Haunted Mansion to Return with New Enhancements and Magic :(

[TP2000]

They didn't move a portrait... They brought a fan favorite portrait back that had been missing for nearly twenty years after she was replaced in the portrait hall by Master Gracey. Honestly, the return of April/December is a pretty big deal to the Mansion fandom, so this is overall being considered a win. They also went and enhanced the portrait to feature its original six-slide design as envisioned in 1969, which had never been present in the attraction due to practicality issues with the tech at the time.

Our Elevendieth Year and Other Anniversaries (Plus: April in April!)

It's our eleventh anniversary! Pop the corks, and let the undecennial festivities begin! We're all familiar with "silver," "gold," and "dia...

longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com

Really, the restraint they showed with this project should be applauded. Last time WDW got "new enhancements," we wound up with Pepe le Queue and Ezra's CGI Hitchhikin' Prank Gang.

That's actually fascinating.

I must admit fully to you, I had no idea she had been gone. I just assumed she'd been there all along. And I go to Disneyland regularly and ride this ride at least twice per year (once non-Holiday, and once Holiday). She never registered to me as being missing.

Master Gracey. Hmm.... I just Googled his portrait. I have absolutely no memory of him being present at the Disneyland version. I know I've seen that portrait before, but I assume it was at the Florida and/or Tokyo versions. I make fun of Master Gracey as a backstory created by Florida ride operators in the break room in the 1990's, since you rarely hear about him here in SoCal. But is that really his name? How do we know that? Is it labeled as such on the portrait somewhere?

Again, I am in no way a Haunted Mansion aficionado. I like the ride, it's fun. But I don't know a whole lot about it's history other than a few basic Walt quotes and that 1965 World of Color episode where Rolly Crump and John Hench flirt with the pretty '65 Ambassador right in front of Walt and God and the Television audience.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

But is that really his name? How do we know that? Is it labeled as such on the portrait somewhere?

The name comes from a gravestone in the MK queue (and also at DL for a few years after the ride's opening and was added back a few years ago) that was probably meant to refer to an archaic use of the word as a title for a young boy instead of "lord and owner" type master. Everyone just attaches it to the portrait because he looks like he's the master of the house.

 

[TP2000]

The name comes from a gravestone in the MK queue (and also at DL for a few years after the ride's opening and was added back a few years ago) that was probably meant to refer to an archaic use of the word as a title for a young boy instead of "lord and owner" type master.

Oh.

I still send birthday cards laced with cash to my youngest relatives addressed "Master John Swenson" etc., because no one told me that wasn't a thing any more for young boys under age 18. When I went to visit them he asked me about it and wanted to know what he was the master of. I think he thought he was like the Master of the Universe or something.

I told him it was simply an honorific, which didn't help and opened up more questions. Luckily his mom stepped in and said "Isn't it nice that Uncle TP2000 sent you that card? You just need to thank him."

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Tokyo has the bizarro version of Master Gracey with Mister (Adam?) West:

Same epitaph, different name.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Is anyone else a little disappointed they didn't throw masks on the hitchhiking ghosts? How can they follow you home if Disney won't let them wander the park without a mask?

 

[CaptinEO]

Did the ghosts become the Disney World versions?

 

[chadwpalm]

Tokyo has the bizarro version of Master Gracey with Mister (Adam?) West:

View attachment 552908​

Same epitaph, different name.

No no no...that's not Adam West....

Spoiler

 

[CaptinEO]

No

Thankful for that.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

That's actually fascinating.

I must admit fully to you, I had no idea she had been gone. I just assumed she'd been there all along. And I go to Disneyland regularly and ride this ride at least twice per year (once non-Holiday, and once Holiday). She never registered to me as being missing.

Master Gracey. Hmm.... I just Googled his portrait. I have absolutely no memory of him being present at the Disneyland version. I know I've seen that portrait before, but I assume it was at the Florida and/or Tokyo versions. I make fun of Master Gracey as a backstory created by Florida ride operators in the break room in the 1990's, since you rarely hear about him here in SoCal. But is that really his name? How do we know that? Is it labeled as such on the portrait somewhere?

Again, I am in no way a Haunted Mansion aficionado. I like the ride, it's fun. But I don't know a whole lot about it's history other than a few basic Walt quotes and that 1965 World of Color episode where Rolly Crump and John Hench flirt with the pretty '65 Ambassador right in front of Walt and God and the Television audience.

