Disneyland Resort

[malice]

Yup, I anticipate some announcements will be made at D23.

 

[UniversalSicard]

Great thing about disneys 60th anniversary the hatbox ghost is returning to the haunted mansion for people who don't know who that is its a character who lasted on the ride only for 3 days because of technical difficulties which brings me to my next speculation pirates of the carribean got their update with the jack sparrow character when the movie came out and the new haunted mansion movie by Guillermo del toro is coming out and the actor doug jones is supposed to play the hatbox could it be that there going to use doug jones hatbox character to be in the ride

 

[Alexshow.]

...First off, hes not going to play the character from a speaking sense but more a Body and facial. If he does lend his voice then I'll take that back but we'll see; especially as Ryan Gosling is going to be the lead from what it seems. Also, no way in hell this will take over the 60th Hattie. I think this Hattie is permanent and if we do get any tie-in to the film; I'm not expecting it to be big and more just a promotional piece like a Green carpet premier of the film.

 

[Freak]

According to Mouse Planet, construction permits have been filed and a temporary construction trailer has been set up behind Hollywood land. It sounds like work may be underway for DCA's rumored Marvel expansion soon.

http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?218458-Imagineers-setting-up-construction-office-behind-Hollywoodland

 

[Allen The Actor]

Or it has something to do with the adjacent construction project for the Luigi ride reimagining.

Any type of Marvel land in DCA sounds dumb IMO. Doesn't fit the theme of the park or the land. Hollywood land is trying to establish a classic golden age of Hollywood theme. It'll probably be the next project after Condor Flats.

 

[Ryan]

According to Mouse Planet, construction permits have been filed and a temporary construction trailer has been set up behind Hollywood land. It sounds like work may be underway for DCA's rumored Marvel expansion soon.

http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?218458-Imagineers-setting-up-construction-office-behind-Hollywoodland

It's for the new Luigi's ride.

And I am really cautious about the hatbox ghost. They need to radically redo the attic scene to make him work. We'll see next month...

 

[Allen The Actor]

^ what exactly are you cautious about...?

It's kind of even obvious where he'll be located. Since January, right before exiting the attic, there's this new random wall with a lenticular window. Looks extremely temporary. His installation will probably be behind it.

 

[Miss Betty Juice]

^ what exactly are you cautious about...?

It's kind of even obvious where he'll be located. Since January, right before exiting the attic, there's this new random wall with a lenticular window. Looks extremely temporary. His installation will probably be behind it.

That's what my hubby thinks. I was leaning towards that side of the track where the actual hat rack is.

 

[William]

I think Brover's cautious stance comes from the build-up to the Hatbox Ghost (or lack thereof). The Doombuggy is weaving through an attic that's telling a story about a homicidal wife, and then there's a completely different character waiting just outside of the attic. 

 

[Allen The Actor]

Ah, gotcha.

Well, then again, no worries. He actually works into the attic story perfectly, that was the point of the character from the beginning. The Attic Bride/Constance killed her husband(s) by chopping their heads off, which is portrayed through the different portraits where the man's head disappears, and the bride holds an ax.

The hatbox ghost has a head one moment, and then the next moment his head is inside the hatbox he's been holding. It all fits into the story line.

 

[Ryan]

William is correct, but the real problem lies in the storytelling mechanics. If the bride was mostly silent, ok no big deal. BUT if the bride continues to hog the scene with her cheesy puns and maniacal presence, you have a huge problem now if WDI just keeps it like that. The scene is fairly intimate with the doombuggies and if you have the bride on your left, and Hatbox Ghost on your right... well you need to simplify the scene in order to make it thematically correct. Unlike the ballroom scene, which gives you a large vista to take it all in, the attic is telling this specific story and you need to execute the payoff well.

And no: the excuse of, "it's another detail you can notice when you ride again!!!" does not work. I'm sorry but two attention-stealing payoff characters on either IMMEDIATE side of you after they tell this story is messy and does not fit in with the rest of the specific theatrical nature of the attraction.

If this is confusing, do consider that when Hatbox comes back that he and the bride will be in their original locations. The effect in the intended attic scene was of a spooky attic, lightly adorned in wedding props while "ghouls" pop up and scare passengers. At the end were two characters: on your left, a ghostly bride, her heart beating and glowing. On your right, a groom (Hatbox) whose head disappears and reappears with each heart beat. The effect for both occurs within a mere second, and is simple for riders to immediately "get it". Of course, Hatbox didn't work and was removed.

Now the bride is positioned as a scene-stealer, and if the Hatbox Ghost is just shoved in there with no other tweaks then it'll be a mess. I have faith that WDI is well aware of these issues and won't foolishly shove HBG in the scene like that, but who knows?

I will tell you that if that does happen then Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion will officially take the crown for me unless they also install the Hatbox. If they actually DO modify the scene, make Hatbox work and finally rid of all that silly axe dialogue... ok I am totally onboard.

 

[Miss Betty Juice]

Constance scares the poop out of me, I'd love if they silenced her. (I was once stuck in front of her for ten minutes during wheelchair loading...not fun...)

 

[Allen The Actor]

I think almost every Disney fan can agree that our Constance is a crappy effect and is very cheesy. She's projected on this roundish bust without any details and it just looks so fake and digital. If they at least projected her on a mold of a person, like Madame Leota, and make her look "3D", it would look better. But beyond all that, I wouldn't mind removing her or replacing her with the old version to allow more attention on the Hatbox ghost. She needs to be silent.

 

[malice]

Yeah, the attic was so much creepier when it was just the sound of a beating heart and ghastly screams. The Constance dialogue is a bit overdone.

 

[Ryan]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Q2iIQRK9vU?feature=oembed
Ladies and gentlemen, the Hatbox Ghost circa 2015.

I need to see the scene in better lighting to make a full consensus. The effect is GREAT if even a touch cartoony (but nowhere near as bad as Constance), but I'm getting a hard read on exact placement.

 

[Allen The Actor]

Ahhhhhhhhh....it's killing me! I want to look at the video, but I'm going to stop myself from spoiling it for myself until I see him in person!

 

[Miss Betty Juice]

Ahhhhhhhhh....it's killing me! I want to look at the video, but I'm going to stop myself from spoiling it for myself until I see him in person!

 

[Allen The Actor]

*sigh* I should've stayed off social media today, saw too many glimpses and pictures. No videos though.

 

[Jonathan]

Was able to see Hatbox Ghost in person this morning. He looks cool and the fact that they brought it back some 40 years later is great. But overall I don't get why in the videos on YouTube people were screaming out of excitement. It's cool that's it.

 

[Ryan]

Yeah, the cheering is a tad ridiculous and annoying. It's almost giving people bait to call Disney fans super weirdos, especially given that 99% of everyone else who will ride it this summer will have the following reaction:

"Oh hey, is that new? I don't remember that before."
"Yeah, me too. Neat."