Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer It's over exaggerated... or a over exaggerated queue and litany of needless, mindless effects. Hate is a strong word.
Originally Posted By TMICHAEL Try " FOR AN over exaggerated queue...." ;-) kidding IMHO, from an ex-Butler, I think it looks pretty stupid and takes away from the attraction. But it just goes to show where we are now as a population. When the Mansion(s) opened, we read books and were entertained by conversation. Now, it's hand held games,cell phones and mp3 players stuck in our ears. Hence, reading the clever headstones, taking in the atmosphere and chatting while the queue moved along was fine. Now, everyone feels the need to be baby sat and overly "entertained" by cheap, heavy handed gimmicks or they get bored.
Originally Posted By demderedoseguys I think the new queue at HM is fine and really not Walmarting as Spirit( who I agree with a many things) states. Maybe it's a little cheesy, but the whole attraction is supposed to be cheesy. While I won't see it until July 4th, I think it's a harmless little add on and my relieve a lot of congestion in that area of the park by creating a new area for people to occupy. Maybe I'm wrong. There are some(many) things to be critical toward Disney about, but I don't think this is one of them.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <But it just goes to show where we are now as a population. When the Mansion(s) opened, we read books and were entertained by conversation. Now, it's hand held games,cell phones and mp3 players stuck in our ears. Hence, reading the clever headstones, taking in the atmosphere and chatting while the queue moved along was fine. Now, everyone feels the need to be baby sat and overly "entertained" by cheap, heavy handed gimmicks or they get bored.> Yep.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Try " FOR AN over exaggerated queue...." ;-) kidding IMHO, from an ex-Butler, I think it looks pretty stupid and takes away from the attraction. But it just goes to show where we are now as a population. When the Mansion(s) opened, we read books and were entertained by conversation. Now, it's hand held games,cell phones and mp3 players stuck in our ears. Hence, reading the clever headstones, taking in the atmosphere and chatting while the queue moved along was fine. Now, everyone feels the need to be baby sat and overly "entertained" by cheap, heavy handed gimmicks or they get bored.<<< I tried fixing the grammar, too, but things are just not going my way with the computer. LOL. I agree totally with this... Society mandates this stupidity. And I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is what it is. Even in a theme park, we don't need to have something going at all times. Heck, one could argue that it's a theme park, we already do have something to attract our attention.. THEMED DESIGN. Story. Art. Not saying that any new addition will detract, but one that is so overly zany, and in your face, and a blatant eye catcher, IS. Not to mention thematically out of place. Again... it's ALL about subtlety.. (Notice how I didn't say HATE here.. though I did call it stupid. Hmm... +1 Doom and Gloom Point, -Pixie Dust Point. )
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Maybe it's a little cheesy, but the whole attraction is supposed to be cheesy.<<< Well... just the back half, designed by Marc Davis is. That's where all the gags are. The front (and the queue) is all attributed to Mr. Claud Coats, and his is a sinister Mansion. And SUBTLE. And DARK. The two moods are married by the fact that once the spooks DO come out to play, it's a very light hearted haunting, and not evocative of what you are set up for by the brooding mood of the Mansion before the ballroom scenes. (queue included, again). If this playground was tagged onto the BACK of the Mansion, as a post show, I doubt I would have such an issue with it. It would fit the mood better.
Originally Posted By HauntedMansionFan Yes, the queue effects look RIDICULOUSLY cheesy, but that's actually not why this bothers me as much as it does. Why waste perfectly good money enhancing a queue that didn't need to be enhanced, when other attractions are in DIRE need of a refurb? Interesting they'd pump any more money at the Haunted Mansion so soon after the 2007 refurb anyway! On a more specific note, doesn't the whole "captain who drowned in the bathtub" crypt contradict the portrait inside the Mansion, which (if my memory serves me well) seems to imply he was shipwrecked?
