Haunted Mansion closed 6/6/07 - 9/12/07

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Mar Mon 12, 2007 8:04 pm

Lion Sleeps Tonight wrote:Good to hear it's going into refurb. It is a rather painful audio experience the way it is now. Also, is it me, or is the graveyard really really dark?

I noticed that too. I also felt that the lighting in the attic was not quite right as it often made the pop-up ghosts look very very fake. There were a few times when I could see very clearly that extending/pneumatic arm that the heads are propped on, anD I don't mean just the sillouhette. (spelling?) Then we got down to the graveyard and I thought it was very hard to see some of the more distant figures. It also seemed like that screen between the track and most of the figures was very dirty or something because it was pretty visible. That's also the section where the audio began to skip for us then kicked out entirely for a bit (I'm not talking about the Ghost Host who isn't present anyway-I'm talking about the music).

Post by **js3901** » Mar Mon 12, 2007 8:28 pm

when Dr. Ravenscroft and I (maybe knedeau was with us too) rode it in December, for a good portion of the ride we just heard crackling and could only hear the music/dialog from the other doombuggies. really a drag compared to the last time I was down there ('02)

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Mar Tue 13, 2007 4:40 am

I think they need to re-think their queue layout too, or at least the protocols. In July I was afraid for the first time in WDW and it was because of the way they were packing far too many people into the Doombuggy load area (after the stretch room). It was like they had no regard for the people beyond the stretch room. After the stretch room doors opened for us we were greeted with wall to wall people literally sardined and squishing against each other and up against the walls...and they just kept adding people from both stretch rooms continuously. There must've been about 50-150 people more than that hall was built to hold safely. It really stopped being a line and was more of a fight your way forward or be stuck indefinitely. I was surprised no one got injured, especially smaller children as even I, a 5'11" 190lb man was getting dragged with sporadic surges of people etc trying to push through. It kind of reminded me of those slaughterhouse videoes where they pack hundreds of cows into a bottlenecking pathway to the actual killing floor. Making it to the gargoyle chains was such a relief as there was some semblence of order, but even then it was still not where it should have been.

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Mar Tue 13, 2007 2:03 pm

I agree with everyone on here about the state of the mansion...
The audio is at the top of the list of the things that need to be fixed. I remember riding it and hearing the car in front have a certain segment, then our car would pass by silent and the next car would have the audio. It was totally random which cars would get what audio (almost like a new ride everytime

)

Secondly, I noticed a lot of props weren't working "Prudence" (the floating candelabra) was absent several times we went on this last summer and many of the pop-up ghosts were either un-synced with the sounds or noticably broken.

Finally the queue is worth mentioning also. As Mr.ToadWildRider pointed out, the area after the stretching room is overly croweded. One time we rode it, the crowd in there was so backed up, they let us wait in the stretching room while it was resetting... bad show! I think the reason they do this though is because the line outside isn't any better, sometimes going through all the outdoor switchbacks and into the middle of Liberty Square. It seems like they want to get as many people in as they can before the line cuts off the park's crowd flow and congests up that narrow walkway to fantasyland. The queue definitley needs some imrpovising...maybe a Hallway To Limbo extension?

CDAbleson · Post by **CDAbleson** » Mar Wed 14, 2007 8:07 am

Is there any more talk of adding a full Gift Shop to the Exit area of the HM.....?

Post by **Dr. Ravenscroft** » Mar Wed 14, 2007 8:40 am

Dear God I hope not, we HM lovers wouldn't like that at all. I would prefer it to stay the way it is in that respect, with the one corner shop selling mansion stuff. That is if you meant the shop should be right at the exit, if not than where?

Edit: I do admit that more Mansion merchandise should be in that area but where to put it?

Post by **rdeacon** » Mar Wed 14, 2007 9:40 am

CDAbleson wrote:Is there any more talk of adding a full Gift Shop to the Exit area of the HM.....?

There have been rumors that they are going to add a gift shop. Guess we will have to wait and see if they do.

Rich

soupsoupgirl · Post by **soupsoupgirl** » Mar Wed 14, 2007 9:49 am

Haunted Mansion deserves a decent update and I don't mean sticking some tacky gift shop at the exit. The audio needs worked on and some of the scenes need spruced up. I would like to see WDW's HM get more of the "killer bride" sublte story scenes like DL's, it adds a little mystery to the ride, IMHO.

Disneys America · Post by **Disneys America** » Mar Wed 14, 2007 2:38 pm

Rumors are it will be mostly focused on fixing the current attraction rather than adding the DL killer bride or floating Leota.

tjl151 · Post by **tjl151** » Mar Fri 16, 2007 10:19 pm

Yes, it does need the updates....the disneyland version is making florida's look bad!

Lion Sleeps Tonight · Post by **Lion Sleeps Tonight** » Mar Sat 17, 2007 12:05 am

Last night I had a dream about this. I was in MK, and running with some friends towards a good spot to see Wishes. On our way there, we ran underneath a huge tent structure(imagine the Teacups), which was actually the queue for HM. I told somebody that we have to make sure that we rode on HM because the one in Disneyland was being updated.

As for the queue, yeah it can get overly crowded. One second you're all together in one dark room, only to be herded into another dark room. It can be difficult to keep your party together.

csquare77 · Post by **csquare77** » Mar Sat 17, 2007 9:22 am

CDAbleson wrote:Is there any more talk of adding a full Gift Shop to the Exit area of the HM.....?

You think they might have the gift shop set up like they do at the end of TOT?

Post by **subsonic** » Mar Mon 19, 2007 11:06 am

csquare77 wrote:
CDAbleson wrote:Is there any more talk of adding a full Gift Shop to the Exit area of the HM.....?
You think they might have the gift shop set up like they do at the end of TOT?

I hope not, there's not much room for it, if they add one it'll make the queue look less open and poor.

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Mar Mon 19, 2007 11:12 am

I dont like the option of the gift shop either. There are already too many rides with a gift shop after the ride...doesnt need to be another one lol

Post by **Dr. Ravenscroft** » Mar Mon 19, 2007 11:37 am

As I said before I don't like the idea either, but no one can say it isn't Disney. Because Walt invented the gift shop at the end of the ride.