Ride ideas for Ichabod Crane and/or the Headless Horseman swarmed in the early days of Imagineering. For example, the Horseman was on the drawing boards for early conceptions of the Haunted Mansion. And before they built (snif) Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at WDW, they considered an Ichabod/Horseman ride for the area.
But I think that it would be perfect for Liberty Square. Even if they had to junk the Hall of Presidents. Maybe they could move the HoP to the American pavilion at Epcot, or incorporate elements of it with the American Adventure.
So, here's a ride-through of The Midnight Ride of Ichabod Crane...
Outside the ride, there are prominent signs in an old colonial typeface, with a grinning Brom Bones pointing to the words. "THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN RIDES TONIGHT! The Headless Horseman appears several times in this attraction. Small children may be frightened."
The ride itself is built with similar technology to Dinosaur. The vehicles are either shaped like a horse or a horse and cart.
Preshow: Either the actual clip from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" or an Animatronic re-creation of same, where Brom Bones, in the voice of Bing Crosby, sings the story of the Headless Horseman.
Then, we're off to board our vehicles in a loading area made to look like the Van Tassel farmyard, bathed in autumn moonlight.
We set off through the autumn forests. The tension level is high. The bare branches scrape the moon as the wind whispers through them. It's cool, misty. It even smells like an autumn night. (And perhaps, as an in-joke, we can see the Haunted Mansion standing on a hill!)
The crickets, frogs, even the wind itself seems to whisper, "Headless Horseman...Headless Horseman..."
WHAT WAS THAT NOISE?! ...oh...whew...only a branch hitting a hollow log...
Then, suddenly, a ghostly cackle...and there he is...glowing a ghastly red...THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN!!!
And the vehicle spins and ZOOMS the hell out of there! There's a "randomizing" element in the attraction so we never know just how the vehicle will go, nor where the Horseman will appear...he swings his sword close enough for us to feel the breeze!
Then, up ahead, a covered bridge over a stream...didn't Brom Bones say something about the Horseman not being able to cross it? You gotta make that bridge!...and the Horseman is gaining on you...closer...closer...
And you make it across! Your vehicle spins to face the Horseman on the other side hurling his jack-o-lantern "head"--and the very air around you seems to erupt in a burst of orange flame!
...And then you're disembarking in the quiet streets of Tarrytown, to the tune of Bing Crosby and chorus... "So hip, hip, and a clippity-clop/He's out looking for a top to chop/Now don't try to figure out a plan/'Cause you can't reason with a head-leeeesss maaaaan! (Man, I'm gettin' out of here!)"
Hope you enjoyed it, and may it be built!
(A side note...I used to look forward to seeing the Disney film every year, but it wasn't till I actually read the short story--at the age of thirteen--that I went, "Oh, NOW I get it...the Horseman was Brom Bones all along!")
But I think that it would be perfect for Liberty Square. Even if they had to junk the Hall of Presidents. Maybe they could move the HoP to the American pavilion at Epcot, or incorporate elements of it with the American Adventure.
So, here's a ride-through of The Midnight Ride of Ichabod Crane...
Outside the ride, there are prominent signs in an old colonial typeface, with a grinning Brom Bones pointing to the words. "THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN RIDES TONIGHT! The Headless Horseman appears several times in this attraction. Small children may be frightened."
The ride itself is built with similar technology to Dinosaur. The vehicles are either shaped like a horse or a horse and cart.
Preshow: Either the actual clip from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" or an Animatronic re-creation of same, where Brom Bones, in the voice of Bing Crosby, sings the story of the Headless Horseman.
Then, we're off to board our vehicles in a loading area made to look like the Van Tassel farmyard, bathed in autumn moonlight.
We set off through the autumn forests. The tension level is high. The bare branches scrape the moon as the wind whispers through them. It's cool, misty. It even smells like an autumn night. (And perhaps, as an in-joke, we can see the Haunted Mansion standing on a hill!)
The crickets, frogs, even the wind itself seems to whisper, "Headless Horseman...Headless Horseman..."
WHAT WAS THAT NOISE?! ...oh...whew...only a branch hitting a hollow log...
Then, suddenly, a ghostly cackle...and there he is...glowing a ghastly red...THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN!!!
And the vehicle spins and ZOOMS the hell out of there! There's a "randomizing" element in the attraction so we never know just how the vehicle will go, nor where the Horseman will appear...he swings his sword close enough for us to feel the breeze!
Then, up ahead, a covered bridge over a stream...didn't Brom Bones say something about the Horseman not being able to cross it? You gotta make that bridge!...and the Horseman is gaining on you...closer...closer...
And you make it across! Your vehicle spins to face the Horseman on the other side hurling his jack-o-lantern "head"--and the very air around you seems to erupt in a burst of orange flame!
...And then you're disembarking in the quiet streets of Tarrytown, to the tune of Bing Crosby and chorus... "So hip, hip, and a clippity-clop/He's out looking for a top to chop/Now don't try to figure out a plan/'Cause you can't reason with a head-leeeesss maaaaan! (Man, I'm gettin' out of here!)"
Hope you enjoyed it, and may it be built!
(A side note...I used to look forward to seeing the Disney film every year, but it wasn't till I actually read the short story--at the age of thirteen--that I went, "Oh, NOW I get it...the Horseman was Brom Bones all along!")
