Disney Concerned About Death in Haunted Mansion, A Ride About Death
Haunted Mansion has reopened after a 16-month absence at Disneyland, and features a few enhanced scenes and modernized Audio Animatronics. This follows the removal of the seasonal Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay and massive year-long project to expand the exterior grounds and queue, and add Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond gift shop.
This post actually doesn’t focus much on the substance of the enhancements themselves. We’ll focus on those separately once I have a chance to capture more photos and video, but in a nutshell, they turned out nicely. The new bride looks nice, with both the Audio Animatronics figure and its presentation fitting better in the Haunted Mansion. Given the success of this chance, I’d assume it’ll make its way to Walt Disney World at some point…in the next decade or so.
The tech in previous bride (and current bride at Magic Kingdom) had not aged well, and was an example of Imagineering getting ahead of itself utilizing tech that hadn’t matured quite enough. Equally as significant, the previous bride was sort of hokey and tonally inconsistent with the rest of the Haunted Mansion. The new one leaves more to the imagination, offering a scene that is more unsettling–or haunting, if you will–as a result. It is, without question, an upgrade. The artistic merits of other changes made as part of the project are more up for debate, but again, that’s not the point of this.
Instead, I want to focus on how Disney unveiled the Haunted Mansion enhancement, via an exclusive by journalist Todd Martens in the Los Angeles Times. It’s an excellent piece featuring an interview with a creative director from Walt Disney Imagineering, and I’d encourage you to read it.
There are a few specific lines in the piece that bugged me, and are worthy of further discussion because they could speak to the company’s perspective on other projects, like those that are part of the massive upcoming development cycles at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Let’s start with this on the controversial AI art spotted in the gift shop:
[A]n online controversy erupted earlier this winter when it was discovered that the new shop adjacent to the ride contained a piece of art that was created by artificial intelligence. The presence of AI art felt particularly egregious knowing the value Imagineering places on authentic, hand-crafted work.
The moment clearly weighed on Irvine. “How they can find one thing out of all this cool stuff,” Irvine says of the fan outcry, trailing off as she stood in the shop full of artfully created oddities and references to tarot and mysticism. She stresses that the AI art was a temporary placeholder, noting there are many objects coming to the shop — more paintings and tapestries among them — that are in the process of being fireproofed before final install.
“They felt like it would be appropriate for a short time until they could put something else in,” Irvine says of the ill-fated art. “They never intended to do anything bad, and it is gone now. We’re going to bring something back in that is hand-painted, like all of these other pieces are.”
I was not part of this online outcry, but I’ve seen plenty of similar sentiment about AI replacing human artists. It’s a hot-button issue, for sure, and Disney was likely caught up in that and might’ve received disproportionate attention as a result.
But to the best of my knowledge, people aren’t upset about AI artwork on the basis of the duration it’ll be used. If Disney issued a press release that said, “we’re opening the shop with temporary AI art, but don’t worry, the permanent stuff will be painted by people,” it’s not like fans would’ve said, “oh okay, AI art is okay so long as its duration of use does not exceed 23 days.” That’s not how it works.
I do appreciate Imagineering’s willingness to address this head-on, but a much more satisfying response would’ve been:
“In a rush to complete a project on a tight timeline, oversights were made in the procurement process and we regrettably did not properly vet a supplier of art that turned out to be, unbeknownst to us, AI-generated. We have taken the necessary action and have updated our internal policies to ensure this doesn’t happen again, even on a temporary basis. The Walt Disney Company has a rich creative legacy, and storytelling is always of utmost importance to us.”
Something like that. Not blaming fans for having the temerity to notice and point out a detail in a shop that’s meant to have its details noticed and pointed out.
Here’s another section that raised an eyebrow or two from me:
“The bride that used to be in there was an axe murderer, and in this day and age we have to be really careful about the sensitivities of people,” Irvine says. “We were celebrating someone chopping off her husband’s heads, and it was a weird story. I know the fans — some will like it and some will say, ‘Oh, you changed something again.’ That’s our job. That’s what we’re here for.”
There’s so much to unpack in this one paragraph.
First of all, depiction is not endorsement. I honestly cannot even believe this needs to be said, and feel like I’m talking down to you, just by writing this. But never in a million years would I have guessed this would’ve been something an actual creative would’ve said.
