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IFlyAway
05-04-2006, 11:18 PM
So with the new effects in HM will DL put out a "primer" regarding the storyline for people ( like myself) who aren't familiar with it? And, is there a place online to get the "official" story?

Jason

bradk
05-05-2006, 01:31 AM
other than perhaps in tours, I doubt Disney will literally publish the storyline as most everything in the parks has an official backstory but they are never made commonly known.

Al Lutz of MiceAge published the rumored storyline 'changes' (i quote it since the haunted mansion technically didn't have a backstory previously) in his article here: http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al022806b.htm

RStar
05-05-2006, 06:01 AM
Have you seen the movie? Perhaps that's the storyline........

;)

olegc
05-05-2006, 06:56 AM
no - the movie storyline tried (i say tried) to use the existing story line of master gracey and his lost love - which is why he hangs himself. this story is much better depicted in WDW and in paris (with a twist). Disneyland's was much harder to grasp from the initial release of the attraction but they tried...

As they add more effects throughout the attraction (more is coming) the story line about the black widow bride will be VERY apparent (according to mr. lutz).

snowsbeau
05-05-2006, 07:38 AM
other than perhaps in tours, I doubt Disney will literally publish the storyline as most everything in the parks has an official backstory but they are never made commonly known.

Al Lutz of MiceAge published the rumored storyline 'changes' (i quote it since the haunted mansion technically didn't have a backstory previously) in his article here: http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al022806b.htm


This is true. POTC has a storyline also that most do not know of. It seems that only those tried and true Disney fans know, acknowledge and keep going these stories. I am so happy that they are finally making a storyline more obvious in the HM. Its Master Gracey tale is fun but it was never fully realized. I guess the details of it would make the attraction too creepy for it to be a family friendly attraction.

And then there is the fantastic tale of the tiny village where all the children were taken away in the night and forced to sing and dance in the white palace while a strange, mysterious creature from the nearby mountain terrorizes the townspeople. Scary!

cosmicjive
05-05-2006, 08:52 AM
The storylines of the rides are never meant to be interpreted literally. There have been several articles written by imagineers about how the Disneyland rides are intended to create "impressions," but that a ride is not a very good storytelling format. Most rides are just meant to be a collection of interesting images.

That being said, they always create a storyline during the ride's development because it helps them create continuity and establish the general themes of the ride. It gives them lots of details to work with, but with a few exceptions (Star Tours, for example) you aren't meant to be able to piece together the storyline by simply going on the ride.

I went on Haunted Mansion last night and saw the new attic scene. It was pretty clear what was going on in the scene; I don't think anybody would need to explain it to you. But that scene is still pretty isolated from the rest of the scenes in the ride. For example, the coffin in the hallway, or the birthday party in the ballroom scene would seem to have little to do with the wedding theme of the attic. I know they aren't done with the changes yet, but it will never be a single coherent storyline, nor is it meant to be.

Sub Maniak
05-05-2006, 12:06 PM
Until changed, the pirate story was specific to Disneyland with clues hidden throughout the ride. The axe murder storyline just switched around and the bride became the killer.

bradk
05-05-2006, 12:11 PM
well, to clarify, there never was a storyline for HM. the official line was it's a 'retirement home for ghosts' which accounts somewhat for the eclecticism that currently exists/existed.

there's a whole fabricated, involved backstory involving gracey, the bride to be and a jealous madame leota which is fueled in part by a 'wedding ring' embedded in the pavement at WDW (which if anything resembles an engagement ring for someone with a negative ring size), but none of that came from disney.

Phantom Manor was the first of the HMs to have a storyline, so one is being retrofitted into HM @ DL.

Niwel
05-05-2006, 01:10 PM
There was an article several years ago in Disney News about DL's HM.
One story is that he captain married, then went crazy and killed his wife (the bride) until she haunted him and drove him to his death (our ghost host who hangs from the stretching room). Another story was that they were married and he soon went off to sea. She paced around on the balcony for years and was sent a letter that he was killed at sea. She died of a broken heart. He returned, found out that she was dead and then killed himself.
There is a replica of a ship on the weather vane of the mansion (unless they've removed it).

olegc
05-05-2006, 01:55 PM
There was an article several years ago in Disney News about DL's HM.

and I found it... from http://www.oitc.com/Disney/Disneyland/Secrets/Square/Mansion.html

and to go to points above - the disney news story implies that each attraction DOES tell a story - but probably over time since things are replaced or added it gets muddy.. and the memory of the imagineers may be "different"..

what does Jason Surrell say in his book? it's the most recent publication..
##############################
The article is from the Spring 1992 Disney News (now called The Disney Magazine). The article refers specifically to the Disneyland park. Even though there are many variations of the Haunted Mansion story, I've always heard that Disneyland and Walt Disney World share the same plot. As far as I understand it, it wasn't until Phantom Manor that the plot was rearranged.

Article Page 1 (http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/PictFrame.php?Images/Disneyland/PAGE1.JPG)
Article Page 2 (http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/PictFrame.php?Images/Disneyland/PAGE2.JPG)
Article Page 3 (http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/PictFrame.php?Images/Disneyland/PAGE3.JPG)
###############################

Another Dimension
05-05-2006, 03:05 PM
Love, relationships, jealousy, betrayal, death, the eternal afterlife, giggles, pranks, levity, entertainment, legend. :~D

Mark Mywords
05-05-2006, 03:25 PM
what does Jason Surrell say in his book? it's the most recent publication..

