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

[DavidDL]

Disney's haunted house, Disney's rules.

As @yensidtlaw1969 has pointed out previously, the original Imagineers who helped build the attraction didn't fully adhere to "Leota's Law" when building Haunted Mansion 2.0 in WDW. In 2007, Disney tightened the rules with the "re-haunting".

Whether one likes or dislikes the upcoming placement, one indisputable fact remains: Disney can (and has previously) adjust(ed) the rules of the Mansion whenever they want, for whatever reason they want. How this change will be fully implemented or explained remains to be seen. But if Disney simply wanted to adjust the "rules" of the house so that only "powerful entities" (Leota, Hatbox, Constance, etc.) are visible without the aid of a séance, then that's up to them.

-and up to the Guests whether they want to continue riding. Which I'd bet a ridiculous amount they still will.

 

[JIMINYCR]

I fully expect this child to graduate from Harvard Business School by age 10.

I think the search for Igers replacement has just ended. Get this kids resume up and sent to the board. No need for Iger to finish out his term, he can step down immediately.

 

[FettFan]

The time of year was really the least of HMs issues.

The biggest of course was hiring Katie Dippold.

She is to supernatural comedies what Pooter the Clown is to childrens birthday parties.

 

[Tha Realest]

As was discussed already there is other Paul Frees narration about the coffin and entering the seance room that was eventually not used. But you're right. If they add NEW narration, it won't be Paul Frees because he didn't record it and that would definitely butcher the narration. I suppose they could use the same tech that would be used for James Earl Jones' Darth Vader voice and do the same with Paul Frees. But again, it would be weird and out of place.

AI Paul Frees

 

[Drdcm]

It was going to be a "massive" controversy no matter what.

Really? I’m not sure it would have been a massive controversy if they put it somewhere different. It’s a controversy because of the weird choice. I think we were all pretty excited to get it.

Again, I don’t care about the placement. I also don’t know what else would have been realistic. But let’s not pretend this is a perfect solution here…

 

[celluloid]

The biggest of course was hiring Katie Dippold.

She is to supernatural comedies what Pooter the Clown is to childrens birthday parties.

I will never for the life of me understand how she got a second job at a beloeved supernatural comedic concept. That would be the one big cautionary tale. Well, at least now it is further evidence that people can just believe the movie is bad, or all men just really hate Katie Dippold.
Grossbusters.

 

[celluloid]

AI Paul Frees

I don't think his son signed off on that. to AI you have legal action and Disney does not want to pay his estate that.

Part of what this strike is all about.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

For everyone else, I've yet to get concrete word but it seems really most likely that The Hatbox Ghost will *not* be unveiled on the 10th when the ride reopens. Obviously make whatever plans feel right for you with that uncertainty in mind, but if you're going that day I would keep your expectations low. Worst thing that happens is you won't be let down, and best thing would be a pleasant surprise. If I hear otherwise I'll speak up.

 

[brettf22]

I always viewed HM as a non-linear vignette of scenes as you travelled through a haunted mansion. Everything was happening all the time, you just passed through it. So while I respect people's opinions and the stories they followed or invented with the attraction, I don't necessarily agree that anything is "broken" with the addition.

While I agree that the original intent was not to have a “story,” per se, there is definitely a narrative progression in the ride. Think about it this way … if it were simply a series of unconnected, non-linear vignettes, all the scenes would be interchangeable without negatively affecting the ride. IMO, this is not the case. If they were to pick up the graveyard and plop it at the beginning, or move Leota to the very end, the ride would not make sense, nor would the narrative build up, climax, and denouement still exist.

 

[JD80]

While I agree that the original intent was not to have a “story,” per se, there is definitely a narrative progression in the ride. Think about it this way … if it were simply a series of unconnected, non-linear vignettes, all the scenes would be interchangeable without negatively affecting the ride. IMO, this is not the case. If they were to pick up the graveyard and plop it at the beginning, or move Leota to the very end, the ride would not make sense, nor would the narrative build up, climax, and denouement still exist.

