Haunted Mansion Was Almost A Boat Ride

[RegionsBeyond]

In the early days of planning the Haunted Mansion, Walt Disney assigned a animator and writer named Ken Anderson to develop ideas for a "haunted house" attraction, which had appeared in the earliest plans for what would become Disneyland.

Anderson's most well-known concepts included the idea of a walking tour through the haunted home of a "Captain Gore", a notorious pirate, and his murdered wife Priscilla, among others. I have seen referenced a single idea, likely by Anderson, that the haunted house might be a Southern home that had partially collapsed and sunken into the bayou, necessitating visitors tour it by boat, a la Pirates of the Caribbean. There are no further details or concept sketches I have ever seen, unlike the walking tour in it's various incarnations, so likely the boat ride idea was quickly discarded after being first brought up.

What do you think, would a boat ride have suited a haunted house attraction at Disneyland? Certainly, the doombuggies that were eventually created are a very good match to being able to take a tour of the spirit-infested halls, but I can't help but imagine what kind of out there ideas and ghostly effects might have materialized if the HM were a water ride. Seeing spectral faces appear and vanish in the water alongside the boat, traveling through once ornate and fancy rooms of a southern mansion, now half flooded and moss growing from furniture and fixtures, frogs croaking, as apparitions appeared to go about their daily tasks, unaware their home was now mostly sunken into the swamp......very unique ideas and scenes there might have been, indeed.

What say you, micechat readers? It is vague history now, and never to come about, but would have a water-based Haunted Mansion been interesting and the classic the final ride has become?

[bytemaster]

I could picture it in addition, if they had room.

Could you imagine a second attraction, riding a boat through the haunted outside fields, forests, etc, only to end in the same Graveyard with the DoomBuggies?

[harryhoudini]

I don't know that the method of conveyance is as much of an important factor to a ride as the theme and implementation. However two "boat" rides I don't think would work well next to each other (pirates and HM). I do think a partially "sunken" structure that you had to ride though would be cool. The one thing that does strike me as out of place is the doombuggy itself... plastic, smooth, drab, etc... not very thematic for the period of the ride. Would be nice to have something more fitting.

[Goliath]

It already seems strange to ride a car through a house. would be even stranger to ride a boat. It they could place it outside somehow this could be awesome.

[JFSebastian]

HM would be a totally different ride by boat. I think the Doombuggy fits it best, as we're able to have much more cramped scenes like the Conservatory, Corridor of Doors, and the Attic which make the ride feel more claustrophobic and creepy. At the same time, we're still able to have big, wide-open show pieces like the Ballroom and Graveyard. The Omnimover system also masterfully controls the guests' field of vision, successfully hiding what we're not supposed to see. Some sort of creepy boat ride might be cool in the future, but it would be completely different.

[DLandFamily]

right when you say boat on haunted mansion, I was thinking of the grotto scene in the addams family movie, when fester and Gomez Addams are riding a boat to the family vault. Something along those lines would work for HM (and be super creepy), but not inside the house.

Thats like trying to imagine POTC as originally planned...a walkthrough

[SwordintheStone]

i know everybody(including myself) isn't a big Haunted Mansion starring Eddie Murphy fan, but I would like to see something similar to the watery crypt scene from the movie if they were to add a boat element to the ride.

[wumbology]

The Monster Mansion attraction at Six Flags Over Georgia is this way. It's a sunken plantation that you ride a boat through.

I think this would definitely have an effect on the feel of the attraction.

The first thing that came to my mind was Phantom of the Opera, actually. The "Journey to the Lair" sequence. Totally would work.

[jesterjack]

Anderson's most well-known concepts included the idea of a walking tour through the haunted home of a "Captain Gore", a notorious pirate, and his murdered wife Priscilla, among others. I have seen referenced a single idea, likely by Anderson, that the haunted house might be a Southern home that had partially collapsed and sunken into the bayou, necessitating visitors tour it by boat, a la Pirates of the Caribbean.

I know of all this from Mr. Surrel's book but I never knew it was originaly planed as a boat ride! walk through yea, but...wow

reminds me of Wildwood's 'Pirates of The Caribbean Wildwood' ride
a boat ride with undead pirates attack the sea shore, with one driving a tram
that made me laugh

[dmtnt55]

It seems like it would be a more frightening attraction with water. Just think of seeing the dark water in front of you. Scary.

[FantasmicDragon]

That would have been quite creepy, I doubt Jack would want to have his holiday at a half sunken mansion, thus we would not have a Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland

[Grinning Ghost]

It might make a nice addition, but honestly I think it would be too much like POTC.

[Bob Weaver]

Maybe they could build an extension onto the show building and add a swamp scene. Sort of like the bayou scene at the beginning of Pirates but haunted with malevolent ghosts. I'd like to see it end creepy and disturbing, instead of ending as a musical comedy like it does now.

[wumbology]

I could see a future Mansion being a boat ride.

[PerformerInWaiting]

I Could totally picture HM as a water ride, but I'd prefer this ride without the ghosts in my face in the graveyard