It has been months in the making (
and has evolved so far beyond what was tested back in early 2010), but those guests who braved 65 minute waits for the Mansion this afternoon were treated to a preview of the new interactive queue area.
Built near to the end of the regular queue (
see these photos for an idea of where the new queue is located), this new area takes guests into an extension of the Haunted Mansion, and provides an additional layer of detail to the backstory to the attraction. In keeping with Disney's push for more advanced queues, the new Mansion queue features all manner of interactive elements. You can touch instruments and hear them spring to life - in the style of the Haunted mansion musical score of course! There are sound effects everywhere, air blasts, water jets, a mini-game and lots of eye candy - including a Marc Davis tribute.
The entire queue area is not yet complete, and more is being worked on. But what has been revealed already is a very impressive addition to the Mansion, and will really give fans something to be excited about.
No word yet whether the queue will remain open beyond today's previews, but if you are in the area, it's well worth a check to see and interact with it yourself. Today, guests were given the choice of the "fun" route via the new interactive queue, or via the "fast" route, which bypassed the new area. It's not clear if this is how it will operate once it fully opens. If so, it would be a great way to eliminate that pressure of people behind you pushing you through the main queue, limiting your time in the interactive area.
For a look a walk-through of the new queue, head to the photos below.
You can also share you thoughts with other readers in our forum here.
SPOILER WARNING - if you want to be totally surprised on your next trip, stop reading now.
Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox