I know it's a little late but we got back from DW on September 15 and got to ride the refurbished Haunted Mansion. It really was impressive what they were able to accomplish during this refurb. The overall fell of the Mansion now seems to have a slightly darker tone to it, although I'd still say that the fun aspect remains it's just slightly darker than before.
Thursday September 13-Opening Day
Time-2:30PM
Posted Wait Time-40 Minutes
Actual Wait Time-30 Minutes
Mansion Building
Painted and very clean and vibrant, landscaping was unkempt keeping with the overall theme of a run down place
Queue Area
The queue area has the horseless carriage back and a toppled fountain in front, the line path now contains a switchback, it is also now completely covered with a large blood red canopy which stretches from the main entrance gate all the way to the mansion. The good thing is that there are fans all throughout the ceiling of the canopy to keep you cool while waiting, unfortunately they were not working on any of the times we were in line over several days.
Graveyard
The graveyard looked pretty much the same just spruced up a bit, Master Gracey and Leotas graves had fresh earth piled on them as well as single roses on each. The Leota gravestone with the animatronic face seemed to be working sporadically as on opening day it was working but two days later it was not.
Lobby
Master Gracey's portrait is now much more vibrant and crisp than it used to be, the lighting also seems to be much better at highlighting the focal point of the lobby which is the portrait, carpeting and walls looked fresh and vibrant, yet dirty and unkept at the same time.
Stretching Room
The stretching portraits looked great, very clear and crisp, again the lighting really helped transform the experience, what was once dim and blurry was now clear. The audio of the ghost host was great, same dialogue, it's just the way the voice now carries and floats throughout the room, simply amazing at how effective this effect was, the wooden walls also creak and moan as the portraits are being stretched which is new and the hanging man above is now much brighter and easier to see than before, the sound effects as the noose drops and stops is enhanced with some pretty effective subwoofers that really pound you. The changes here were excellent, this is where the table was set to prepare you for the subtle shift from fun and corny to slightly scarier.
Doom Buggy Waiting Area
No big changes here, except that the portraits that used to follow you at the beginning of the ride before the rehab are now hung on the walls across from the line. The dialogue from the ghost host about a carriage approaching was now much clearer than before, although I wish they could have restored the complete original dialogue in it's entirety. There is an announcement by a less than convincing ghost host substitute with a message that I didn't quite hear or bother to pay attention to.
The Ride
You experience the first major change to the ride right away, the endless staircase which is a very convincing scene with staircases and lamp posts all around seemingly going on forever, upside down, sideways and on several of the staircases you can see illuminated footsteps going up and down the stairs, overall a very effective illusion and another that foreshadows the change in the overall feel of the ride.
You then go by some innocent looking portraits on the right side, that is until the lightning effect lights up the window on the opposite side. When the lightning cracks the portraits change to reveal a much darker protrait. This effect worked very well and I really didn't notice the lightning effect on the pictures until the second time I rode it, it's very, very good.
You then go by the library and the ghost piano which has changed little, just cleaned up, you then enter the area with the eyes in the wallpaper, the neat thing here is the eyes now blink, much better and one of those little details that enhances the experience. The endless corridor floating candle is now lit much better and is much easier to see and the knight in armor now shakes and moves which was pretty cool, the coffin scene and the buckling doors are basically unchanged.
Heres where the best change has occurred and the area that really solidifies the ride as being a little darker than before. The bride in the attic is now a much more cohesive and scary story than before, with you passing several portraits of the bride on her wedding day with each husband, except the husbands have no head, I think there's supposed to be an illusion of the husbands having heads but then they disappear as you go by but this effect wasn't working on any of the times we rode. The bride is now located on the left side of the ride instead of the right and is a projection statue, a very good one, I couldn't make out the dialogue but as you approach the bride she has a bouquet of flowers in her hand then as she raises the flowers up to her chest the flowers transform into an ax which shimmers and glows eerily. A very effective and scarier scen than before.
The ballroom scene was spruced up I didn't notice any changes or additions to this scene.
The graveyard scenes are now brighter you can now see all of the figures much more clearly and they now all have an eerie ghost like glow about them which is very good, the audio is also vastly improved here with the sound becoming louder and varying with the figures in the graveyard as you pass through, the singing busts looked great and the audio was in perfect sync and the lighting here also made the overall effect much better.
The hitchiking ghosts are now three dimensional figures not just ghostly apparitions as before and again the lighting really makes the effect work.
To sum up, a great and well deserved rehab which has shifted the overall feel of this ride away a bit from the fun, corny side and more towards the scarier end of the spectrum. All of the effects were excellent, the lighting and sound is what makes it all come together, and if they get the heads on the portraits in the brides attic working as I think they are supposed to, the better. The mansion has never looked or felt better. Well worth the wait.
