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[Anthony]

...There's room for one more, so it seems!

MiceAge.com has got some surprisingly info about some upcoming changes to Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.  It seems they're finally bringing some of the magic of Phantom Manor (a clear story) to the classic '60s attraction... but is it really necessary?  Here's the article:



Here Comes the Bride
http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al022806b.htm

While Lasseter gets his bearings, there are a couple of surprise projects that were already coming to Anaheim over the short term. The Haunted Mansion is the first up to bat with some additions and changes that will be sure to send the extremely passionate group of ultra-fans into the stratosphere.

Since the final funding and approval for this project didn't clear all the hurdles until just recently, these changes won't be fully evident when the Haunted Mansion opens from its two month rehab late next week. But in the weeks and months to come new effects, props and sight gags will appear in the Haunted Mansion that will tweak a storyline that only the most diehard fans even know exists. (And that's exactly why WDI feels it's appropriate to change it up a bit, as the attraction as it currently stands offers no real plotline to 99% of Disneyland visitors aside from 'spooky things happening in a haunted house').

Spoiler alert! Read on only if you can stand to have some surprises ruined.

In the séance scene, some of the cornier special effects created in the '60s will be replaced with more modern effects. As Madame Leota continues her eternal incantations, ghostly apparitions will fade in and out as if they were struggling to cross over from the spirit world by Madame Leota's invitation. Those faces will become more important later in the ride, as they'll show up again.

The biggest changes will be coming to the attic scene, as that's where the new plotline will be most evident. As it is now, the attic scene is simply a cluttered and dusty place with a ghost inexplicably dressed like a bride with that spooky beating heart. But when the additions are all installed, the bride will become a much more sinister character who has apparently been killing off all of her previous husbands. As the doombuggies pass through the attic, riders will see portraits of several dashing young gentlemen, with each portrait piled next to "the loot" that the man brought in to the marriage.

Those portraits will look familiar as they'll be the same faces that were just beginning to appear in ghost form back in the séance circle. But a new special effect will allow the heads of these gentleman to suddenly disappear from the portrait, as if they had been decapitated in a grisly murder. And when riders arrive at the exit of the attic scene, the bride will still be there, this time in a new location and clutching a bouquet of wedding flowers that magically turns into a blood stained axe as each vehicle passes by. Fans of the Haunted Mansion will instantly realize how this alters the attraction, as it is now implied that the house belongs to this bride and she has been luring rich husband after husband who meet a headless demise shortly after they take their vows. The entire backstory of "Master Gracey" and his lovely young bride that became so popular in the last 10 years, mostly via the Internet, will be rendered obsolete.

More changes are still to come at the end of the ride, but these are likely to be far less controversial. The iconic "Hitch Hiking Ghosts" who appear in your doom buggy via those magic mirrors will make the jump to the 21st century. Instead of the extremely simple figures that barely nod their head as they appear in your car because they are literally mannequins on sticks attached to a turntable behind the two-way mirrors, more advanced and animated figures will now join you. They'll be able to move their arms and hands and really be expressive as they appear to interact with you in the vehicle. The hope is that this remake of the final scene of the ride will leave people asking "How did they do that?!" in the same way people do when they currently leave the clever Turtle Talk show at DCA. This is all part of Bob Iger's stated desire to use the latest technology to improve Disney's classic storytelling, and that's why the funding didn't get approved fast enough to install these changes before the ride reopens next week. But by the busy Easter Vacation period, these additions should all be installed and switched on.

And you can bet that these changes to Haunted Mansion will cause quite a stir from the online Disney community, which is exactly what WDI is expecting. Certainly there will be outcries from the diehards, but the Imagineers working on this project openly admit that they are aiming these show changes to the other 99% of Haunted Mansion riders who have never heard of Master Gracey or the convoluted story of his bride awaiting his return from sea. The Imagineers would simply like to create a bit of a plotline where currently none exists, and try and bring some cohesiveness to what is now a collection of spooky scenes that don't have any real connection to each other.

Much like the decision to close the Millionaire show was made after it was discovered the weekend audience was made up primarily of the same core group of 1,000 or so Annual Passholders, these Haunted Mansion changes are aimed at making the ride a better experience for the average tourist or the first time Disneyland visitor. That this plot twist to Haunted Mansion was able to fly under the radar for so long due to the late budget approval only will make these changes more of a shock to the diehards, and both WDI and TDA have braced themselves for impact.

They'll be stocking up on complaint forms at City Hall as you read this.

