Oldschool75 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 For those old enough to remember. http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/04/legendary-hatbox-ghost-comes-out-to-socialize-in-the-haunted-mansion-at-disneyland-park-in-may/?CMP=SOC-FBPAGE20150410202953 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Wow, he was part of the book and record I had about the ride when I was little. Pretty cool! Edit: so you can experience it too Hatbox starts around 4:25 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 The original lasted only a few months. The figure stood by the bride in the Mansion's attic. Each time the bride's heart would beat, the ghost's head would disappear from his shoulders and re-appear in the hatbox he was holding. It was all a lighting trick, of course. A positioned black-light would make one head glow while the other went dark. Supposedly even on the night of the cast member previews it was obvious that the effect didn't work - the regular ole ambient light from the scene allowed guests to see both heads. With today's projection technology, I'm sure this will be spectacular. The Hatbox Ghost has been legendary for many Disneyland fans as a rare failed effect, and one that built a strong story for the ride and an urban legend for fans to follow. Plus, he's actually pretty scary looking. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkrider68 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 It all makes sense now. I wondered why I didn't see the Hatbox Ghost when I visited DW the only time ever in '92. ^^Had that record as a kid, plus the better full length album with Ron Howard. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortex Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Little know fact Disney built two Hat Box ghost one for Disneyland and one For The Magic Kingdom at Disney World. After the effect did not work at Disneyland it was scraped at Disney World while the park was being built. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 That's not entirely true; the ghost at WDW was simply repurposed into another ghost, who i'm sure by now has been replaced several times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Disney does tend to reuse things whenever possible from former attractions. If you ride Splash Mountain, the vast majority of the background animals were culled from the former Rivers of America attraction. If you ride Buzz, the tunnel in the middle of the ride featuring starlines is simply a redo of something similar that was there when Delta Dreamflight. Want not, waste not! Imagineers can make a treasure out of any trash! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaestroJr Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 This is so cool, I wish I could ride it with him in it. Ive only rode it once back in 2001. And the hitchiking ghost in the middle's head was sculpted after Hatbox. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingsislandfan1972 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 I've ridden the Haunted Mansion at Disneyworld in 2006 and 2008, overall it was a pretty good ride. Unforutantly I have never been to Disneyland, but it looks very similar to the one at Disneyworld. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Disney does tend to reuse things whenever possible from former attractions. If you ride Splash Mountain, the vast majority of the background animals were culled from the former Rivers of America attraction. If you ride Buzz, the tunnel in the middle of the ride featuring starlines is simply a redo of something similar that was there when Delta Dreamflight. Want not, waste not! Imagineers can make a treasure out of any trash!  The dark ride in Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland was first If You Had Wings (1972 - 87), If You Could Fly (1987 - 89), Delta Dreamflight (1990 - 96), Take Flight (1996 - 98), then Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (1998 - present). Each re-used the infrastructure, track layout, vehicles, and scenery from its predecessors to varying degrees, with enhancements along the way. The same is true of many rides whose innards are re-used or re-purposed, just like how California Adventure's Monsters Inc. dark ride uses the same vehicles, track layout, and scene arrangement as its predecessor Superstar Limo.  For Splash Mountain, its cast of animatronics (see #19 here) were all repurposed from a show in Disneyland's Tomorrowland called America Sings! It was the follow-up to the Carousel of Progress, which had been relocated to Florida for the Magic Kingdom. America Sings closed in Tomorrowland in 1988 and all of its animatronics were dressed in Southern clothes, reprogrammed, and sent to Splash Mountain. The Carousel Theater then remained empty for 10 years until Innoventions opened in its place as part of Disneyland's flubbed New Tomorrowland. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaestroJr Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 It was announced today that Hatbox will return next Saturday, May 9th. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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