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

[peter11435]

You brought up Imaignation being comparable in delay. Near two months for a single cloned figure delay is not the same as five months for an all-new ride tech and dynamics with multimedia in a brand-new theme park, back when resources were much slimmer.

What was your point for that comparison?

First of all it’s not nearly two months for the figure. It’s one month.

Second of all being clones is irrelevant. The figures and the install both are designed for their specific locations and are not entirely identical. And having a clone in the past doesn’t prevent an issue/delay from developing on this one.

The point was that regardless of management culture, unplanned delays and issues can develop. The scale of a project is irrelevant in that matter.

 

[James Alucobond]

No one is saying the current management culture is great. No one is saying that they don’t announce things way too early in order to pad D23. No one is saying that they don’t stretch out timelines on larger projects. No one is saying that this single animatronic is a substantial and satisfying addition to the parks.

All that is being said is that the actual timeline for this thing is not out of the ordinary and that there are not any roadblocks from management holding this up.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Yes, which makes sense, as it is all new scenic and animations of figures on the ride path and all new preshow.

If it was just adding one of the more impressive figures behind curtains, work could be done to make sure that was done with its nights and blocking the bad show.

Fun Fact: The Disneyland install of The Hatbox Ghost started during the Holiday removal closure that year and then continued behind walls until it was revealed in May.

Even with the delay for the WDW figure it's still on track to take less time than the DL figure install. And less attraction downtime to kickstart it.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I love the idea that people remember exactly what they did once years ago. Or that it makes perfect sense for Disney to do things like hunt down and fly an electrician across country to do work under the false assumption that existing conditions are identical so you want someone who has done the work before.

 

[Turtlekrawl]

Again… he is not an exact clone. He needs to be designed and installed for his specific environment.

Ok Fine. But it is still a single animatronic announced 14 months ago. Silly that it takes TWDC this long for such a small add. They’d be better served waiting on announcement until it is further along.

Or better yet, having more substantial news to announce at D23.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Whether it's an exact clone or not, whether it was intended to premiere at the same time as their terrible movie or not, the bottom line is that it is taking far too long.

All this petty back-and-forth to sift through on this thread...my gosh, I got excited when I saw how many pages had been added—I thought there was actually some news! What a waste of everyone's time!

 

[peter11435]

Ok Fine. But it is still a single animatronic announced 14 months ago. Silly that it takes TWDC this long for such a small add. They’d be better served waiting on announcement until it is further along.

Or better yet, having more substantial news to announce at D23.

The problem here was the premature announcement, not the actual length of time the project required.

 

[LSLS]

AFAIK, they wanted the figure for actual Halloween. Why they decided to release the film in August instead of October is an issue to take up with the film production side of the company. I presume they realized it would tank and wanted it on D+ for October.

The delay simply missed 10/31. I also don’t know that it needed to be announced in 2022 but they were desperate for content.

But, others seem to know more than me here.

I think this is the crux of the issue. People don't look at August as the start, they look at the announcement as the start.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Ok Fine. But it is still a single animatronic announced 14 months ago. Silly that it takes TWDC this long for such a small add. They’d be better served waiting on announcement until it is further along.

Or better yet, having more substantial news to announce at D23.

I think that last point is the bigger issue, which was brought about by having very little to actually announce at the 2022 expo

If the first mention of this was just this past September at the 2023 event I don't think feelings would be the same

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

The problem here was the premature announcement, not the actual length of time the project required.

I honestly don't understand why people think this is a problem. I mean aren't these expo's supposed to be about talking about what Disney's plans are for the future? It's not like as fans/guests we are performing punch list operations here and need to know exactly when from announcement, it is going to take to get to notice to proceed and substantial completion. By the time Disney could give a reasonably accurate date as to when a project is going to be competed, your beyond making announcements about future plans, and more talking about just ongoing operations/construction.


I mean if Disney had a habit of making announcements of when things were going to be completed, like issuing hard dates for openings, and then missing those, then I understand the complaints. People might be making bookings and plans based around those dates. Now anyone who does anything in construction knows dates slip, schedules are delayed, ect., but at least then I see some reasoning behind why people could be upset.

 

[LSLS]

I honestly don't understand why people think this is a problem. I mean aren't these expo's supposed to be about talking about what Disney's plans are for the future? It's not like as fans/guests we are performing punch list operations here and need to know exactly when from announcement, it is going to take to get to notice to proceed and substantial completion. By the time Disney could give a reasonably accurate date as to when a project is going to be competed, your beyond making announcements about future plans, and more talking about just ongoing operations/construction.


I mean if Disney had a habit of making announcements of when things were going to be completed, like issuing hard dates for openings, and then missing those, then I understand the complaints. People might be making bookings and plans based around those dates. Now anyone who does anything in construction knows dates slip, schedules are delayed, ect., but at least then I see some reasoning behind why people could be upset.

