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

[Tom Morrow]

Guy in the coffin aside, it's not just about the "rule" and story progression of the ride, it's also about the ride's impression on and ability to surprise first-time riders.

Up through Madame Leota, if you're a first time rider, sure, it's neat, but you haven't really seen anything that a small time amusement park haunted house couldn't do. Then BAM - smash cut to the jaw dropping MASSIVE SCALE ballroom scene, loaded with ghost animatronics that actually appear to be both physically in the ballroom AND transparent.

When the ride was new, something like that was unheard of. Even today, if somebody knows nothing about the ride other than it's old and considered a classic, the ballroom scene still has a huge wow factor as it still looks better than most scenes you will see in modern rides. So having a confirmation before this scene that yes, there are full-bodied ghost animatronics in this ride, is a bit of a big spoiler.

Pirates of the Caribbean does the same thing where the drop transitions you from quaint scenes of caves and skeletons to being in the middle of a battle on a shoreline.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Also, I have a very important question - did they put the Donald Duck chair somewhere else??

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Also, I have a very important question - did they put the Donald Duck chair somewhere else??

No, and my understanding is it won't be returning.

Thankfully the other one that's always been in the Library remains untouched.

 

[HMF]

Here is the article.

The Unnecessary Changes To Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion.

How Imagineers destroyed the unique charm of Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion.

vocal.media

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Does the guy shouting "Let me outta here!" in the coffin count as a ghost that appears before Madame Leota? If not, what is he, exactly? Is he the 1000th ghost about to join?

Two possibilities-

1- He isn't actually dead yet, or rather the case of someone who died and came back to life (likely not for long) only to find himself locked inside a coffin trying to claw his way out. Horrific as that is, there have been quite a number of cases of this happening in real life. The original Fall of the House of Usher story has a very similar scene to HM's coffin scene, and I believe the ride took elements from that story (Paris' was even narrated in English by Vincent Price, who played in the 1960 adaptation of this story, and it has even more explicit homages to that story).

2- He is dead, but unlike the other ghosts who no longer have a tangible body anymore and just wander as invisible spirits, this one still has a mostly intact physical body present. So you could say he's more of a zombie situation of sorts rather than merely an intangible ghost. We know ghosts do inhabit the mansion from even the start of the ride, and they can interact with the physical world and move objects around. So manipulating a corpse should also be something they could do.

Whichever reason is the case, the coffin guy is far more explainable than Hattie. Who I believe is supposed to be a purely non-physical spirit.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Indeed - the fact that the narration referred to him as a ghost is plain.

"All our ghosts have been dying to meet you - THIS one can hardly contain himself!" This one what? This one of our ghosts.

Even if he'd only recently died, he's absolutely a ghost and he has materialized well enough to be both visible and able to lift his lid at least some of the way.

Indicating the “rule” isn’t a rule at all.

Two possibilities-

1- He isn't actually dead yet, or rather the case of someone who died and came back to life (likely not for long) only to find himself locked inside a coffin trying to claw his way out. Horrific as that is, there have been quite a number of cases of this happening in real life. The original Fall of the House of Usher story has a very similar scene to HM's coffin scene, and I believe the ride took elements from that story (Paris' was even narrated in English by Vincent Price, who played in the 1960 adaptation of this story, and it has even more explicit homages to that story).

2- He is dead, but unlike the other ghosts who no longer have a tangible body anymore and just wander as invisible spirits, this one still has a mostly intact physical body present. So you could say he's more of a zombie situation of sorts rather than merely an intangible ghost. We know ghosts do inhabit the mansion from even the start of the ride, and they can interact with the physical world and move objects around. So manipulating a corpse should also be something they could do.

Whichever reason is the case, the coffin guy is far more explainable than Hattie. Who I believe is supposed to be a purely non-physical spirit.

Proving you can rationalize whatever preferences you desire.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Proving you can rationalize whatever preferences you desire.

When there's a logical reason to be found as I pointed out (and it was reasonable enough that I was able to come up with two possibilities), then yes. Throwing any and all reason out the window as you've been attempting to argue isn't a rationalization. It's simply an act of incompetence and/or laziness on the part of those who have given up and don't care anymore.

 

[JD80]

Indicating the “rule” isn’t a rule at all.

Proving you can rationalize whatever preferences you desire.

It's the same argument that's had in any other genre where these is only surface level lore or backstory. Hop into any video game community when developers make a new addition that doesn't satisfy some "lore" point. They go nuts.

Hate to break it to you guys, but the lore or backstory for the Haunted Mansion is super thin and often bends to whatever project they are working on.

I personally never thought the HM was a linear story at all. To me, there is always a seance going on. There is always ghosts dancing in the ballroom. The ghosts are constantly haunting. The mansion is in a constant state of flux and we just get to get glimpses of it as we pass through.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Was this taken with flash on? Interesting to see scrim there. It's a smart addition as it does provide some needed contrast between the figure and the wall behind him. But, it's an odd choice. And what exactly is it supposed to represent?

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Pirates of the Caribbean does the same thing where the drop transitions you from quaint scenes of caves and skeletons to being in the middle of a battle on a shoreline.

