Haunted Mansion gets Interactive ending

[Magenta Panther]

The "enhanced" ending to the Haunted Mansion fails in two ways: one, the screens are obviously screens, the characters look unconvincing, and they have no real presence, the way the figures in the original ending did. Two, there is so much going on that guests can't absorb it. In the original ending, the ghosts did one thing: sit in the Buggies with you. That was startling and very cool and amusing, and you got it. In the new ending, they're jumping around and doing stuff so quickly it's hard to figure out what's really going on. Too rushed, too complex. And too high-tech for the Mansion, frankly. It's jarring. It's too bad, because the earlier refurb did very good things. This new stuff just takes you out of the experience, IMO. What a shame.

 

[The Hatbox Ghost]

I'm a HUGE fan of the original HM, I used to live there, you know But I've also come to appreciate many of the updates they've done over the years. Look, the park wasn't intended to be a museum. You can only be entertained by the exact same experience so many times before you become bored. Walt did not want us to be bored by his attractions! If he were still here he would be updating too! So I welcome the new ad-ons and updates to all attractions, even this one which happens to be my favorite and home away from home, so to speak.

Has anyone seen the 'new' Hatbox Ghost feature at the DL HM? Check it out there are vids out there. I think that should be the next WDW HM update, would bring back some of the 'creep' factor- in my humble opinion of course

 

[Bairstow]

...Look, the park wasn't intended to be a museum....

True, but most of the objects you find in a museum were never intended to be in a museum.

Whether or not the attractions in the park were or were not intended to be preserved isn't necessarily germane to the question of whether some of the attractions in the park should be preserved in their original state.

 

[jensenrick]

I have no idea if this was a coincidence or not, but while riding the HM today, the bearded ghost dropped a birthday cake on the two people in my party that were celebrating their birthday. Not sure if this is new or just a coincidence?

Wow, that sounds great! I can't wait to see this in person- I'm a huge Mansion fan, and I love seeing enhancements there.

 

[ChrisFL]

Rode it today, saw just generic ending ghosts, and the ride vehicles were "dark" so they didn't show up....looks like they were having technical issues.

I also saw one ride vehicle with a specially taped "bat" shape and they weren't using that vehicle, it was taped to the upper left side of the ride vehicle and also noticed all of the other ones has 2 black squares in that same place, I'm thinking they must be sensors for the magicbands

 

[Poopoo]

Why do you feel the need to defend the death theory so badly? Some of us prefer to enjoy the non G-Rated version of this attraction. Evidence points to either way, and the lack of continuity of this attraction is well documented.

He/she is not "defending" the death theory, they're disproving it.

There's no evidence whatsoever that points to an interpretation in which you die by falling out of a window or by being "pushed" out of a window by the Bride.

You're in a carriage that happens to be gently descending backwards from a balcony to ground level, whether that carriage is supposed to be "floating" down or traveling down a set of stairs. You have to get to the ground somehow, and the Doom Buggies facing forward going down wouldn't be very comfortable for the riders.

The "beware of hitchhiking ghosts" moment would make no sense if you were supposed to imagine you were another ghost floating around and not a living person in a moving vehicle. The act of hitchhiking implies there's a vehicle of some sort, like the one you as the rider are sitting in.

Plus there's everything else (the Ghost Host narration, etc.) that disproves the theory if you pay attention.

 

[Kman101]

Rode it today, saw just generic ending ghosts, and the ride vehicles were "dark" so they didn't show up....looks like they were having technical issues.

I also saw one ride vehicle with a specially taped "bat" shape and they weren't using that vehicle, it was taped to the upper left side of the ride vehicle and also noticed all of the other ones has 2 black squares in that same place, I'm thinking they must be sensors for the magicbands

I have to wonder how long these interactive features are really going to last, in all the rides .... there's going to come a time where they aren't going to feel justified fixing it.

 

[RobotWolf]

In my opinion, the biggest problem with the new cg ghosts is that they don't move like any of the ghosts you've seen up to that point. This includes, most importantly, their animatronic twins that you've just passed.

It seems counter intuitive, but I think they should have tried to get the new cg ghosts to move like an animatronic might move. If they had placed some artificial restrictions on the movement, placement and speed, they could have made it appear as though the cg ghosts existed in the same world as all the ghosts and effects you've seen up to that point.

Of course visually, the cg ghosts at best seem like caricatures of the art and design of the rest of the mansion. Excluding the new queue preshow ... and the leota "toombstone" ... which resembles neither Madame Leota herself nor her namesake.

 

[JohnD]

Nobody's posted a video? Guess I'll do it first.

Hmm. I'll reserve judgment until I experience it myself. My inclination is that they are now so totally invested in making sure that MM+ works that other ride elements may suffer. Anyone check to see that the spinning sun now works in IASW? Last I heard, it wasn't while they were rolling out the interactive ending there.

 

[dstrawn9889]

Hmm. I'll reserve judgment until I experience it myself. My inclination is that they are now so totally invested in making sure that MM+ works that other ride elements may suffer. Anyone check to see that the spinning sun now works in IASW? Last I heard, it wasn't while they were rolling out the interactive ending there.

apples to horseshoes? MM+ budgets are not the same as P&R maintenance budgets...

 

[Unomas]

It's such a great attraction, though. There is no other haunted house-style attraction that matches it or comes close. Most of the ones in various amusement parks are the same UV painted characters, a boat horn, and the typical "truck coming right at you". If you're lucky you may bet the barrel room where you feel like you're not straight up.

Haunted Mansion, though, actually tried to make you feel like you were going into a haunted mansion and it's crazy awesome.

Upon further reflection, after seeing a lot of the comments here, I think I'm changing my mind: The way it was before was better: No queue toys, traditional hitch hiking ghosts, etc.

I think that the point made about SnapChat is spot-on. Your phone can do that. What your phone can't do is the old style.

..and I think it's better that the kids stand in fear/awe of the foreboding Haunted Mansion, with all of the little outdoor elements that they add in (lightning at night, sounds, etc), than be distracted by queue-toys.

The queue toys are need but, you're right.. They do take away from the overall effect.

Oh I'm right there with you. I love it and my wife loves it more. She collects everything Haunted Mansion. I'm just saying it has the most fanatical fan base of all the attractions lol.

 

[flynnibus]

apples to horseshoes? MM+ budgets are not the same as P&R maintenance budgets...

Capital improvements are budgeted separately from ops dollars... But you can see right now with the current operational cuts going on across the park's budgets are simply plans... Not absolutes. When the top level sets a mandate... Previous budgets can be thrown out

 

[Skip]

In my opinion, the biggest problem with the new cg ghosts is that they don't move like any of the ghosts you've seen up to that point. This includes, most importantly, their animatronic twins that you've just passed.

It seems counter intuitive, but I think they should have tried to get the new cg ghosts to move like an animatronic might move. If they had placed some artificial restrictions on the movement, placement and speed, they could have made it appear as though the cg ghosts existed in the same world as all the ghosts and effects you've seen up to that point.

Of course visually, the cg ghosts at best seem like caricatures of the art and design of the rest of the mansion. Excluding the new queue preshow ... and the leota "toombstone" ... which resembles neither Madame Leota herself nor her namesake.

It's almost as if CGI has to resemble the physical being it purports to represent in order to be convincing. We've seen the corporeal Hitchhiking Ghosts - the CGI versions (which I detest) need to move in believable ways relative to what we've just seen.

 

[JohnWD]

True, but most of the objects you find in a museum were never intended to be in a museum.

Whether or not the attractions in the park were or were not intended to be preserved isn't necessarily germane to the question of whether some of the attractions in the park should be preserved in their original state.

It's just his opinion whether "germane" or not. But I think you have some serious moderator skills, and a lot of threads could use your input!!!!

 

[The Hatbox Ghost]

Thanks John WD.

So I visited HM on Monday and I have to say, I enjoyed the interactive ending! However I agree that, ideally, the ghosts should appear 'less CG' to better match their animated forms. And I hope they switch up the endings so riders don't see the same one back to back. I'm back there today and hope I see a different ending than the one I had on Monday.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Thanks John WD.

So I visited HM on Monday and I have to say, I enjoyed the interactive ending! However I agree that, ideally, the ghosts should appear 'less CG' to better match their animated forms. And I hope they switch up the endings so riders don't see the same one back to back. I'm back there today and hope I see a different ending than the one I had on Monday.

Agreed, this has becoming more of a problem. We saw a trend in movies to get too CG happy, but in many cases practical effects, or at the very least something that looks like a practical effect is preferred.

 

[The Hatbox Ghost]

I agree and perhaps the best effects are done utilizing both practical and CG. I'm a special effects makeup hobbyist so can appreciate the art form. BTW I hit HM again today and the interactive ending WAS different than the one I had Monday! Do you think they program them that way for each band wearer, or is it just random?

 

[dstrawn9889]

they may have a 'check' digit somewhere showing which endings you have seen... that would be relatively easy

Band ID # 123456789
Band Name - asdf
Birthdate -
HM : 05/01/2016, 1; 05/11/2016, 2
Star T- 05/09/2016, 2,4,3,1;
it would just keep adding strings as you go --- like savegame stats for PC games

 

[JohnD]

Maybe P&R and the studios divisions could benefit from talking to each other. JJ Abrams made a point of bringing back practical effects for SW:TFA and get away from the George Lucas CGI of the prequels. Now it sounds like imagineers are trying to Lucas up HM. Bring back the classical effects of the original!

 

[Victor Kelly]

They need to include it in Memory Maker so people don't have to try and record it themselves.