The Haunted Mansion re-opens Friday!

[Californian Elitist]

I get it. I agree the MK can use new rides, but I don't see why they should use that as an excuse to keep every ride opened. Splash Mt. was closed during most of my trip, and while rides did have some long waits in general, it wasn't unbearable. I was surprised that the People mover used the extended queue so much, even though the line still moved quickly.

DL probably hasn't added much capacity since 1995 when IJA was added as well, though.

Disneyland is packed to the gills. Pretty much every piece of the land within Disneyland is being used. Plus lack of space means Disney has to either take something out or do some reconfiguration before adding new rides and attractions.

 

[Little Green Men]

Disneyland is packed to the gills. Pretty much every piece of the land within Disneyland is being used. Plus lack of space means Disney has to either take something out or do some reconfiguration before adding new rides and attractions.

Yeah that's why DL's Star Wars area will likely be replacing an old area.

 

[TP2000]

I get it. I agree the MK can use new rides, but I don't see why they should use that as an excuse to keep every ride opened. Splash Mt. was closed during most of my trip, and while rides did have some long waits in general, it wasn't unbearable. I was surprised that the People mover used the extended queue so much, even though the line still moved quickly.

DL probably hasn't added much capacity since 1995 when IJA was added as well, though.

The only capacity changes at Disneyland since 1995, not counting long-term closures like the Submarine Voyage hiatus from '98 to '07 or Castle WalkThrough from '01 to '08, are the following if my memory banks are working today...

PeopleMover closed 1995
Mike Fink Keel Boats closed 1997
Rocket Rods opened 1998
Innoventions opened 1998 (re-activated Carousel Theater space closed since '88)
Rocket Rods closed 2000
Country Bear Jamboree closed 2001
Winnie The Pooh opened 2003 (used Country Bear Jamboree space)
Toontown Jolly Trolley closed 2005
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters opened 2005 (re-activated CircleVision space closed since '97)

The rest of the "additions" at Disneyland have been major revamps on existing rides, like Tarzan taking over the Treehouse, Pirates Lair moving in on the Island, several versions of the Mr. Lincoln show, Autopia building a new station for the four combined tracks, the Magic Eye Theater saga, etc., etc.

Not a whole lot of added capacity for Disneyland in the last 20 years. Just a shuffling of spaces and concepts around existing facilities, really.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

That said, I will also enjoy having the regular Haunted Mansion back. Mainly because it becomes an E Ticket that has walk-on status on all but the busiest of days. And even on busy days, after dinnertime it becomes a walk-on anyway.

Kinda like Pirates and Small World?

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

The only capacity changes at Disneyland since 1995, not counting long-term closures like the Submarine Voyage hiatus from '98 to '07 or Castle WalkThrough from '01 to '08, are the following if my memory banks are working today...

PeopleMover closed 1995
Mike Fink Keel Boats closed 1997
Rocket Rods opened 1998
Innoventions opened 1998 (re-activated Carousel Theater space closed since '88)
Rocket Rods closed 2000
Country Bear Jamboree closed 2001
Winnie The Pooh opened 2003 (used Country Bear Jamboree space)
Toontown Jolly Trolley closed 2005
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters opened 2005 (re-activated CircleVision space closed since '97)

The rest of the "additions" at Disneyland have been major revamps on existing rides, like Tarzan taking over the Treehouse, Pirates Lair moving in on the Island, several versions of the Mr. Lincoln show, Autopia building a new station for the four combined tracks, the Magic Eye Theater saga, etc., etc.

Not a whole lot of added capacity for Disneyland in the last 20 years. Just a shuffling of spaces and concepts around existing facilities, really.

Correct. The major difference is that DL can survive just fine with its current capacity. The MK can't - one E Ticket down makes the MK feel much different. In contrast, DL can close multiple E Tickets at once and the park isn't affected.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Both Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland have overlays for the Haunted Mansion.

 

[TP2000]

Kinda like Pirates and Small World?

Generally Pirates and Small World develop modestly longer lines than Haunted Mansion, which is interesting because they also have higher hourly capacities.

Pirates - 2,900 per hour
Small World - 2,500 per hour
Haunted Mansion - 2,100 per hour

That said, I agree with you that all three of those 1960's E Tickets have relatively short lines during even busy non-Holiday times of year. But Haunted Mansion will always be the shortest, if not a total walk-on. Especially after about 6pm or 7pm on otherwise busy days, a 15 minute afternoon wait at the Mansion will collapse into walk-on status for the last four or five hours of the operating day.

Until they do the Holiday overlay in the fall. Then they set up all the extra queue into New Orleans Square and the waits are 60+ minutes on busy days.

 

[TP2000]

Both Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland have overlays for the Haunted Mansion.

Yes. Which was interesting because in the early 2000's the excuse East Coasters used why Magic Kingdom wasn't getting the wildly popular Nightmare Before Christmas overlay was because it wouldn't work artistically or logistically with their different Haunted Mansion ride track and building set up.

Then in 2004 the identical clone of WDW's Haunted Mansion in Tokyo Disneyland debuted their own version of Haunted Mansion Holiday. It's as wildly successful in Tokyo as it is in Anaheim. And a decade later WDW still hasn't done a Holiday overlay to their version. But they did build a useless Standby queue full of gimmicky whack-a-mole games and special effects that have all broken and become unusable. Stay classy TDO!

Tokyo, not Orlando.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Yes. Which was interesting because in the early 2000's the excuse East Coasters used why Magic Kingdom wasn't getting the wildly popular Nightmare Before Christmas overlay was because it wouldn't work artistically or logistically with their different Haunted Mansion ride track and building set up.

