The new bride is the ONLY thing i disliked about the 2007 refurb (in fact, i like ALL the additions to the mansion since then, including the new queue and hitch hiking ghosts. I don't miss the popups in there, they were loud and corny (not to mention a cheap jump scare for me as a kid, i never liked the mansion when i was little as they startled me, but not in a good way). The new portraits with the husbands' heads disappearing and reappearing is very well done and presents and very disturbing and moody atmosphere.
Until you get to the bride herself. I realize i'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but whatever. I'm not trying to troll anyone, be sure of that. The new bride just comes off to me as corny (much like the popups used to feel). And the effect itself looks bad for some reason. I don't know how the Leota effect and marble busts can look so amazing (even with age-old tech), there's just something that looks very unfinished about the new effect. I can immediately tell it's a projection and it just doesn't look right. I think it needed more tweaking. The smaller one at the end of the ride looks fine however (great i'd say).
The new bride Constance ruined the atmosphere for me. Ironic considering the old pop up ghosts interfered with the atmosphere in the old version. She stands there making horrible death puns in a goofy way. The old one didn't have to say anything or even move for that matter. Kind of odd, but in this case, less is so much more. The creepy factor came from not being able to see her face under there, just her glowing sinister eyes. You KNEW something frightening was up with her without her even having to speak or move. Sort of a fear of the unknown. It frightens you on a deeper subconscious level. She doesn't HAVE to make joking murder puns, pull out a hatchet, or brag about how she offed her husbands. All she had to do is stand there with her beating heart, glowing eyes, and obscured face. That was a truly well done and frightening character. The scene itself was amazingly enhanced, just sad that her story and concept felt downgraded (as well as the technology powering it looking rather low tech and unfinished).
It's kind of funny. Half the attic scene was heavily improved and rid of the corny popups in favor of a new more disturbing element. Contrarily (in my opinion) the other half was brought down to the cheesy factor of the popup ghosts with a somewhat poorly executed projection effect. I'm sorry to those who like it, but this is my true feeling on the matter. To me, the attic was one step forward, but one equal step backwards. I wish they could have kept the concept of the old silent and veiled bride, but just improved her with newer effects (she didn't need anything though imo). Coupled with the new beheading portraits, it would have been the ultimate creepy moody scene and the feeling would be complete.
I'd still say the Mansion underwent a huge improvement and is still being enhanced to this day. It's just that one major problem that nags at me. Overall, i still adore the ride and say that it's MOSTLY better than it ever was (love the Escher room and the new portraits in the attic).
I'm also not sure what this "neon bride" is. I've only seen the version used before 1997 or so (last i went before revisiting after the 2007 refurb). It's the one with the lit beating heart and glowing eyes, whichever that was. The one that looked like this (though i think this was Disneyland's)-
http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/40c04990.jpg
BTW, zombie jack in the boxes are also easy to get in a store at Halloween. Not really the tech powering them, but the concept that is scary. And for me, the portraits were much moodier and well-suited to a creepy attic than some cheap scare jumps.