If depiction of a murderer in an attraction is celebrating them, Disney has some serious issues with every single Star Wars and Marvel attraction. Never mind the upcoming Villains Land in Magic Kingdom! And can you believe Imagineering just created a version of “it’s a small world” that celebrates murderers?! This is so obviously nonsense that no further discussion is needed.
Second, I would argue that “in this day and age” people are more sensitive to exactly the type of sentiment described here than they are to the depiction of a murderer. It’s not as if there are a bunch of people out there on one side of the aisle saying “murderers are bad” and then another large contingent is saying “well hold on, wait a minute, maybe murderers have their merits.” There is no Big Murderers lobby advancing the special interest and gaining ground.
What’s much more likely is that people see sentiment like the above and the quote is what offends their sensibilities. The thought process showcased here is more polarizing than the substance of the thing itself.
What I mean by that is that now this is a debate being had among fans, not about murderers in Haunted Mansion, but about Imagineering entertaining this as a serious issue in the first place instead of dismissing it out of hand. There are almost certainly more complaints–or negative discourse–about this than the old bride ever generated.
This is patently obvious when it comes to the axe murderer, and I wouldn’t expect much fan disagreement. More delicate of a subject is the hanging corpse in the Stretching Room. Even though this could be traumatic for some guests, I’d argue it also applies there.
If people find death disturbing, which is completely understandable, perhaps an attraction about death is not for them. Making changes to anything that could conceivably offend or disturb anyone is a dangerous road to go down–and an endless one.
I don’t doubt that Imagineering consulted with some corporate committee on Haunted Mansion, and the committee told them “murderers are bad.” I, too, am anti-murder. But this type of committee exists to find problems, so they will continue to find problems to continue existing. The issue with that is, eventually you get these vaguely Kafkaesque recommendations that, if taken to their logical conclusions, would result in the most bland output imaginable. It’s almost the antithesis of the creative process.
Finally, this is one of two points in the surprisingly defensive interview that come across as antagonistic towards fans. This has become a bit of a trend in the last few years, which seemingly began under the stewardship of former CEO Bob Chapek, who was the biggest culprit and made quips about outrage if Disney moved a churro cart 10 feet and other such nonsense (see Bob Chapek Did Not “Get” Disney).
Let me just start here by acknowledging that I cannot fathom how difficult being a creative would be in this day and age. Everything you do would be picked apart endlessly online by purported fans, many of whom wouldn’t know the first thing about the process that brought the project to fruition or the push and pull from various stakeholders.
Between an impossible to satisfy audience offering constant criticism and mandates from above, being an Imagineer probably isn’t as fun as fans believe. I barely know anything, and I’ve seen some of this play out; Imagineers who have navigated challenging corporate waters to work miracles have been blamed by fans for supposed failures. I would not want their jobs…which is a good thing, as I don’t have the requisite talent or creativity!
At the same time, fans are a large part of what gives the work meaning. Can there be art without art criticism? It is people and the response it provokes that elevates any work or medium as a whole. I would think that any artist would want their creations to resonate with people on a deeply emotional level–that’s the whole goal in the first place, isn’t it?
There’s a reason for the outpouring of love and grief for David Lynch, despite his body of work having very mixed reviews over the decades. It’s similar to the reason Chuck Lorre’s much more commercially-successful shows do not really garner much in the way of commentary or criticism. The most thought-provoking art has a way of being polarizing, and although I’m sure artists would rather have unambiguously positive reviews, critical ones still beat indifference.
I would also think this would be doubly true for Imagineers, as the question of whether theme parks are art is still fiercely debated (even though the answer is obviously yes), and passionate discourse helps reinforce that legitimacy. If theme parks were merely vapid consumerism, one of the LA Times’ best culture columnists wouldn’t be covering them in the first place.
Everyone knows that Disney fans are a rabid bunch, but you’ve gotta take the bad with the good…or at least ignore us entirely. “Disney Adult” is a pejorative term for good reason, but corporate leaders lashing out at fans is also counterproductive. (Say what you will about Bob Iger, but he gets this.)
