Would WDW ever consider adult scary haunts

[Wendy Pleakley]

A lot of people are saying Disney doesn't want to duplicate what others are offering, yet that is something they do regularly. Many of their additions have had the specific intent of reducing desire to visit the competition. It's no coincidence they built a movie studio themed park complete with a backlot tour.

There's always the risk of people getting upset because they attended a scary Disney event only to be surprised it was meant for adults. I think most people would understand and choose appropriately, but there are always those who are oblivious and the loudest voices can cause a lot of bad publicity.

I suspect the biggest thing stopping a Disney haunt event from happening is capacity, Those mazes just can't handle the numbers that Disney attractions do. By Disney's standards, building mazes would be a lot of effort for minimal reward. They're better off hosting tens of thousands for the current party offerings without any major infrastructure additions.

It's very different for something like Knott's Berry Farm, for whom I understand Halloween Haunts represent a huge source of revenue, even to the point where they earn as much money in October as they do the rest of the year.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Don't forget, right next door, Uni brings their triple A game every year. That is a juggernaut of competition.

Also a little proof WDW is for kids

And SeaWorld just joined into the mix too..

 

[Smooth]

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Disney's Haunted Mansion Experience - a new 2-night experience where you will be scared to death. You and your group will embark on a first-of-its-kind HAUNTED MANSION adventure that’s your own. It’s the most immersive Haunted Mansion story ever created—one where you live a terrifying experience and journey further into the Haunted Mansion than you ever dreamed possible. After arriving at you Disney Resort you will be transported to the Haunted Mansion in a creepy coach driven by a Headless Horseman. After you arrive, your Ghost Host will escort you to your room. Throughout the Mansion, you’ll interact with a spooky collection of characters, sit down in the Ballroom and have dinner with ghosts.
As the evening continues, you’ll take the story further and deeper. Of course, every night will be a dark and stormy night. Explore the Haunted Mansion like you've always wanted to. But, BEWARE OF HITCHHIKING GHOSTS! And don't forget to bring your Death Certificate.
Only $2000.00 per person

 

[jloucks]

​

Disney's Haunted Mansion Experience - a new 2-night experience where you will be scared to death. You and your group will embark on a first-of-its-kind HAUNTED MANSION adventure that’s your own. It’s the most immersive Haunted Mansion story ever created—one where you live a terrifying experience and journey further into the Haunted Mansion than you ever dreamed possible. After arriving at you Disney Resort you will be transported to the Haunted Mansion in a creepy coach driven by a Headless Horseman. After you arrive, your Ghost Host will escort you to your room. Throughout the Mansion, you’ll interact with a spooky collection of characters, sit down in the Ballroom and have dinner with ghosts.
As the evening continues, you’ll take the story further and deeper. Of course, every night will be a dark and stormy night. Explore the Haunted Mansion like you've always wanted to. But, BEWARE OF HITCHHIKING GHOSTS! And don't forget to bring your Death Certificate.
Only $2000.00 per person

 

[mf1972]

​

Disney's Haunted Mansion Experience - a new 2-night experience where you will be scared to death. You and your group will embark on a first-of-its-kind HAUNTED MANSION adventure that’s your own. It’s the most immersive Haunted Mansion story ever created—one where you live a terrifying experience and journey further into the Haunted Mansion than you ever dreamed possible. After arriving at you Disney Resort you will be transported to the Haunted Mansion in a creepy coach driven by a Headless Horseman. After you arrive, your Ghost Host will escort you to your room. Throughout the Mansion, you’ll interact with a spooky collection of characters, sit down in the Ballroom and have dinner with ghosts.
As the evening continues, you’ll take the story further and deeper. Of course, every night will be a dark and stormy night. Explore the Haunted Mansion like you've always wanted to. But, BEWARE OF HITCHHIKING GHOSTS! And don't forget to bring your Death Certificate.
Only $2000.00 per person

i think the price tag scares me more than the proposed experience will

 

[Animaniac93-98]

​

Disney's Haunted Mansion Experience - a new 2-night experience where you will be scared to death. You and your group will embark on a first-of-its-kind HAUNTED MANSION adventure that’s your own. It’s the most immersive Haunted Mansion story ever created—one where you live a terrifying experience and journey further into the Haunted Mansion than you ever dreamed possible. After arriving at you Disney Resort you will be transported to the Haunted Mansion in a creepy coach driven by a Headless Horseman. After you arrive, your Ghost Host will escort you to your room. Throughout the Mansion, you’ll interact with a spooky collection of characters, sit down in the Ballroom and have dinner with ghosts.
As the evening continues, you’ll take the story further and deeper. Of course, every night will be a dark and stormy night. Explore the Haunted Mansion like you've always wanted to. But, BEWARE OF HITCHHIKING GHOSTS! And don't forget to bring your Death Certificate.
Only $2000.00 per person

This is more appealing to me than the Starcruiser.

