Disneyland Resort

[Jake S]

Apparently they are indeed considering it, and have been since 2021. The only thing holding them back is probably just trying to figure out what to put in its place.

Disney 'looking at' removing hanging corpse from Haunted Mansion: 'That one is complicated'

Disney parks are 'looking at' removing the hanging corpse from the Haunted Mansion ride's stretching room at Disneyland and Disney World.

ew.com

This is the quote from todays article:

 

[belloq87]

On a storytelling level, the fate of the Ghost Host is actually very important in establishing a sinister and threatening edge. And even when we discover, later in the ride, that the spirits are mostly just partying, there is still a straight-faced macabre thread running through it that begins with that pre-show.

Of course, as we've seen before, narrative coherence isn't much of a priority for Disney when they tinker with their classic attractions (starting all the way back with the extended queue at MK's Mansion, which features some light ghostly goings-on way before that stuff should be experienced by us within the story of the attraction).

So I expect, if they do replace that element in the stretching room, it will be with something much more overtly comedic and silly, done with little thought about what that does to the overall attraction.

 

[Jake S]

Of course, as we've seen before, narrative coherence isn't much of a priority for Disney when they tinker with their classic attractions (starting all the way back with the extended queue at MK's Mansion, which features some light ghostly goings-on way before that stuff should be experienced by us within the story of the attraction).

I agree with you in principle, but part of what has made the Haunted Mansion so enduringly interesting is its total lack of narrative coherence. That said, it's pretty clear which of those two halves current executives are, ah, more amenable to.

 

[belloq87]

I agree with you in principle, but part of what has made the Haunted Mansion so enduringly interesting is its total lack of narrative coherence.

I'm not talking about plotting, but more in terms of structure.

Certainly at WDW, it was carefully designed to have a clear progression and escalation starting before you even get into the queue (a little less so at Disneyland's, which doesn't have as much of a "spooky" exterior). The deeper you get into the attraction, the more overt supernatural stuff gradually gets added in.

Or at least that's how it used to be, because now you can "play" with some of the ghosts at their crypts before you even get into the building, and there's the Hatbox Ghost just hanging out in a hallway!