Haunted Mansion | Love it, hate it or update it? | Magic Kingdom - 10/31

[*NikkiBell*]

Join Craig and Oliver as they take a Halloween day ride on the Haunted Mansion, and then share their very important opinions on it!

 

[samsteele]

I love HM as it is. Its a classic & I always find some different, neat little detail each time I ride it. I wouldn't mind seeing the Hat Box Ghost come to Orlando. It would be something new-ish without messing with the timelessness of the attraction. One imagineering detail that I always make sure to check out every time I ride are the classy little bats on the queue posts just as you are getting ready to board your doom buggy. A hallmark of the incredible thought & detail that went into this attraction.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

@samsteele - Remember the whole "touch the slipper and think of me" conversation we had before your trip? One of the earlier evolutions of that idea was to touch the bat heads - thought of by a teenage girl that loved HM. It was deiced to pick something more "permanent", since those could be moved if the queue was longer/shorter/different, or if one got damaged or something. But I've always thought of her when going on HM and seeing, and now I'll think of you too!

Love HM, and the classicness, but also love the updates that took place a few years ago, felt they were very well done, and blended well with the original stuff.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

Best ride in the parks still!

 

[pjweaver]

HM was one of the rides we rode as part of the Keys to the Kingdom tour. I learned so many tiny details many people will see.

I will be fine with Disney updating the Haunted Mansion AFTER they change Small World into a Frozen themed ride.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

One of my favorites!! We had limited time in the parks last week and I still found time to ride it twice.

 

[ChesapeakeTechie]

Classic ride and always finding something new. A few years ago during Halloween they had a Friendly Ghost sitting in the garden chatting to folks in line. It was great!!

 

[Tonyz]

I skipped when they talked about Pepper's Ghost so I might have missed it, but what is the Hat Box Ghost?

And I agree with Craig. I think the new features of these attractions with the magicbands are ridiculously stupid. I don't feel special if I see my name on It's a Small World. However, I do like the new Hitchhiking Ghosts, but would be totally fine if they changed it back to the classic ending.

 

[samsteele]

but what is the Hat Box Ghost?

Here's a Disney Parks youtube video showing Disneyland's Hat Box Ghost.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I wouldn't mind a hatbox ghost but HM is one of those rides that you can't mess with too much or it will lose its charm.

 

[Rasmussen]

Love it. Don't touch it! I don't know if it is nostalgia or what but I think the "adjustments" they make to these classic attractions tend to not be for the better when it comes to HM.

"Constance" (the bride in the attic) is more technologically impressive than the bride that preceded her, but I think the dialogue that they've introduced into the attic area diminishes the scene. There is a certain amount of dramatic tension that occurs when you go through the scene without being interrupted allows the mind to wander and come up with its own stories. Now the dialogue forces us into one story. A good example of the opposite still in existence is the first part of the ride (the hallway, the ghost piano player, the ballroom) that doesn't have a narrative other than the GH giving us some general background on the building itself. There is enough detail there that our minds scramble to put together a story and I think that's part of the reason the attraction is loved so much.

Hatbox ghost is fine as long as they stick to the original intent of keeping him nonvocal and just another ghost along the tour. In DL, it's my understanding that he has a muted laugh of some type as his head moves back and forth.

 

[Doxycycline]

A trip to WDW is not complete for me without riding through the Haunted Mansion at LEAST five times.

 

[samsteele]

Have you ever ridden HM all by yourself? I don't just mean being a single rider in your doom buggy but literally being the only one on the ride? This happened to me about 2 yrs ago. I rope dropped & rushed straight for HM instead of POC or 7DMT. I really wanted to ride at least x2 that day & it was supposed to be a high crowd day. I never thought I'd be the only one first thing in the a.m. I just thought there would be fewer people. It was a bit creepy but not completely freaky. At least it didn't break down in the graveyard scene. A smooth, no glitch ride. Much, much better than being on POC by myself.

 

[Doxycycline]

Have you ever ridden HM all by yourself? I don't just mean being a single rider in your doom buggy but literally being the only one on the ride? This happened to me about 2 yrs ago. I rope dropped & rushed straight for HM instead of POC or 7DMT. I really wanted to ride at least x2 that day & it was supposed to be a high crowd day. I never thought I'd be the only one first thing in the a.m. I just thought there would be fewer people. It was a bit creepy but not completely freaky. At least it didn't break down in the graveyard scene. A smooth, no glitch ride. Much, much better than being on POC by myself.

Goals, tbqh.

Has happened to me on Pirates of the Caribbean, though. It was weird given how wide open the ride is, that and being completely surrounded by water.

 

[dwheaton]

Love it. It holds up better than almost everything else, even Pirates. The updates have also made it better over the years.

 

[toonaspie]

Have you ever ridden HM all by yourself? I don't just mean being a single rider in your doom buggy but literally being the only one on the ride? This happened to me about 2 yrs ago. I rope dropped & rushed straight for HM instead of POC or 7DMT. I really wanted to ride at least x2 that day & it was supposed to be a high crowd day. I never thought I'd be the only one first thing in the a.m. I just thought there would be fewer people. It was a bit creepy but not completely freaky. At least it didn't break down in the graveyard scene. A smooth, no glitch ride. Much, much better than being on POC by myself.

That sounds awesome! I would love for this to happen to me (especially at night).

I would love to see a true holiday version of this ride (NOT Nightmare Before Xmas) that embodies the spirit of Christmas in creepy Haunted Mansion fashion.

 

[pjweaver]

Have you ever ridden HM all by yourself? I don't just mean being a single rider in your doom buggy but literally being the only one on the ride? This happened to me about 2 yrs ago. I rope dropped & rushed straight for HM instead of POC or 7DMT. I really wanted to ride at least x2 that day & it was supposed to be a high crowd day. I never thought I'd be the only one first thing in the a.m. I just thought there would be fewer people. It was a bit creepy but not completely freaky. At least it didn't break down in the graveyard scene. A smooth, no glitch ride. Much, much better than being on POC by myself.

I need to do this, especially now that there is always light from a cell phone somewhere near me and people who feel the need to talk behind me.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

I need to do this, especially now that there is always light from a cell phone somewhere near me and people who feel the need to talk behind me.

Ugh! That always drives me CRAZY!! So rude, and uncaring of those around you!! Unless it's an absolute emergency, there is NO excuse for this selfish and self-absorbed behavior - not in WDW, or anywhere else!!

 

[Phdmama06]

I need to do this, especially now that there is always light from a cell phone somewhere near me and people who feel the need to talk behind me.

Yes. I ALWAYS seem to get stuck next to the group that has a cell phone with flash going off or video lights or that is making loud, obnoxious commentary throughout the whole ride. Nobody should ever ride the HM with me for that reason!!

I like the attraction as it is! I wouldn't say no to the addition of a Hatbox ghost though. I didn't notice the MB features at all when I rode it last week, so I guess that says a lot for their ROI on the MB technology there...