Haunted Mansion vs Pirates of the Caribbean

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

The graveyard is my least favorite, and as impressive as the ballroom scene is, it’s probably also one of my least favorites. I’d say the entire intro, before guests get into the vehicles, is my favorite part of the attraction (elevator and hallway with changing portraits). It’s always been my favorite part though, ever since I was a child. The miniature ghost hostess at the culmination appearing as ghosts come off the ride and walk out is another favorite.

If I had to pick a favorite part of the actual ride, it’s the foyer section with the floating candelabras, moving door knockers, etc. That’s also been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. The floating candelabras fascinated me. In addition, the ride would usually stop or slow down around this section, allowing me to take in the details for a longer amount of time. One thing about the ballroom scene, the graveyard scene, and some others is it’s fast-paced, at least to me. I feel the entire ride goes by too fast. Maybe that’s why I prefer the parts of the attraction that aren’t in the actual ride, because they are slower-paced.

I also love the collective guest reactions that occur in the elevator scene. It’s clear about 95% of them are regular Disneylanders, just like you, making it more fun and interesting.

Fair points all around. While I do enjoy the parts you mentioned at the start of the ride that you mentioned, the graveyard scene always never fails to amaze me with its size and scope. I become a kid again once I hit that graveyard.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I think the ballroom is the most impressive scene but there’s almost SO much going on that I appreciate it less. I think the most interesting scene is the stretching room but I stop short in saying it’s my favorite as you are herded in their like cattle and I think In the back of my mind I’m kind of just looking forward to getting out there and into a ride vehicle.

Many of Disneyland's Mansion shortcomings- improper lighting, crowds, poor maintenance are fixed by riding it at rope drop.

If you're lucky, you get the whole foyer to yourself- and your own stretching room. No being herded like cattle, and no ghost host impersonators. And since it's during the day, your eyes haven't adjusted yet- so the lighting is darker making the ride feel better and hiding many of maintenance's shortcomings.

Honestly, starting off the day with Mansion is just right, no fighting your way through hordes of families who have been conditioned by every 'Disneyland Hack' article to ride Pan first- often waiting in the only line in the park unless they're one of the first 50 people to reach the ride. And when you get off Mansion, the entrance to Splash Mountain is an easy left- and during slower days the Splash ride operators are happy to let you stay on until there's a line. My record? 2.5 hours.

 

[mickEblu]

Many of Disneyland's Mansion shortcomings- improper lighting, crowds, poor maintenance are fixed by riding it at rope drop.

If you're lucky, you get the whole foyer to yourself- and your own stretching room. No being herded like cattle, and no ghost host impersonators. And since it's during the day, your eyes haven't adjusted yet- so the lighting is darker making the ride feel better and hiding many of maintenance's shortcomings.

Honestly, starting off the day with Mansion is just right, no fighting your way through hordes of families who have been conditioned by every 'Disneyland Hack' article to ride Pan first- often waiting in the only line in the park unless they're one of the first 50 people to reach the ride. And when you get off Mansion, the entrance to Splash Mountain is an easy left- and during slower days the Splash ride operators are happy to let you stay on until there's a line. My record? 2.5 hours.

It’s been a really long time since I’ve rode either POTC or HM in the morning. As an AP I was rarely at the park that early even though the park is quite lovely at that time and I should have done it more often. I agree though. Both are much better in the day between the eyes not adjusting to the dark and just how much more unique it feels going from light to dark and back again.

I’ve only done rope drop three times. One as a kid and ran to Splash Mountain of course with a friend. Twice as an adult. We did Pan once and were in the first 20 people or so and the other time for the ROTR lottery. In hindsight I wish I would have just casually walked to POTC or HM like a respectable adult. Lol

 

[SuddenStorm]

It’s been a really long time since I’ve rode either POTC or HM in the morning. As an AP I was rarely at the park that early even though the park is quite lovely at that time and I should have done it more often. I agree though. Both are much better in the day between the eyes not adjusting to the dark and just how much more unique it feels going from light to dark and back again.