[Patrick]

I have obviously never been on it, but I dunno I think it should stay as it was when Walt buit it, after all that is probably one of the great things about it.  TDA seem to be wanting too many hi tec things put into old attractions when why don't they use the money and just go and build a new attraction for maybe erm DCA.  I think also the classic look of the attractions are the charm of them, well that's my view anyway.

[Dlrpfan]

im not sure in this idea. This ride was one of the last that walt  personally supervised. I think disney is going a little over the top with the POTC refit as well.

[RiverSong]

the bride will still be there, this time in a new location and clutching a bouquet of wedding flowers that magically turns into a blood stained axe as each vehicle passes by.

"blood stained axe"... The mystery of the bride is over. Now she's a killer  :shock:  I don't like that idea. Why then the heart that still beats? Maybe I'm thinking too much on the PM story, but a woman in her wedding dress - dead - and her heart goes on beating... that would mean for me that someone broke her heart.

what is now a collection of spooky scenes that don't have any real connection to each other.

I read somewhere that this was exactly what Walt wanted the HM to be, a spooky house with no real storyline.

The entire backstory of "Master Gracey" and his lovely young bride that became so popular in the last 10 years, mostly via the Internet, will be rendered obsolete.

I thought the Master Gracey-story was for WDW's HM !!! But anyway, why did they replace the changing portrait of "AprilNovember" with a portrait of Master Gracey last year, when they now want that the Mansion belongs to the bride?

It seems to me that they just change the attic scene because they want to shock (or even provoke) all the fans who made hundrets of websites about the mystery of the HM.
My opinion is that it's more fun if someone can have his own imaginations about that.

They'll be stocking up on complaint forms at City Hall as you read this.  

I hope they have enough complaint forms, they will need them...  :wink:

[The Butlin Boy]

The ride has now reopened with new effects and decorations:






http://www.dlrp.fr/actulargeus.php?id=99

[Kristof]

God that bride makes me appreciate our Melanie even more!

[Anthony]

Why does she look so happy?  Shouldn't she be crying, or is the story there much different to Paris'?

I don't know exactly how the DL mansion looked before these changes, so I'm not sure if these are improvements or not...

[Kristof]

It looks like a projection... probably the same system they're going to use for Crush's Turtle Twister and the Pirates rehabs at the States.

[Maarten]

Why does she look so happy?  Shouldn't she be crying, or is the story there much different to Paris'?

Yes it is. While "our" Melanie in Paris is the victim of the whole situation, this bride called Constance isn't. The legend tells us that she married four (?) times. After the wedding she killed her newly husbands so that the dowry was hers and she became richer and richer. While Constance is the main character in the Californian version of the Haunted Mansion, her four husbands Marquis, Frank, George and Reginald are also feautured in the attraction. In short: Constance is the killer in the story. So hopefully now you understand why the bride isn't as sad like Melanie...  :wink:

Actually, I really like this new Haunted Mansion. The projections seems really well done, and to me it certainly doesn't seem like an on-the-cheap makeover at all. I never thought that I would say this, but as far as I can judge from a small video and some images, it seems great! If this is an indication for things to come at the new Pirates overhaul and the projects for Crush's Turtle Twister, then we can prepare ourselfs for some beautiful attractions to come. At least thats my opinion. Maybe Phantom Manor can use some updates from the Californian Haunted Mansion too. Wouldn't it be cool to see our Madame Leota' ball flying in the air for example?

[RiverSong]

This is the best video I found until now of the newattic scene.
I like the fact it's a projection, she looks quite real. But I still don't like this new storyline. The Phantom Manor storyline is much much better.
And I miss the "I do"-popup ghosts. They could have stayed there although there is the new story and I liked them. But maybe they reappear someday, the improvals in HM aren't all up until late june as far as I know.

[RnRCj]

She looks spooky! (Ok, I suppose thats the point!)

I don't quite get what is happening in that video.

[Dlrpfan]

God that grin in pic 4 will freek me out any day!

[RiverSong]

btw, this is the acress that played the new bride Constance




She is called Kat Cressida ( http://www.katcressida.com/commercial.html ).

[Anthony]

She's going to be in Toy Story 3 according to her website!  Funny how Disney also have deals with people like this (such as Michael Giacchino doing a lot of Disney stuff).

Thanks for the story outline, Maarten!  It makes a lot more sense now.

The only worry I have about these projections is that they might go the way of the SM:M2 ones - projectors can't run for a long time without a "break", and eventually they pack in.  I've got the same worry for the Turtle Twister, Submarine Voyage and Sea Cabs rides too - Disney are certainly a big fan of projections recently.

[Mansion Staff]

this means that every hm is different in most ways(except tdl)