Quick Thoughts on the Haunted Mansion Comic Book

I really wanted to love The Haunted Mansion Comic Book from Marvel’s Disney Kingdoms comic book line.   I truly did.   

I had enjoyed the Seekers of the Weird comic book.  That comic utilized the concept art that at one time could have been the Museum of the Weird .  I had no expectations other than excitement to see some of those concepts come to life.   

The Haunted Mansion however is so classic that with it comes high expectations.  That is one of the reasons the Haunted Mansion film wasn’t a favorite of many Disney and Haunted Mansion fans.   I guess I was just expecting too much.   Reading the first issue of the Haunted Mansion comic book I felt like it was more just an awkward tour of the Mansion than a story I was interested in. 

The main character is an outsider teen whose Grandfather  (The only person he feels he can relate to)  has passed away.    He is lured to the Mansion by the spirit of Madame Leota to help save the spirits (including his Grandpa’s) from the sway of an angry vengeful  ghost of a Sea Captain.   The story just feels like it is lacking to me.   Love it or hate it , the feature film starring Eddie Murphy had a much better storyline.   This comic feels derivative of the Seekers of the Weird to a certain degree.   The main character wandering into the Mansion and starts describing things from the ride outloud.    I thought that I would at least love the comic based on the artwork alone,  but I’d actually rather just revisit the Making of the Haunted Mansion book by Jason Surrell that contains the concept art for the attractions than what is in this comic book.    The plotline of the reluctant, oddball teen having to help his dead relative  storyline just isn’t doing it for me.  I feel like it just missed the mark.   I wished I had loved this comic.   But I feel like I’m unsure whether I want to read the next issue.

I don’t blame the writer or the artist of the comic book—for my lack of interest in it.   I truly believe that my problems with it lay in my own inflated ideas and expectations.

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Disneyland vs Disneyworld: Battle of Haunted Mansions . Which one is Better?

On our recent trip to Disney World we focused on rides that were unique to Magic Kingdom first over rides that are in both parks.   Being a Disneyland passholder I'm partial to Disneyland over the Magic Kingdom in general since it has more stuff in it and several great rides that Magic Kingdom doesn't have.  

 I thought it would be fun to compare some of the rides that are in both parks as well as some of the other rides that are shared on both coasts, but in different parks.

In our first battle: The Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland  (seen below)

is the original Mansion and is an absolute classic.  It looks like a Colonial Mansion and fits perfectly in New Orleans square at Disneyland where it overlooks the Rivers of America.

The Mansion at the Magic Kingdom has its own unique look and makes its home in Liberty Square along the banks of that parks river.

(Picture courtesy of BlonePixals Photography --my wife's photography page)

Best looking Mansion:  Disneyland wins this fight for me.  I love look of the original Mansion  which is so stylish and spooky.  The Magic Kingdom Mansion looks cool --but for some reason the walk up the the steps of the Colonial mansion is more foreboding.

Best line:  Hands down the best line has to go to the Magic Kingdom.  It's interactive queue makes Disneyland's queue seem extremely dull.  I wish they would add some of the elements from the Magic Kingdom Queue to Disneyland.  If you missed my blog about the queue --click the link below.

http://braddisneylandblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/interactive-queues-haunted-mansion-at.html

The Ride itself:  Reluctantly I would have to say the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion is a better ride.  The new and improved Hitchhiking ghost effects are far beyond anything in the Disneyland version and the ride has some other cool additions like the portrait room with numerous portraits, The Escher staircase is really cool and the statues with the eyes that follow you is also more entertaining in this version.

(Picture courtesy of BlonePixals Photography --my wife's photography page)


And the Winner Is :   (Wait a minute I forgot something)
Oh Yea -Holiday Haunted Mansion..... For several months a year the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland transforms into Holiday Haunted Mansion  featuring Jack Skellington and friends as they take over the Mansion--so it is basically 2 rides --both equally cool.
So even though the Magic Kingdom has a better line and a better ride --the fact that Disneyland's Mansion is actually 2 E Ticket attractions makes Disneyland the Winner for in my book.