I’ve only done rope drop three times. One as a kid and ran to Splash Mountain of course with a friend. Twice as an adult. We did Pan once and were in the first 20 people or so and the other time for the ROTR lottery. In hindsight I wish I would have just casually walked to POTC or HM like a respectable adult. Lol

My friend, there's something delightful about getting to Mickey and Friends just as it opens, strolling through security, being among the first in line at the Main gate, and relaxing at the rope by the Frontierland entrance. You get a beautiful view of the castle, and an empty and beautiful park on your left and side. Refreshments are a must- I usually smuggle in a Varsity Burger Breakfast burrito and a Monster energy to start the day off right. Of course, we start reserving Maxpass's right away, so we can ensure a few hours of back to back thrills.

While families stampede and use their strollers to part the crowd, my friends and I enjoy a relaxing yet brisk walk to Mansion- taking in the ambiance and get to delight in the experience of Mansion as it was intended. During the holiday season, Mansion is easily skipped and we head straight to Splash. After a few Splash rides, depending on the day- a change of socks is required. We then meander back along the Rivers, taking a left onto Big Thunder Trail and enjoy each of the Fantasyland dark rides with minimal wait- must rides and really set the tone.

The rest of the day is then using Fastpasses and working in Tiki, The Twain, and Lincoln in the afternoon when the park is packed and every ride has an obscene wait. Recently, we've worked Storybook into our evening/night time repetoire in lieu of Fantasmic- though that one is best reserved for when ladies are in the group, so you can pretend they forced you to ride that delightful and charming attraction.

And if you do the day right, it's as if Star Wars Land doesn't exist!

 

[PiratesMansion]

The graveyard is my least favorite, and as impressive as the ballroom scene is, it’s probably also one of my least favorites. I’d say the entire intro, before guests get into the vehicles, is my favorite part of the attraction (elevator and hallway with changing portraits). It’s always been my favorite part though, ever since I was a child. The miniature ghost hostess at the culmination appearing as ghosts come off the ride and walk out is another favorite.

If I had to pick a favorite part of the actual ride, it’s the foyer section with the floating candelabras, moving door knockers, etc. That’s also been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. The floating candelabras fascinated me. In addition, the ride would usually stop or slow down around this section, allowing me to take in the details for a longer amount of time. One thing about the ballroom scene, the graveyard scene, and some others is it’s fast-paced, at least to me. I feel the entire ride goes by too fast. Maybe that’s why I prefer the parts of the attraction that aren’t in the actual ride, because they are slower-paced.

I also love the collective guest reactions that occur in the elevator scene. It’s clear about 95% of them are regular Disneylanders, just like you, making it more fun and interesting.

I agree that there's something vaguely unsatisfying aboutthe graveyard scene. Maybe just because there's so much going on that it's not fully digestible, but not in a fun "cocktail party" sort of way a la Pirates. One definite point in Pirates' favor is that you get a solid amount of ride in before you get to the Pirates, and then once the Pirates finally show up you're with them a good long while too. You have plenty of time to digest their antics, and while there are a number of figures they are spread out enough and you have enough time to be with each scene that it doesn't feel like overload. By contrast, the graveyard can feel like their mentality was "well, we have all these ideas, and only this much room, but we'll just squeeze it all in there and make it work." So you end up with one room with tons of animatronics, all with their own business they're performing, and while it's kind of cool, it's too much to process in too short a time.

I think the graveyard is necessary in that the entire ride is spent teasing the idea of ghosts, and wondering what their intentions are. While the ballroom and the attic start revealing ghosts, they don't reveal *intentions* per se and they could still be a threat to us. The graveyard, then, not only gives us a potpourri of ghosts that satisfies in quantity so that the rider doesn't feel cheated, but also resolving the central tension decisively. It could be argued whether or not that resolve is necessary (as there are plenty of scary films/mazes/etc that don't offer any resolution whatsoever), but it does give the ride a more definitive conclusion.

