Haunted Mansion to Return with New Enhancements and Magic :(

[DavidDL]

Just a point of order here. I've seen this sentiment a few times before, but it seems a bit misguided.

View attachment 549375

I can't be the only one that assumes that THIS is supposed to be the front door of the mansion. We are guided right past it, into a side entrance. Our original HM has a lot going for it, but walking in the front door isn't something we can realistically hold over any of the other attractions.

Fair enough. I suppose I was embellishing my statement when I say "front door". But the fact remains that we actually do get to walk right up to and step directly into, the actual facade/Mansion itself.

It doesn't feel so smug sitting on top of it's hill, as far away from us as it can get. It feels more intimate and special being able to be on the front porch and actually step inside the Mansion, regardless of what door we are using.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I groaned so hard when El Toro Ryan, as detailed as he is, repeated the myth in his new (and otherwise pretty neat) video on Everest. Why won’t it die???

We like stories and we have this weird thing about how we want stories about something to match their perception. Expedition Everest was the last big event attraction. It was hyped in Times Square. Discovery Channel ran highly publicized documentaries about it. The complexity of the attraction was touted as an engineering marvel. The foundation story matches that grandeur. A design issue require more difficult maintaince and fighting between Walt Disney Imagineering and the park just does not. It’s so insignificant a reason that we’d rather believe the elaborate story.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Just a point of order here. I've seen this sentiment a few times before, but it seems a bit misguided.

View attachment 549375

I can't be the only one that assumes that THIS is supposed to be the front door of the mansion. We are guided right past it, into a side entrance. Our original HM has a lot going for it, but walking in the front door isn't something we can realistically hold over any of the other attractions.

We walk through the front facade. That’s probably a better way of saying it.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Just a point of order here. I've seen this sentiment a few times before, but it seems a bit misguided.

View attachment 549375

I can't be the only one that assumes that THIS is supposed to be the front door of the mansion. We are guided right past it, into a side entrance. Our original HM has a lot going for it, but walking in the front door isn't something we can realistically hold over any of the other attractions.

Thanks for bringing this up! I kept thinking “but... you don’t” in my head.

But the point still stands, you actually get right up to the house and enter it directly.

 

[BayouShack]

Even the DLP has a trade off, because though you enter through the front door, you have to go through this awkward narrow hallway to get right to the foyer.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Fair enough. I suppose I was embellishing my statement when I say "front door". But the fact remains that we actually do get to walk right up to and step directly into, the actual facade/Mansion itself.

It doesn't feel so smug sitting on top of it's hill, as far away from us as it can get. It feels more intimate and special being able to be on the front porch and actually step inside the Mansion, regardless of what door we are using.

Huh? In Florida the Mansion isn’t far away. You enter a side door on the lower level, not somewhere removed from the house.

 

[DavidDL]

Huh? In Florida the Mansion isn’t far away. You enter a side door on the lower level, not somewhere removed from the house.

Look, I enjoy actually being able to walk into the Mansion facade itself. That's all there is to this. To me, if you aren't directly walking into the main facade of the house, then, to me, it doesn't feel like you're actually walking "into the house".

To me, a foyer makes more sense being located towards the main entrance to something (It's only a window away in Anahiem's version). It makes less sense, to me, being located on the "lower level" of a structure when we can clearly see the front of the Mansion when we step in line. There's a reason Eddie Murphy and co. (forgive me for bringing up the film) don't park and immediately try to enter around the side or through some kind of "lower level". They go to the front door, because that's typically how homes/houses work and typically where Guests would be taken in.

I realize that if you want to get technical and pick apart my opinion, the actual facade may not be "far away" in terms of square feet. But it is far enough removed for me, that entering WDW's version feels "off".

But that's just me. If it makes sense to you or you love it, then more power to you and I respect that.

 

[DavidDL]

Just to illustrate where I'm coming from and what I feel, personally:

 

[BubbaisSleep]

It's a big leap to assume they don't care, even if their priorities are different.

To be honest, I think the last few decades have shown exactly that, which is why all parks have been getting attention after much stagnation & outdated rides. Epcot has literally been in “who cares” mode for decades. I’m glad WDW is finally getting some love lately though. We were also referring to trips almost 10 years ago or more, things were different. Despite the clear audience differences between both resorts, if they’re lowering the quality of rides I think that’s a problem. I would have been shocked to hear that from a cm. But before this turns into a WDW vs DL thread, I just want circle back that it’s disappointing to hear about the elevator being disposable. It’s such an integeral part to the HM experience.

I was lucky enough to see EE's Yeti in full motion in July of 2007. Every trip after that, he was Disco Yeti. It really is a shame because I remember being so impressed by it's life-like movements, it was one of the most impressive figures I'd ever seen.

I’m so jealous you got to see him in his full glory! Hopefully I’ll get to see it in this lifetime haha.