Right or wrong, Disney has developed a reputation for announcing things to the public that never go anywhere, and for taking an insanely long time to build anything. Sure, things are announced for the future. But I can understand frustration that they announce an animatronic and then get to the next event a year later and construction hasn't even started on that little announcement.

The problem is the neuter their own excitement. The announcements can begin to cease pushing any needles because people simply don't believe them. I mean, just read through here the number of people who are chastising the company for missing a date for opening that they haven't even gotten to yet. Go look at the AK announcements and everyone just laughing at them. In a business where trips take lots of time to plan out, people not believing your timelines for new things (let alone expecting them to be built at all) could be a real issue.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

Right or wrong, Disney has developed a reputation for announcing things to the public that never go anywhere, and for taking an insanely long time to build anything. Sure, things are announced for the future. But I can understand frustration that they announce an animatronic and then get to the next event a year later and construction hasn't even started on that little announcement.

The problem is the neuter their own excitement. The announcements can begin to cease pushing any needles because people simply don't believe them. I mean, just read through here the number of people who are chastising the company for missing a date for opening that they haven't even gotten to yet. Go look at the AK announcements and everyone just laughing at them. In a business where trips take lots of time to plan out, people not believing your timelines for new things (let alone expecting them to be built at all) could be a real issue.

That's where a think my confusion comes in. I don't really see where Disney takes an insanely long time to build things. Announcements at the expo are general statements of intent. They aren't planning meetings or schedule discussions. Once Disney actually issues notices to proceed, most of their projects move pretty smoothly, as far as construction projects go. For the most part, I haven't seen many occasions where at these expos they are setting out definitive timelines. Its more superfans going to the events, hearing something is coming, and in their own minds establishing when they think rides/construction should be completed, which inevitably seems to be as soon as possible, as opposed to any overall construction operations planning.

 

[celluloid]

That's where a think my confusion comes in. I don't really see where Disney takes an insanely long time to build things.

Tron broke ground in 2018. Disney takes plenty of time of actual construction.
New Fantasyland took two and a half years, and opened incomplete with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train not opening until 2014.

 

[JD80]

Tron broke ground in 2018. Disney takes plenty of time of actual construction.
New Fantasyland took two and a half years, and opened incomplete with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train not opening until 2014.

I posted details in another thread a few months ago, but Disney on average takes 2-3 years to build a land. The exception to that rule have been the recent projects with Tron/GotG and the whole Epcot mess.

 

[JohnD]

Tron broke ground in 2018. Disney takes plenty of time of actual construction.
New Fantasyland took two and a half years, and opened incomplete with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train not opening until 2014.

You're comparing Tron's timeline to when it was built around the pandemic. I don't think anything constructed around 2020-2022 is a valid comparison.

 

[Disstevefan1]

You're comparing Tron's timeline to when it was built around the pandemic. I don't think anything constructed around 2020-2022 is a valid comparison.

WDW is getting a lot of mileage out of the pandemic excuse….

 

[celluloid]

You're comparing Tron's timeline to when it was built around the pandemic. I don't think anything constructed around 2020-2022 is a valid comparison.

Nope. The delay was not really due to the pandemic. Other theme parks built more during the pandemic.

But I got some facts for you since you want to resort to that logic. Guardians of the Galaxy. It was supposed to open in 2021. It opened in 2022 with the pandemic.

Even without the pandemic. It broke ground in 2017. 2017-2021 without the pandemic still would have been five years of construction for one ride. Even if you say the pandemic was the reason they did not finish until 2022.

Five years, for one ride.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Most major Disney projects do not utilize the standard design-bid-build project delivery process where a project is first designed and then built. They often use aspects of fast-track project delivery (that's just what it is called, it is not a description of what you think is an appropriate timeline) where construction overlaps with design work. Projects like TRON break ground well before design work is complete.

 

[_caleb]

That's where a think my confusion comes in. I don't really see where Disney takes an insanely long time to build things. Announcements at the expo are general statements of intent. They aren't planning meetings or schedule discussions. Once Disney actually issues notices to proceed, most of their projects move pretty smoothly, as far as construction projects go. For the most part, I haven't seen many occasions where at these expos they are setting out definitive timelines. Its more superfans going to the events, hearing something is coming, and in their own minds establishing when they think rides/construction should be completed, which inevitably seems to be as soon as possible, as opposed to any overall construction operations planning.

This is a good point. A teaser at D23 isn’t the same as “announcing the commencement of a project.” Yet some here—even those with experience in marketing—can’t seem to tell the difference.

Others still—people with no experience in the management of large-scale or high-tech construction projects—insist absolutely that Disney projects shouldn’t take as long (or cost as much) as they do.

I’ll just be over here enjoying the fact that new, high-tech versions of Rolly Crump’s designs are being added to the Haunted Mansion.

 

[celluloid]

I posted details in another thread a few months ago, but Disney on average takes 2-3 years to build a land. The exception to that rule have been the recent projects with Tron/GotG and the whole Epcot mess.

Another example:
Mickey's Runaway Railway took about two and a half years.

The lands they have opened in that time have also not been complete.