Then in 2004 the identical clone of WDW's Haunted Mansion in Tokyo Disneyland debuted their own version of Haunted Mansion Holiday. It's as wildly successful in Tokyo as it is in Anaheim. And a decade later WDW still hasn't done a Holiday overlay to their version. But they did build a useless Standby queue full of gimmicky whack-a-mole games and special effects that have all broken and become unusable. Stay classy TDO!

Tokyo, not Orlando.

The stuff that was going to be use in the scrapped MK version was use in the Tokyo DL version.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

So Disneyland, and other Disney Parks share a overlay for a holiday.

Disneyland-Tokyo Disneyland=Haunted Mansion Holidays
Disneyland-Hong Kong Disneyland=Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy
Disneyland-Magic Kingdom=Jingle Cruise
Disneyland-Disneyland Paris=World of Color Winter Dreams/Disney Dreams of Christmas

 

[TP2000]

So Disneyland, and other Disney Parks share a overlay for a holiday.

Disneyland-Tokyo Disneyland=Haunted Mansion Holidays
Disneyland-Hong Kong Disneyland=Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy
Disneyland-Magic Kingdom=Jingle Cruise
Disneyland-Disneyland Paris=World of Color Winter Dreams/Disney Dreams of Christmas

Great point. But you forgot one, and it's the one that started the whole holiday overlay craze back in '97...

Disneyland - Tokyo Disneyland - Hong Kong Disneyland - Disneyland Paris = It's A Small World Holiday

WDW's Magic Kingdom Park is the only Small World that still refuses to do a Holiday overlay for Christmastime. Cause, you know, TDO.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Great point. But you forgot one, and it's the one that started the whole holiday overlay craze back in '97...

Disneyland - Tokyo Disneyland - Hong Kong Disneyland - Disneyland Paris = It's A Small World Holiday

WDW's Magic Kingdom Park is the only Small World that still refuses to do a Holiday overlay for Christmastime. Cause, you know, TDO.

or because there building of Its A Small World is too small. (pun intended)

 

[Sage of Time]

As much as I despise the WDW NexGen/FP+ queue.... I'd rather have it and WDW's pristine and longer Haunted Mansion than Disneyland's shorter and much worse for the wear original version of the Haunted Mansion, tacky overlay included.

TDO might not want to spend money on a differentiated experience for the Mansion, and I usually dislike their spendthrift ways, but the WDW Mansion is kept up much better than the Disneyland version. I'm fine with that.

If there was anything 'huge' in Disneyland that I was looking forward to seeing and was really let down by, it was DL's Haunted Mansion. WDW's feels so much more precise and thematic. DL's felt very old and like it needed a serious refurb, not unlike WDW's Mansion before 2007.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

As much as I despise the WDW NexGen/FP+ queue.... I'd rather have it and WDW's pristine and longer Haunted Mansion than Disneyland's shorter and much worse for the wear original version of the Haunted Mansion, tacky overlay included.

TDO might not want to spend money on a differentiated experience for the Mansion, and I usually dislike their spendthrift ways, but the WDW Mansion is kept up much better than the Disneyland version. I'm fine with that.

If there was anything 'huge' in Disneyland that I was looking forward to seeing and was really let down by, it was DL's Haunted Mansion. WDW's feels so much more precise and thematic. DL's felt very old and like it needed a serious refurb, not unlike WDW's Mansion before 2007.

The mansion was suppose to be old you know lol.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Although the Tokyo version needs the new stuff that Disneyland has like the projected ceiling in the stretching room, cgi jack, Zero on the changing portraits, and animatronic Oogie Boogie.

 

[Kman101]

Haven't been able to experience the overlay yet. Would like to once, as I've experienced the HM in Disneyland as it is.

In SOME ways I can see why MK's Haunted Mansion isn't changed over, but it's just a poor excuse.

There's really no excuse for Small World and Country Bears not to be changed over, IMO. Jingle Cruise sort of proves that.

Wasn't there a version of Small World Holiday designed specifically for the MK (like Haunted Mansion Holiday Nightmare for the MK until it went to Tokyo) but it too went to ... was it also Tokyo?

 

[Travel Junkie]

Although the Tokyo version needs the new stuff that Disneyland has like the projected ceiling in the stretching room, cgi jack, Zero on the changing portraits, and animatronic Oogie Boogie.

Personally I strongly prefer Tokyo's HMH and feel the projections would take away from it, not enhance it.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

As much as I despise the WDW NexGen/FP+ queue.... I'd rather have it and WDW's pristine and longer Haunted Mansion than Disneyland's shorter and much worse for the wear original version of the Haunted Mansion, tacky overlay included.

TDO might not want to spend money on a differentiated experience for the Mansion, and I usually dislike their spendthrift ways, but the WDW Mansion is kept up much better than the Disneyland version. I'm fine with that.

If there was anything 'huge' in Disneyland that I was looking forward to seeing and was really let down by, it was DL's Haunted Mansion. WDW's feels so much more precise and thematic. DL's felt very old and like it needed a serious refurb, not unlike WDW's Mansion before 2007.

So, change the Hitchhiking Ghosts in the mirrors to silly cartoon versions?

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Personally I strongly prefer Tokyo's HMH and feel the projections would take away from it, not enhance it.

I was talking about the stretching room scene, Zero going through the changing portraits, and the animatronic Oogie Boogie at the end of the ride before the mirrors.

 

[Sage of Time]

The mansion was suppose to be old you know lol.

There's a difference between 'old' and poor thematic placemaking. DL HM is the latter. "lol"

So, change the Hitchhiking Ghosts in the mirrors to silly cartoon versions?

I'm not a fan of that change in the WDW Mansion, but again, I'd rather have 98% of the Mansion experience running in top condition than Disneyland's version, which is shorter and in need of a rehab. Terrible light levels, AA animations, broken effects... Nope.