Haunted Mansion Refurb.

[Mansion Butler]

Just throwing this out there...

My information concerning the replacement of the omnimover track comes from a long-time Mansion CM whom I trust very much (as I did my CP at the Mansion.) Therefore, I have no reason to doubt what she said. I guess only time will tell...

And I probably got it from the same source, though I think what you're being corrected on is the semantic difference between track and system. Maybe, the route and such is going to be the same.

 

[Mansion Butler]

I really don't know why this castmember did it. But thats the story of why the ring was covered. TADA! :animwink:

Many people do know what this cast member did it, you can probably find it elsewhere on the board.


Something to remember, by the way. Much of the refurb is going to be things to make CM's lives easier. I think the work-based portions of the refurb are the most exciting.

Of course most of ya'll don't need to know them, but remember there's more than meets the guest's eye to a refurb.

 

[Lee]

"3. Capacity A. 2,618 guests per hour (based on loading) B. Two guests in every car, every 3 seconds (cars are spaced every 6.0 feet with cars travelling at a speed of 2 feet a second (1.364 miles per hour).
4. Cycle Time: (Cars from one point back to that point again) Average 6 min.
5. Guests per minute: 41.38.
6. Length of the track: 786 feet.
7. Number of carriages: 131."
Three, four and seven are wrong. Pretty far off, in fact. I assume five and six are, too.
Might be Disneyland.

Bingo. That's Disneyland. :wave:

 

[ToTBellHop]

I was gonna say...6 minutes seems a bit short...but I've never been on the ride when it hasn't stopped due to "playful spooks"...

 

[Space Mountain]

"Playful spirits have interrupted our tour..Please remain seated in your, Doombuggie"

Love it!

 

[ToTBellHop]

how much longer is our ride than DL's?

 

[disney9752]

"3. Capacity A. 2,618 guests per hour (based on loading) B. Two guests in every car, every 3 seconds (cars are spaced every 6.0 feet with cars travelling at a speed of 2 feet a second (1.364 miles per hour).

4. Cycle Time: (Cars from one point back to that point again) Average 6 min.

5. Guests per minute: 41.38.

6. Length of the track: 786 feet.

7. Number of carriages: 131."

Three, four and seven are wrong. Pretty far off, in fact. I assume five and six are, too.

Might be Disneyland.

when trying to figure out miles traveled since 71, its gonna get tricky, what have park hours been along the line?? closing as late as 2am or early as 6pm. what amount has it been 101 along the line? did it open early for resort guests any?

 

[Rob562]

Bingo. That's Disneyland. :wave:

I found another place online that lists WDW's Mansion as having 160 cars.

how much longer is our ride than DL's?

About 29 cars longer, apparently. (I think this translates to 175 feet or so) Most of this length is made up of the hallway of paintings with moving eyes and the library. I believe the section of track between unload and load is slightly longer in WDW, too. In Disneyland, after you exit the stretching room, you walk down a hallway and around a corner. The hallway has the busts who turn to follow you and paintings that change. So while the ride portion in WDW is longer, your overall experience is the same.

-Rob

 

[ToTBellHop]

well...the overall experience is similar...DL's paintings aren't the same as ours...actually the effect is a bit cooler for their's. It would actually be nice if they could add those to the walkway b/t the Stretching Rooms and boarding during the upcoming refurbishment...the way they now flash with the lightning at DL is a cool effect.

 

[steve2wdw]

Just rode the DL HM today! The DL stretching rooms are in great shape. The floating Leota is really cool as is the attic scene. Other than that, give the WDW version just a little TLC and it'll blow DL's out of the water. First off, the overall atmosphere at WDW is much creepier. It's got a great entryway, with the decompossing pic over the fireplace. DL has a plain old room with nothing to look at before the stretch rooms. Both versions have a long hallway, but DL has the great pics that turn to skeletons when the lightning flashes. This could easily be added to WDW. The boarding area's are just about the same. From here on out, the WDW version should beat the DL version as long as we get a refurb. The WDW version has the library scene with the shadow playing the piano and the long creepy stairs with the giant (completely unbelievable) spiders. Throw a few bucks around the stairs and we've really got a winner. As you head into the attic scene at DL, there is a huge access door (the size of a garage door) clearly visible on the left. WDW's just has great theming in this location. Same can be said about the exiting of the attic scene. WDW's version has the doombuggies exiting through a dormer window and the rest of the house can be seen as you proceed backwards and past the graveyard caretaker. At DL, once you come through the dormer, there is no real evidence that you are coming out of the attice of a house. Graveyards feel the same, but once past the hitch hiking ghosts at DL you get immediately out of the DB and proceed to walk ( or ride) a speedramp (where Little Leato) is. At WDW, you get to ride past the Little Leota before disembarking. Again a longer ride. Then you get the crypt upon exit, while at DL you get dumped into Fantasmic on certain nights. Talk about spoiling the mood.

So in conclussion, we've got the diamond in the rough at WDW. It won't take much to reclaim the title of best HM.

 

[ThumperDude]

So is it offical that HM will in fact be closed in June? Just can't believe Disney will close a beloved, classic ride like this in the middle of the summer season. This is stupid. Wait till fall. Thousands of people would rather see the old, run-down version than a big blue wall waiting for them as they approach the que area.