Thursday September 13-Opening Day
Time-2:30PM
Posted Wait Time-40 Minutes
Actual Wait Time-30 Minutes
Mansion Building
Painted and very clean and vibrant, landscaping was unkempt keeping with the overall theme of a run down place
Queue Area
The queue area has the horseless carriage back and a toppled fountain in front, the line path now contains a switchback, it is also now completely covered with a large blood red canopy which stretches from the main entrance gate all the way to the mansion. The good thing is that there are fans all throughout the ceiling of the canopy to keep you cool while waiting, unfortunately they were not working on any of the times we were in line over several days.
Graveyard
The graveyard looked pretty much the same just spruced up a bit, Master Gracey and Leotas graves had fresh earth piled on them as well as single roses on each. The Leota gravestone with the animatronic face seemed to be working sporadically as on opening day it was working but two days later it was not.
Lobby
Master Gracey's portrait is now much more vibrant and crisp than it used to be, the lighting also seems to be much better at highlighting the focal point of the lobby which is the portrait, carpeting and walls looked fresh and vibrant, yet dirty and unkept at the same time.
Stretching Room
The stretching portraits looked great, very clear and crisp, again the lighting really helped transform the experience, what was once dim and blurry was now clear. The audio of the ghost host was great, same dialogue, it's just the way the voice now carries and floats throughout the room, simply amazing at how effective this effect was, the wooden walls also creak and moan as the portraits are being stretched which is new and the hanging man above is now much brighter and easier to see than before, the sound effects as the noose drops and stops is enhanced with some pretty effective subwoofers that really pound you. The changes here were excellent, this is where the table was set to prepare you for the subtle shift from fun and corny to slightly scarier.
Doom Buggy Waiting Area
No big changes here, except that the portraits that used to follow you at the beginning of the ride before the rehab are now hung on the walls across from the line. The dialogue from the ghost host about a carriage approaching was now much clearer than before, although I wish they could have restored the complete original dialogue in it's entirety. There is an announcement by a less than convincing ghost host substitute with a message that I didn't quite hear or bother to pay attention to.
The Ride
You experience the first major change to the ride right away, the endless staircase which is a very convincing scene with staircases and lamp posts all around seemingly going on forever, upside down, sideways and on several of the staircases you can see illuminated footsteps going up and down the stairs, overall a very effective illusion and another that foreshadows the change in the overall feel of the ride.
You then go by some innocent looking portraits on the right side, that is until the lightning effect lights up the window on the opposite side. When the lightning cracks the portraits change to reveal a much darker protrait. This effect worked very well and I really didn't notice the lightning effect on the pictures until the second time I rode it, it's very, very good.
You then go by the library and the ghost piano which has changed little, just cleaned up, you then enter the area with the eyes in the wallpaper, the neat thing here is the eyes now blink, much better and one of those little details that enhances the experience. The endless corridor floating candle is now lit much better and is much easier to see and the knight in armor now shakes and moves which was pretty cool, the coffin scene and the buckling doors are basically unchanged.
Heres where the best change has occurred and the area that really solidifies the ride as being a little darker than before. The bride in the attic is now a much more cohesive and scary story than before, with you passing several portraits of the bride on her wedding day with each husband, except the husbands have no head, I think there's supposed to be an illusion of the husbands having heads but then they disappear as you go by but this effect wasn't working on any of the times we rode. The bride is now located on the left side of the ride instead of the right and is a projection statue, a very good one, I couldn't make out the dialogue but as you approach the bride she has a bouquet of flowers in her hand then as she raises the flowers up to her chest the flowers transform into an ax which shimmers and glows eerily. A very effective and scarier scen than before.
The ballroom scene was spruced up I didn't notice any changes or additions to this scene.
The graveyard scenes are now brighter you can now see all of the figures much more clearly and they now all have an eerie ghost like glow about them which is very good, the audio is also vastly improved here with the sound becoming louder and varying with the figures in the graveyard as you pass through, the singing busts looked great and the audio was in perfect sync and the lighting here also made the overall effect much better.
The hitchiking ghosts are now three dimensional figures not just ghostly apparitions as before and again the lighting really makes the effect work.
To sum up, a great and well deserved rehab which has shifted the overall feel of this ride away a bit from the fun, corny side and more towards the scarier end of the spectrum. All of the effects were excellent, the lighting and sound is what makes it all come together, and if they get the heads on the portraits in the brides attic working as I think they are supposed to, the better. The mansion has never looked or felt better. Well worth the wait.