Rumored WDW Haunted Mansion changes...

[TheDScoop]

...well, from what I heard this weekend, WDW's Haunted Mansion may indeed get the Tim Burton overlay...permanently.

That's right, the rumor is that serious thought is being given to turning Liberty Square's HM into a Nightmare-inspired "permanent overlay" (his term, not mine).

 

[PeterAlt]

Originally posted by TheDScoop
...well, from what I heard this weekend, WDW's Haunted Mansion may indeed get the Tim Burton overlay...permanently.

That's right, the rumor is that serious thought is being given to turning Liberty Square's HM into a Nightmare-inspired "permanent overlay" (his term, not mine).

Who is this "he"? It makes no sense to give it a permanent change. This source probably means permanent, meaning it will change permanently every holiday season.

 

[TheDScoop]

This person (a former Disneyite attending IAAPA) actually told me that a version of the Nightmare overlay is being discussed as being "permanently" left on WDW's HM.

Personally, I don't like the idea but I'm not sure Rasulo or Weiss would torpedo it just because I thought it sounded pretty bad.

 

[CTXRover]

Doubt it. First, HM has a very strong and loyal fan base and any permanent drastic change like this would be a disaster for Disney (look at what happened with Figment and you know they listen). Second, the ride serves as the basis for the new Disney movie (possible franchise) being released this Wednesday. Third, this ride is so popular it has been "cloned" at all 4 Disney resorts around the world in some form. Fourth, even the holiday re-make at DL for the past 3 years is always removed after the holidays.

I hate to say it, but I think your "source" is either pulling your leg or was confused on the "rumor" about the holiday makeover. Of course I can't say for sure what Disney will do next, but I can guarentee such a drastic, permanent change to the HM would never happen. What reason would there be to do it? Afterall, it soon will be tied to a movie anyhow.

 

[Creekboy25]

I would love to see a Nightmare before x-mas dark ride, but leave the HM alone and do the nbx ride somewhere else:xmas:

 

[disneyisbest]

I think what he means that they will start doing every Christmas season. It just dosen't make any since to make it a Christmas themed ride year round. I take this info with a grain of salt.

 

[disneyisbest]

Not to mention they just made a movie based on the original.

 

[TheDScoop]

In trying to be brief, I probably wasn't clear enough. They are not considering making WDW HM's a year-round Christmas overlay.

What they are considering is adapting the Nightmare overlay for a permanent application to WDW's HM. In web words, you'd get a similar "look and feel" while not changing the source.

Since this person has actually been a show designer for various Disney parks in the past (and not simply a "boat" or "bus" driver), I rank this as quite possible. He was definitely not pulling my leg when we talked at the conference.

In fact, he analogized this to what they are doing with Stitch Escape and may indeed end up happening to at least one DL attraction for the 50th.

 

[meeko_33785]

I'm not liking the sound of this. I would hate to see Haunted Mansion being taken over by the NBC characters permanantly. I mean, I think I could tollerate having them there seasonally, but just making it into a NBC attraction would ruin the attraction- and possibly the entire park. I'm all for the characters, but there should still be enough original stories in the parks as well. What's next, a Captain Hook overlay of Pirates or a Lion King overlay of Jungle Cruise?

 

[CTXRover]

Originally posted by TheDScoop
What they are considering is adapting the Nightmare overlay for a permanent application to WDW's HM. In web words, you'd get a similar "look and feel" while not changing the source.

Since this person has actually been a show designer for various Disney parks in the past (and not simply a "boat" or "bus" driver), I rank this as quite possible. He was definitely not pulling my leg when we talked at the conference.

While your source may seem credible (have you known him for a while or is he someone you just met at the IAAPA who "claimed" to be a show designer??), I still don't ever see this happening. Perhaps there were ideas at one time circulating about this overlay, but what incentive would there be to do something like this? The only one I could see would be a movie tie-in, as is being done with AE to Stitch's Escape. But HM will soon have a movie of its own as soon as this Wednesday, so there goes that possibility. Beyond that, why do it? Again, I doubt beyond a holiday makeover that a Nightmare theme will ever see the light of day at the HM.

 

[disneyisbest]

You know I don't get why Disney thinks they have to make rides out of characters in every land. I mean originally Fantasyland was the only place in which you saw a character based ride. The other lands had original ideas made for the park not based on a movie character. Can the ride imagineers not come up with a good original concept for a ride at MK anymore?

