Remind me about the "old" HM?

[LAM378]

Last month, I rode HM 5 times. I hadn't been to WDW since 2001, and I knew there had been changes to the mansion in the meantime. But it's driving me crazy trying to remember what used to be in place of the "new" scenes.

For instance, I know the staircase area is "new," but I can't remember what was there before.

I visited WDW with my family every year between 1985-2001, and I'm pretty sure there were some changes even within that timeframe--am I crazy or was there a (different) bride added sometime in the 90s (and no bride at all before that)?

If any HM lovers care to walk me through older versions of the ride to jog my memory, I'm all ears! It's making me insane.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Last month, I rode HM 5 times. I hadn't been to WDW since 2001, and I knew there had been changes to the mansion in the meantime. But it's driving me crazy trying to remember what used to be in place of the "new" scenes.

For instance, I know the staircase area is "new," but I can't remember what was there before.

I visited WDW with my family every year between 1985-2001, and I'm pretty sure there were some changes even within that timeframe--am I crazy or was there a (different) bride added sometime in the 90s (and no bride at all before that)?

If any HM lovers care to walk me through older versions of the ride to jog my memory, I'm all ears! It's making me insane.

The Staircase area just had AA Spiders weaving webs...

And The Bride in the Attic has changed through the years...

The 3rd incarnation was the last one and is on exhibit at the Treasures of the Disney Archives at The Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago

 

[AndyS2992]

Although answered perfectly above, Youtube is a very good resource for things like this.

 

[SkipperButler]

Starting from the beginning:

1. The Interactive Graveyard Queue
2. Madame Leota Tombstone (The face opens its eyes and looks around)
3. New Carpeting
4. Enhanced Projector for Changing Portrait in the Foyer
5. Complete 3-D Surround Sound in the Stretch Rooms
6. New Wallpaper in the Stretch Rooms
7. Reallocation of Moving-Eye Portraits
8. New Hallway with Lightning and Changing Portraits
9. Addition of Cello and Sheet Music in the Music Room
10. Staircases as a Complete Scene Instead of Darkness
11. Eyes in the Darkness Slowly Fading into Wallpaper
12. Red Lampshades removed in Corridor of Doors
13. Floating Madame Leota Chrystal Ball
14. New Incantation Book in Sceance Circle
15. New Lighting in Fireplace in the Ballroom
16. New Black-Widow Bride in Attic
17. New Recording of "Grim Grinning Ghost" Throughout Cemetery
18. Digitally Projected Singing Busts
19. New Hitchhiking Ghost Figures
20. New Interactive Hitchhiking Ghost
21. Digital Projected Face for Little Leota
22. New Speakers and "Movement" of Ghost Host Narration

 

[FettFan]

The Staircase area just had AA Spiders weaving webs...

Actually...they were originally feeding, from what I've heard. The original set up had a skeletal corpse hanging in the web, but it was deemed too gruesome and removed.
I know of no pics of the assembled prop to validate if it ever appeared in the Mansion, so therefore I'm still considering it a rumor on par with King Louie on the Jungle Cruise....however....

X Atencio's concept art of it still exists.

"Look out! Here comes the spider, man!"

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Actually...they were originally feeding, from what I've heard. The original set up had a skeletal corpse hanging in the web, but it was deemed too gruesome and removed.
I know of no pics of the assembled prop to validate if it ever appeared in the Mansion, so therefore I'm still considering it a rumor on par with King Louie on the Jungle Cruise....however....

X Atencio's concept art of it still exists.

"Look out! Here comes the spider, man!"

I have heard of this..Somewhere on this forum they stated it was man being wrapped up and it would scream as you passed on by...

 

[LAM378]

The Staircase area just had AA Spiders weaving webs...

THE SPIDER. YES. Thanks! The staircase area seems so large. It was just spiders and blackness in there?

I remember the 2nd, 3rd, and (obviously) the 4th bride...but not the first. They were all on the right side of the Doom Buggies before? My attic memories are shakier than the rest, since I usually closed my eyes after the gravedigger.

Although answered perfectly above, Youtube is a very good resource for things like this.

I actually did consult YouTube before I started this thread, but I couldn't find much pre-2007. And what I found was too dark/low quality to be of much help.