 

[britain]

Just to illustrate where I'm coming from and what I feel, personally:

View attachment 549413

I hear you. I've never felt WDW's mansion was anything other than a cool looking facade. Whereas I really feel like DL's mansion is a house with real exterior doors - I've touched them! - all locked besides the pair I'm permitted to walk through. I've leaned on its window sills, and have sometimes mustered up the courage to try to see if I could see anything through the windows (without any spook popping up at me). Can't do anything like that at WDW.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Look, I enjoy actually being able to walk into the Mansion facade itself. That's all there is to this. To me, if you aren't directly walking into the main facade of the house, then, to me, it doesn't feel like you're actually walking "into the house".

To me, a foyer makes more sense being located towards the main entrance to something (It's only a window away in Anahiem's version). It makes less sense, to me, being located on the "lower level" of a structure when we can clearly see the front of the Mansion when we step in line. There's a reason Eddie Murphy and co. (forgive me for bringing up the film) don't park and immediately try to enter around the side or through some kind of "lower level". They go to the front door, because that's typically how homes/houses work and typically where Guests would be taken in.

I realize that if you want to get technical and pick apart my opinion, the actual facade may not be "far away" in terms of square feet. But it is far enough removed for me, that entering WDW's version feels "off".

But that's just me. If it makes sense to you or you love it, then more power to you and I respect that.

Well said, Luke

 

[MagicWDI]

I agree it feels a bit odd entering the Mansion from the side at the MK version. The Mansion also looks like a well designed and great looking set piece. Very nice looking, yes, but still something that is seen from afar like an animal at a zoo from behind a fence. Something you can see but can't touch. And this is coming from someone who overall likes the MK version more than the DL version.

The DL Mansion has that ability to both intimidate you from afar and up close as you walk on its porch and in front of its windows. Very cool!

 

[PiratesMansion]

While I do prefer the DL facade overall, I do think the WDW/Tokyo facade fits better with the ride that was actually built.

Disneyland's facade was finished years before they finally figured out everything that was going to be in the attraction, and so it feels slightly disconnected, IMO, from what's actually inside. No such problem with the subsequent Mansions.

 

[Brer Oswald]

I'd make the claim that the second generation of Imagineering came close with Splash Mountain and Indiana Jones Adventure- both experiences that are different enough from Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean to warrant their place among the best attractions done.

I mean, before SWGE was built the west half of Disneyland was a masterclass in themed design with the Tiki Room (noteworthy for it's contributions to animatronics), Jungle Cruise (noteworthy because it paved the way for truly immersive experiences), Indiana Jones Adventure (revolutionized queue design, the use of IP in attractions, Pirates and Mansion, Splash Mountain (the best take of a traditional flume ever with some of the best sound design an attraction has had). Not to mention Fantasmic- considered by many to be the best night show Disney's done, and it revolutionized show design.

So when modern Imagineering changes Pirates, Mansion, Tiki, Jungle, Splash, Indy- they're making changes to the best Disney's done, and that's a dangerous game.

Tiki Room was shortened, but I don't think anyone is really bothered by that except for a few purists. It certainly doesn't get much talk on here.
Jungle Cruise's changes have yet to be seen. There's a beautiful simplicity in the Jungle Cruise's current iteration, and I hope that isn't lost in the attempt to add unnecessary story to the attraction.
Pirate's changes are largely negative- the only positive change since 1997 was bringing back the original cave dialogue. At least the first half of the attraction remains mostly pure.

Mansion's changes this time around don't seem to egregious (though I wonder if they found a way to screw something up, they just haven't shown us yet). The loading area was the weakest part of the attraction, so I hope that this new divider and the extension of the portrait Hallway allow the lighting to be better controlled and the guests to be better engaged. I hope that they put some work into the attic as well, since Constance and the half assed backstory they gave her to shoehorn her into the ride have received a universal groan from Mansion fans and desperately needs to be overhauled.

Splash is a masterclass in sound design. It is quite incredible the level of effort they put into both versions of the soundtrack, and the different variants of each song. The Disneyland area/queue music in particular is extraordinary.

Most attractions struggle to string more than a single song together in a cohesive way. But Splash has three that flow perfectly, telling the complete story of the attraction.

Thankfully, much (not all in Disneyland’s case) of the Splash audio is available on the internet. It will live on.

 

[DrAlice]

Well said, Luke

I think what he's saying is that it's almost as if someone were going to let you board the Millenium Falcon, but you enter from a weird corridor and not, oh I don't know, THE RAMP. Amirite?

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

I think what he's saying is that it's almost as if someone were going to let you board the Millenium Falcon, but you enter from a weird corridor and not, oh I don't know, THE RAMP. Amirite?

Correct. It makes no sense.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Tour of the updated pet cemetery with a narrator that has a bit more spirit than Kim Irvine (though still not great or even good):

 

[DavidDL]

I'm fine with the exterior grounds getting some new *ahem*, life to them. Walt did say, “We'll take care of the outside and let the ghosts take care of the inside” because he didn't want the exterior to feel run down in any way.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Did they extend the pet cemetery or is it a perspective thing? That brick wall separating the rest of the waiting line looks further away.

 

[DavidDL]

I was just thinking the same thing. I feel like it has to be a mix of perspective and none of us having been in the park for over a year. I'd be surprised to learn they cut into the queue space for a larger pet cemetery.