Haunted Mansion to Return with New Enhancements and Magic :(

[Figments Friend]

Nice landscaping outside, repainted house, minor animal gags (no surprise there) including a cat statue from Wayfair with glowing eyes, wallpaper and April portrait on previously bare wall in the boarding area and a larger handicap waiting area separated by a controversial fence.

I think there's also a chair on strings added in the crystal ball room but other than that it's the same ride with refreshing.

There is also an optional alternate entrance through the emergency exit/backstage Beetlejuice hallway through the crypt where they've slapped in portraits from the stretch room and luminara candles to make it appear themed.

Thank you for the overview of the additions and recent changes.



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[cmwade77]

Nice landscaping outside, repainted house, minor animal gags (no surprise there) including a cat statue from Wayfair with glowing eyes, wallpaper and April portrait on previously bare wall in the boarding area and a larger handicap waiting area separated by a controversial fence.

I think there's also a chair on strings added in the crystal ball room but other than that it's the same ride with refreshing.

There is also an optional alternate entrance through the emergency exit/backstage Beetlejuice hallway through the crypt where they've slapped in portraits from the stretch room and luminara candles to make it appear themed.

With the stretching room limited to 5 parties at a time, capacity was down way too much, they had to come up with an alternative entrance, as the ride itself can handle an insane number of people at any given time, even at limited capacity.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

 

[mickEblu]

Nice landscaping outside, repainted house, minor animal gags (no surprise there) including a cat statue from Wayfair with glowing eyes, wallpaper and April portrait on previously bare wall in the boarding area and a larger handicap waiting area separated by a controversial fence.

I think there's also a chair on strings added in the crystal ball room but other than that it's the same ride with refreshing.

There is also an optional alternate entrance through the emergency exit/backstage Beetlejuice hallway through the crypt where they've slapped in portraits from the stretch room and luminara candles to make it appear themed.

Maybe I’m nitpicking and I haven’t seen the new landscaping in person but it kind of comes across as that too slick 2021 imagineering. The old landscaping was understated and more fitting of Disneyland’s mansion.

 

[Supreme Leader]

Went on it yesterday and wow. It's so dark in this ride I could barely see a thing.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Maybe I’m nitpicking and I haven’t seen the new landscaping in person but it kind of comes across as that too slick 2021 imagineering. The old landscaping was understated and more fitting of Disneyland’s mansion.

I'll reserve judgement but I'm also trying not to be so negative about everything Disney even if they are absolutely awful these days. It's the HM after all. If that can't be great, it's all over. I mean, at least they didn't alter HM. It'll still be the same ride and house.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

 

[owlsandcoffee]

I'm fine with a special but god help me if the Muppets ever end up in the actuall ride.

 

[CaptinEO]

Halfway to Halloween? Huh?

 

[waltography]

Halfway to Halloween? Huh?

Disney World promo - their parks have some Halloween-themed things going on over the next few days. They're also using it as an excuse to announce their Halloween party that starts in August.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

I'm fine with a special but god help me if the Muppets ever end up in the actuall ride.

My reaction exactly! This is definitely an example of two of my favorite fandoms colliding, but I really need it to be a one-off situation.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

Halfway to Halloween? Huh?

May 1st was the halfway point until Halloween, so they did Halloween-themed parks promo on the blog today.

Disney World promo - their parks have some Halloween-themed things going on over the next few days. They're also using it as an excuse to announce their Halloween party that starts in August.

I don't think anything is actually happening in the parks, this was all online stuff. And I don't think it was just WDW, the spooky attractions tour had attractions from all the different resorts and nothing is specified as to which HM the Muppets special is taking place in.

 

[waltography]

I don't think anything is actually happening in the parks, this was all online stuff. And I don't think it was just WDW, the spooky attractions tour had attractions from all the different resorts and nothing is specified as to which HM the Muppets special is taking place in.

Sorry, you're right. Nothing in the parks - they partnered with some food locations outside the parks though for Halloween-themed treats. Black Tap in Downtown Disney is serving a Pumpkin Pie shake which doesn't look half bad.

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[George Lucas on a Bench]

At least Gonzo still sounds like him. The rest are all knockoff voices.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Apropos of nothing, I did this quick Photoshop last night based on a discussion of whether or not the Load Area would have looked better with a few more portraits hanging alongside April/December:

To me, it would make visual sense to have more paintings around her - giving her a place of honor is one thing, but the wall is so long and empty it just feels strange. There are so many Changing Portrait concepts that could have made their DL Mansion Debuts along with the return of April - Your attention is already being drawn that way, so they kind of might as well make a meal of it.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

They should put some of those old paintings from WDW where the eyes followed you. It was one of the most memorable things they removed for no good reason.

 

[owlsandcoffee]

They should put some of those old paintings from WDW where the eyes followed you. It was one of the most memorable things they removed for no good reason.

Oh there was a good reason: it's not like that at Disneyland! Those silly imagineers.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

They should put some of those old paintings from WDW where the eyes followed you. It was one of the most memorable things they removed for no good reason.

I do seriously miss those. They moved most of them to the WDW loading area but they no longer stare at you, which is a shame. Personally I think they might be more effective in the queue at Disneyland than on the ride at WDW, the way the Following Busts are - you can move back and forth and see that they’re really following YOU, rather than just tracking the Doombuggies or something. It really amps up the “what am I looking at?” feel for me. The Staring Portraits would have that same effect if you could bounce back and forth and see that they’re really following YOU specifically.

 

[KIGhostGuy]

I do seriously miss those. They moved most of them to the WDW loading area but they no longer stare at you, which is a shame. Personally I think they might be more effective in the queue at Disneyland than on the ride at WDW, the way the Following Busts are - you can move back and forth and see that they’re really following YOU, rather than just tracking the Doombuggies or something. It really amps up the “what am I looking at?” feel for me. The Staring Portraits would have that same effect if you could bounce back and forth and see that they’re really following YOU specifically.

I still think it was a dumb move to not add the following effect when they were moved. Wouldn’t keeping the effect be cheaper versus tearing it out?

 

[Too Many Hats]

Went on it yesterday and wow. It's so dark in this ride I could barely see a thing.

This is alarming. Since the reopening, most vloggers have praised the lighting as vastly improved, pointing to the graveyard ghosts in particular as more visible than anytime in recent memory.