Opinions:Disney Haunted Mansion Holiday version

[Vadermonkey]

** If you are going to Disneyland soon dont read this, I dont want to spoil anything for anyone**


Ok Just got back from DL and I am super dissapointed with this holiday version. I think it ruins the whole attraction....''if it aint broke'' kind of thing.

I get the need for change and I understand decorating things for the holidays and I even think it was a good idea on paper BUT the whole magic of the mansion is lost not only from the Nightmare Before Christmas theme, but the fact that all the white in the graveyard reflects so much light that you can see all the scrim and so forth ruining the traditional version IMO. The whole thing seems sloppy and cheap. There are cool things about it but I think the cons far outway the pros and I think a seperate ride in that theme would be much better.

I just wonder what others who have seen it think of this "holiday" version?

 

[PantheraGem]

I think I go there often enough to where I enjoy the change. Do I like it as much as regular "Mansion"? No way. "Haunted Mansion" even inspired the design of my room, I mean I really love it.

I don't mind it, and I know there are plenty of people who go to Disneyland just to see the Nightmare version. I am always glad when it goes back to normal though. There's always a chance the "Hatbox Ghost" could return.

 

[jlee562]

I really enjoyed the change when I saw it last year. It definitely made the same familiar ride, feel different. It's nice as a seasonal thing, but not as a permanent change.

 

[mbmcfarland]

I've only been to Dianeyland once, around Halloween of 2006. I was really disappointed that I didn't get to see the "real" Haunted Mansion. Plus, it was way too early for Christmas.

 

[n0x23]

Absolutely hate it. :unsure

I can't decide which is worse, the Nightmare Before Christmas/Mansion abomination, or the Johnny Depp/Pirates of the Caribbean abomination.

Propabaly the Johnny Depp/Pirates of the Caribbean abomination, since the Nightmare Before Christmas/Mansion abomination is seasonal.


First they close down Adventure Thru Inner Space and now this.
Where will it end?! :cry

 

[Zombie_61]

I can't decide which is worse, the Nightmare Before Christmas/Mansion abomination, or the Johnny Depp/Pirates of the Caribbean abomination.

Propabaly the Johnny Depp/Pirates of the Caribbean abomination, since the Nightmare Before Christmas/Mansion abomination is seasonal.

They're equally as bad in my opinion, but you're right about the Nightmare Before Christmas Mansion possibly being less offensive because it only exists for a relatively short time each year. I understand why Disneyland made the changes to each attraction, but I'm still not impressed.

 

[CaptCBoard]

The NIGHTMARE thing is one of the things that really gets under my skin. I think this year is the 8th year they've put in what they call "The Overlay". I saw it the first year it was put in, but not because I wanted to. Two friends and I had a tradition of going to DL in October every year. We'd been doing that for about 15 years. Since then, we've been back twice and now one of my friends, Jim, has passed away.

Most of you have never seen this travesty and describing it really won't help. But you will understand why this is so incredibly annoying. Because of this overlay, the classic Haunted Mansion is only available 7 months of the year. The ride is closed directly after Labor Day and reopens about a month later. It runs until the end of the first week after New Years and takes about a month to remove. Now, admittedly the down-time is also used for maintenance, but that normally takes only a week or so.

I've registered my gripe over this with the DL powers, pointing out that all those people who come here from out of the country are being screwed for what amounts to a 3-month run, but they don't care. The fact is, they discovered that when the overlay is in place, sales of NB4C merchandise skyrockets. And we all know how much Disney likes to sell stuff!!

I've made the suggestion that since this thing is 'that popular', they should create a dedicated ride over in the California Adventure/Mistake. Of course, they aren't about to do that with something that is 'that popular'...

Scott

 

[Vadermonkey]

California Adventure is moving more to a Disney theme redoing many of the current rides and adding some new Disney themed stuff.

The Pirates changes (since it came up) I like for the most part because they didnt completely ruin the original ride to do it. It might be a little Jack Sparrow heavy though IMO.

Back to the mansion...I can see doing it just before Christmas but nothing more than that. Seriously...it smelled like GINGER BREAD in the dance hall and looks like everything was swept into a pile and turned back on. And the snow...Disneyland couldnt spring for anything better than COTTON for fake snow?!?!!

CaptCBoard is 100% correct, it is impossible to describe how terrible this is.

 

[foxbatkllr]

I LOVE the Nightmare Before Christmas Mansion. I am absolutely appalled to find out there are people who don't like it. This is the first I've actually heard of people not liking it.

 

[RBJ]

I too LOVE the Nitemare version of the mansion!! I have a Disneyland pass and make sure to go as often as I can while it is done up for the holidays....my kid loves it too. I didnt grow up in California, so the first time I went to Disneyland was about two years ago, so I don't have any childhood memories the decoration offends .

 

[Zombie_61]

Obviously I can't speak for anyone else, but for me it's about my memories of Disneyland and how I feel about the park.