Funny you should bring Pirates up, because Disneyland Paris' version of the ride also now includes its own Hattie-like intrusion in one of it's own classic iconic scenes as well. When they finally (and unfortunately) updated it a few years ago to include the movie/auction alterations, they also included another new Barbossa figure that no other version has gotten. They plopped him right in front of the iconic skeleton figure steering the shipwreck. Now your attention is drawn away from this iconic scene and towards the Barbossa figure instead. Much the same way as how Hattie now ruins the endless hallway...

Not to mention the Jack Sparrow figure they added just around the corner in the treasure room scene where that other skeleton was placed. What a mess.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

It's the same argument that's had in any other genre where these is only surface level lore or backstory. Hop into any video game community when developers make a new addition that doesn't satisfy some "lore" point. They go nuts.

Hate to break it to you guys, but the lore or backstory for the Haunted Mansion is super thin and often bends to whatever project they are working on.

I personally never thought the HM was a linear story at all. To me, there is always a seance going on. There is always ghosts dancing in the ballroom. The ghosts are constantly haunting. The mansion is in a constant state of flux and we just get to get glimpses of it as we pass through.

Here's what the ghost host says immediately after the seance and just prior to the ballroom-

"The happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They’re assembling for a swinging wake, and they’ll be expecting me… I’ll see you all a little later."

Very clearly a linear progression, and prior to that seance, they had not yet "materialized". It was the seance that allows them to do so, Leota's own dialog is entirely about summoning them. Even Leota herself isn't fully physically present in that scene either, she only appears within the confines of the crystal ball.

 

[Unbanshee]

Was this taken with flash on? Interesting to see scrim there. It's a smart addition as it does provide some needed contrast between the figure and the wall behind him. But, it's an odd choice. And what exactly is it supposed to represent?

Certainly seems to be flash (not allowed) given the shadows

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

If they were to change the Endless Hallway like the movie counterpart, the two scenes could flow together simple by changing the "materialized door" lighting teal. Interestingly, the movie counterpart HBG had an illuminated hat box or rather, it was his head causing it to glow from within. Not sure if that's possible with this fig (without a massive change) but I thought it was a nice movie addition, one that I had hoped would carryover into the ride version. Seems like WDI intended to include more coloration for the figure as well given the concept art depicted him with glowing yellow eyes (a throwback to Claude Coats illustration). 'Though that could be chalked up to artistic license, same for the movie version.

Regardless, I wonder if subtle changes to the lighting would greatly improve the flow of these competing scenes.

 

[JD80]

Here's what the ghost host says immediately after the seance and just prior to the ballroom-

"The happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They’re assembling for a swinging wake, and they’ll be expecting me… I’ll see you all a little later."

Very clearly a linear progression, and prior to that seance, they had not yet "materialized". It was the seance that allows them to do so, Leota's own dialog is entirely about summoning them. Even Leota herself isn't fully physically present in that scene either, she only appears within the confines of the crystal ball.

If that way of thinking makes you happy and enjoy the ride. Great. I still don't view it that way when I ride.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Lol, time for 'B' mode!

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Lol, time for 'B' mode!

Does the "B" stand for black?

I'm sure there's an inappropriate joke in there somewhere...

 

[Animaniac93-98]

1- He isn't actually dead yet, or rather the case of someone who died and came back to life (likely not for long) only to find himself locked inside a coffin trying to claw his way out. Horrific as that is, there have been quite a number of cases of this happening in real life. The original Fall of the House of Usher story has a very similar scene to HM's coffin scene, and I believe the ride took elements from that story (Paris' was even narrated in English by Vincent Price, who played in the 1960 adaptation of this story, and it has even more explicit homages to that story).

In the years leading up to The Haunted Mansion opening there was a whole slew of movies involving premature burials, including one literally called "The Premature Burial" with Ray Milland (Another in the same AIP Poe series as HoU).

No coincidence that the ride designed back then contains such imagery.

 

[Rich Brownn]

It's the same argument that's had in any other genre where these is only surface level lore or backstory. Hop into any video game community when developers make a new addition that doesn't satisfy some "lore" point. They go nuts.

Hate to break it to you guys, but the lore or backstory for the Haunted Mansion is super thin and often bends to whatever project they are working on.

I personally never thought the HM was a linear story at all. To me, there is always a seance going on. There is always ghosts dancing in the ballroom. The ghosts are constantly haunting. The mansion is in a constant state of flux and we just get to get glimpses of it as we pass through.

Its because the Mansion was literally a compromise between two Imagineers with two different concepts.

 

[Rich Brownn]

Here's what the ghost host says immediately after the seance and just prior to the ballroom-

"The happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They’re assembling for a swinging wake, and they’ll be expecting me… I’ll see you all a little later."

Very clearly a linear progression, and prior to that seance, they had not yet "materialized". It was the seance that allows them to do so, Leota's own dialog is entirely about summoning them. Even Leota herself isn't fully physically present in that scene either, she only appears within the confines of the crystal ball.

Either that or they're just showing up at the party, like invited guests.

 

[HMF]

Its because the Mansion was literally a compromise between two Imagineers with two different concepts.

That's an oversimplification.