Originally Posted By bayrr326 Jim Hill writes on his website: Jim Hill talks about the new script that the Imagineers have written for this attraction's Foyer area. Which is reportedly being added to the stateside versions of this classic attraction because a handful of guests complained about the macabre remarks that a few Disney cast members have made over the years <a href="http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2008/01/03/a-pc-haunted-mansion-now-that-s-scary.aspx" target="_blank">http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/ jim_hill/archive/2008/01/03/a-pc-haunted-mansion-now-that-s-scary.aspx</a>
Originally Posted By bayrr326 Well, after the reading the article all I gotta say is how lame is this. Can't WDI stop messing with stuff that is perfectly fine the way it is. So what now we will get the same exact script every single time we get let into the foyer instead of each cast member having there own style. Here is an idea instead of fixing things that don't need to be fixed how bout creating attractions that don't suck and cost a ridiculous amount of money. I shall get off my soapbox now.
Originally Posted By nbodyhome I have no idea what they are doing with it (if it's true). I mean, you can't make a PC Haunted Mansion. The newest addition has a bride who chopped off all of her husbands heads. As far as having an exact script - I thought they did. Every time I'm on, they say "drag your wretched bodies to the dead center of the room". There isn't much difference that I've found from CM to CM. I don't feel like I'm getting an ad lib experience each time. I find it hard to believe that people are offended by the foyer and then okay with the ride.
Originally Posted By HMButler79 hahahahah, they ALREADY DID this before we reopened. They gave us a new script taking out "wretched", brought in acting coaches (one was a veteran Butler), we had to escort teh guests to the foyer then walk to the door then walk them in. You can imagine how THAT went over. The FACT is WDI and Ops cannot enfoce a script at a NON SPEILING attraction like HM. HM is NOT a SPEILING attraction so they can write 10 scripts if they want. It wont matter. I got hired 10 years ago at Jungle and we were out of control then. Then it got strict, then when i got rehired and some of our skippers are ummmm colorfull. And whoever was complaining about ONE line has NO business being in a Disney theme park.
Originally Posted By CMDad <<As far as having an exact script - I thought they did. Every time I'm on, they say "drag your wretched bodies to the dead center of the room".>> When my son worked at the HM he was given almost total carte blanche (within guidelines) to create his own character. I remember that he didn't usually use the "drag your wretched bodies ..." line, but when my wife and I were there he would use. it since my wife expected to hear him say it. I once reprimanded him for treating his mother badly until he gave me a look letting me know that it was part of his "character"
Originally Posted By nbodyhome That is interesting, considering I tend to hear the same "spiel" each time! Every so often, I'll get a CM who surprises me with something new. Not very often, though. You reprimanded him at the HM?
Originally Posted By CMDad In front, actually. He got back at me though the next time I went through. Scared the s**t out of me as my Doom Buggy was about to pass the console on the way towards the library. He came around the back and stuck his head in a yelled "Boo". I think I jumped five feet and hit my head on the top of the Doom Buggy. Needless to say, he couldn't do that with any other guest.
Originally Posted By nbodyhome >> Scared the s**t out of me << Soot? I don't like it when CM's try to scare me - it works too well! I don't like to be "boo'd" from the console area, or really from anywhere. I'm too easy of a target.
Originally Posted By CMDad If this isn't scary ... <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sOVFfhbJVs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =5sOVFfhbJVs</a> (Actually, I think I reprimanded him right after taking this video.)
Originally Posted By nbodyhome I feel like I'm watching the Blair Witch Project (I don't remember so much screaming and noise inside the HM!)
Originally Posted By SuperDry From Jim Hill's article: <<< According to my guy in Glendale, this proposed change isn't about stifling cast members' creativity. But -- rather -- making sure that guests who visit the Disneyland & Walt Disney World versions of the Haunted Mansion get a consistent quality product. As he explained: "First of all, please let your readers know that we're not touching anything that Paul Frees did for the Mansion. His Ghost Host will remain just as it always has. We'd never dream of touching that recording. It's a crucial component of what makes the Mansion so popular with Disney theme park guests. >>> If they're so concerned about the guest experience and the sanctity of the original Paul Frees recordings, then they need to do something with the way the attraction is operated. Most of the time, the foyer portrait is almost completely changed by the time I enter and the recorded spiel is almost finished. If I didn't know better, I'd have no idea that the portrait actually starts out looking like a human and then morphs into a skeleton, nor would I hear most of the ghost host's intro. IMHO, they need to tighten up the way this part of the attraction is operated if they're so concerned about a "consistent quality product" as they claim.
Originally Posted By Mr X **Most of the time, the foyer portrait is almost completely changed by the time I enter and the recorded spiel is almost finished.** This happened to me in Orlando last month, and being so used to the Tokyo version (where it never happens, as far as I've seen) it was a little bit off-putting. I felt like there was no "show", just herding (which, I do realize, is the whole point of the separate rooms etc...but still).
Originally Posted By Mr X Actually, it was even a little worse than SD describes, because we never stopped in the foyer at all...we were just herded (I had to look up quickly just to SEE the picture before I was rushed into the next room, and it had already finished morphing).
Originally Posted By SuperDry Herding is exactly the term I'd use for my experience, and I know that we rode MK's HM within a day or two of each other last month. I'd really like to know why they do this. My guess is that it's just sloppy operations, and that could be solved with training and management that cared enough to make it happen. The fact that the Tokyo HM manages to do it properly almost every time day in and day out in a Mansion that has essentially the same design shows that it is possible to do correctly on a consistent basis.
Originally Posted By SuperDry However, there is another possibility that Jim Hill didn't mention directly and would make the whole effort worthwhile, and it's something I've been lobbying for here on and off for awhile: they need to find a way to fix the problem (especially in Anaheim) where some guests are chattering away at the top of their lungs from the time they enter the front door until they get on their doombuggy. Sometime this involves saying the same thing the ghost host says, and other times it's just talk among their group as if they're still in the queue and the show hasn't started yet. In fact, I suggested specifically that WDI might be able to solve this problem with some sort of spiel and specific actions that the maids and butlers take as people are led inside. If that's what they're up to, I'd gladly trade the ad-lib comments for a show that starts when intended.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***I'd really like to know why they do this. My guess is that it's just sloppy operations, and that could be solved with training and management that cared enough to make it happen.*** I'd have guessed they do it because things are busy and they want to herd the customers through as quickly as possible, but the mansion certainly wasn't that busy when I was there...so much for THAT theory (which, at least, would give some sort of guest satisfaction reason for the lack of good show).
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< I'd have guessed they do it because things are busy and they want to herd the customers through as quickly as possible, but the mansion certainly wasn't that busy when I was there...so much for THAT theory (which, at least, would give some sort of guest satisfaction reason for the lack of good show). >>> But certainly it gets very busy at TDL, and they must be concerned about hourly capacity, yet they manage to operate the Mansion properly.
