Reports on social media are claiming that the nooses on Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris have been removed as sensitivity updates continue on Disney attractions around the world.
According to Phantom Manor Legends, a Facebook fan page in France specifically focused on the Haunted Mansion-inspired attraction at Disneyland Paris, all nooses were removed from the attraction except the one held by the Phantom in the Stretching Room preshow. This includes the end scene, pictured above, where a noose formerly hung over a coffin next to the Phantom.
It’s likely that the nooses were removed due to sensitivity surrounding the topic of suicide for many guests. Indeed, such changes have also been discussed for the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. When the ride reopened with Disneyland following its 16-month-long COVID-19 closure, a number of small changes were made to the attraction to add more references and reintroduce lost effects. Imagineer Michele Hobbs, who managed the refurbishment, did address the calls to remove the hanging body from The Haunted Mansion’s stretching portrait room. “It’s been discussed for sure,” Hobbs said. “It’s definitely something that we’re thinking about.” The hanging scene has not been removed from either American version of the attraction.
Other recent sensitivity changes at Disney Parks include the removal of some tribal masks in EPCOT, minor updates to “Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue,” and an overhaul of Jungle Cruise at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom.
Phantom Manor
For those who have never visited Disneyland Paris, Phantom Manor is the European park’s version of The Haunted Mansion. It’s still an Omnimover dark ride through a ghostly estate, but very distinct with its own backstory and a darker tone. The ride opened with the park on April 12, 1992.
The attraction sits in a dilapidated Victorian manor overlooking Thunder Mesa, the town within Frontierland at Disneyland Paris. The city is dominated by the Ravenswoods, especially mining magnate Henry Ravenswood, who built the illustrious manor for his family after striking it big in the nearby Big Thunder Mountains. Henry lived with his wife Martha, and his daughter Melanie. As she grew older, many suitors came to court Melanie in order to marry her, yet all died under mysterious circumstances.
Finally one day, a railroad tycoon was set to marry Melanie, but Henry did not approve of the match. Before he could truly interfere, Henry and his wife were killed when a terrible earthquake struck Thunder Mesa, a result of a Native American curse on his gold mines. Yet he returned as a Phantom on Melanie’s wedding day, killing her groom by hanging him from the rafters. None of the Ravenswoods were ever seen again, and the Phantom has since laid waste to the now-eponymous Phantom Manor, while Melanie Ravenswood simply waited and waited for her groom who was never to come.
You can watch a full ride-through of Phantom Manor after its lengthy 2018-19 refurbishment above courtesy of our YouTube channel.
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