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[ailsa]

Me too!!!

[A Happy Dream]

Hey there!  :wink:

I can't tell that much about Phantom Manor, because I have never been at Disneyland. But i'm very interested in knowing the story about this attraction that so many people talk about. I already watched some videos on the youtube site, and I must say it seems a very cool attraction. In my opinion I think that the version about Melanie's father being the phantom is not very logical, I mean, which father would do such a horrible thing to his daughter? I think the version about the phantom falling in love with her is more convincing. But of course, this is only my point of view!  

[Snow_White_Girl]

You should head to Boot Hill next time you visit. Ckeck out the heartbeating grave and look for the Phantom in the Manor windows.

Wow I never knew there was so much backstory behind my favourite attraction! Very interesting to read! And I'll definitely head to Boot Hill when I'm at DLP in August - is that the bit with all the graves next to the Manor?? Or am I completely wrong??

[never2old]

And I'll definitely head to Boot Hill when I'm at DLP in August - is that the bit with all the graves next to the Manor?? Or am I completely wrong??

No, you're completely right!

I love Boot Hill. Theare are plenty of jokes around the graves - and you get nice views over BTM and Frontierland... It's usually fairly quiet, as well, so it's also a nice break from the crowds...

It's definitively worth a visit!

[A Happy Dream]

I have been searching for more information about this attraction on the websites "Phantom Manor" and "Happy Haunts", but I didn't find anything special. What is written in these websites is what we already know, that was supposed to be a wedding but the groom didn't show up, and Melanie is still waiting for him. There is no reference to who may be the phantom or what really happened to Melanie. I guess we will have to discover by ourselves.  :mrgreen:

[pussinboots]

Please feel free to fix the Wikipedia article!

[A Happy Dream]

I like this version of the story. It's very convincing and has great details about the wedding day.

There once was an old mining town, back in the days when able frontiersmen were settling in the American Wilderness searching for gold, named Thunder Mesa. In the old days, it was a small town with only one street, a few houses and shops, a casino and a saloon. Eventually the gold in the area dried up and the settlers were forced to move up north, where the gold was. There proved to be more than enough gold in old Thunder Mountain, and a booming old west town sprung up right around the river - the richest in the old west. The town's new mayor and founder, Mr. Ravenswood, built a huge, glorious manor on the hill high overlooking the town on the south border of the settlement. In this house he raised his young daughter, Melanie, and the opulent family lived happily for many years.

The young girl grew into a young woman, and it came time for her to take a husband and raise a family. She chose a bright young man who was an engineer on the Thunder Mesa Railroad, and a date was set for their marriage.

On the wedding day, a terrible thing happened. While the young bride was preparing in her boudoir, a horrible phantom materialized inside the house. Evil and deranged, he fell madly in love with the bride to be. Seeing the groom so enraged his insane mind that he dragged the young man into the attic and hung him, laughing maniacally.

In the ballroom the bride sat alone. Hours went by with no sign of the groom. The guests slowly filed away, leaving the bride alone in the house with the staff of maids and butlers. "Some day", she told herself, "he will come". And so, having never taken off her wedding dress or dropped her bouquet in preparation of her loved one's return, she wandered the house aimlessly, singing melancholy songs of lost love.

The phantom was still in the house, laughing at her humanly devotion to her intended husband. One by one he invited his dead, demonic friends from the afterlife to fill the house in an eternal party. The shape of the house was slowly transformed surreally by the evil forces.

Years passed.

Inside and outside, the house was decaying. Dusty cobwebs cover every inch, the disheartened staff caring not, for it was rumored that the young bride had lost her mind. She wandered the house for years and years, singing softly to her groom while all around her demons and ghosts reveled and danced. Everywhere she went she was reminded of the wedding. The phantom's eternal laughter still carried through the walls of the house. Outside, the once beautiful grounds were falling apart and crumbling. The gilded staircase and structure was dotted with mold and trees and every plant on the grounds died.  As if sensing the evil inherent in the house, nothing living treaded there.

An earthquake cut a huge gouge in the west half of the property and the crumbling ghost town of the old Thunder Mesa. The deserted buildings were rumored to be haunted, and anybody who entered the ghastly old town at night never came back.

Today, nobody knows if Melanie Ravenswood is still alive in that old house on the hill. If she is, then she's well over 100 years old.  Although no human being can live that long, her beautiful voice still carries over the town at night, though the walls, and night air. And sometimes, people still see lights in the house.

Some nights, when the moon is full and the sky is clear of clouds, you can still hear the lonely mourning of the bride, the maniacal laughter of the phantom, and the faint tinkle of glass and laughter of party guests. Whether she's alive or not, what is well known is that poor old Melanie never really left the crumbling mansion. She waits for her groom 'till judgment day.

[DestinationMagic]

You can find a very good video in four parts about the story of Phantom Manor on Youtube:

Link to Part 1:

//http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyG8WcavZwc

Enjoy!

[MizzRabbit]

Nice videos!

I also have a little treat for you PM fans: http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/2008/ ... manor.html

It's the secret letters of Phantom Manor. You can't read actual letters from the ride!

Enjoy!

[DGRavenswood]

The story version I put up on Ravenswood Manor was assembled from three types of sources: official documents and releases, direct evidence (signage, spiels, ride scenes, etc.) found in the park, and personal correspondence with the ride's creators. For the moment I reckon it's the most complete account which doesn't take any liberties of its own.

Keep in mind, though, that the Imagineers wanted each guest to figure out their own  story, which means that there's not really any true or false version, only different interpretations. For example, when I asked about the Phantom's identity, Jeff Burke (the Imagineer in charge of creating Phantom Manor) replied: "The Phantom is possibly the father of the Bride or just possibly the elusive and shadowy embodiment of all that is evil - or possibly both!"

To some questions you won't find any concrete answers... And maybe it's better that way!

[-breeno-]

Nice video Simba and like the interview DGRavenswood, i have to say Ravenswood Manor is one of my favourite DLRP sites

Kinda off-topic but it's still about PM.  Does anyone know why they change the stretch room audio from Vincent Price to the French guy (don't know his name)?  I never heard the Price audio in real life but from videos i've seen it sounds great, surely they still have the audio and could just select which one to play, would love to hear it in real life someday.

[MizzRabbit]

I've read somewhere that it was because of some french licensing problem. I can't remember where though.

[A Happy Dream]

Does anyone know why they change the stretch room audio from Vincent Price to the French guy (don't know his name)?

The Phantom speaking was recorded with the voice of Gérard Chévalier in french. To be honest, I prefer the first version of the narration, the one made with Vincent Price. He had a sweet, kind voice, but also very creepy, like a grandfather telling his grandson a story before he goes to bed. That's what it makes that version so interesting, because you feel scared and strangely happy at the same time.
The only thing I can't understand is why they changed the narration to french?! I mean, nowadays most of the european people speaks english, so why did they changed the narration to a language that only a small number (France, Switzerland and Luxembourg) of people in Europe speaks?

[DGRavenswood]

It was actually planned to be in French from the very beginning. They tried to have Vincent Price speak in French at first but it didn't work out. So they recorded him in English instead and later replaced it with French actor Gerard Chevalier... You can find the full story in my making of.

[Fever]

I was just listening to the full music loop from The Haunted Mansion Holiday and I am amazed how good it is! They have kept  a lot of the famous ghost host quotes, but added tons of new stuff.

The video I saw didnt do any justice, so closing my eyes listening to it, I can see every scene. The streatching gallery's are very creepy.

I was just wondering if Phantom Manor will ever see such a grand re-theme for the Christmas season.

It would mean a few week down time for dressing, but what do we think?