Disneyland News

Disneyland refurbishments and additions bring improvements to park

Currently in a lull between spring break and the start of the busy summer season, Disneyland is doing maintenance work and installing new features in classic attractions to keep the park going strong in the second year of its “Happiest Homecoming on Earth.”

Firstly, the long-defunct Jolly Trolley from Mickey’s Toontown was out on the tracks but unfortunately not for rides. The trolley was on display for what was rumored to be a test as a photo opportunity. It’s now back in storage, where it’s been sitting for the past few years.

In Tomorrowland, part of the entrance to Star Tours is currently walled off for the removal of the simulator attraction’s FastPass machines. The machines have not been dispensing FastPasses for more than a year now, since it was decided that Star Tours didn’t really need FastPass. Like for Pirates of the Caribbean, it was decided that the line reservation system was unnecessary due to the high capacity of the attraction, and it only made walkways more crowded around Disneyland.

Finally, one of the biggest news items at Disneyland is the addition of new scenery in the attic scene of the Haunted Mansion, which has set Disneyland fans abuzz about the future of the park’s classic attractions. These additions are unique in that they were added and fine-tuned without interfering with the attraction's normal daytime operation.

Spoiler Warning: Please do not read ahead if you want the new Haunted Mansion changes to be a surprise!

The attic scene, which used to have creepy bridegrooms pop up from behind boxes and a menacing bride now has new additions that reshape the original storyline of the Haunted Mansion. Instead of showing a haunted bride who was left bereft by her fiance at the altar, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion now presents a axe-wielding serial killer bride who has murdered several husbands.

Firstly, as the Doom Buggies proceed through the attic, guests see old-fashioned photo portraits of the bride and her various deceased husbands. Through new special effects, the heads of the husbands disappear and reappear magically. The scenery around these photos is also themed to represent each of these husbands’ interests.

At the end of the attic comes the big new addition: a new bride who floats magically and recites telling lines such as “I do, I did…” and “‘til death do us part!” At various points in the new Haunted Mansion attic bride’s spiel, the character suddenly holds a shiny axe that magically appears.

The additions in the attic scene continues recent improvements to the Haunted Mansion using new technology, such as the new floating effect for Madame Leota in the seance scene. More additions to the Haunted Mansion in the same vein are also rumored to come soon, along with the improvements to Pirates of the Caribbean, currently under refurbishment to incorporate elements from the films inspired by the attraction.

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