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

[Squishy]

I've just noticed but is the WDW hatbox ghost broken or does it have way less movement functionality? It doesnt seem to move like the Disneyland one.

 

[_caleb]

Here's a gif comparing before and after of the space:

View attachment 757022

EDIT: In case the GIF isn't working (seems not to be) here's a Before and After:

View attachment 757023View attachment 757024

Thanks for sharing these! If I remember correctly, the curtain beside the Donald Duck chair (which seems to have the same blue lighting used on HBG) also moved a bit, as though there might be an open window behind it?

This would mean there's always been a "window" there (I understand the curtain was actually covering an emergency exit) and it was meant to be an eternal wall of the mansion. So complaints about how the new "window" somehow changes the in-story architecture of the mansion might be overblown.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

I've just noticed but is the WDW hatbox ghost broken or does it have way less movement functionality? It doesnt seem to move like the Disneyland one.

I thought this from the start––I thought I was just misremembering from the Disneyland one. But the WDW one definitely moves less, based on this video.

 

[Squishy]

I thought this from the start––I thought I was just misremembering from the Disneyland one. But the WDW one definitely moves less, based on this video.

The WDW feels like the leg movements aren't working.

 

[wdwmagic]

I've just noticed but is the WDW hatbox ghost broken or does it have way less movement functionality? It doesnt seem to move like the Disneyland one.

Yep he moves in a very similar way. here is an extended look

 

[F4JOCK]

Just saw him. Nice effect but strange placement.

 

[Squishy]

Yep he moves in a very similar way. here is an extended look

Definitely not the same, watch the movement after his face disappears in the Disneyland video. Similar but the WDW seems slower/less aggressive with the movement

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Not to mention that the lightning raging so fervently in the Changing Portrait Hall seems to have completely dissipated by the time we get to the Music Room a mere one scene later . . .

This was more of an unintentional flaw after the scene was redesigned in 2007.

The original portrait hall had no windows. So it was as if the storm in the stretching room died down by the time we got to the music room, then started again before getting to the great hall, then was gone by the graveyard.

 

[VicariousCorpse]

So...it DID move? Because when I first rode the Mansion as a kid, I could swear I saw the candelabra tilt and bob up and down...

Yup. It's the same as the one at the very beginning of the ride on the staircase above.

The original one at Disneyland wasn't even in the hallway originally. It was supposed to be floating next to the table in the séance room. The original effect in the endless hallway would be the ghost host telling you to listen closely, then traveling footsteps come down the hallway towards you with cold wind blowing on you as the sound passes you. When it wasn't working out how they wanted (i.e. timing.) they grabbed the candelabra to replace it.

 

[_caleb]

Yep he moves in a very similar way. here is an extended look

Maybe I'm seeing something that isn't there, but I like how he seems to get still and then "jump" a bit each time the head moves from on top of his shoulders to the hatbox and back again. It sort of draws your attention to the swap.

 

[Trauma]

Next upgrade they should replace Madame Leota with Moana.

 

[VicariousCorpse]

One of the considerations of such an advanced animatronic in the mansion is the limited movements and style of other figures. They could have him tap dancing if they really wanted to but he would look even more out of place. The limited animation is intentional.

 

[JohnD]

Here's a gif comparing before and after of the space:

View attachment 757022

EDIT: In case the GIF isn't working (seems not to be) here's a Before and After:

View attachment 757023View attachment 757024

I'll admit I forgot that the HM wallpaper was already there. Then I guess its the new lighting that makes it seem "odd".

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

One of the considerations of such an advanced animatronic in the mansion is the limited movements and style of other figures. They could have him tap dancing if they really wanted to but he would look even more out of place. The limited animation is intentional.

Sure, I'm fine with the amount of movement, but they are definitely less pronounced movements than Disneyland's. If DL's is set to 10, WDW's appears to be set to 6.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Yep he moves in a very similar way. here is an extended look

Side note, I really wish they would get an automated spiel for resuming motion. Hearing the live spiel almost every ride because of how often its stopped kills the vibe.

 

[JD80]

Side note, I really wish they would get an automated spiel for resuming motion. Hearing the live spiel almost every ride because of how often its stopped kills the vibe.

Thats for safety reasons.

 

[VicariousCorpse]

I'll admit I forgot that the HM wallpaper was already there. Then I guess its the new lighting that makes it seem "odd".

The Disneyland version doesn't have the eye wallpaper here. I've always thought the color matched much better there.

If you want an extra layer of weird you can see how the original scale model holds up to the current day WDW.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Definitely not the same, watch the movement after his face disappears in the Disneyland video. Similar but the WDW seems slower/less aggressive with the movement

I have a feeling it is toned down slightly, as you can view him longer. At Disneyland you see him so quickly and briefly, you want a faster cycle of movement, but when you linger at the Disneyland version, the cycle does come off as a bit... odd.

 

[JohnD]

Alright alright I haven’t yet. But from the standpoint of it ruining the endless hallway scene, yes it’s atrocious.

My guess for why Hattie isn't outside the attic: The doom buggies almost immediately lean backwards after leaving the attic, meaning you wouldn't be able to see him anyway from that angle. They say you briefly get to see him at DL. Maybe there is a slightly longer delay before the doom buggies lean backwards but not much.

 

[UNCgolf]

Okay so door was always there, just more obvious now, wallpaper remains the same.

People just don't like it due to placement, got it.

Placement is definitely the only reason I dislike it -- the figure itself is good.

I think it makes the Endless Hallway almost superfluous; people are going to look at the Hatbox figure instead of down the hallway. There are now two things competing for attention in a pretty small area.