 

[Mansion Butler]

So is it offical that HM will in fact be closed in June? Just can't believe Disney will close a beloved, classic ride like this in the middle of the summer season. This is stupid. Wait till fall. Thousands of people would rather see the old, run-down version than a big blue wall waiting for them as they approach the que area.

It's stupid? Well, let's see, it's about a five month process. You close it in February, then it's closed during the busiest period with Spring Break and Easter. You close it after Easter then it's closed in April through August. You still miss the whole summer, PLUS you close it down for the earlier and cooler part of the summer which is more popular, particularly with locals. Close it down at the end of the summer, in fall, like you suggest, and it's down September or August through December or January. You not only miss Mickey's Not So Scary, it's closed during the second busiest time of the year and the two busiest days of the year between Christmas and New Years.

More than probably any other attraction in the Magic Kingdom (because of capacity, mostly, and the lack of other major attractions in Liberty Square), the Haunted Mansion NEEDS to be open, if at all possible, during the busiest times, and those are Easter and Christmas season. And it should go without saying that it needs to be open, if at all possible, during MNSSHP. Sure, the summer's busy, but not the way the peak seasons are. It's going to have to be closed over someone's vacation, but the idea is to have it closed for as little busy time as possible. And that's actually closing it mid-summer to early fall.

Why are you so quick to call it stupid without thinking about it first?

 

[ThumperDude]

I did think about it first. And it is stupid.

 

[beachclubbasics]

I'm going to be there in August..will it defintely be closed then? If so, darn!


Was DL's version originally a walk-though? For some reason I remember wathcing a show in the late 60s/early 70s (Wonderful World of disney) where they walked though the ride...no doombuggies.

 

[marni1971]

One of the early DLC concepts was a walkthru, like PotC. However it was built as a ride, though of course you can walk next to the track (if you`re Tony Baxter!)

Regarding the refurb timetable; as I`ve said earlier it wasn`t meant to be like this. The refurb should have been finished by summer, but other things happend elsewhere. These refurbs are planned months, sometimes years in advance, and are not as flexible as one would think - especially the HM, being tied into 2 other major rehabs with their own timetables and schedules. Any knock on effect with the HM will have a cascade effect on the other rehabs, possibly by a year or more. As it is one major rehab elsewhere has been in the planning for over 2 years now, and has already been set back over 6 months. Also, some of the things needed to be done in the HM and elsewhere just won`t wait that long.

 

[RSoxNo1]

One of the early DLC concepts was a walkthru, like PotC. However it was built as a ride, though of course you can walk next to the track (if you`re Tony Baxter!)

Regarding the refurb timetable; as I`ve said earlier it wasn`t meant to be like this. The refurb should have been finished by summer, but other things happend elsewhere. These refurbs are planned months, sometimes years in advance, and are not as flexible as one would think - especially the HM, being tied into 2 other major rehabs with their own timetables and schedules. Any knock on effect with the HM will have a cascade effect on the other rehabs, possibly by a year or more. As it is one major rehab elsewhere has been in the planning for over 2 years now, and has already been set back over 6 months. Also, some of the things needed to be done in the HM and elsewhere just won`t wait that long.

Any chance you could be more specific? Are we talking Jungle Cruise and Space Mountain as things being pushed back, or none MK attractions like The Great Movie Ride?

 

[iheartdisney91]

ok let me get this straight so the HM will close in summer... will it be open in november? and what about the HM gift shop is it actually happening?:veryconfu

 

[ToTBellHop]

I wonder if they can sneak the Jungle Cruise's refurbishment in b/t Easter and the end of May...

Let's face it. There are three E-Tickets that need major refurbishments. Being ed off that one of them is going to be closed during your trip is just stupid. Surprisingly, Walt Disney World's refurbishment schedules are not contingent upon your vacation schedule. I went to Disney World last June and Pirates of the Caribbean was closed. I was a bit sad but these things happen. I doubt people will be very happy when Space Mountain is closed for months on end, either, as it will be unavoidable for it to be closed during some busy seasons.

I find it interesting that many people are so quick to defend Disney on slipping standards and then complain about a major refurbishment in the summer. Perhaps it's a sign that things are in fact not going so well at WDW if they are forced to have multi-month refurbishments in the summer. This would not be the case if they had more reasonable refurbishment schedules. Perhaps you will stop giving Disney the benefit of the doubt on their poor refurbishment efforts recently when you can't ride the Haunted Mansion on the 4th of July?

 

[Lee]

I did think about it first. And it is stupid.

No. In your OPINION it's stupid. From an operations standpoint it makes perfect sense.
Can you think of a better time to have it down for four months? I can't. You can't have it closed during the halloween party, and that excludes the fall.

Are we talking Jungle Cruise and Space Mountain as things being pushed back,

If I may answer for Martin....yeah...looks like it.

 

[Gringrinngghost]

(beachclubbasics here again on my son's account)

Are they going to refurb Space Mountain to be more like it's DLP counterpart? I used to work for RCA when they sponsored Space Moutnain and got to do a behind the scenes tour when I was at WDW on my honeymoon many many many years ago....it's amazing to see what the Imagineers cover up just by turning the lights low. You'd never guess what that ride looked like with the lights on when you ride it fully operational.