DLRP Review

Reviews

1. I love Phantom Manor.

   A major part of the park, hasn’t seem to have dated at all and the effects are really good. I am 21 now and still as scared of this attraction as when I was 5!

   I think the wall stretching at the beginning is extremely clever and entertaining, and I do enjoy this as a fill in for when your feet start to tire.

   By dizzleprincess09 on 7th December 2009

2. I was terrified of this ride when I was very little and would hold my parents hand and my mum would have to pretend to me that they were telling a funny story in the preshow bit as it was in French, I would also close my eyes the whole way through the main ride.

   I have now realised that I must have been a big baby because my 5 year old sister said it wasn’t scary! This time round I loved it! The music really makes it that much more scary! Definitely a must see!

   By xEmziix on 1st August 2009

3. One of my favorite since my first visit to the Californian version…
   I wasn’t scared but really surprised from the first room, I wasn’t expecting that …
   And thanks to the CM’s that act a lot on this, it’s part of the ride !!

   By PhilippeP on 15th July 2009

4. I went on this alone, as I still remember being terrified by it as a young child 35 years ago, so I didn’t think this was the time to test my kids.

   The ride was fun as always, but where was the narrator?

   By C3PO on 21st April 2009

5. O.K – stunning theming but I appreciate the Californian one more as it has a more understandable storyline (partly due to the ride being in English).

   However, apart from that you have to do it at least once in your visit.

   By smm2fan on 13th April 2009

6. Nowhere near as scary as I thought it was going to be! Not sure if that was a good thing or not!! Could be improved slightly.

   By Panto_Princess on 2nd March 2009

7. Another great attraction and well themed to the land. I understand the need for the ride to look the way it does but I would have loved for it to have looked more like the Magic Kingdom version inside. I love the ride and will often ride it multiple times in a visit but I do prefer the version in WDW

   By disneybrit on 11th November 2008

8. Fun attraction for the whole family, not so very scary. Don’t miss this!

   By Bettan on 30th September 2008

9. As soon as you walk through the rusty metal gates of this place you know something must have happened here…. Statues lie smashed in the garden and a teapot sits abandoned in a gazebo. As you shuffle along the (slow moving at peak times) queue, the cobwebs on the lamps above flutter in the breeze. The imposing manor edges closer and closer. The misty windows reveal little more about this place. Soon enough you are ushered into the musty foyer, and slowly you descend into the depths of the house….

   This is a truly great ride, but be warned: young children will be TERRIFIED! However, I find the movement of the Omnimover “Doom Buggies” quite relaxing. The special effects are dazzling (look out for the stretch room, the doors knocking by themselves and the varied Audio-Animatronics characters) and the music is fabulous. Be sure to ride two or three times (at least once at night) to appreciate every detail. A masterpiece when it comes to dark rides.

   By jiminyfan on 26th August 2008

10. Being scared of the dark (yep I’m 28 and still scared! lol) id always avoided this ride, but this time decided i had to give it a go. The initial bit where the lights go off and you hear insane laughing did scare me, but more due to the dark (though the 2nd time I rode, someone had a cam corder with light which ruined the effect.)

    The ride itself is slightly spooky but mostly just good fun, there was several unhappy kids around though, so id be sure to no how your kids will react as some were pretty spooked.

    Some of the special effects were impressive, though I went on it 3 times and have no idea what the skeletons near the buggys others have spoken off, is referring to, though I’m guessing its something to do with the mirror section ??

    Definitely worth a look, and when I was there in July the queues were never too bad.

    By loulou123 on 31st July 2008

11. This attraction is very dark and spooky but very very good my family and I enjoyed it so so much. My mum actually liked it so much she wants to live there!!!!

    Rating: 9/10

    By dakota daly on 22nd July 2008

12. Along the theme of Pirates of the Caribean, catchy tuned themed ride with a tale to tell… bit grim in places for very litte ones, but without being a spoil sport they are modelish enough for children to not view it as too realistic and there are some lovely ideas.

    The pre-show bit can be a bit scary (I hate the dark) and the lights are all turned out leaving you in the pitch black for a matter of seconds, but it really is only seconds then you are off to your waiting doom buggys. I went on this first when I was 13 the year it first opened, i hadn’t wanted to and was going to chicken out at the entrance and wait for my parents there, but i ended up being ushered in “saying I’ll have a look and if I don’t like it I’ll stay out here….” and before i knew it they shut the doors and it was too late…. feeling a little uneasy i was just thinking “this isn’t too bad” when they turned all the lights out…i hated that but it didn’t kill me and i ended up absolutely loving the ride itself as no more dark after that – so try your little spooks on it they too may be suprised!

    It is always one I must do every time we go (and yeah I still grit my teeth when the lights go out).

    By Orion33 on 18th July 2008

13. My first ride at Disneyland Paris. I gotta say that before entering the first time, when nine years old, I was a little bit scared, but this time, I loved it.

    Very good.

    By Sil1994 on 9th July 2008

14. Interesting twist on the haunted mansion attractions. I appreciated the orchestral score and macabre catacombs/thunder mesa sequence, but others in my party felt that the altered scenes were “hokey” and too “carnival spook house” in nature.

    That being said, HM is my favorite attraction in all of the parks and was somewhat disappointed at the state of maintenance in the AA’s and other various effects.

    9

    By malice on 2nd June 2008

15. A brilliant ride!
    Has taken me 17 years to pluck up the courage to enter this house, but it was worth the stress of that first ride!
    The story behind the ride is fascinating! The song is annoyingly catchy and the animatronics are dated but still believable!
    As i said, took me 17 years to get on it, not suitable for really frightened little gouls!
    A must see!

    By Tinkerbell on 19th May 2008

16. A really atmospheric ride that pleases the whole family. Our 5 yr old and 1 yr old both loved it. Another ride where the imagineers have excelled thierselves. We have been on this ride a number of times and the queues have never been to much of a problem.

    By pmdavies33 on 11th April 2008

17. This is another one of my favourite rides in the disneyland park. The staff that work on the ride are amazing also, they really get into character jumping out from behind the front door to scare you and the spooky voices etc! Really enjoyable.

    By Gem on 23rd March 2008

18. For some reason this is always the first ride we take when we visit DLRP. The house itself is imposing enough and the entrance hall effects set the mood. I always enjoy the slightly scary feel of the ride and the special effects that are used. The moving pavement used to get onto and off the ride are easy to use for most people.

    I always enjoy the effect of the skeleton ghosts holding onto the back of the pods as they shake you to and fro and you see yourself in the mirrored wall. The music is good and very atmospheric.

    After you leave the ride you have to visit Boot hill and read the gravestones. Touch the tomb and feel the heartbeat from within!!

    A good ride that suits all but the very nervous scaredy cat!.
    Kids seem to love it – it is teenage girls that seem to scream the most!!

    Disney should fit the ride with a camera so that a photo memory could be bought – they do in the other rides such as Pirates, Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain etc.

    By Red Baron on 6th March 2008

19. Really wasn’t impressed with this ride, really plain and boring. The theming as your making your way to the ride is nice, but in my opinion nothing special.

    By littlemermaid83 on 3rd February 2008

20. A great ride , it makes me laugh every time , in particular the singing heads and skeletons. The ghosts dancing in the ballroom are a good effect. This is my favourite ride and a must for all visits to DLRP.

    By purplrrainbow on 3rd February 2008

21. Just to respond to Alan Ashwood’s comments…

    ‘the paintings don’t change as they do in it’s counterparts.’

    They do – the changes are subtle and may take longer, but the portrait of a woman on the chair changes to a cat, the facial portrait of the woman changes to Medusa, the brave ship changes into a wrecked ghost ship, and I’m sure there are more – take yout time walking to the doom buggies and you will notice, as the changes can take a minute to come around :)

    Also, the cowboy scene follows a graveyard scene – I believe the cowboy scene was added to fit in with the general Frontierland theme – and in fact if you look up before you come to the last mirror portion of the attraction, you can see the Phantom Manor!

    Also, not sure if this is true, but it certainly adds an extra layer to the ride, I have heard that the story is as such: The bride whose story we follow in the ride firstly believes that she has been left at the alter by her fiancee husband…But it emerges that the Vincent Price/ghostly figure is her father, who out of an Oedipal-esque jealousy has killed her husband from beyond the grave! Not your typical ghost train, huh??

    By wendybird7 on 9th January 2008

22. Its got to be on the top 5 attractions at disneyland. Spooky but not scary, great for kids too, although some parts may be a little scary for them

    Themeing is great and its even more fantastic when the Cast Members get into character and hide behind the door, and jump out on you! And in the lift they just stare at you, but beware when it goes dark the Cast Members can go walkies and end up right next to you staring you in the face! (happened to my friend, i laughed, she screamed!)

    By iwerksdisney on 2nd January 2008

23. This ride is always on my must do list! i always notice someting new, i love the singing heads and just about everything about this ride

    When i was little i was too scared to go on this ride, my dad tried to trick me onto it but i cried so one of the cast members showed me a secret exit! i will always remember sneaking out!

    I cant wait to go back on this ride when we go back in february, hopefully it wont be too cold!

    Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialize!

    By clarebelle on 1st January 2008

24. Great theming and a really immersive experience, not too spooky and my 4 year old thought it was all quite funny.

    By kevinaiden on 14th December 2007

25. Just fantastic, i love it.

    By marc on 25th November 2007

26. Board your doom buggy for a scenic adventure! Phantom Manor tells the story of a bride who’s wedding went wrong and she ends up becoming one of the 999 ghosts! Go on a journey through the manor and on to a haunted town and graveyard complete with singing grave stones! First class audio animatronics. Watch out for the extra passenger that sits on your doom buggy at the end of the ride. Cast Members getting into character add to the spooky world of Phantom Manor. Not suitable for the very young. Take time to look around the grave stones on Boot Hill as you exit this ride. 10/10

    By junglebaggie on 9th November 2007

27. I love this ride, it is absolutely fantastic. The manor looks brilliant, the scenery is great, special effects are fantastic and the music really adds to the atmosphere. You HAVE to go on this one. My husband and I were always very lucky in that we never had to wait more than 3 mins for this. On one occasion, we just walked straight in ( extra magic hours at night). I remember the first time we went on this one, we got into the lift and I was thinking ‘oh my God they are going to drop us!’ They didnt.

    This is NOT a scary ride, its just a brilliant gentle cruise around a haunted manor. Some of the effects may frighten young children. 10/10

    By mandymoo on 7th November 2007

28. It’s OK, but Not as good as the California ride. There’s been some penny pinching here, and it shows. The waitline under cover is well thought out, considering European winters.

    The elevator (lift) at the beginning has been shaved of some of the atmosphere setting details, and on the walk to the carriages, the paintings don’t change as they do in it’s counterparts.

    On the ride:
    WHY did they replace the graveyard with a cowboy ghost town? My kids completely missed the point and I thought it was naff, and when the ghost joins you in your carriage – well – he doesn’t! In the US rides, each ghost is different, and sits beside you. In this ride a row of identical skulls appear above the carriage – more money saving at the cost of detail.

    The ride is still enjoyable, but not as good as the others.

    If you have the time, and you’re in Frontierland – do it.

    By Alan Ashwood on 6th November 2007

29. A must do ride. The ride is in two parts, first a lift when it goes pitch black at one stage and then in armchairs around the rest of the house. The theming is first class, with new things to see on each ride. The attendants usually live the part too, adding to the effect of the ride. There is not usually a long queue for this ride, if there is leave and come back later, you should be able to more or less walk on to this ride.

    By phildis66 on 4th November 2007

30. Doing away with the traditional jump-inducing set pieces of other haunted houses, the designers have focussed on providing riders with a creepy, impressive, and mysterious ride. The theming is the real star of the show, and the house maintains the battered, worn, lost-beauty, that is so evident on the outside, throughout.

    The tour of the house is accompanied by an unerving, yet powerful orchestral score, which breaks into a frantic medley as te ride progresses. Along with this, the ride features a mysterious and intreaging storyline that is never made entirely obvious during the ride, but this makes the ride all the better as you try to deduce what has happened in this house to render it so delapidated. Top notch, high quality mystery, which easily surpasses any other haunted house in all of europe; or even the world (it’s definately better than the American version at least)

    By davidrsykes on 1st November 2007

31. The best ride of all. The theming is wonderful! I dont think that Walt would necessarily like how scary the outside of the building looks but definitely some great effects inside!

    My score 10/10

    By mousemickey on 25th October 2007

32. Again great ride to go on. One year we were in the lift when we saw a shadow walking round and then all of a sudden she just jumped at us and you should have heard the screams – it was only the guide playing tricks on us. Definitely well worth a visit.

    By jenjen on 2nd October 2007

33. One of the must-do attractions in Disneyland Park. Phantom Manor tells the tale of “a ravishing bride, a vanishing groom”. At the start of the ride, you enter the Manor, dripping with cobwebs and dust, and enter a small holding area. You are then guided into a room that has seemingly innocent pictures at the top. You are told to stand in the centre of the room, and suddenly, the room starts to stretch, and the pictures are exposed as portraits of terror! The booming voice tells us ‘there is no exit’ just as the lights go out and lightning from overhead illuminates a horrible scene right above our heads! Just as we are overcome with fear, the lights go on and a door opens, leading us through a corridor of strange portraits and sculptures to the ‘doom buggies’, which we board to be taken into the heart of Phantom Manor!

    This ride really is spectacular, and while it may frighten young children, older kids and adults will be impressed by the story and the special effects. The story really stays with you, and the Cast Members working here really seem to get in the ghoulish mood! If you can, avoid queuing, as it is quiet in the morning and evening, so don’t bother waiting too long for it, if it can be avoided!

    By wendybird7 on 21st September 2007

34. Phantom Manor is definitely a fantastic ride in my opinion. Very well themed, great Thunder Mesa story and rarely has long queues. I would advise not to bring young children on Phantom Manor as they may be frightened and you should also visit Boot Hill after the ride which is just to the right of the manor. A great ride!

    By -breeno- on 13th September 2007

35. Well themed dark ride, which while rarely scary is more macabre than it’s American counterparts.

    Unfortunately Disney have made some changes which I think make the attraction not as good as its the American cousins. The first change is that Disney have shoehorned in a storyline about a bride searching for her lost love. The storyline is muddled and is lost on most guests. It is not explained well and only those who have researched beforehand will know what’s going on. Secondly, the finale of the ride has been overhauled – guests are now taken through a garishly black lit ghost town which features some cheesy gags – however the special effects aren’t bad. Lastly, the ride is not as humorous as it’s American counterparts, and loses a little of its charm.

    One change that does work very well is a new soundtrack – the theme is hauntingly beautiful and suits the ride perfectly. The popular song Grim Grinning Ghosts still makes an appearance though!

    The narration is entirely in French, which does detract from the experience a little for English speaking guests. There was originally an English narration by Vincent Price which is well worth tracking down online.

    The exterior of the house looks great, the queue line is entertaining and a little bit creepy. There is also a graveyard and pet cementary next to the exit of the ride which is well worth exploring. The entire attraction area is very atmospheric.

    Although essentially an elaborate ghost train, the ride is not very scary and features none of the standard ghost train tricks such as sudden loud noises or ghosts popping out at you. There are a lot of skeletons but the whole family should be able to enjoy this attraction.

    Despite its flaws this is still an outstanding attraction and one of the best attractions in Disneyland Paris. It rarely gets much of a line due to its high capacity so can be experienced during any part of the day.

    By lloyddy on 12th September 2007

36. Superb attraction, and in my opinion far superior to its counterpart in Florida. The storyline is original, and ties in well with the whole Frontierland theme, and the appearance of the house looks very authentic. Queues are never ridiculously long, and often you can get in within a couple of minutes. Definitely one not to be missed!

    By bozzboy on 9th September 2007