Do you remember that story that JHM ran back in January? You know, the one where we talked how -- in response to guest complaints about somewhat gruesome gags like "Please drag your wretched bodies to the dead center of the room" and "Please follow the blood red carpet into the Foyer" -- the Imagineers had decided to rewrite the lines that cast members say whenever they work at WDW's Haunted Mansion?

As this news began bouncing around the Web, the Mouse's PR team -- of course -- issued its standard denial. Insisting that there were absolutely no plans in the works to retool the spiel for this much-beloved attraction.

Which might come as a surprise to the 100+ cast members who currently work at this Liberty Square favorite. Given that -- just last month -- they all took part in three-hour-long classes where they were then taught the Mansion's brand-new officially sanctioned script & blocking.

It was Walt Disney Imagineering itself that picked up the cost of this retraining. Back in May, they actually flew two LA-based acting coaches out to Orlando. Who then walked Mansion vets through the way WDI wants this show to go from here on in.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Mind you, Imagineering's main goal here wasn't to stifle cast members' creativity. But -- rather -- to make sure that, from here in, Magic Kingdom guests will receive a consistent level of performance whenever they visit the Mansion.

Of course, recognizing that the HM's maids & butlers might get bored if they have to perform the same line of dialogue over & over & over again ... Well, that's why WDI prepped a script that actually gives these cast members some options.

According to the new Haunted Mansion spiel & show narration that I was recently shown, WDW cast members will have a variety of lines to choose from in any given situation. Take -- for example -- if they're dealing with guests who are standing outside of this attraction, eager to enter the Foyer. To entertain these folks 'til the group that's already inside can then safely make their way into the Portrait Gallery (AKA the Stretching Room), Mansion staffers can say:

• Please wait. Your time will come.


• Please wait. It is not your time


• Please wait. It is not yet your time.


• Please Wait. We are preparing your final arrangements

Photo by Jeff Lange

And then when it's time for this next group of guests to enter the Foyer, Imagineering's staff writers want WDW cast members to open the Mansion's front doors and say:

• We've been expecting you


• The master has been dying to meet you


• Do come in


• Please move all the way into the room. There are many souls to follow

And once it's time for this same group of guests to move from the Foyer into the Portrait Gallery, here's what WDI now wants the butlers & maids to say:

 

• The master will see you now


• Please / kindly step to the dead center of the room


• Step all the way in, please


• Please step lively. The happy haunts are waiting


• Step lively please. Your time has come.


• Step lively please. Others are dying to come in.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Please note that there's absolutely no mention of "wretched bodies" and/or "blood red carpet." More importantly the frequent use of "Please" and "Kindly."

Why are WDW cast members -- whenever they work at the Mansion -- now supposed to stress polite over fright? Well, that's because the Imagineers -- from here on in -- want HM staffers to treat each Magic Kingdom visitors as if they actually are Master Gracey's guests.

Mind you, according to what the acting coaches told these WDW cast members, it's okay if they put a somewhat sinister spin on each line of dialogue that the maids & butlers say. Just as long as (on the surface, anyway) they still appear to be being polite.

But the agenda that's being really being serviced here is ... Well, by stressing politeness over being frightening, Disney's looking to rein in those WDW employees who -- for years now -- have been going out of their way now to deliberately frighten the guests. Which made that first trip to the Haunted Mansion a particularly unpleasant memory for some of Disney World's younger visitors (More importantly, their parents).

 

Soooo ... What do Mansion vets have to say about this mandatory retraining? Especially that part where these same cast members had to sign a document which stated that they had actually been taught the Mansion's new spiel & blocking. More importantly, that these WDW employees then agreed to make use of this material the very next time that they worked a shift at this Liberty Square attraction.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Well, from what I hear ... Most Mansion vets are now fairly blasé about this whole affair. Given that they anticipate that -- once WDI moves on to its next assignment -- that the cast members who work at this Magic Kingdom favorite will then revert to their old routines. Abandoning the Haunted Mansion's fancy new spiel & blocking in favor of the old tried & true stuff.

Unfortunately, what these WDW cast members don't realize is that the Imagineers aren't quite finished "plussing" the Mansion yet. That -- since there's still a number of effects that they still want to fold into this newly enhanced attraction (Take -- for example -- those unearthly flames that they hoped to soon set ablaze in the ballroom's fireplace) -- that the guys from WDI are going to be hanging on for a while. And as long as they remain in the vicinity, these Imagineers are going to be keeping very close tabs on who is actually making use of the Mansion's new spiel & blocking. More importantly, who isn't.

So in the weeks and months ahead, it's going to be extremely interesting to see what happens with the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion. Whether the cast members who work there actually embrace this attraction's new spiel & blocking. Or whether they just wait 'til the Imagineers aren't paying attention anymore and then return to their old ways?

Your thoughts?

Photo by Jeff Lange

Speaking of the Haunted Mansion ... The photos that were used to illustrate today's article were graciously provided by Jeff Lange.

And speaking of Mr. Lange ... Jeff's actually wondering what sort of Disney-related disc JeffLangeDVD customers would like to see next. So if you could please take a moment to go take part in the poll that MouseSteps is currently ... Well, I know Mr. Lange would be very grateful for your input. More importantly, one lucky participant in this poll will then win a free copy of the Epcot Flower & Garden Screensaver CD that Denise Preskitt recently put together.