Alex Trevelyan
New Member
Imagineering has hundreds of ideas
for theme park attractions. Many of them were far along in the development process before someone pulled the plug on them, or decided to shelve them temporarily. Of all the attractions they've designed already for AK, why in the world would WDI duplicate Haunted Mansion at AK? It makes zero sense. Mystic Manor is simply the Chinese version of Haunted Mansion. It is a dark ride that utilizes new technology coupled with a unique story appropriate for the Chinese culture. Mystic Manor is a new facade on a classic superstructure.
It was also a necessary and welcome departure from what has been done before with the Haunted Mansion. Keep in mind that the classic Haunted Mansion's at DL, MK, DL-Paris represent archetype for Americans and Europeans. Anyone familiar with ghost stories or mysteries of the American and European traditions--literary, cinematic, or folkloric--know that the Haunted Mansions are built around the Eurocentric conceptions with regional distinctions for variety. It's not a coincidence that Phantom Manor at DL-Paris was built in the architectual style of Second Empire, which was French by origin, but popped up frequently in the Old West because it was new and popular during the period of westward expansion. Ditto with neo-classical in the South, or Dutch Revival in New York State. To replicate one of those styles, with one of those stories, would have no relevance to the Chinese. Thus the need for a new path. Their haunted houses are not our haunted houses.
I'm curious as to the style of the building. From the artwork it apears to be Queen Anne, a Victorian style very popular in the western U.S. during the post Civil War era, but also well-known to Hong Kong Chinese who were under colonial rule by the British at the time. The building also seems to have some exotic flourishes, like an Arabian style roof on one of the turrets.
for theme park attractions. Many of them were far along in the development process before someone pulled the plug on them, or decided to shelve them temporarily. Of all the attractions they've designed already for AK, why in the world would WDI duplicate Haunted Mansion at AK? It makes zero sense. Mystic Manor is simply the Chinese version of Haunted Mansion. It is a dark ride that utilizes new technology coupled with a unique story appropriate for the Chinese culture. Mystic Manor is a new facade on a classic superstructure.
It was also a necessary and welcome departure from what has been done before with the Haunted Mansion. Keep in mind that the classic Haunted Mansion's at DL, MK, DL-Paris represent archetype for Americans and Europeans. Anyone familiar with ghost stories or mysteries of the American and European traditions--literary, cinematic, or folkloric--know that the Haunted Mansions are built around the Eurocentric conceptions with regional distinctions for variety. It's not a coincidence that Phantom Manor at DL-Paris was built in the architectual style of Second Empire, which was French by origin, but popped up frequently in the Old West because it was new and popular during the period of westward expansion. Ditto with neo-classical in the South, or Dutch Revival in New York State. To replicate one of those styles, with one of those stories, would have no relevance to the Chinese. Thus the need for a new path. Their haunted houses are not our haunted houses.
I'm curious as to the style of the building. From the artwork it apears to be Queen Anne, a Victorian style very popular in the western U.S. during the post Civil War era, but also well-known to Hong Kong Chinese who were under colonial rule by the British at the time. The building also seems to have some exotic flourishes, like an Arabian style roof on one of the turrets.