Ultimately, this is not an article I enjoyed writing. I don’t like to criticize creatives, and endeavor to contextualize what could’ve gone wrong in the process when critiquing the end result (e.g. CommuniCore Hall). Even in this case, I took a couple of days to ruminate on it before offering a knee-jerk reaction.
The question for me is whether the thought process here is emblematic of Imagineering as a whole, or if this is just one ill-advised interview. There’s a huge slate of construction projects and ride reimaginings on the horizon, including ones that could be negatively impacted by this line of reasoning. If this is going to be the creative ethos for Villains Land at Magic Kingdom, that’s troubling!
With that said, it’s also worth pointing out that while the interview wasn’t flattering, the enhancements to Haunted Mansion turned out remarkably well (everything except the awful gift shop, but that was largely out of Imagineering’s hands). When acknowledging the practical realities with which they had to deal, the extended queue gets the job done.
Meanwhile, the new bride is an unequivocal improvement over its immediate predecessor, and is consistent with a modernization of the original bride (Tokyo version pictured above). With that said, a good outcome can be achieved for the wrong reasons. Which is to say that the new bride is a positive, but the proffered justification for the change is not.
That is precisely what’s the most perplexing part of this all–these Haunted Mansion changes did not need explanation. If allowed to speak for themselves, they do well on the merits. It’s the justification, which normally would be reserved for a project that needed defending, that did the damage. Perhaps the lesson to be learned here is that sometimes superfluous storytelling is a liability rather than an asset.
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Your Thoughts
Thoughts on the rationales Imagineering had to offer about the Haunted Mansion changes? Any concerns that Imagineering has lost the plot, or are you willing to give the benefit of the doubt that this was just one interview that went poorly? Or do you disagree with us and agree with what was said to the LA Times? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I am a huge haunted mansion fan and truly think it’s one of WDW masterpieces . However , I support removing the hanging scene . I don’t want my children Exposed to the concept of suicide . I think the stretching room and being trapped is pretty scary as it is . I am sure they could add some more effects to ho the scare factor without suggesting suicide . Society has moved on on this one . Same as the pirate “auction” scene . We don’t need Disney normalizing rape culture and sex trafficking . End of story .
I understand what you’re saying about the hanging scene, but to be honest, most people have no idea that’s what it means… especially little kids. Heck, I’ve talked to adults who’ve gone on that ride their whole lives who were honestly surprised that’s what was happening when it was explained to them. Also, no offense intended, but there are many attractions, at many theme parks, that aren’t suitable for all ages, this is not meant for very little kids, there are tons of other rides designed for them.
(Lots of Disney’s movies have death in them, usually a loss of a parent, it’s part of life.)
Changes like this are why I objected to changing the bride auction scene in Pirates. It’s not that I particularly liked that scene, but that the logic used to replace it is too easily generalized to justify other replacements.
This was my take on the PotC auction change at the time it was announced: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/pirates-caribbean-redhead-auction-scene-changing-debate/
I more or less stand by all of that today. At this point, my biggest disappointment with the change isn’t that it was made–but that the end result is worse than what was there before. If Disney is going to make changes in these ‘borderline’ cases, it must result in a net-positive.
The bride was not even a borderline case, but thankfully, it was a massive positive, so I’m more than okay with it–even if the justification really bothers me. “The right thing for the wrong reason” kinda scenario.
So fun! Great article. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
As for the new Bride…I was surprised Kim Irvine gave THAT as the reason in the interview. The Bride didn’t even have an axe until 2006. She could have just said they wanted something more in line with the 1969 original, for Disneyland’s 70th.
Just a note that anything someone like Kim would say in an interview like this would be written and approved by their media relations and communications department. She didn’t just go into this interview and spitball, making up a reason on the spot. This would be a line decided on corporately and rehearsed in media training that she’s communicating because it’s her job, not necessarily because it’s her personal opinion.
Yeah. I’m just surprised the company went with THAT as a talking point.
Agreed.
We’ve enjoyed the Haunted Mansion since our younger child was 3, with the lens of entertainment and dancing ghosts in a non-scary sort of way without much thought to the back story of each character. If they make some subtle changes, the end result will be just fine. And LA times proofreaders need to fix the punctuation – pet peeve of mine: “We were celebrating someone chopping off her husband’s heads…”
Omg yes!!! Why are plural possessives so difficult for some people?