I agree that the time in the doom buggy is too short at DL. The extra scenes they put into Florida and Tokyo aren't all that monumental on their own, but they DO make it feel like the ride portion has a little more room to breathe, and that translates to a superior ridethrough experience, IMO. The tradeoff for the longer ride time, though, is a less impressive stretching room and the lack of the portrait hallway walkthrough (though you travel through it via doombuggy). If only Disney had built a version of the mansion with an elevator stretch room, a portrait walkthrough, AND the extended ridethrough scenes-that version of the Mansion would be unbeatable!

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I actually think the cemetery is awesome

 

[Californian Elitist]

I agree that there's something vaguely unsatisfying aboutthe graveyard scene. Maybe just because there's so much going on that it's not fully digestible, but not in a fun "cocktail party" sort of way a la Pirates. One definite point in Pirates' favor is that you get a solid amount of ride in before you get to the Pirates, and then once the Pirates finally show up you're with them a good long while too. You have plenty of time to digest their antics, and while there are a number of figures they are spread out enough and you have enough time to be with each scene that it doesn't feel like overload. By contrast, the graveyard can feel like their mentality was "well, we have all these ideas, and only this much room, but we'll just squeeze it all in there and make it work." So you end up with one room with tons of animatronics, all with their own business they're performing, and while it's kind of cool, it's too much to process in too short a time.

I think the graveyard is necessary in that the entire ride is spent teasing the idea of ghosts, and wondering what their intentions are. While the ballroom and the attic start revealing ghosts, they don't reveal *intentions* per se and they could still be a threat to us. The graveyard, then, not only gives us a potpourri of ghosts that satisfies in quantity so that the rider doesn't feel cheated, but also resolving the central tension decisively. It could be argued whether or not that resolve is necessary (as there are plenty of scary films/mazes/etc that don't offer any resolution whatsoever), but it does give the ride a more definitive conclusion.

I agree that the time in the doom buggy is too short at DL. The extra scenes they put into Florida and Tokyo aren't all that monumental on their own, but they DO make it feel like the ride portion has a little more room to breathe, and that translates to a superior ridethrough experience, IMO. The tradeoff for the longer ride time, though, is a less impressive stretching room and the lack of the portrait hallway walkthrough (though you travel through it via doombuggy). If only Disney had built a version of the mansion with an elevator stretch room, a portrait walkthrough, AND the extended ridethrough scenes-that version of the Mansion would be unbeatable!

In theory, I’d be interested in an extended version of Mansion with unused scenes that were originally planned. In reality, I don’t trust Disney with anything nowadays, except disappointing me lol.

Oh well.

 

[mickEblu]

My friend, there's something delightful about getting to Mickey and Friends just as it opens, strolling through security, being among the first in line at the Main gate, and relaxing at the rope by the Frontierland entrance. You get a beautiful view of the castle, and an empty and beautiful park on your left and side. Refreshments are a must- I usually smuggle in a Varsity Burger Breakfast burrito and a Monster energy to start the day off right. Of course, we start reserving Maxpass's right away, so we can ensure a few hours of back to back thrills.

While families stampede and use their strollers to part the crowd, my friends and I enjoy a relaxing yet brisk walk to Mansion- taking in the ambiance and get to delight in the experience of Mansion as it was intended. During the holiday season, Mansion is easily skipped and we head straight to Splash. After a few Splash rides, depending on the day- a change of socks is required. We then meander back along the Rivers, taking a left onto Big Thunder Trail and enjoy each of the Fantasyland dark rides with minimal wait- must rides and really set the tone.

The rest of the day is then using Fastpasses and working in Tiki, The Twain, and Lincoln in the afternoon when the park is packed and every ride has an obscene wait. Recently, we've worked Storybook into our evening/night time repetoire in lieu of Fantasmic- though that one is best reserved for when ladies are in the group, so you can pretend they forced you to ride that delightful and charming attraction.

