall was suppose to always be the first ghost encounter but the effect never worked. What we have is the plan B.

I know it’s trendy to hate on and be negative but im holding out judgment until we see the final product.

 

[celluloid]

Just a quick fact check - Dal McKennon is the voice of the occupant.

He's also the voice of the hard-of-hearing man who is paired with the Mummy in the Graveyard.

For the fun of it, he also voiced the Fox in Mary Poppins.

Alright. Let's fact check this. I found a
other sources that state the coffin voice victim is X Atencio. Could you share the sources you find that say it is Dal? While reading a mansion article on writing the narration m, his work on voices in each attraction(Jolly Roger in Pirates and Coffin victim in HM) came up.

Could you share a couple sources that say that is Dal? My ears certainly hear X's and you are the first post I have ever seen(and words.from the man himself) say otherwise. So I would.like to know where you heard it was Dal. https://hauntedmansion.fandom.com/wiki/X._Atencio#:~:text=Francis Xavier Atencio, (1919-,coffin, and the emergency spiel.

www.creepykingdom.com/amp/searching-for-x-atencio

 

[Prince-1]

I know it’s trendy to hate on and be negative but im holding out judgment until we see the final product.

Sorry but this type of logical and forward thinking is simply not allowed.