Which Mansion do you like better?????

Tune in next week for the Battle of Star Tours.  Disneyland vs Disney's Hollywood Studios.

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Interactive Queues: Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom

The new trend at the Disney parks is to find new ways to keep the attention of short attention span society  that we live in. 

Interactive Queues engage an audience that barely even looks up from their I-Phones. 

 A great example of this is the interactive Queue at the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom.   It keeps the kids engaged as they wait in line and makes the wait seem a lot shorter than it really is.   The kids may actually look up from their I-Phone for a minute to play musical notes on the organ or play with the shelf where you push in blocks along a tomb and new ones pop out.

The kids had a blast with this feature while in the Haunted Mansion line.  I wish they would add some of these features to the California version.

Disney has always done a good job at making the lines more interesting with the Indiana Jones ride in California being a great example.  Now they have been adding new things to older rides like the Haunted Mansion  such as these cool busts.

The Captain's tomb has bubbles coming out of the top and leaks water that making it a fun little kids play area.  Plug a hole with water coming out and even more water comes out of another hole.

 Dear Sweet Leota's tombstone has a face that moves and here eyes open.

Before you know it the 30 minute wait is over and you are already on the ride.   The best thing an interactive queue will do is make people say "That wait wasn't as long as it said".

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Disneyland Picture of the Day: Board a "Doom Buggy"

Halloween has arrived: Holiday Haunted Mansion celebrates 13th year.

 

The Halloween Decoration are up already at the Disneyland and the 13th Anniversary of Holiday Haunted Mansion is going on.  The additions to the ride are great.  There are great new special effects in the stretching room.  Hint look up.  And the changing portrait section with Zero flying from picture to picture is incredible.  I love this year unique gingerbread house which resembles on Advent calendar.

Haunted Mansion Week begins with : Haunted Mansion (40 year video)

Welcome to Haunted Mansion week




Perfect for the Holiday season is this little informative video featuring cool facts and old footage about the Haunted Mansion.
A look behind the Wizards curtain if you will.

I hear this Mansion is Haunted! (picture of the day)

Shag now or Shag Later Haunted Mansion 40th anniversary event (Aug 2009)

I headed out Sunday to celebrate the Mansion's 40th Anniversary --For the Shag artwork event and signing was there on August 9th

When I arrived there was already quite a bit of a line.....Is a new Indiana Jones attraction opening? Not so much.

As I tried to sort out which line was which...I took a quick look in one of the stores where I ended up with a Hawaiian Tiki Room Shirt

Here was a Tomorrowland shirt SHAG style!




Tiki Style----Going into stores can be unhealthy for the wallet


Awww! There were ghosts in the windows as I waited in the hot sun for a line that was moving slower than the Rocket Rods


The Line of the day award


Being in line for that long on Main Street gives you the time to appreciate the little details




A Dude rocking the Shag Haunted Mansion Shirt



Once Inside a sample of some of the stuff



Once you picked what you wanted---you got to wait in line again ---Lines Rock.

.

More Shag action


Non Shag Mansion Action



I got the Coaster set


and the Postcard set so I would have all 14 of the painting that I could make a display for



Luckily the Autograph line had dwindled away by the time I got through the merchandise line

So Chilling with Shag Tiki Style

Of course I had to go on the Mansion to celebrate the anniversary .....Here are a few pics I snapped of the outside.  I tried to capture a few different angles than normal.


From the Wheelchair entrance

Pet graveyard

Stinky died in the forest after to many games of pull my pinky.

Snowball IV chased a mail truck to closely and now he is in heaven

Here lies my pet frog  he croaked


Here lies Piggy Mc Bacon...He thought he was  friends with  the butcher ......boy was he mistaken


Here lies a bat.....he flew into the wax museum and fell in a vat



The Gates of Doom

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