And if you do the day right, it's as if Star Wars Land doesn't exist!

The day you just described would sound delightful at any time but in this particular year it sounds down right legendary.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Other things I absolutely love about Mansion are the harmless and unsuspecting tone of the queue and the fact that guests walk in through the front door, as if it’s an actual home. One of those small details that enhances the entire experience.

 

[mickEblu]

Other things I absolutely love about Mansion are the harmless and unsuspecting tone of the queue and the fact that guests walk in through the front door, as if it’s an actual home. One of those small details that enhances the entire experience.

It would be like walking up the ramp to get into Smugglers Run.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

It's hard to believe that Smuggler's Run is an E Ticket in the same park that HM and POTC are also E Tickets. Surely, it should be downgraded to an A? Or the other ones should be upgraded to Z Tickets.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It would be like walking up the ramp to get into Smugglers Run.

Off topic, but I really do despise SW:GE. I hate that all that valuable space went to that project.

 

[SuddenStorm]

The day you just described would sound delightful at any time but in this particular year it sounds down right legendary.

I had grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle last fall- and to be honest didn't realize how good we all had it back then. To be honest, I got a bit nostalgic writing that- I had almost forced memories of what it's like going to places like Disneyland out of my mind for the last few months. I remember when there was talk of a forum meet up to see the new Avenger's Campus in August!

 

[SuddenStorm]

It would be like walking up the ramp to get into Smugglers Run.

Let's not start this again!

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

It would be like walking up the ramp to get into Smugglers Run.

Sigh...we can only hope one day we get to. We can only hope. A.....New Hope if you will.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Other things I absolutely love about Mansion are the harmless and unsuspecting tone of the queue and the fact that guests walk in through the front door, as if it’s an actual home. One of those small details that enhances the entire experience.

Well, really you walk right past the front door into a sort of side door, albeit one still on the front of the facade. Still much closer than the FL/Tokyo version which enters in weird hidden basement door nowhere near what would be the main entrance if it were a real house.

Phantom Manor is the only one where you really, 100% indisputably, enter through the front door.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Well, really you walk right past the front door into a sort of side door, albeit one still on the front of the facade. Still much closer than the FL/Tokyo version which enters in weird hidden basement door nowhere near what would be the main entrance if it were a real house.

Phantom Manor is the only one where you really, 100% indisputably, enter through the front door.

The florida entrance makes no sense at all.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Off topic, but I really do despise SW:GE. I hate that all that valuable space went to that project.

Every time I see a satellite image of the park now- with that awful chunk of the raiload and rivers chiseled out of the top left, it makes me sad.

Disneyland's aerial used to be so beautiful looking- dare I say iconic- and now it's kinda bleh.

I think the original railroad layout is still the most iconic, since it was heavily featured in marketing and merchandise at the time.

But even with the many changes made to the railroad, it still looked satisfying. Here's a more recent photo at a similar angle.

Now? Bleh.

In elementary school I had one of those poster maps on my wall (and yet my parents wonder why I'm the way I am ). I'm glad it was Disneyland when it's layout was actually appealing! Just imagine this with Galaxy's Edge growing on the top left like a tumor.

 

[mickEblu]

I had grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle last fall- and to be honest didn't realize how good we all had it back then. To be honest, I got a bit nostalgic writing that- I had almost forced memories of what it's like going to places like Disneyland out of my mind for the last few months. I remember when there was talk of a forum meet up to see the new Avenger's Campus in August!

We still gotta do that!

 

[Californian Elitist]

Well, really you walk right past the front door into a sort of side door, albeit one still on the front of the facade. Still much closer than the FL/Tokyo version which enters in weird hidden basement door nowhere near what would be the main entrance if it were a real house.

Phantom Manor is the only one where you really, 100% indisputably, enter through the front door.

Yes, it’s still the front facade, which is why I consider it entering from the front. It might not necessarily be the front door, but it’s close enough.