Hand wringing, including corporate hand wringing, is out of control in this country. “People looking for problems” is very accurate. Unfortunately not just by corporate committees. Plenty of everyday people love to stir a pot, even over things that have no personal meaning to them. I have been told how I should feel about things by people who have no idea, no personal connection or experience. I presume because they can’t sit with their own discomfort? Or maybe it makes them feel virtuous or special. It’s mind boggling and, frankly, more infuriating than what they feel I should be “offended” by. Certainly, we should all be mindful of others, and we should acknowledge and apologize, learn from, and do better when we have caused hurt or harm. We should not preemptively try to please everyone because it is a literal impossible task. As my friend teaches her kids, it’s better to “guess the best” and assume no one was out to offend or be insensitive. And that’s barring the obvious…that one is boarding a ride for a haunted house. Good grief.
Too many ads, Tom. Now get off my lawn!
“But this type of committee exists to find problems, so they will continue to find problems to continue existing.”
You nailed it here. These type of “committees” exist solely to point out problems, so they will always find more to justify their existence. Whether it is an actual problem or not. Unchecked, this will lead to far more harm than good going forward. Anything even the least bit controversial will find their table eventually.
I worked Epcot attractions for 9 years. I am not a Disney Adult so I don’t get religious about Disney. During Christmas time we were not allowed to say Merry Christmas because it might offend someone. I still said Merry Christmas because the parks were decorated with Christmas. I never got in trouble. Alien Encounter was considered scary and after several years they closed it became attendance was down. I never heard anyone complain about Splash Mountain or Haunted Mansion. The Disney MGM Studios is a different matter. As far as the quality of the show pieces go, you should visit an authorized Disney Junk Store. We have one where I live that sells Disney and Universal left overs. Ever wonder why you look but can’t touch? It’s literally junk. Craft store material. Puts new meaning to “Looks aren’t everything”. Theme / Amusement Parks are an illusion. Buyer beware.
Universal apparently has had that rule about not saying Merry Christmas but Happy Holidays, too. Once a Universal team member wished me Merry Christmas then got flustered realizing she shouldn’t have said that. If the theme park resorts don’t want to offend anyone, that’s backfiring because I was offended she didn’t feel free to wish me Merry Christmas, and being a Christian, I’m more into Merry Christmas than Happy Holidays (way to take the Christ out of Christmas), even though I still sometimes find myself getting worried about anti-Christian people being offended and end up saying Happy Holidays to someone instead.
By the way, Jewish political commentator Dennis Prager is all for wishing people, including himself, a Merry Christmas, even though he celebrates Hanukkah.
I haven’t commented before, but came here to say exactly what Hilary wrote above. “I, too, am anti-murder” is the line of the year. Great piece.
My husband has a traumatic event in his recent past directly related to the depiction in the stretching room scene. We each separately rode Haunted Mansion for the first time last year with our older daughter while the other waited with our younger. By pure coincidence I went before him, so I was able to tell him that he may want to keep his eyes down at the climax of that scene. My motivation was beyond a performative fear of his ‘sensibilities being offended’, it was genuine concern for his emotional well-being when surprised by that specific imagery. He appreciated the advice, chose how to apply it, and we moved on without further ado. I don’t expect to dictate the content of the attraction or necessarily think it should be changed, though it is comforting hearing from Disney that it could be a sensitive experience for some. Sometimes an acknowledgement can (and should) be enough, and it doesn’t have to apply to the majority to be valid.
That’s a general trend I guess ; I know you are not quite the public but look only at kids versions of superheros, like Spidey and his amazing friends – or even Mickey ones.
The baddies are all softened; almost apologetic that they could think of being bad.
Pete’s character transformed to a meme !
Do we think kids cannot handle anything ? So maybe their parents can’t either…
“Scary” stories also have their purpose I think – the least important being to entertain. Hopefully it won’t get lost entirely.
I wasn’t bothered by the hanging body in the Stretching Room the first time I saw it…when I was 12. Since then, I’ve known people – plural – who have contemplated, attempted, and actually committed suicide. Statistically, a LOT of people probably know somebody who has, and they may not even realize it, because of how nobody ever talks about it. I’ve been to the Haunted Mansion a few times since then, and while I wouldn’t say I’m “triggered” by the Stretching Room…it does kinda make me feel sad for a few minutes, and I don’t think that’s what the Imagineers were going for. If they leave it alone, I’ll be okay. But I won’t get mad at Disney if they change this.
