Disney Dish: NBA Experience Closure & Haunted Mansion History

Disney Springs News

• 🏀 The NBA Experience at Disney Springs has officially closed permanently, marking a difficult situation for Disney World management.
• 💡 The attraction was initially planned for a 100,000 sq ft building but was scaled down, leading to disputes with the NBA and increased costs for Disney.
• ⏳ The NBA Experience opened in August 2019 and struggled with low attendance from the outset, with its closure being a significant financial and operational challenge.
• 🎭 Cirque du Soleil's Drawn to Life show has an opening date of November 18, 2021, with early reports suggesting ticket prices around $85.
• 🍦 Salt and Straw, an ice cream shop, will be opening in Disney Springs, taking the place of Ample Hills.

Disney Genie and Pricing Changes

• 📱 Disney has announced details for Disney Genie, a trip-planning app, Genie Plus (paid Fastpass at $15-$20/day), and individual Lightning Lane purchases for select attractions ($5-$25).
• 💸 This shift from free Fastpass to paid systems, coupled with the end of Magical Express and increased costs for airport transportation (Mirrors Connect), has led to a narrative of Disney becoming increasingly expensive.
• 📈 Headlines from major news outlets highlight the shift to a paid system, contributing to a perception of rising costs for park visits.
• 🎢 The cumulative effect of price increases, new paid services, and high-cost experiences like the Galactic Starcruiser is creating a dangerous narrative for Disney, potentially driving visitors to competitors like Universal.

Haunted Mansion Development: Part 3

• 👻 The early concept for the Haunted Mansion, featuring Captain Gore and his bride Priscilla, was tested on the Disney lot with positive reactions.
• 🏡 A clarification on the Winchester Mystery House story suggests Sarah Winchester may have been a self-taught architect rather than solely driven by spirits.
• 🐎 Walt Disney desired a tie-in to existing Disney characters, leading to the idea of incorporating the Headless Horseman from "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad."
• 🎬 Ken Anderson developed a scenario for the Headless Horseman, utilizing two figures and primitive effects like lightning flashes and glowing red eyes to obscure the mechanics, inspired by early animatronics and Fantasia's "Night on Bald Mountain."
• 🗺️ The placement of the Haunted Mansion evolved significantly, moving from Adventure Land to near Holiday Land, and was even planned for an indoor theme park in St. Louis, Missouri, called Walt Disney's Riverfront Square.
• 🔮 Walt Disney envisioned the Haunted Mansion as a "retirement home for restless spirits," indicating a desire for a multi-character attraction rather than a single-story narrative.