Phantom Manor – Brent's Crossroads

Welcome, foolish mortals, to Brent’s Crossroads! I have visited Disneyland, Disney World, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland. One thing about me is that I love the Haunted Mansion. In all of Disney, it is my favorite attraction in every park. Now that I have experienced all four versions of the Haunted Mansion, I sat back and thought about how to rank them. I’m not counting Mystic Manor because it is an entirely different ride compared to the classic Haunted Mansions.

So, let’s look alive, and don’t forget to bring your death certificates. I will start at the bottom and count up to the number one Haunted Mansion version in the Disney parks.

4. Tokyo Disneyland—It pains me to put it on the bottom, but sacrifices must be made. Riding the Tokyo version was like stepping back in time. This attraction doesn’t have the staircase room but still rocks the spiders and webs. The room is dark, and you can barely see the spiders, but it was a blast from the past. The spiders were still in Disney World when I rode it for the first time as a kid. The other big difference is the Beating Heart Bride. It did my heart good to see her in the attic and hear her heart beating. However, this is not enough to overtake the other Mansions. The outside queue is different with a ruined mausoleum, but the sightlines aren’t as good either. The Mansion here is beyond Splash Mountain and lacks the same uneasy feeling as Orlando (which it mirrors).

3. Disneyland—Putting the OG Haunted Mansion at number three is painful, too. It has been a few years since I’ve been to Anaheim, but things have changed a ton since my last ride on the Mansion. The new queue area looks fantastic, and I should be walking it this year. The other significant change is from an axe-wielding Constance Hatchaway to an updated version of the Beating Heart Bride. The updated spirit looks better, but I need to see it in person before passing final judgement. I need to move on before I rethink my ranking of the Disneyland ride.

2. Disneyland Paris– I struggled with putting Phantom Manor at number two instead of number one. It was almost a coin flip. Phantom Manor is what a haunted house should look like. Walt Disney said the mansion should look nice on the outside, and the ghosts keep the inside how they like it, but the Manor is all creepy from the gates to the doors. The storyline for Paris is also better than the other versions. In the first room, the narration is by Vincent Price, which is perfect for the feel of this ride. I love Vincent as well, so I may be a little biased. Overall, the attraction is similar to the other mansions, but it has different effects and scenes to better incorporate the storyline and the Phantom. The graveyard and broken open coffins in the transition area between the Manor and the Old West town are the scariest and most visceral. The skeletons are real-looking, and there isn’t the usual Disney-style camp in the scenes. The last portion of the ride is why I ended up not ranking it at number one. The Old West town is goofy. This is where we get a solid dose of Disney camp, and it detracts from everything else in the ride. It is so close to being perfect…

1. Disney World—You never forget your first, right? It has the same DNA as the original, and Tokyo is a mirror image of this majestic ride. On the first trip to Disney World as a kid, I rode the Mansion multiple times. During the Electric Light Parade, we were allowed to stay on the ride and keep riding because nobody was in line to ride. It pays to skip the parades and shows sometimes. The Haunted Mansion left an impression on me that continues to this day. It spoke to the way I felt and viewed the world. I like my world on the darker side, and this ride gave that darkness to me. Yes, it’s been updated. I hope they take Constance out of the attic, because the effect hasn’t aged well, and it’s time for her to go. The Hat Box Ghost in the hallway scene makes absolutely no sense. He shouldn’t be before Madame Leota’s seance. The spirits manifest after the seance; unless there is more to his story than we know, he should be in the attic. Okay, now I’m splitting hairs.

There it is, my Haunted Mansion rankings. How do you rank them? Do you think I’m insane, or do you agree with where the rides fell on the list? I plan on doing more of these to compare Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s A Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, and others. Be sure to sound off in the comments below.

Well, I must get back to work on the next video for the YouTube channel (go here to subscribe for even more Disney, cruise, and travel content). Thanks for stopping in to chat, and I hope to see you at the Crossroads!

