The New Hitchhiking Ghosts

[Amy]

I got to preview it yesterday guys and I can't say much because I don't want to get in any type of trouble but I must say I liked it and was very impressed

Yay ~ aren't you lucky!! That's awesome that you were one of the lucky ones

[mindflipper]

I got to preview it yesterday guys and I can't say much because I don't want to get in any type of trouble but I must say I liked it and was very impressed

If you can't tell us what's in the ride, can you read this:

Here is a SPOILER ALERT on the end of the ride, if you want...

http://www.insidethemagic.net/2011/03/p ... on-finale/

...and tell us what it has gotten totally wrong? That way, we can at least dispel the rumors are getting wrong...

[Polynesian Princess]

Spaceship Earth has that facial recognition software, but sometimes it is very poor at cropping the face to be used later in the video cartoon of the future. I just hope whatever "interactive" technology is more thoroughly tested than that was.

I think it will likely work better on HM because as the article (or the comments? Can't remember) mentioned, having the controlled black background lets the software easily select the head. Because the "background" (the back of the doom buggy) is moving with you, it seems like that would be easier than SE where you're moving but the background isn't, plus the people ahead of you and behind you, and the lights around. Plus from what I've seen, SE does a pretty good job typically unless you do something to mess with it (like when I put bunny ears on my husband ).

But I'm still wondering because the article doesn't really say, but will it be with a stationary picture or will it still have the mirror effect where they're playing with you while you're moving? I'm assuming the stationary because the "mirror" (which would have to be a video screen) would be pretty complex.

[Wizzard419]

I've seen interactive projections that work as manipulated reflections (as in real-time video playback), so hopefully that is what they used.

[Polynesian Princess]

That would be much cooler! How well do they cope with people turning their heads or trying to "get away"?

[Wizzard419]

The ones I have seen work fine, think of it like a kinect (though I don't know if they are going to use depth since everyone is in a locked field) the program picks up a skeleton and adjusts animations. They actually could just strap 3 kinect cameras on if they really wanted to. The only challenge will be how it copes with the long days.

[Polynesian Princess]

I've never seen the Kinect in person, so I appreciate the explanation of how it works. I guess it will be interesting to see what secondary option they'll have in place for when the effect isn't operating properly. Probably just the floating ghosts like are there currently?

[Wizzard419]

The kinect is actually a bit of a surprise, I bought a second one to use in my home office, aside from fun stuff they are using it for medical research now too, kind of like how the government uses PS3's to make "supercomputers".

As for what will happen if the system has an error... the old ghosts are likely gone so they may be able to just run a video or something in place just no interactive element.

[MansionButler]

I really hope to be able to get to Disney World again sometime this summer. Definitely want to see this since HM is an amazing classic that seems to only get better as time goes on.

ITA. For so long, WDW's HM was a pale imitation of DL's. No longer!

Now when was the MK Mansion a pale imitation? For most of the two rides' histories, they were mostly the same, with the library and portrait chamber being something you walked through in Anaheim, and Orlando being a longer ride. The main difference was the exterior, and that's more a preference thing, not one being a pale comparison of the other. They even went back and forth in which one was in better condition. They were just way to similar for one to be markedly inferior to the other, and, if anything, I would think the longer ride (and no exit escalator) would win.

Disneyland took a step ahead with the uber refurb, but that wasn't a long period of time. It was only a couple years before MK got the same refurb, plus the new Grand Staircase (with a better Leota, but DL has since gotten that Leota and I'm sure 99% of the guests were unaware of the difference, anyway).

There are differences. They are especially apparent when you spend every day in one of the rides, but I don't know how MK was for so long a pale imitation. It was more like a nearly complete copy thanks to being built at the same time, and lagged behind for a couple years because the refurbs came at different times.

MK now has a queue that that DL doesn't, but that hasn't been met with universal acclaim (not saying it deserves hate, but it gets it), and the new HHGs coming, but I'll bet DL gets those before too long.

[Polynesian Princess]

The kinect is actually a bit of a surprise, I bought a second one to use in my home office, aside from fun stuff they are using it for medical research now too, kind of like how the government uses PS3's to make "supercomputers".

As for what will happen if the system has an error... the old ghosts are likely gone so they may be able to just run a video or something in place just no interactive element.

I meant the transitional ones that are there currently, not the traditional ones.

[Mr.ToadWildRider]

I really hope to be able to get to Disney World again sometime this summer. Definitely want to see this since HM is an amazing classic that seems to only get better as time goes on.

ITA. For so long, WDW's HM was a pale imitation of DL's. No longer!

Now when was the MK Mansion a pale imitation? For most of the two rides' histories, they were mostly the same, with the library and portrait chamber being something you walked through in Anaheim, and Orlando being a longer ride. The main difference was the exterior, and that's more a preference thing, not one being a pale comparison of the other. They even went back and forth in which one was in better condition. They were just way to similar for one to be markedly inferior to the other, and, if anything, I would think the longer ride (and no exit escalator) would win.

I have to agree. I always liked WDW's HM better than DL's. If you were talking Pirates I would entirely agree with WDW being a "pale imitation" of DL but not HM. I like the library scene! Some people think the actual elevator effect of DL makes it better but I don't think that really adds much personally. Plus I like WDW's exterior better, its perhaps less "authentic" as a haunted house but it's more fun as what a traditional haunted house should look like. It's a matter of preference as MansionButler wrote

[mindflipper]

I like both, but I gotta admit, IMHO DLR's HM edges out because it gets visited by Jack Skellington for 13 weeks of the year...

[Wizzard419]

It's kind of weird how you barely notice that the regular haunted mansion is gone for almost half a year because of HMH and you don't mind at all.

[Mr.ToadWildRider]

It's kind of weird how you barely notice that the regular haunted mansion is gone for almost half a year because of HMH and you don't mind at all.

I feel like I would mind it greatly. I don't particularly care for Nightmare Before Christmas and I very much care for the Haunted Mansion.

[Wizzard419]

Ah, then you will only want to come to Disneyland between Feb and Aug, otherwise you would be unhappy.