The trees in front of Haunted Mansion have been cut down

[Bocabear]

Personally, I have never understood the concept of a pristine Mansion that is deserted except for 999 ghosts. Who does the landscaping and why. Wouldn't looking spooky enhance the experience and make it seem more real? Is it still being done by the caretaker that is shaking in the cemetery. Who pays him to stick around? Oh, well, I guess if we have to use that suspension of disbelief on this, I guess I can do it.

Its not really hard to understand...Walt wanted to get far away from the heavy handed tackiness that most amusement parks looked like at the time...The idea was everything pristine and beautiful... Now some thing dilapidated looks spooky....and it does, but there is something just as strange as the pristine house standing quietly on the hill. It was a choice...and one that worked well and kept that pristine feel to the park... Disneyland Paris is the first of the Disney parks to actually make the house look abandoned and run down.. in the context of Frontierland it works well since the other buildings nearby are also distressed a bit.

 

[geekza]

Personally, I have never understood the concept of a pristine Mansion that is deserted except for 999 ghosts. Who does the landscaping and why. Wouldn't looking spooky enhance the experience and make it seem more real? Is it still being done by the caretaker that is shaking in the cemetery. Who pays him to stick around? Oh, well, I guess if we have to use that suspension of disbelief on this, I guess I can do it.

Also, the original spiel that Walt used to tell was that they brought the mansion in from elsewhere and that the outside of it as well as its grounds would be taken care of and kept pristine. They would leave the inside for the ghosts to take care of. Walt even did some PR for it on a trip to Europe where he said they were there recruiting ghosts for it. Eh, it's shaky, but it works for me.

 

[dieboy]

Makes it look a bit more roomy, I'll give it that.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Its not really hard to understand...Walt wanted to get far away from the heavy handed tackiness that most amusement parks looked like at the time...The idea was everything pristine and beautiful... Now some thing dilapidated looks spooky....and it does, but there is something just as strange as the pristine house standing quietly on the hill. It was a choice...and one that worked well and kept that pristine feel to the park... Disneyland Paris is the first of the Disney parks to actually make the house look abandoned and run down.. in the context of Frontierland it works well since the other buildings nearby are also distressed a bit.

Also, the original spiel that Walt used to tell was that they brought the mansion in from elsewhere and that the outside of it as well as its grounds would be taken care of and kept pristine. They would leave the inside for the ghosts to take care of. Walt even did some PR for it on a trip to Europe where he said they were there recruiting ghosts for it. Eh, it's shaky, but it works for me.

Oh, I know why it looks like it does, but, it still makes no sense. It looks that way basically because that is how Walt envisioned it and as a tribute to him, that is what we have. If you are going to have a Haunted Mansion have one that looks like one. The inside of the place is creepy and foreboding, the outside just looks out of place. Having it pristine does not really take away from the interior and it's mood, but, one still has to wonder why nothing is really making one think "haunted" just looking at the outside. No pre-entry jitters. In Paris, the outside looks like a Haunted Mansion, but, the inside is a joke. The western theme cheapens it and makes it anything by creepy, in my mind. When I am inside that one, I have no connection with Frontierland it all just totally seems out of place. There is just so much my imagination can alter reality at any given time.

 

[World_Showcase_Lover007]

The trees prevented you from seeing all of the facade at one time, which made it all the more mysterious.

It created an effect of “hey, what’s going on in there?”

 

[geekza]

The trees prevented you from seeing all of the facade at one time, which made it all the more mysterious.

It created an effect of “hey, what’s going on in there?”

While that's true, why have such a beautiful facade if it's going to be mostly hidden from guest view?

 

[Kevin_W]

While that's true, why have such a beautiful facade if it's going to be mostly hidden from guest view?

I agree. When thinking of many/most rides I picture the outside in my head. Not so for HM, as I really couldn't tell you what the mansion looked like.

 

[Tim Lohr]

I like it, when I was there this summer I felt like you couldn't see the Mansion anymore I'd rather be able to see the Mansion than the trees

 

[Bocabear]

The Tokyo version is interesting...they have kept the top of the facade clear but have lots of heavy undergrowth...it also has an addional wing which helps make it look larger... It is also more clearly distressed....