 

[CTXRover]

Originally posted by meeko_33785
I'm all for the characters, but there should still be enough original stories in the parks as well. What's next, a Captain Hook overlay of Pirates or a Lion King overlay of Jungle Cruise?

I raised the point before, but again, there would be no incentive to re-do either HM or Pirates just to introduce a Disney movie/character tie-in. Why? Because they are already tied to a movie. Pirates was the best live-action film of the year at the BO and HM will soon have its own movie that is anticipated to do well at the BO also. Plus, who would actually want to see something like this happen? Both HM and Pirates were worked on by Walt himself, and have an enormous fan base (including superb fan sites on the internet for both attraction) that Disney would never do this. I would bet on it.

 

[CTXRover]

Originally posted by disneyisbest
You know I don't get why Disney thinks they have to make rides out of characters in every land. I mean originally Fantasyland was the only place in which you saw a character based ride. The other lands had original ideas made for the park not based on a movie character. Can the ride imagineers not come up with a good original concept for a ride at MK anymore?

Before we "accuse" Disney of anything, let's wait to see how substantiated this very odd rumor is. I don't for one second imply that TheDScoop is lying because I doubt he is. Nor do I think the man who told him this was purposefully lying. I just imagine something got twisted along the rumor mill somewhere...like that child's party game we all played where one person whispers something to their neighbor and it goes down a line and then the last person says what the first person said....it is usually never right :lol:

 

[CTXRover]

Just if anyone cares, NBC only made 50 some million at the Box office when it was released. Since then it has gotten a "cult following", but it is expected that The Haunted Mansion movie, the movie based on the HM ride, will make more than that in its opening weekend. This again supports the idea of why would anyone ever consider making a permanent change like that. There would be no incentive to.

 

[TheDScoop]

While your source may seem credible (have you known him for a while or is he someone you just met at the IAAPA who "claimed" to be a show designer??),

The first option. I've known him for awhile now.

Much thinking at Disney these days revolves around Rasulo's "four" options for "creating" attractions. While I certainly don't like the idea of HM changing, I'm told the thought process involves how to "freshen" classic Disney rides for a new generation.

Obviously, this thought process has bombed with Goofy's Country Dancin' Jamboree. But, if done correctly to enhance an attraction (as opposed to simply being a cheap redecoration of an attraction like GCDJ was), the idea has potential.

Sure, there are some like myself who don't think HM should ever be touched but then again, many also suggest that the DLP version of Space is superior to the earlier versions--even though it substantially altered a classic attraction.

Anyhow, apparently, HM is just one of several attractions which are being considered for "creative renewal" (again his term, not mine).

 

[CTXRover]

Originally posted by TheDScoop
Much thinking at Disney these days revolves around Rasulo's "four" options for "creating" attractions. While I certainly don't like the idea of HM changing, I'm told the thought process involves how to "freshen" classic Disney rides for a new generation.

This idea alone makes this "rumor" sound very far-stretched to me. How would converting a ride to a movie that was released over ten years ago make HM any fresher to the "new generation" than having its own inspired movie that is to be released in just 3 days? It just doesn't make sense. And even if HM flops at the BO, it will more than likely still do better than NBC.

The whole idea about making movies inspired by theme park rides was to make the rides and Disney parks "fresher" and more accessible to the new generation. Changing the very rides that are inspiring them just sounds ridiculous.

 

[disneyisbest]

And fortunately Disney would never do anything ridiculous.

Right?

 

[CTXRover]

Originally posted by disneyisbest
And fortunately Disney would never do anything ridiculous.

Right?

They have done some outrageous things, yes, but they were often construed as being done for "financial gain". I'm not trying to say this info is false, but I'm trying to figure out what financial gain would anyone think could come around from changing a ride to a movie released over ten years ago vs having that very ride have a movie that is being released soon. In other words, what Disney exec would approve spending money for a permanent change?

I guess if someone could provide a reasoning behind doing something like this beyond making HM more relevant to a new generation or tying into a movie or Disney character (which the movie will do for HM in just 3 days) than I might start to see another angle to this. But right now, I don't.

 

[disneyisbest]

Just for the record CTXRover. I don't believe it either. But if it should happen I would just consider it another one of Disney's blunders.

 

[General Grizz]

I heard about this SICK rumor a couple years ago.

Disney may as well ditch the idea. . . they'll get so many complaints, they'll end up putting it back.

Let's hope not. If they do, my respect for Disney is sifting like sand in a seive...