Nothing ever explicitly identified him as Master Gracey, but it eventually became canon to Disney that the portrait is of him. He's hung in the Disneyland portrait gallery since 2004, when he evicted Miss April.

Here's a pretty great article about the history of the April/December portrait and its eventual removal:

Do You Remember Miss April-December?

As everyone knows by now, April returned with the reopening of Disneyland at the end of April, 2021. I have decided not to change the or...

longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com

That blog in general is a wonderful source for some deep dives into the Mansion.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Tokyo has the bizarro version of Master Gracey with Mister (Adam?) West:

View attachment 552908​

Same epitaph, different name.

So bizarro, I made a special point to take a picture of it:

Tokyo's cemetery is now closer to the front gate. I think the hillside in that older photo was taken over when they added Splash Mountain.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

That's cool.

I think the tombstones were perfect in their meta tributes without making them a part of some story. They were just jokes. Then WDW decided to get cute and add stupid crap like the Dredd Family, the sailor tomb blowing bubbles and that other garbage.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Can we talk about how great the mansion looks now though? The graveyard scene is gorgeous, scrims either cleaned or replaced and practically invisible, all the ghosts shining bright.

The inside has been so polished and restored.

 

[D.Silentu]

Tokyo has the bizarro version of Master Gracey with Mister (Adam?) West:

The whole "Master Gracey" affair started as a tribute Imagineer Yale Gracey, so does anyone know who the Tokyo headstone might be referring to?

 

[Sharon&Susan]

The whole "Master Gracey" affair started as a tribute Imagineer Yale Gracey, so does anyone know who the Tokyo headstone might be referring to?

The HM fan wiki I found that picture from says it's named after Mike West (with no source of course) who according to his LinkedIn started started working at WED in 1980 so it's plausible at the very least.

They may've just changed the name to fit the rhyming scheme of the other tombstones (West, Rest, Request).

 

[180º]

Can we talk about how great the mansion looks now though? The graveyard scene is gorgeous, scrims either cleaned or replaced and practically invisible, all the ghosts shining bright.

The inside has been so polished and restored.

Light levels in Mansion (and Pirates) are fantastic! Shockingly dark in a good way, and very focused on scenery. There is one odd new spotlight in the corridor of doors that grazes the height of one of the walls, revealing how crazy tall that scene is compared its counterpart in Florida. Graveyard looks the best it has in years. If the scrims were always this clean, they could add those painted fog banks back in from 1969. The hitchhiking ghosts in their tableau are clean and bright, but their motion is very limited and stiff for some reason.

 

[celluloid]

That's cool.

I think the tombstones were perfect in their meta tributes without making them a part of some story. They were just jokes. Then WDW decided to get cute and add stupid crap like the Dredd Family, the sailor tomb blowing bubbles and that other garbage.

Yeah, subtley went out the window and the concept of the ghosts rarely manifesting themselves until they materialize later in the attraction was destoryed.
Now we have a queue of 1313 Dead End Drive.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

I saw a video today that they didn't even use the stretching rooms at one point yesterday. They used the side entrance used for emergencies. When I worked there that was a big no no cause well it's an emergency exit.

link?

 

[Disney Analyst]

11:45 mark

Interesting - I wonder if at a certain line length they’ll end up skipping the stretching room? As they were using them on day one for sure.

Or maybe they’ve decided to stop using them due to the inefficiency right now? I think it’s only 4-5 groups in one stretching room.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

11:45 mark

NOOOOO!!! This is complete crap!!! what is this?!!!! Disneyworld?!!!! We go through a side crypt now?!!!!!!!!!!!! this is unacceptable!!!! then to make it worse they decorate a cast member hallway with items from the mansion that don't fit the environment or colors. This is a slap in the face to mansion fans!!!!

 

[Disney Analyst]

I thought the line as well (if they run out of space) but I also recalled they had a lengthy downtime yesterday which could be the reason they did this? Idk.

Maybe they can offer two experiences… a line for those willing to wait for the severely reduced capacity stretching rooms, and one for those who just want to get on the ride?

Is that sacrilegious of me? I fully understand why they may decide to skip them… we are going to end up with a giant line while the loading area is practically empty… all due to a hold up at the stretching rooms.