Haunted Mansion Refurb to be dissapointing

[basas]

Personally, I think that they might just go in there and fix the things that need immediate attention (sound, doombuggies) and while they have it closed, see what they can do for future enhancements next time. Take the time while it's closed and see what the need to do with the infrastructure to add other effects. And next fiscal year, add the "plusses" (during Jan.-Mar., when the majority on these boards said it should have been closed for refurb.) .

That sounds like a plan Disney would come up with. Then, of course, they'd decide at the last minute to scrap the second refurb (POTC anyone?). I really hope we're all wrong on this...we've been waiting for this for so long, it'd b a shame not to do the job properly.

 

[LudwigVonDrake]

Let the refurb happen and if it's "disappointing" A LOT of people will complain

 

[frank2271]

I just came back from DL last month. I live 80 miles from WDW and go there a lot. I have to say, the HM in DL is far superior. When I read that WDW was going to refurb. it to DL standards I was very excited. The attic in DL's HM is AWESOME.

I'm going to keep on being excited until I "see" differently. Call me the eternal optimist.

Frank

 

[magic cait ball]

What I wonder about WDW's Haunted Mansion is if it has some curse of spelling and grammar. The Screamscape article was an unintelligible mess (in perusing their past articles, I don't know how someone can have a well-trafficked website and be such a poor writer), and both the topic titles here concerning the refurbishment contain misspellings!

are you talking about the refurd of the mantion? :lookaroun

 

[Simba1]

Wait! The Mansion's going down for refurb?! When?! :lookaroun


Only kidding of course. My feeling is: I will be happy if they upgrade the sound and improve the omnimover track somehow. I already can't wait to see it when it has reopened!

 

[WDWFigment]

are you talking about the refurd of the mantion? :lookaroun

:ROFLOL:

 

[JimboJones123]

I hear the end will be much like the Cave from Raiders of the Lost Ark. The new effects will actually Kill guests. The 999 thing won't be a joke anymore. Are you brave enough???

 

[George]

I hear the end will be much like the Cave from Raiders of the Lost Ark. The new effects will actually Kill guests. The 999 thing won't be a joke anymore. Are you brave enough???

:ROFLOL:

But if the effects kill the guests, will they have to keeping a running tally and update the audio? Maybe a McDonald's style "Over xxxxx number served" sign?

 

[Vernonpush]

:ROFLOL:
Over 1 braziillion served.

 

[Hammer1310]

I don't understand the big rush to "enhance" rides as perfect as HM or POTC. I would love to see a technical refurb, new lighting, effect upgrades and doom buggy sound and NOTHING ELSE. I don't need new scenes, new characters, and I certainly don't want any of the old work removed. There's a reason these have been guest favorites for decades and I hope the guys in charge understand that.

Anyway, if they really have an itch to scratch with haunted attractions then get a bag of money for Tim Burton and Danny Elfman and go build a Nightmare Before Christmas ride at MGM.
:xmas:

 

[darthjohnny]

I know its screamscape, but sweet baby jesus I hope this isn't true. They'll decide to can the Leota and new bride just for a crappy gift shop at the exit?!

Here's to hoping that screamscape is as inaccurate as usual...

In my opinion, Screamscape is actually very reliable. They do claim that this is only a rumor so far.

But the current rumor, I believe, is that there won't even be an ornate gift shop, just a little extension of the exit.

A theory I have is that maybe, just maybe, we were all caught up in our own imagination and hopes and WDW never planned that big of a rehab in the first place, but we just got the news recently. I think we may be caught up in these rumors because why would Magic Kingdom constantly look for ways to stop spending money, if they never spend it in the first place. :shrug:

 

[CTXRover]

The only facts I know is that the Haunted Mansion is rough around the edges and that it will be closed for a little over 3 months, which should be ample time to have it looking and working the way it should, both visually and audibly, if not better. Any additions or extras are special bonuses imo. The "major" changes at Disneyland's HM over the past 2-3 years I wouldn't even consider that major. They were simple enough to be installed either during the night while the attraction was still running during the day or when it was down for its relatively short NBC overlay removal. I would be incredibly suprised if during this 3 month time that they couldn't find the time, or the money, to install a floating Leota head. Of the DL changes in which there is a comparable scene at the MK, that was the only one that I was really impressed with. The attic changes were neat, but nothing spectacular. I was actually a bit disappointed with the new bride in person and prefer the floating, nonspeaking, heart beating bride in the MK HM. For me, it was an example of where "new" technology did not necessarily create a better scene, even though the changing portraits in their attic are really neat.