Surrell traces the different proposed ideas for a storyline back to the earliest conceptions of the Disneyland "Haunted House" back at the very beginning of the park.

Through interviews with surviving Imagineers, Surrell points out that there were so many "Cooks in the kitchen" (Ken Anderson, Yale Gracey, Rolly Crump, Marc Davis, Claude Coats, others...) for the creation of the Haunted Mansion, that no particular specific storyline was put into place. The only thing that seems to be agreed upon, is the loose, basic concept of a "Retirement Home for ghosts" that came from Marty Sklar's sign that was hung for years in front of the empty HM facade.

olegc
05-05-2006, 03:44 PM
^ thanks.... as long as Meg Tilly never, ever, ever gets depicted in the Mansion - I'll be OK...

mulansgirl
05-05-2006, 06:01 PM
for anyone interested there is a comic book out now Haunted Mansion Stories inspired by the classic Disney Attraction I own issues one and two there might be another out now. It is published by SLG or Slave Labor Graphics and each issue has five or six stories in it and one story The mystery of the Manse written by Dan Vado is a continuing story throught the books about Master William Gracy that becomes Captain Blood a pirate. there is also another story about master Gracy and the building of the mansion with special building needs. Some of the storys controdict eachother but they are not meant to be the history of the Haunted mansion only diffrent authors ideas about diffrent ghosts. Over all it is fluff but I enjoyed it and sugest finding a local comic book store and see if they have any copies left and pick one up, first issue was put ot in october 2005. My favorite story is Roman Dirge's Lenore meets the haunted mansion.
If you are by disneyland there is a comic Book store called Beach Ball Comics actually on the corner of beach and ball that is where I picked up my first copy, very nice people there.

oh and wasnt it Jennifer Tilly? could be wrong but I thought it was Jennifer.

PapiBear
05-05-2006, 07:04 PM
^ thanks.... as long as Meg Tilly never, ever, ever gets depicted in the Mansion - I'll be OK...I think you mean her sister Jennifer, who played Madame Leota in the movie (and actually did OK, I thought, despite the fact she isn't a darn thing like Eleanor Audley). Meg Tilly hasn't been in a film in years.

olegc
05-05-2006, 07:53 PM
I think you mean her sister Jennifer, who played Madame Leota in the movie (and actually did OK, I thought, despite the fact she isn't a darn thing like Eleanor Audley). Meg Tilly hasn't been in a film in years.

thank you Papi and mulansgirl. Yes, you're right. I always remember Meg because she was the first one I saw in Big Chill...

Another Dimension
05-05-2006, 11:11 PM
....and I like the new stuff! :)

Doug
05-06-2006, 12:20 PM
This is true. POTC has a storyline also that most do not know of. It seems that only those tried and true Disney fans know, acknowledge and keep going these stories. I am so happy that they are finally making a storyline more obvious in the HM. Its Master Gracey tale is fun but it was never fully realized. I guess the details of it would make the attraction too creepy for it to be a family friendly attraction.

There uis a story line for POTC?



And then there is the fantastic tale of the tiny village where all the children were taken away in the night and forced to sing and dance in the white palace while a strange, mysterious creature from the nearby mountain terrorizes the townspeople. Scary!

What the heck?! Never heard this before!

Doug
05-06-2006, 12:25 PM
Ok, tell me about this ring....


the bride to be and a jealous madame leota which is fueled in part by a 'wedding ring' embedded in the pavement at WDW

bradk
05-06-2006, 12:40 PM
i think snow was taking some liberties there with IASW :)

i have a photo of WDW's HM's 'ring' here: http://bradk.smugmug.com/gallery/916808/5/41823246

unfortunately, i took it in the dark and never bothered to go back in the daytime

i also created this pic to help locate it:

http://bradk.smugmug.com/gallery/916808/5/41825727

it's basically some cut off pipe or something. i've seen the explanation of what it is before but i don't recall

Another Dimension
05-06-2006, 03:45 PM
There uis a story line for POTC?


When it re-opens there will be.

Up until now.. according to WDI and Jason's book.. as Walt wanted it, PotC was just a string of vignettes about pirates attacking, invading, sacking and burning a town.

Sub Maniak
05-08-2006, 12:14 PM
Until changed, the pirate story was specific to Disneyland with clues hidden throughout the ride. The axe murder storyline just switched around and the bride became the killer.

There have been many different storylines. But this I do belive is official. It has been published.

One question, will te bride be changed by any chance because the gracey storyline is not official in WDW??

Doug
05-10-2006, 11:20 AM
Sign? Have a picture?



The only thing that seems to be agreed upon, is the loose, basic concept of a "Retirement Home for ghosts" that came from Marty Sklar's sign that was hung for years in front of the empty HM facade.

Doug
05-10-2006, 11:23 AM
Ok, I do not get the Meg Tilly reference... please explain...


^ thanks.... as long as Meg Tilly never, ever, ever gets depicted in the Mansion - I'll be OK...

Doug
05-10-2006, 11:28 AM
about Master William Gracy that becomes Captain Blood a pirate.


Reminds me of Princess Bride....



If you are by disneyland there is a comic Book store called Beach Ball Comics actually on the corner of beach and ball...

Great store name ;)!



oh and wasnt it Jennifer Tilly? could be wrong but I thought it was Jennifer.

OIC... Yes, Jennifer, not Meg.... that makes sence as JT was in HM the movie..