I've been going there since before the Haunted Mansion even existed. I remember hearing and seeing the advertising for it on the radio and tv, seeing the ads in the newspaper, etc.. As hard as it might be to believe today, some people were actually opposed to the idea. "They're putting in a scary ride? At Disneyland? But it's supposed to be a fun place! I don't think that's appropriate at all." I remember going to the park a few months after the Haunted Mansion opened, and the wait in the queue line was still hours long. And everyone who likes the ride remembers their first time throught it, seeing these allegedly horrific characters with a Disney twist. Yeah, the black light stuff is a little cheesy; so what?

Now, I know Disneyland needs money to operate, and that some of their rides are sponsored by other companies. And I like The Nightmare Before Christmas. But to see Disney change a ride that's fondly remembered by many simply to sell more toys and posters at Christmas? It just reeks of cheap commercialism; I don't think Walt would approve.

BTW, though I like the Pirates of the Caribbean films, I'm opposed to Disneyland adding those characters to the ride as well, but for different reasons. I understand why they did it--kids who had seen the films kept asking, "Where is Jack Sparrow?" What appalls me is the thought that there will possibly be people out there who won't know the ride existed decades before the film.

Actually, the same could be said of the Haunted Mansion. Imagine some child going on the ride for the first time during the Nightmare Before Christmas season. When that same child goes back during the regular season, he/she is undoubtedly going to ask, "What happened to the Nightmare Before Christmas ride?" :confused

 

[n0x23]

BTW, though I like the Pirates of the Caribbean films, I'm opposed to Disneyland adding those characters to the ride as well, but for different reasons. I understand why they did it--kids who had seen the films kept asking, "Where is Jack Sparrow?" What appalls me is the thought that there will possibly be people out there who won't know the ride existed decades before the film.

Actually, I'm surprised that they didn't have Johnny Depp holding a Coke in one hand and a Big Mac in the other. rolleyes

 

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

I've loved the NMB4X layover on the Haunted Mansion now for the last 8 years or so! Keep going back considering that the overlay starts the three month Holiday Season.

This is Halloween! This is Halloween!

Merry Christmas! What's this? What's this? There's something in the air!

Besides I want the audio animatronic of Jack and Zero for my house!

 

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

It is called PROMOTION! I guess that means they should stop construction of the new Carsland ride, get rid of brand new Harry Potter Experience in Universal Studios Orlando, close down any ride that was built AFTER a Disney movie was released, etc. etc. etc.

Remember Disney is a business and currency is the currency of the realm. Besides how did this discussion jump ship from MiceChat.com?

 

[n0x23]

But what does the NBC have to do with a Haunted Victorian Mansion in New Orleans?

The NBC is about one holiday transmogrifying into another holiday and has nothing to do with The Phantom Manor's solid three-act structure, well, fairly solid three-act structure...but it is there.

It's like smothering a t-bone steak in cake frosting....you can do it, but why?

 

[Zombie_61]

Remember Disney is a business and currency is the currency of the realm.

And that's fine. After all, they have a Peter Pan ride, an Alice In Wonderland ride, a Mr. Toad's Wild Ride ride, etc., all obviously based on Disney films. But if they want a Nightmare Before Christmas attraction, they should build one and allow the Haunted Mansion to continue being the Haunted Mansion.

It's like smothering a t-bone steak in cake frosting....you can do it, but why?

Mmmmm, frosted t-bone steak. I suppose you don't like grilled onions on your french toast either? :love

 

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

The cost to build a NMB4X ride would not be a good business choice especially since it would be opend 365 days of the year. The overlay on HM was placed primarily to bring the crowds into the park during the slowest tourist season and DL was mostly filled with minimal spending local customers and annual passholders.

If people think this is bad how about the proposed after hours events during Halloween. The Mickey's Trick or Treat events were so successful and made Disney so much money that this same thinking may now be brought into the Christmas Season. You can only see the Xmas fireworks, Xmas parade, and snow (bubbles) fall on Main Street only if you pay extra for this after hours event. It is still in planning stages but if Halloween 2011 makes alot of money you will see this same strategy being used during Christmas 2011.

Again it is all about the Benjimans or in this case whomever is on the million dollar bill!

 

[gobler]

The first NMBC change was 1999.

 

[nickytea]

I think the Holiday change is a cool, limited promotion. It's the permanent stuff that rubs me the wrong way.

I'm a huge fan of all three of the Pirates movies, but I still don't agree with seeing Jack or Davy Jones on the ride. Give them their own ride, and I'd love it to death. Mixing the narratives just feels ... off.

 

[toyempire]

I have an annual pass to Disneyland and look forward to seeing Nightmare Before Christmas theme in the Haunted Mansion every chance I get. After so many rides, you start to look for details you never noticed before. Its always a delight. Loved the cartoon movie and toys too. That was way better than the Eddie Murphy haunted mansion movie. Wow, it would wreck the Haunted Mansion if they put Eddie Murphy as part of the props.