A new graveyard scene, a new queue, a new exit with a grand gift shop, a new scene for the spiders were all internet rumors imo with nothing to indicate that they were anything beyond blue sky rumors, if not just fan-spawned rumors. NONE of that is anything I would expect from a 3 month rehab. At the most, I expect a HM that looks and sounds like new, with updated audio, rehabbed sets and animatronics, and possibly some of the minor changes that DL has received, most notably the floating Leota head. If after 3 months there isn't a noticeable improvement in the attraction's quality, then I think there is a reason to be disappointed.

 

[PhotoDave219]

The lighting and the audio need serious help.....

Plus this is peak season - the more you do, the longer it's down. And it has to be back up for MNSSHP.

 

[CTXRover]

Sadly the Themeparks.com article was written well before the Screamscape article....

The Themeparks.com article simply states that the WDW HM will receive some of the upgrades that DL's has. So I think both screamscape and this article can be right. A new graveyard scene, a new exit with a gift shop, a new entrance queue, etc. that screamscape references as being "cut" are NOT examples of any of the DL upgrades. The biggest upgrades I noticed at DL over the past few years were updates to the lighting, audio, the floating Leota head, the attic with the changing portraits and new bride, and a new changing picture hall (which is in a different format at the MK's mansion where it is during the ride and not part of the queue). Of those changes, are you at liberty to say which, if any, you've heard won't be seen at the end of the MK rehab? For the most part, I just want a rehab of the scenery that is there, an update in lighting, audio and the floating Leota head.

 

[George]

Anyway, if they really have an itch to scratch with haunted attractions then get a bag of money for Tim Burton and Danny Elfman and go build a Nightmare Before Christmas ride at MGM.
:xmas:

I kind of like this idea, but I've learned two things in the last week. 1) The fine folks at Disney don't want to read any ideas from outsiders because there might be legal troubles if they follow through with them and 2) people in high places at Disney read this site and other similar sites.

Thus, I think we are doing ourselves a disservice by suggesting things we would actually like to see. As a result, I believe from this point forward that we should only throw out bad ideas, because once all the bad ideas have been written down in public forums, upper management will be forced to do something "good."

I'll go first - "I hope they make Pooh's Playful Spot permanent. It's fantastic!"

 

[Thelazer]

Last time I checked, after splash came back online from it's rehab it was still pretty rough around the edges.

I expect the same from the HM refurb.

sadly.

 

[TP2000]

I just couldn't get over how much TLC goes into those other parks. I hadn't realized this at all before.

I've realized it. But as a Californian who occasionally goes out to visit WDW, it's in reverse of what you experienced when you came to Disneyland.

The difference in upkeep and upgrading, from everything from little dark rides like Peter Pan to big E Tickets like Pirates, Mansion, Jungle, Space Mountain, etc. is very different between Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

And now that John Lasseter, a former Disneyland ride operator himself who visits the park regularly, is the bigwig head honcho in charge of WDI things are becoming even more different between Disneyland and Disney World.

The sad part is that there is so much potential at Walt Disney World, but they just keep letting it all slip away just like they let the details slip away.

 

[culturenthrills]

The sad part is that there is so much potential at Walt Disney World, but they just keep letting it all slip away just like they let the details slip away.

You pretty much nailed what is wrong with WDW. I realize how much Lasseter loves DL but I really hope he takes a look at the sorry state of WDW esp. the MK. We will wait in see if he notices WDW mgmt. corner cutting. I hope he does.

 

[culturenthrills]

The sad part is that there is so much potential at Walt Disney World, but they just keep letting it all slip away just like they let the details slip away.

You pretty much nailed what is wrong with WDW. I realize how much Lasseter loves DL but I really hope he takes a look at the sorry state of WDW esp. the MK. We will wait in see if he notices WDW mgmt. corner cutting. I hope he does.

 

[culturenthrills]

oops I double posted:hammer: