In a special presentation at Disney FanDaze tonight, Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald announced that Phantom Manor will once again feature the voice of Vincent Price when it returns this Fall at Disneyland Paris.
An opening narration by Vincent Price was recorded and initially used Phantom Manor in 1992. However, it was removed and rerecorded by Gérard Chevalier, who had provided a dubbed French voice for Price in some of his movies.
Fitzgerald also announced that changes to the attraction storyline will reveal who is the Phantom of the manor, a great mystery throughout the 25 years of the ride’s history.
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Don’t we already know the Phantom is Henry Ravenswood, Melanie’s father.
That’s what I thought as well….
Yeah super Disney fans know that. Most guests have no idea. That who this is aimed at.
I really hope it isn’t Melanie’s father even though that is fan’s general belief. It adds a layer of Electra complex to what is already a pretty dark ride.
Also when you look at the video of how they created the ride one of the influences was the musical the Phantom of the Opera. So keeping that in mind and the Thunder Mesa/Thunder mountain connection I think the Phantom is the spirit who resided in Thunder mountain when Henry Ravenswood dug it’s ground for gold he awoke and seeing his resting place destroyed placed a curse on the Ravenswoods and began to haunt the Mansion Henry used the gold to build. However the Phantom fell in love with Melanie and when he discovered that she was engaged to another man and planned to leave the Mansion with him he killed him. However Melanie refused his advances and vowed to remain in the Mansion till she and her groom were reunited again in the afterlife. She’s still waiting. The Phantom in heartbreak and revenge and since caused the Mansion to become a haven for ghosts everywhere Melanie hopes one of the ones who turns up will be her love.
OR the Phantom is the fiancé Henry Ravenswood thought he was too beneath his daughter and so on the morning of the wedding he he lured the fiancé to Thunder Mountain and killed him unaware that the ground was cursed by spirits. The fiancé came back as the Phantom and returned to the Mansion to take his revenge and marry his bride.
One more reason I think the Phantom might be the fiancé is if you look at Disney sing a long songs the Disneyland Paris version they do a version of Grim Grinning Ghosts at Phantom Manor and the Phantom and Melanie are implied to have got married. He carries her bridal style inside and disappeared and they come back out arm in arm.