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[Dalek]

My daughter and I are planning a trip to Disneyland just to see this guy-pretty big news for those "in the know"...

Disneyland celebrates 60th anniversary with new Star Wars and Haunted Mansion attractions

Most exciting to me, a Disneyland fan and a Haunted Mansion enthusiast, is the reintroduction of “the Hatbox Ghost” back into the Haunted Mansion ride. The ghost was supposed to be part of the original attraction of Gracey Manor way back when it opened, but was pulled from the attraction early on in the ride’s history.

Current Imagineer and Haunted Mansion historian Chris Merritt can clear up the rest of the mystery:

“I spoke… with Marc Davis, who designed the character. [He said] “The gag was based purely on lighting. Black lighting illuminated the ghost’s head. A light inside the hatbox he held would rhythmically illuminate and hide the head in the hatbox, while, in tandem, the actual head on the ghost’s shoulders would be hidden by extinguishing the black lighting.”

Supposedly, the Hat Box Ghost was to close to the track to ever get the light on his real head dark enough for the illusion to work and the ghost model was quickly scrapped.
Until now.

Disney feature on the making of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAg3pP-PYok

YouTube video of the ride with the newly added Hatbox Ghost:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcvqhGQf548
He shows up around 4:40

 

[Rydeen]

Awesome! One of my favorite Marc Davis ghost designs, too. Captures that iconic Crypt Keep / Uncle Creepy look of 60's horror monster movie mags. Ironic that in the Hatbox Ghost's absence in the attraction, he's become something of a mascot for the Haunted Mansion, appearing on tons of merch, more than some characters who have been in the ride non-stop for forty five years.

 

[Dalek]

Awesome! One of my favorite Marc Davis ghost designs, too. Captures that iconic Crypt Keep / Uncle Creepy look of 60's horror monster movie mags. Ironic that in the Hatbox Ghost's absence in the attraction, he's become something of a mascot for the Haunted Mansion, appearing on tons of merch, more than some characters who have been in the ride non-stop for forty five years.

It's funny to me that my daughter who is almost 7 has become obsessed with the making of The Haunted Mansion and it's lore and all the behind the scenes knowledge, and it in turn has led to me being a fan. It's really fascinating to read up on the history of the ride. Walt himself never got to see it finished-my daughter thinks that because of that he's one of the 999 Happy Haunts. (Possibly even the Ghost Host)

 

[Peterthumpa]

Holy shit. How's that possible? Is it some kind of hologram?

 

[Rydeen]

It's funny to me that my daughter who is almost 7 has become obsessed with the making of The Haunted Mansion and it's lore and all the behind the scenes knowledge, and it in turn has led to me being a fan. It's really fascinating to read up on the history of the ride. Walt himself never got to see it finished-my daughter thinks that because of that he's one of the 999 Happy Haunts. (Possibly even the Ghost Host)

The Haunted Mansion ride has tons of weird, interesting trivia throughout it, probably just due to the nature of the ride itself, and also probably due to being one of the classic Disney attractions that's had numerous tiny little changes / alterations / revisions throughout the years. I still think it's a crime that Vincent Price recorded narration for the Disneyland Paris version of the ride, only for the park to replace it only a month or two later. How could you replace Vincent Price???

Holy shit. How's that possible? Is it some kind of hologram?

It's a mapped projection onto a 3D object, very similar to the tech behind the Madame Leota head in the crystal ball.

 

[Dalek]

Holy shit. How's that possible? Is it some kind of hologram?

The entire mansion is full of visual tricks like that. The ballroom I always thought had the ghosts in it-but it's an optical illusion:

 

[Dalek]

The Haunted Mansion ride has tons of weird, interesting trivia throughout it, probably just due to the nature of the ride itself, and also probably due to being one of the classic Disney attractions that's had numerous tiny little changes / alterations / revisions throughout the years. I still think it's a crime that Vincent Price recorded narration for the Disneyland Paris version of the ride, only for the park to replace it only a month or two later. How could you replace Vincent Price???

There's another one-when you pass by the above mentioned ballroom, there is a giant glass in front of you of course. Someone threw something at the glass and cracked it. It would have cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars to shut the ride down, get a replacement glass, swap it out, etc. But one of the Imagineers had the great idea to put a spider right in the middle of the crack-now it looks like a spider-web when you pass by.

Genius!

 

[Leeroy3101]

I saw him a week and a half ago. The tech used to update him rocks! WDI outdid themselves on this one.

 

[xsarien]

Hoping that WDW isn't too far behind. Sometimes it feels like Anaheim gets all the love.

 

[SillyEskimo]

He's always looked amazing. I was going to dress up as him for Halloween one year. Had the entire outfit priced and everything.

 

[The Xtortionist]

Hoping that WDW isn't too far behind. Sometimes it feels like Anaheim gets all the love.

WDW is too busy spending money on DVC accommodations.

edit -

Holy shit. How's that possible? Is it some kind of hologram?

The Haunted Mansion is full of stuff like this. The ride is one great magic trick after another.

 

[RoyalFool]

There's another one-when you pass by the above mentioned ballroom, there is a giant glass in front of you of course. Someone threw something at the glass and cracked it. It would have cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars to shut the ride down, get a replacement glass, swap it out, etc. But one of the Imagineers had the great idea to put a spider right in the middle of the crack-now it looks like a spider-web when you pass by.

Genius!

This was on opening week, somebody got scared and shot a fucking gun at one of the ghosts!

 

[InfiniteBento]

This is pretty incredible. I am obsessed with the Haunted Mansion. One of my all time favorite attractions in Disney.