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt My understanding is that several of the attractions in Carsland at DCA will be getting similar interactive play areas. It'll be interesting to see how a brand new attraction will incorporate this kind of thing.
Originally Posted By HMButler79 "Maybe it's a little cheesy, but the whole attraction is supposed to be cheesy." Read ANTTHING on Ken Anderson, Marc Davis, or the history of the Mansion and see if anything from the front gate to the graveyard was supposed to be cheesy. Guess what the answer is...
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt It all depends on how one defines cheesy. I know plenty of people who think most things related to Disney and its theme parks is cheesy.
Originally Posted By CoolDisneyFan 4 points: 1. This will keep kids entertained, clear from the video. 2. I like people's comments about a subdued entrance and all that, and wish something like that had been done, but see #1 above. 3. Also agree that WDW needs major infrastructure improvements, new attractions, new/better ways of getting people to/from the park. This does not do that of course but I think overall its a good addition. 4. Just want to chime in on the texting thing. I text and twitter and all that, but people have gone way too far. Was at the beach last weekend and a nice looking girl and her boyfriend were in the hot tub both staring at their phones. Umm, staring at a phone while in a hot tub with your GF??? When I was 18 (guessing that was their age), I would be staring but NOT at a cell phone!
Originally Posted By andyll Geeze... I just read 134 posts and I'm not sure I saw one from anyone that has actually see this in person?
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>On a more specific note, doesn't the whole "captain who drowned in the bathtub" crypt contradict the portrait inside the Mansion, which (if my memory serves me well) seems to imply he was shipwrecked?<<< It probably does, but I adhere to the whole "Mansion doesn't have a story" bit, so it doesn't matter/probably is a different character/could have happened either way. LOL And I think the new Captain is a nod to the original Mansion plot about the ghost of a Sea Captain that haunts his bride. *waves to Ken Anderson for that one*
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>My understanding is that several of the attractions in Carsland at DCA will be getting similar interactive play areas. It'll be interesting to see how a brand new attraction will incorporate this kind of thing.<<< It's Cars. The nature of that movie welcomes this sort of thing.. ...Probably why I dislike it so!
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Read ANTTHING on Ken Anderson, Marc Davis, or the history of the Mansion and see if anything from the front gate to the graveyard was supposed to be cheesy. Guess what the answer is...<<< EXACTLY.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>It all depends on how one defines cheesy. I know plenty of people who think most things related to Disney and its theme parks is cheesy.<< Even under that guise... does this level of cheesy match the level of subtle and dark and cheesiness that's found at the gate? Nope. Two different types of cheese. Roquefort and Cheddar. ...Wait, what? Now I'm just hungry... LOL
Originally Posted By FerretAfros But haven't you learned anything, EE? WDW guests don't want Roquefort. They might not even want Cheddar. They want American. They don't want prime rib on the buffets, because it takes up too much space on the plates. They don't even want to pay 'normal' price for those same buffets if they come to WDW during a busy time. They don't want to get restuarant reservations on the day of their visit, they want to do it half a year ahead of time. They want to make reservations to meet the characters the same way. They don't want want appropriate queues if they over-stimulated kids might have to entertain themselves for more than 30 seconds at a time. Surveys tell us this. It's just giving people what they want. That's why WDW is so great. They give you what you want. Now if they had been doing surveys in DL in the early 60's, I wonder how many people would have said they wanted a boat ride past singing robotic pirates? And just look how that turned out. Disney used to surpass all expectations and even come up with ideas that were simply unfathomable to most people. They were done in such a way that you couldn't think of a better attraction, even if you had no interest in the subject itself. Now, with surveys, we're reducing all additions to things that are very much within the imagination of every guest in attendance. The additions are still nice, but they are hardly inspiring on the same level of Disney of old. Yes, there are occasional exceptions (Everest comes to mind, but with broken effects and some other issues, I found it a little underwhelming), but for the most part, they just seem to aim for the lowest common denominator. Because the surveys say so.