 

[FutureCEO]

I think in this country most people suffer from some degree of sign fatigue, with a warning sign of some sort on just about everything from guns to granola it gets to a point that people don't bother to read the signs anymore.

Stupidity more like it. When I worked at Scrubway, we didn't have internet for a whole week. We had 3 signs in the small store saying we couldn't take any cards. What did some people do? Try to give us a card.

Subway = Scrubway

 

[Tom P.]

You do have the option of not attending if they ever made something like this.

Of course. It's not like this is a hill I'm going to die on. It's not exactly high priority for me. I'm just stating that my personal opinion is I would prefer Disney not do an event like this. That's all.

 

[Afterthought]

What would the real point be? From Disney's perspective they would have to spend money to create a new event, that is to serve a niche of a niche, of a niche market.

You would be asking to create an event that is not as extreme as HHN, but scarier than MMNSHP. Why go through all the efforts for such a small demographic?

The demographic who would appreciate this is bigger than you realize. There are many young adults and marrieds who love Disney and would attend these events if they happened. Consider also the families with middle school and above age children. Keeping these haunts scarier than MK but less violent than Universal would appeal to those families wanting a little more spook than what MK offers. Then you have the college age.
Universal, Six Flags, Cedar Point, Busch, and so many others, if you want Halloween fun it pretty much leaves out the children because being too frightening. At WDW now it is aimed only at families. But with this idea WDW steps up and broadens its audience, keeping family friendly at one park and a bit more scares at another down the road on property.

Remember that scene in Great Movie Ride we all love when you ride through slowly in the dark and the Alien is hiding? Imagine a walkthrough maze like that at Studios where it actually jumps out for scares, nothing violent or bloody, but fun for teens and above to enjoy a Halloween event? Or a scare zone in Galaxy Edge? I think it would be popular.

 

[Afterthought]

I can see an separately ticketed/self contained haunted house at Disney Springs.

Yes this could work too!

 

[Afterthought]

And part of Uni is Citywalk. Kudos to them enacting teenager curfew with exceptions during the weekend due to local kids creating trouble at Citywalk.

What happened at CityWalk? I remember hearing about troubles at Knotts and Six Flags recently, but never Universal.

 

[Lilofan]

Working in the haunt industry, I can see an separately ticketed/self contained haunted house at Disney Springs. Just have a small "Scare Zone" in front of and near the attraction. They could get customers from all over who wouldn't need to pay for a park admission. This would also bring more foot traffic (and money) to the stores there.
Doing things this way would keep the family image of the parks clean, yet still have a practical competition to HHN.

Wonder of Life building in Epcot maybe is haunted. So far its just being used for festivals.

 

[Lilofan]

What happened at CityWalk? I remember hearing about troubles at Knotts and Six Flags recently, but never Universal.

Local kids creating trouble fighting in parking garage and police got involved. No one under 18 allowed in CityWalk weekend nights except if seeing a movie, staying at a Uni resort or escorted by someone 18 years old and older.

 

[Afterthought]

Was looking through the list of FOX horror movies, which are technically Disney movies now. Many of these have a opportunity for good scare houses and mazes without including violence or killings in theme that would be bad for the WDW name.
Alien, Predator, The Fly, those could easily be just where things jump out as guests walk through.
Invaders From Mars would fit perfect with the Sci Fi Drive In restaurant theme and area.
Poltergeist another haunted house walkthrough with scares could be a possibility.
The Omen maybe but they would need to remove the Satan factor and just make it scares in a house. Many of Omens theme would not fit at a WDW event even for adults, but could still work as a haunt.

Still also could use Disney recognized IP like a journey through Hades underworld from Hercules, the wicked queen's castle from Snow White, or a Star Wars themed zone in Galaxy's Edge. There are many possibilities. I know unlikely for any of this but fun to imagine and hope someday.

 

[Sandersfeld]

some days at the parks are scary enough

 

[Prince-1]

Local kids creating trouble fighting in parking garage and police got involved. No one under 18 allowed in CityWalk weekend nights except if seeing a movie, staying at a Uni resort or escorted by someone 18 years old and older.

So basically anyone under 18 can be there on the weekends.

 

[Lilofan]

So basically anyone under 18 can be there on the weekends.

True except the local street kids coming from the nearby seedy part of Orlando on bikes are not allowed to continue their trouble.

 

[Jrb1979]

True except the local street kids coming from the nearby seedy part of Orlando on bikes are not allowed to continue their trouble.

I have never seen any issues when I have gone to Universal.

 

[Lilofan]

I have never seen any issues when I have gone to Universal.

Perhaps not when you were there but there is a reason why the weekend curfew was enacted, Uni just didn’t create curfew for no reason.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Working in the haunt industry, I can see an separately ticketed/self contained haunted house at Disney Springs.

They also have a year round haunt at Old Town called Mortem Manor..