I disagree, but the way I've always taken in the ride is that every scene is always on going and I'm just an observer at any given point. So to me you could interchange any scene and it would be fine.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Healthy spoonful of salt but the CM at Memento Mori said Hattie arrives for guest viewing on Friday.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Hopefully the Hattie retcon will work. I have my doubts but I'm sure the Disnerds will gobble it up regardless. Sigh.

 

[JustInTime]

Healthy spoonful of salt but the CM at Memento Mori said Hattie arrives for guest viewing on Friday.

So soon. Why wouldn’t they just announce that?

 

[ToTBellHop]

So soon. Why wouldn’t they just announce that?

Maybe the CM made it up? No idea. Just passing it along. At least it wasn’t a bus driver!

 

[Bocabear]

I saw the movie last night. Well... It is a bit better then the Eddie Murphy film, but still... Maybe a third Haunted Mansion movie will be the good one. I get why people are saying Hattie could be near the endless hallway... Makes sense with the film.
The whole plotline and character of the Hatbox Ghost though.... Geeeeez
Hopefully they will not incorporate anything else from the film into the attraction.

 

[WorldExplorer]

Screwing with the ride that is decades old, iconic, pretty much universally beloved, and has a ridiculously dedicated fan base, for the sake of a movie that got mixed reactions (or none, depending on when they made the decision) is dumb.

To say nothing of the two clearly going for completely different things and the (bad) logic of plopping things from one story into another willy nilly. Even if the movie was well liked I would think "it doesn't matter if it ruins something in the ride if it matches the movie" is a terrible mindset to have.

The whole plotline and character of the Hatbox Ghost though.... Geeeeez

There was something ridiculously awkward about that whole plot line I couldn't really put my finger on.

Maybe it was knowing about Hat Box Ghost beforehand made it all feel like bad fanfiction.

Spoiler: It's a hat box

Maybe it was a bad middle ground of not enough screen time to establish a presense and yet too much to seem creepy or like some distant, horrific evil.

They were trying so hard to make him an intimidating villain and it just was not working for me.

 

[celluloid]

14th/15th or so. 13 would have been a nice number.

 

[larryz]

Indeed. The left side is more... sinister.

Is that why Dexter always stands on the right?

 

[Bocabear]

The whole Hatbox Ghost Character as the villain of the movie didn't make sense...what started as a benign gag that didn't quite work because of the proximity to the track is elevated to a central plot character is just strange... The first Haunted Mansion opened in 1969, and 54 years later there is another entire character and plotline behind the attraction? Just felt off. There were some things I liked about the movie, but like the previous Haunted Mansion movie, it didn't quite work.
They need to stop making it a small children's film and jump on board with a teen+ film. Allow it to be dark, but not gory, make it beautiful with a well thought out story that is less comic and more subtle horror... While entertaining, this just wasn't my cup of tea... Guillermo Del Toro's Crimson Peak film had amazing style, pacing, and Victorian horror...add a little comedy as a tension breaker, recognizable rooms and sets (which this version did very well) and I think they would have a hit.
and time to switch houses!!! WDW version please.....

 

[Tha Realest]

The whole Hatbox Ghost Character as the villain of the movie didn't make sense...what started as a benign gag that didn't quite work because of the proximity to the track is elevated to a central plot character is just strange... The first Haunted Mansion opened in 1969, and 54 years later there is another entire character and plotline behind the attraction? Just felt off. There were some things I liked about the movie, but like the previous Haunted Mansion movie, it didn't quite work.
They need to stop making it a small children's film and jump on board with a teen+ film. Allow it to be dark, but not gory, make it beautiful with a well thought out story that is less comic and more subtle horror... While entertaining, this just wasn't my cup of tea... Guillermo Del Toro's Crimson Peak film had amazing style, pacing, and Victorian horror...add a little comedy as a tension breaker, recognizable rooms and sets (which this version did very well) and I think they would have a hit.
and time to switch houses!!! WDW version please.....

Del Toro could’ve delivered a visually lush classic for under $100M.