Agreed. It reminds me of things I’d rather not be reminded of while I’m out for a fun day with the family. I can deal, but I’d rather not.
Having had similar experiences, I agree that it can take the shine off the day. It is a reminder I’d rather not have while I’m trying to have fun with my family.
Can I just say that I am strongly pro-murder and I’m disappointed that Disney attractions always shy away from the topic. Pirates references it obliquely with the “dead men tell no tales” foreshadowing, yet there isn’t a single scene showing us how these people die. I paid good money for that attraction to see someone rot in an iron cage. Now I consider it, the only killings I’ve ever seen are villains who are suffering a morally deserved fate. I have a lot more to write, but it will be going in an email to Guest Relations. There are going to be some changes around here.
This is a really well written article, and very thought provoking. You don’t give yourself enough credit.
I know from some of your posts you’ve really dialed back drinking, but perhaps I as a Ravens fan and you as a Lions fan can pour one out after this weekend.
this is wild. she’s not just a creative. this is quite literally Leotas DAUGHTER saying this. I don’t even know what to think.
Is there even a small and vocal group of fans who have a big problem with the stretching room scene? I haven’t seen them.
It seems to me (anecdotally) to be only something I’ve seen people who are upset by other’s hypothetical sensitivities bring up. As in, I’ve only seen I guess “anti-woke” people say “What’s next, changing the stretching room scene?” But I haven’t actually seen anyone upset with the stretching room scene.
It kindof seems like the anti-sensitivity people are just drawing attention to potential sensitivity issues that nobody was upset about in the first place, and shooting themselves in the foot. Culture wars are..two way, right? I think if everyone would diffuse a bit, it would be good for all of us.
“Is there even a small and vocal group of fans who have a big problem with the stretching room scene? I haven’t seen them.”
I have, but only to the extent that it’s indirect. Meaning people discussing a hypothetical sensitivity to the hanging scene and that being triggering for others.
FWIW, it’s not the anti-sensitivity people shining a light on this–it’s Disney themselves (read the interview). This is something Imagineering has been actively exploring for several years, and that didn’t happen for no reason. Either a corporate committee on the basis, or there have been some guest complaints.
Either way, I highly doubt it’s a common one. And there certainly was not a chorus of complaints about the old bride being an axe murderer.
Agreed.
I more meant before this interview, I only saw the stretching rom discourse brought up in the context of “What’s next?” but not from actual people saying “I’m offended by the scene”
As always, a wonderful take here, Tom. Those quotes are, at best, tone-deaf. These comments come across as someone who is complaining to a spouse after a hard week at work, not as a creative director specifically tapped to talk to a journalist about modifications to a long beloved attraction. And theoretically Kim Irvine, daughter of Madame Leota herself, should be the perfect spokesperson, but she comes across as exasperated and annoyed that attentive fans are exasperated and annoyed at Disney’s inattention. She’s been employed by Disney for 55 years; she should, at this point, know both to expect and how to answer these questions. Perhaps it is time for Disney to put someone who is better able to answer questions about “this day and age” in such public facing situations.
Yup, that was my take too, maybe she needs a break from the Disney life. I have friends and family who’ve been cast members, and considering what they’ve shared of their experiences…that’s a long time in the house of mouse.
Some people need to get a grip, this is a haunted house attraction, there will be scary things and depictions of death. There is nothing wrong with the stretching room. The hanging corpse is how our “Ghost Host” joined the resident spirits. As for the murderous bride, she is a classic horror story trope. I’m surprised that the same whiners aren’t complaining that Madame Leota promotes witchcraft. Unfortunately you will always have those who will find fault in everything.
For whatever it’s worth, the bride is still murderous. At least, that’s the subtext. That or she is very, very unlucky.
To each their own, but I like it this way. The old dialogue was a bit cheesy, and a bit of mystery adds to the intrigue.
“I, too, am anti-murder” may be one of the best lines on this blog yet. So at the very least, this nonsense gave us that.
Bravely using my voice to be a force for good in the world.