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Opened:
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October
1, 1971 (Original Attraction) |
| Origins: |
The Haunted Mansion
has a long and colorful history. The idea of an
attraction themed around a haunted house was always
in the back of Walt Disney's mind, but no one could
figure
out
how
it should
be done. Two different concepts were developed
by Imagineers Marc Davis (who favored a lighter,
more playful approach full of sight gags), and
Claude Coats (who had a darker, more sinister concept
in mind).
In the end, the Haunted Mansion was a combination
of these two ideas, with the first half of the
ride being dark and spooky while the latter half
(the graveyard scene) being more whimsical. Another
key change in the development of the attraction
was the introduction of the Doom Buggies. At one
point the Haunted Mansion was going to be a walk
through attraction, but fears of crowding and poor
traffic flow lead to the development of a ride-based
system. This innovation allowed the Imagineers
to finely control the guests' experience, as they
could now create scenes from a specific viewpoint
and could create a seamless journey where scenes
blended into one another and narration and sound
effects could be perfectly timed. |
| Updates: |
The Haunted Mansion
closed for refurbishment on June 7, 2007, reopening
on September 13, 2007.
Updates
included the addition of a new audio system for
the Ghost Host that makes it seem as if the spirit
is floating around you, new wallpaper,
new sound effects for the
stretching room, and an all new staircase scene
inspired by the works of M.C. Escher (complete
with ghostly footprints appearing out of nowhere).
New portraits adorn the walls where the Sinister
11 once hung (those were the portraits where the
eyes seemed to follow you, some of these pictures
have been relocated to the loading area). The seance
room now features a floating Madame Leota with
much clearer projection. But the biggest changes
were saved for the attic. Instead of the jack-in-the-box
ghosts, you now see photos of the bride and
all of her groomsmen (without their heads!).
Gone is the old bride figure with the beating heart,
the new bride is much creepier and realistic. |
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