The following article was mirrored from the Disneyland Paris web site. It was originally published in 1997.
Mirrored from the Official Disneyland Paris Web Site
An
ominous presence looms high on the hill overlooking the banks of
the Rivers of the Far West. The eerie estate of Phantom Manor teems
with ghosts and ghouls from the Old West, daring you to explore
its haunted hallways.
Pass through the Manor gates and walk upwards past a dilapidated,
vine-covered gazebo. From within the gazebo, a faint light flickers
and the sound of an old music box can be heard. Climb the carriage
road leading to the main house towards the Manor's garden pavilion,
an open air structure with a metal roof. Listen for the whistling
of the whispering wind around the iron railings.
As you approach the house, watch out for a candle inside the Manor
that appears to be floating from one window to another. You might
also spot the dark spectre of the Phantom or the silhouette of the
ill-fated Bride.
Atop the roof two brick chimneys belch mysterious smoke. Ominous
sounds emanate from the environs of the Manor: a baying hound, a
raven's squawk…or something never heard before. A shutter flaps
eerily in the wind...
As you enter Phantom Manor, the haunting voice of the "Ghost
Host" welcomes you and the front doors creak shut…
In a corner of the room a hanging mirror reveals the dim image of
a fading portrait of the beautiful young Bride.
Doorless Chamber
A secret panel slides open, revealing an ornate, candle-lit chamber.
Suddenly a panel glides shut behind you, sealing you into a doorless
chamber! The walls begin to move and the portraits stretch downwards.
Innocent paintings elongate to reveal a series of unexpected and
bizarre circumstances...
Portrait Gallery
Relief comes when secret panel silently glides open and the way
is clear to proceed down a dimly-lit hallway lined with a vast array
of photos and portraits. As you walk past their expressions and
attitudes suddenly change! The macabre ambience hurries you on towards
the end of the hall and a full-length portrait of the young woman
as the Bride.
Grand Staircase
The hallway twists around into an endless moving carpet with a never-ending
procession of "Doombuggies".
The Bride's Welcome
You pass under a balcony and into a curtained archway. A welcoming
bow from the Bride beckons you further into the gloom.
The Endless Hallway
Turning a bend, you suddenly come to a misty, cobweb-draped hallway
that seems to go on forever.
The Bride reappears holding a candelabra, gesturing you on down
the hall. She appears and disappears intermittently, leaving you
to wonder if the pretty young woman is real, or perhaps a woeful,
vaporous apparition...
Music Room
An ornate piano mysteriously plays on its own. A raven is perched
on the music holder, and through the open windows behind the piano
a gloomy landscape enshrouded by fog can be seen.
Corridor of Doors
Doors leading from the Music Room suddenly come under the influence
of frightful, unforeseen forces, who make themselves known through
the contortions of the doors and horrendous pounding sounds.
Clock Hall
At the end of the corridor, a grandfather clock that solemnly tolls
the hour of "13," as eyes of the grotesque figures in
the wallpaper pattern glow ominously.
Seance Circle
Moving into a circular chamber, your Doom Buggy turns to reveal
a centre table and the bluish light of a crystal ball. The head
of fortune teller Madam Leota appears in the ball, chanting ancient
incantations from surrounding tarot cards. Could she be invoking
spirits to attend the wedding reception in the Grand Hall? Your
Doombuggy carries you onwards to find out...
Grand Hall/Wedding Reception
The Bride, standing midway up the staircase, woefully greets arriving
guests disembarking from a hearse at the entrance doors to the hall.
Spirits clad in formal wear enjoy a champagne feast, while others
waltz. A cloaked figure plays the organ as ghostly skulls fly out
of the organ pipes.
As the wind of a howling storm blows the curtains in windows overhead,
lightning flashes reveal the silhouette of the Phantom in the window
above the staircase. His menacing laughter rings out above the merriment.
The
Bride's Boudoir
Without hesitation, your Doom Buggy pushes forward to invade the
Bride's sanctuary. You notice a portrait on the wall of the Bride
as a young woman and see an age-bent crone peering into the mirror
at her reflection—a giant fleshless skull.
The Garden Graveyard
You glimpse the Manor's gloomy exterior half hidden in the trees
and discover the Phantom again, leaning wearily on his shovel beside
a freshly dug open grave. On the other side of the pathway, in the
shadows of a sarcophagus, a snarling demon dog with eyes that glow
in the darkness adds to the terror...
Skeleton Catacombs
Tipped suddenly backwards, you descend into the freshly dug grave
opening and enter a subterranean tunnel of root-infested caverns
filled with decaying coffins. Muffled sounds emanate from the shadows.
Skeletons seem to be trying to reassemble themselves while others
appear to be disintegrating. Macabre Music Makers
You move on past musically inclined spirits, noticing one inventive
soul who has lined up a skeletal music maker. In the distance, a
quartet of marble busts suddenly springs to life in song.
Ghost Train & Hearse
A lonely train depot appears where a skeletal stationmaster attempts
to entice you with a pair of tickets for a "one-way" trip
to Phantom Canyon.
Phantom Canyon
The Phantom's hideous laughter heralds a change of scene as your
Doom Buggy winds its way out of the catacombs and into the Old West
ghost town of Phantom Canyon. A violent earthquake shakes the crumbling
walls. A welcoming committee of a rotund spirit mayor and his raven
companion are on hand. In a friendly gesture, the mayor tips not
only his top hat but his head as well!
Signs of the Quake
You roll toward the Central Street of the ghost town, past the assay
office and pharmacy. Smoke and an eerie glow come from another crevice
as storm clouds drift over the peaks of Big Thunder Mountain, transforming
into ghost riders across a twilight sky.
Bank Robbery
In the centre of the Old West ghost town is all that remains of
Cattlemen's Bank, blown apart in a bandit raid. Bricks are scattered
along the roadway amid the smoky aftermath. The bandit—his loot
aboard a stubborn mule—desperately tries to pull the animal across
a crevice. The mule on the other side of the chasm wants no part
of it. Gold ore bulges heavily from his saddlebags.
Attempting to thwart the bandit's escape, a dedicated but cowardly
lawman takes wild shots at the determined bandit from behind a shaky
street lamp. You suddenly find yourself caught in the ghostly crossfire,
as the bandit takes careful aim at the lawman.
Apothecary
A mild-mannered pharmacist is seen drinking one of his own concoctions,
only to slowly turn into a grotesque image of his former self. Saloon
Comes Apart at the Seams
At the end of the main street of the ghost town lies the earthquake-stricken
saloon. Four invisible gamblers play a lively hand of poker in the
casino across the street.
Phantom Invitation
Finally, the Phantom puts in another appearance, making one last
effort to entice you to take up residence, as he gestures towards
an open coffin.
This Way Out, Maybe
Your Doombuggy returns to Phantom Manor Garden with the mansion
visible off in the distance atop a rocky pinnacle. Moving past a
vortex of whirling light, the Bride reappears, floating in skeletal
form clad in tattered bridal attire and pointing toward a possible
escape route.
Danger Surrounds You
You descend into the final danger-filled passage, moving past mirror-lined
walls. Suddenly the menacing outstretched arms of the Phantom reach
over from behind you! With a flash of light, the Phantom disappears
and you find yourself back to near reality in the wine cellar. A
sinister Manor host helps disembark onto another moving walkway.
Little Bride
As you walk back toward daylight, the Bride makes a farewell appearance,
eerie, yet horrifyingly real. "Hurry baaack!"
Phantom Manor Mythology
Legend has it that decrepit and dilapidated Phantom Manor, tucked
away in a lonesome corner of Frontierland, was once home to one
of Thunder Mesa's founding families. Among the first settlers to
strike it rich during the town's Gold Rush heyday, the family built
the best house in town, high up on a hill overlooking the river
below and out to a private cemetery on the grounds. On the day of
her wedding, the daughter of the Manor was jilted, never to be seen
again!
The house, once the showplace of Thunder Mesa, fell into decay and
ruin, becoming the sinister-looking residence that we know today
as Phantom Manor. Haunted by a host of ghosts—predominantly by the
evil "Phantom" and the benevolent "Bride," these
restless spirits are constantly at odds within the confines of the
house. Daringly curious Disneyland Paris Guests are invited inside
to experience frightful encounters with various ghouls, banshees
and the resident "Phantom" himself.
The Disneyland Paris version of the Haunted Mansion features even
more realistic special effects than previous attractions, as well
as different theme music. Walt Disney himself supervised the plans
for the original Disneyland Anaheim attraction but he never lived
to see it open in 1969. According to persistent rumour, you can
still see Walt's face among the singing busts inside the attraction...
Haunting Logistics
Phantom Manor contains 92 Audio-Animatronics® characters, 54 animated
props, 58 individual special effects and more than 400 special show
props, making it one of the most elaborate attractions ever created
for a Disney Theme Park.
Macabre Music of the Manor
Like its predecessors at Disneyland,the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney
World and Tokyo Disneyland, Phantom Manor's main musical theme is
"Grim Grinning Ghosts" by X. Atencio and Buddy Baker.
The Phantom Manor music is unique. Recorded in an entirely new arrangement
and orchestrations, principal performers were drawn from the London
Chamber Orchestra and supplemented by 60 of the finest studio musicians
in London. Rhythms range from a gloomy funeral march, to a ballroom
waltz, to a honky-tonk saloon piano version and ultimately, to a
rollicking vocal rendition by a quartet of singing statues!
Ride System
The ride through Phantom Manor is provided by "Doom Buggies"
— two-passenger carriages of the continuously-moving WEDway "OmniMover"
Transportation System, developed by Walt Disney Imagineering. Each
of the 131 cars is capable of 180-degree turns, to the left and
right, and are pre-programmed to turn in the direction of each scene.
Interesting Features
The musical skeletons found in Phantom Manor were inspired by the
1929 Disney short animated film, The Skeleton Dance. The film, produced
in black and white, was the first in a series of films entitled
Silly Symphonies. A total of 75 "Symphonies" were produced
by the Walt Disney Studio from 1929 to 1939, with each Symphony
showcasing a new set of cartoon characters and music.
The Bride's Boudoir scene in the attraction was inspired by macabre
Victorian lithographs of the late 1800s.
Boot Hill
After leaving Phantom Manor, turn left towards the decaying wrought-iron
fence to linger a little longer among the crumbling crypts of Boot
Hill cemetery. Situated on a small hillside overlooking the Rivers
of the Far West, this desolate graveyard was originally built as
a final resting place for the Manor dynasty. Take a look at the
tumble-down tombstones and you could read: Sacred to the memory
of
REV. JARED BATES
who died
August the Sixth
1862
Erected by the girls of the Lucky Nugget Saloon:
Brigitte, Caroline, Lotte, Anna, Lulu, Fifi and Sue
"His Flock shall sorely miss him"
A NEAR-SIGHTED MINER
IN SHAFT 39
LIT HIS CIGAR
AND BLEW UP THE MINE
FLORA FINCH
1805 - 1861
"SWEPT AWAY
BY APRIL SHOWERS,
HERE SHE LIES
BENEATH THE FLOWERS"
PEGLEG PETE
THE RIVER PIRATE
Walked the plank,
and sank.
Jasper Jones
Loyal Manservant
Died 1866
"Kept the Master happy"
Anna Jones
Faithful Chamber Maid
Died 1867
"Kept the Master happier"
HERE LIES
SHOTGUN GUS
HOLIER NOW
THAN ALL OF US
B. ARNOLD
Cold is my bed, but oh, I love it,
for colder are my friends above it.
Red Hot Harry
"He got hot
but he was slow
so he got put
six feet below"
Here lies
LEADFOOT FRED
"Danced too slow
and now he's dead"
1802 - 1866
REST IN PEACE
"MOONSHINE" LENNY
Seems he took one drink too many