Brent

The Haunted Mansion in Walt Disney World

Greetings, fellow travelers and Disney Adults! Today, I want to discuss my favorite Disney attraction, The Haunted Mansion. This was one of Walt Disney’s favorite projects, but he unfortunately never got to experience any of the ride’s completed versions. The original Disneyland project underwent many changes, and after a delay in the design phase and building due to the World’s Fair, it didn’t open until 1969, three years after Walt’s death. I have ridden three versions, so let’s talk about it.

The first version I want to discuss is the original in Disneyland Anaheim. This one started it all and is considered the standard by many enthusiasts. The Haunted Mansion began as a planned walk-through attraction where a host would guide guests through a haunted manor. It later shifted to a collection of bizarre items and artifacts. The shifting of the tone and theming led to design delays while the mansion’s exterior was built. The World’s Fair happened during this time, and attention at Disney Imagineering focused on it instead. So, the mansion sat in Disneyland with a sign posted by the entrance gate proclaiming it was a retirement home for ghosts and spirits.

While the attraction sat empty, the idea of the walk-through portion fell through. The decision was made to make the ride a ‘people eater’ and the concept of the Omnimover. This would be a continuous stream of Doom Buggies taking passengers on a tour of the mansion and the graveyards beyond. Unfortunately, Walt passed in 1966 before the final plans were made and built. The main Imagineers who worked on the project were Claude Coates, Marc Davis, Rolly Crump, X Atencio, and the narration performed by Paul Freese. The Haunted Mansion opened to all guests on August 12th, 1969.

I’ve ridden the original, and it is a classic, but is it the best? Many of the scenes in it are shared with Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland. There are some slight differences, but recent updates bring it closer to the Florida version. Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland are the only two that transform into a Nightmare Before Christmas version during the holidays. The overlay was supposed to be on the Disney World one, but it ended up being what is used in Tokyo. I still need to experience the overlay because I love both the ride and the movie.

Second is Disney World’s Haunted Mansion. I have been through this mansion hundreds of times, which has left an impression on me. I love this mansion’s look, which is better than the original’s southern design. This one looks like how I would want my haunted house to look. Walt Disney wanted the original mansion to look pristine on the outside but dusty and old on the inside. The Florida house keeps up this tradition.

The stand-by line is designed and decorated better than the Disneyland mansion, but the insides are nearly identical, as stated above. The new stand-by line in Disneyland is an improvement, but Disney World’s mansion wins. This one is my favorite because it was my first and the one I experience the most often.

Lastly, let’s give some love to Disneyland Paris and Phantom Manor. This version is very close to being my favorite. I feel that not saying the original two aren’t the best is sacrilegious, but damn, this one kills it. The outside of the manor is broken down and weather. It looks abandoned and haunted. The grounds around the manor are dead and run down. The story is more defined here as well. It is a family tragedy concerning a jealous father and his daughter. All of her suitors end up dead, and Henry Ravenswood is responsible. The story also ties to the nearby Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster and the Thunder Mesa area of the theme park. Explaining it doesn’t do the weaving narrative any justice. Go there, lol!

The inside of the ride features a darker tone. There are similar scenes and themes, but most of this version is a variant parallel to the others. The ride doesn’t end in the graveyard scene but in an undead western town. The phantom spirit of Henry Ravenswood is present in various locations and is creepy, with his skeletal face laughing at your doom.

The other versions are in Tokyo, and a Haunted Mansion variant called Mystic Manor is in Shanghai Disneyland. I will be crossing Tokyo off the list next year, but it is primarily an exact copy of the Disney World attraction. Because of the cultural differences concerning ghosts and spirits, Mystic Manor is an entirely different attraction. I won’t discuss the differences here; we’ll revisit that later, fellow travelers.

I hope you enjoyed this brief look at my favorite Disney ride. If you’ve been on any of them, what are your thoughts and favorites? The YouTube channel for Brent’s Crossroads has finally posted its first video; you can check it out here. I’m working to get the links to the other associated social media sites in the sidebar. Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a Hollywood Studios Jollywood NIghts pin by subscribing or following the other sites by December 9th. You can get one entry per follow here, on Instagram (@brenttabell), Threads (@brenttabell), or TikTok (@brent.abell).

Glad you could stop by and see me on the Crossroads, and I hope to see you out there!

Happy travels,

Brent

Brent's Crossroads

Tag: Phantom Manor

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