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Death Becomes Them
Like
its counterpart in Anaheim, the Haunted Mansion at the Walt Disney
World Resort's Magic Kingdom will be getting some new magic when it
re-opens in September, after its current refurbishment is completed.
But make no mistake, warns a team of spirited Imagineers, this is no
typical touch-up-the-paint-and-remove-(okay, add)-the-cobwebs project.
"To
call this a refurbishment doesn't even come close," says WDI senior
principal production designer Neil Engel. "We're taking a classic
attraction and using new technologies to present the existing,
signature show in a more exciting and immersive way — which has us just
as jazzed as the guests will be!"
The Haunted Mansion
Imagineering team is hard at work in both California and Florida,
getting ready to add new magic to several key scenes, including the
attic scene (complete with the now-infamous bride whose husbands always
seem to get the ax … ) and the séance scene. They're also adding a
completely new story to a previously
dead space and upgrading the attraction's audio, lighting and special effects systems.
"With
a project like this, it's so exciting knowing that you are going into
and touching a classic attraction," says Kathy Rogers, senior show
producer, director. "And in the end, the show winds up even better than
it already was; we know it will remain a classic."
It's All in the Details
A
portion of this refurbishment involves re-propping a few key scenes,
such as the attic. But locating items that clearly and quickly tell the
story of the perfect murder(s), as well as pieces to complement a
mid-19th century Southern motif, isn't as simple as heading to the
closest Ikea.
"The challenge has really been finding the right
prop and period dressing that tells the story you want to tell," says
Steve Probus, set decorator, principal. "We're looking for mid- to
late-1800s furniture, books, drapery and a multitude of props and
dressing that convey information about each of the couples that have
inhabited the mansion. In addition, we want to add an extra layer of
props for more depth in the scenes."
One Step Beyond
The
other components that will give new life (of sorts) to these scenes are
a few key special effects that will be updated during the
refurbishment. Both the floating Madame Leota head and the Haunted
Bride, two characters whose latest technological incarnations debuted
at Disneyland, have been upgraded even further for their reappearance
in the Magic Kingdom.
"The Haunted Bride special effects are an
improved version of what we installed a few years earlier in
Disneyland," says Ken Horii, digital media production supervisor,
director. "R&D had done a great job with that last bride, making
her look like a lifelike-looking ghost, as much as that is possible,
anyway! And so this time, we wanted to take it one step further."
Stairway to … ?
If
all of that isn't enough to raise the dead in eager anticipation of the
Haunted Mansion's resurrection, Imagineers are also installing an
entirely new scene into a previously uninhabited space … and taking
that space in a few new directions.
"I think I'm most excited to
see the staircase scene when it's finished," says Eric Jacobson, senior
vice president, Creative. "We haven't seen it before and it adds
something completely new to the ride, in a space where there wasn't
really anything before. But there is just so much to this refresh — it
really is the sum of the parts. The whole ride will be enhanced and end
up better than before."
As part of Imagineering's commitment to
enhancing classic attractions around the world, the new magic that this
team is spreading to the Haunted Mansion is sure to be something Magic
Kingdom guests will be dying to see.
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| | Posted 8/26/2007 1:44 PM - 135 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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