Haunted Mansion to Return with New Enhancements and Magic :(

[VicariousCorpse]

As big as a Haunted Mansion fan that I am, I would skip the stretching room if it meant I didn't have to wait in a 4 hour line due to the elevator capacity. Plus you get to see a rarely seen corridor even if it is not the best themed area.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

NOOOOO!!! This is complete crap!!! what is this?!!!! Disneyworld?!!!! We go through a side crypt now?!!!!!!!!!!!! this is unacceptable!!!! then to make it worse the decorate a cast member hallway with items from the mansion that dont fit the environment or colors. this is a slap in the face to mansion fans!!!!

. . . Calm down.

Literally every other video since reopening shows them using the Stretching Room. Even in this video you can see people standing in the regular Queue for the Mansion, so it's likely that either these people had some sort of special access to the attraction that skipped the main line or something was up and this was a temporary solution to keep the ride loading. The park almost certainly can't afford to lose capacity these days just because of a technical issue, maybe this is a backup to keep the ride operational.

This isn't the new standard.

 

[DavidDL]

This has to be a temporary capacity thing.

Mansion is one of the most efficient rides in the park, it gobbles up the folks inside very quickly. However, folks aren't getting inside fast due to the 5 party limit inside each stretching room. Mansion is at a 45 minute wait while everything else in the park is 5 to 20 minutes. Because of the stretching room delays, most likely.

So they opened and loosely decorated the "chicken exit" in an attempt to push more people through so the omnimover isn't mostly empty all day long.

I don't like the way it looks or that experience, it looks bad. But I'm certain this is just a product of the current restrictions, it won't last forever. Honestly, I'd rather wait the 45 minutes and get the stretching room.

But this at least gives Disney an out to keep running Mansion in case COVID restrictions tighten for some reason. If the stretching room was forbidden by some update to CA health, then the entire ride would have had to shut down. But with this temp side entrance, it wouldn't.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

This has to be a temporary capacity thing.

Mansion is one of the most efficient rides in the park, it gobbles up the folks inside very quickly. However, folks aren't getting inside fast due to the 5 party limit inside each stretching room. Mansion is at a 45 minute wait while everything else in the park is 5 to 20 minutes. Because of the stretching room delays, most likely.

So they opened and loosely decorated the "chicken exit" in an attempt to push more people through so the omnimover isn't mostly empty all day long.

I don't like the way it looks or that experience, it looks bad. But I'm certain this is just a product of the current restrictions, it won't last forever. Honestly, I'd rather wait the 45 minutes and get the stretching room.

But this at least gives Disney an out to keep running Mansion in case COVID restrictions tighten for some reason. If the stretching room was forbidden by some update to CA health, then the entire ride would have had to shut down. But with this temp side entrance, it wouldn't.

The fact that they bothered to lightly dress it with props is pretty great, honestly. Most backstage areas are jarringly utilitarian, especially when coming directly from onstage.

 

[dlr74]

Yesterday when we rode, there was a 45 minute queue and they had everyone going through the stretching room. But when we got in line, they grabbed our party and a few more behind us and asked if we were okay with stairs. Then they took us through the side passageway and through the lightly themed ramp. We ended up at the loading station and had skipped the whole queue. We waited maybe 5 minutes while everyone else waited 45.

When entered the queue it was extended behind the FP distribution area near the railroad station.

 

[chadwpalm]

So the crypt entrance is a fastpass you don't need to get a fastpass for?

 

[Disney Analyst]

Yesterday when we rode, there was a 45 minute queue and they had everyone going through the stretching room. But when we got in line, they grabbed our party and a few more behind us and asked if we were okay with stairs. Then they took us through the side passageway and through the lightly themed ramp. We ended up at the loading station and had skipped the whole queue. We waited maybe 5 minutes while everyone else waited 45.

When entered the queue it was extended behind the FP distribution area near the railroad station.

I'd just do that over and over if they'd let me haha.

 

[dlr74]

I don’t know if they were only sending us that way because the line had reached a certain length or if they send people that way every certain # of minutes to avoid sending empty doom buggies.

But it didn’t seem like they were giving everyone the choice. I have some friends who rode at a different time yesterday and they said they did not get asked. The standard queue with stretching rooms was how everyone was being routed.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

. . . Calm down.

Literally every other video since reopening shows them using the Stretching Room. Even in this video you can see people standing in the regular Queue for the Mansion, so it's likely that either these people had some sort of special access to the attraction that skipped the main line or something was up and this was a temporary solution to keep the ride loading. The park almost certainly can't afford to lose capacity these days just because of a technical issue, maybe this is a backup to keep the ride operational.

This isn't the new standard.

No I will not calm down. This should NEVER HAPPEN ON THIS RIDE. EVER. NO EXCUSE FOR IT

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Yesterday when we rode, there was a 45 minute queue and they had everyone going through the stretching room. But when we got in line, they grabbed our party and a few more behind us and asked if we were okay with stairs. Then they took us through the side passageway and through the lightly themed ramp. We ended up at the loading station and had skipped the whole queue. We waited maybe 5 minutes while everyone else waited 45.

When entered the queue it was extended behind the FP distribution area near the railroad station.

I am all for themed ramps around here, but this is unacceptable DisneyWorld queue logic. We don't accept mediocrity or short cuts like this. When it comes to the Mansion, having us enter the ride any other way than how the original imagineers intended is lazy and a slap in the face and disrespectful to the art that is the Haunted Mansion

 

[Sharon&Susan]

It's the way that Imagineers intended guests to exit in 1963....

 

[NobodyElse]

No I will not calm down. This should NEVER HAPPEN ON THIS RIDE. EVER. NO EXCUSE FOR IT

One night back in the late 70's during one of those corporate events, they had us walk straight up the front steps, totally bypassing all that glorious queue area to the south. OH THE HUMANITY. I MAY NEVER GET OVER THE LOSS.

 

[Disney Irish]

No I will not calm down. This should NEVER HAPPEN ON THIS RIDE. EVER. NO EXCUSE FOR IT

Are you even there? How is this affecting you if you aren't even the one experiencing it? Had someone not mentioned here and had you not seen the video you would have never known it was happening.

Hate to break it to you but Disney has done a lot of things over the past 65 years that aren't always part of the normal experience that Imagineers intended. That is just part of life. Things happen, yes its not what was intended, but you have to make due until it gets back to normal. Unless of course you think that Imagineers intended people to ride Space Mountain with the lights on, or ride any attraction with AAs not working, or any other number of things that have happened over the past 65 years.

Also this is not the first time I've seen DL use that side entrance/exit. And honestly I even expected them to use this when they reopened anyways.

 

[VicariousCorpse]

I am all for themed ramps around here, but this is unacceptable DisneyWorld queue logic. We don't accept mediocrity or short cuts like this. When it comes to the Mansion, having us enter the ride any other way than how the original imagineers intended is lazy and a slap in the face and disrespectful to the art that is the Haunted Mansion

Personally I blame X Atencio for not pandemic proofing the Haunted Mansion in the 60s. /s

 

[D.Silentu]

A random thought, but I am absolutely thrilled that they restored the April/December portrait. However, there is another portrait that I wish they would have restored. I never cared for the tiger replacement; I suspect it has something to do with her head or expression. I think the bone is a bit silly too.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

One night back in the late 70's during one of those corporate events, they had us walk straight up the front steps, totally bypassing all that glorious queue area to the south. OH THE HUMANITY. I MAY NEVER GET OVER THE LOSS.

Not the same thing.

 

[britain]

A random thought, but I am absolutely thrilled that they restored the April/December portrait. However, there is another portrait that I wish they would have restored. I never cared for the tiger replacement; I suspect it has something to do with her head or expression. I think the bone is a bit silly too.

View attachment 553493 View attachment 553490

It was changed because the lightning effect works best with bright, white changes. Changing the lady to a dark black cat wouldn't work with the new technique.

 

[D.Silentu]

Thank you, I'm aware. I was thinking that since they brought in new technology to restore the April/December picture they might have done the same for the cat lady.

 

[NobodyElse]

Not the same thing.

How dare you be so dismissive. I USED THE CAPS LOCK.


To some people, that might really be part of their whole expected experience (pet cemetery, crypts, etc.). Others might have the "Just get me on the DoomBuggy as quickly as possible" mentality. There have been plenty of unresolved discussions as to where the queue ends, and where the attraction begins.

(In another thread I believe I've basically already gone on record. I feel a little sad and disappointed if If I'm not led into that side foyer and the door doesn't shut behind me prior to the spiel beginning.)

Now, take a breath, step back, and put yourself in an average guest's shoes. You've been in a slow-moving line for likely more than 30 minutes. Management realizes that due to the current, restricted conditions, several vehicles are dispatching empty, so they invoke this secondary plan to increase throughput. Somewhere up ahead of you, a willing and well-informed group takes them up on their offer to enter through the chicken exit, which then decreases your wait time in the switch-backs.

Do you honestly see this as a problem for yourself?

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

How dare you be so dismissive. I USED THE CAPS LOCK.


To some people, that might really be part of their whole expected experience (pet cemetery, crypts, etc.). Others might have the "Just get me on the DoomBuggy as quickly as possible" mentality. There have been plenty of unresolved discussions as to where the queue ends, and where the attraction begins.

(In another thread I believe I've basically already gone on record. I feel a little sad and disappointed if If I'm not led into that side foyer and the door doesn't shut behind me prior to the spiel beginning.)

Now, take a breath, step back, and put yourself in an average guest's shoes. You've been in a slow-moving line for likely more than 30 minutes. Management realizes that due to the current, restricted conditions, several vehicles are dispatching empty, so they invoke this secondary plan to increase throughput. Somewhere up ahead of you, a willing and well-informed group takes them up on their offer to enter through the chicken exit, which then decreases your wait time in the switch-backs.

Do you honestly see this as a problem for yourself?

Yes. It is a problem. It is just as lazy and detrimental to the experience as it is when guests are forced to skip the Rey Projection room and Shuttle portion of Rise of the Resistance and are forced to go through the "chicken exit" to enter the Star Destroyer . Stepping into the actual facade and going into the Stretching Room is vital to the whole experience.