Starting from the beginning:

1. The Interactive Graveyard Queue
2. Madame Leota Tombstone (The face opens its eyes and looks around)
3. New Carpeting
4. Enhanced Projector for Changing Portrait in the Foyer
5. Complete 3-D Surround Sound in the Stretch Rooms
6. New Wallpaper in the Stretch Rooms
7. Reallocation of Moving-Eye Portraits
8. New Hallway with Lightning and Changing Portraits
9. Addition of Cello and Sheet Music in the Music Room
10. Staircases as a Complete Scene Instead of Darkness
11. Eyes in the Darkness Slowly Fading into Wallpaper
12. Red Lampshades removed in Corridor of Doors
13. Floating Madame Leota Chrystal Ball
14. New Incantation Book in Sceance Circle
15. New Lighting in Fireplace in the Ballroom
16. New Black-Widow Bride in Attic
17. New Recording of "Grim Grinning Ghost" Throughout Cemetery
18. Digitally Projected Singing Busts
19. New Hitchhiking Ghost Figures
20. New Interactive Hitchhiking Ghost
21. Digital Projected Face for Little Leota
22. New Speakers and "Movement" of Ghost Host Narration

Wow...thanks, @SkipperButler ! That's a great list. I just knew there were so many little things that were different. I even noticed the new carpet, but after so long, I didn't know if I could trust my memory. I thought I was crazy for thinking the singing busts and Little Leota were changed -- I need to find some pictures/videos of what they looked like before. And Madame Leota used to be on the table, not floating above it! That's riiiiight!

 

[tinkerblonde11]

I have heard of this..Somewhere on this forum they stated it was man being wrapped up and it would scream as you passed on by...

I had heard this as well, it's the rumor I don't think I'll ever let go until I see some further proof or proof of it's non-existence. HM is my favorite ride and this rumor is just too interesting. I had read about it here: http://www.doombuggies.com/secrets_library.php (the last section). It states there that it was near the loading area rather than the spider room. I always hope for a picture to pop up somewhere...

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

The tone of the attic was radically changed by removing the pop-up ghouls and adding this crazy broad with an axe and quips that inspire the exact same reaction as James Bond when Triple X says "shaken, not stirred" after running over Jaws. It's now closer to the Disneyland version with the f'd up version of the wedding march on piano...only without the actual piano like Disneyland. It used to be that the little guys would pop out of nowhere screaming and scare the crap out of you. Now, it's about the Haunted Mansion princess (just admit it, okay, she IS) with a screen for a face that cuts off her husbands' heads with an axe. But it's not really scary since you expect that.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I had heard this as well, it's the rumor I don't think I'll ever let go until I see some further proof or proof of it's non-existence. HM is my favorite ride and this rumor is just too interesting. I had read about it here: http://www.doombuggies.com/secrets_library.php (the last section). It states there that it was near the loading area rather than the spider room. I always hope for a picture to pop up somewhere...

Don't want to put to fine a point on it, but the fact that you have never seen it or a picture of it, is ample proof that it is non-existent. What you need is proof that it did exist. That doesn't seem to be forthcoming. Personally, I don't know. I never went until 1983 so any number of things might have been there before hand that I don't know about. I do know that they brought the "scare" factor down in the HM at Disneyland because it was too scary. Maybe it was there that they are referencing.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I think it could have briefly existed. Some people claim to have seen it and it could have been a situation similar to the Hatbox Ghost in that it was so short-lived (or undead) and no one ever bothered to photograph it in the era.

 

[Csmith041177]

This is an awesome thread! Thanks everybody for the information.

 

[tinkerblonde11]

Don't want to put to fine a point on it, but the fact that you have never seen it or a picture of it, is ample proof that it is non-existent. What you need is proof that it did exist. That doesn't seem to be forthcoming. Personally, I don't know. I never went until 1983 so any number of things might have been there before hand that I don't know about. I do know that they brought the "scare" factor down in the HM at Disneyland because it was too scary. Maybe it was there that they are referencing.

Very true about needing the proof, I haven't seen or read any kind of accounts of it outside the doombuggies website. Ah well, still a favorite story even if it is just a rumor.