For a park steeped in magic, mystery, and meticulous storytelling, Disneyland Paris has never been afraid to tread darker ground. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Phantom Manor, the resort’s brooding answer to Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. This fan-favorite attraction recently welcomed some quiet but telling changes—though not everyone noticed them at first.
Phantom Manor, nestled in the shadowy outskirts of Frontierland, was always the oddball cousin of Disney’s haunted attractions. With its windswept façade and sweeping ghost story rooted in the American West, the ride has stood apart from its cheerier counterparts. While Haunted Mansion tends to wink at death, Phantom Manor leans in.
The original Haunted Mansion opened at Disneyland in 1969, fusing spooky effects with deadpan comedy and operatic spectacle. It quickly became a cornerstone of the park and inspired sister attractions across the globe—from Walt Disney World in Florida to Tokyo Disneyland. Even Hong Kong Disneyland introduced its own version, Mystic Manor, which swaps specters for magical relics and mischievous spirits.
Phantom Manor Undergoes Big Change
Among fans, Phantom Manor has long held a unique reverence. Its sweeping orchestral score by John Debney and its tragic narrative centered on doomed bride Melanie Ravenswood have earned it praise for being more emotionally resonant than its siblings. It’s not just scary or silly—it’s cinematic.
This makes any update to the attraction feel significant. Disneyland Paris has reportedly made some recent changes to tone down certain queue elements that were deemed too suggestive. According to DLP Report, two tombstones near the ride’s entrance have been replaced with less provocative epitaphs.
🪦 In Boot Hill, the Jones Crypt has received some new questionable puns, and new stones for Goliath, the dog and Thomas, the cat: pic.twitter.com/plgzUXmmDW
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) June 12, 2025
The tombstone for Jasper Jones now reads, “Loyal Butler Jasper Jones – Time at Last to Rest Your Bones.” The nearby stone for Anna Jones, presumably his wife, now reads, “Dear Housekeeper – Now the Dirt’s a Whole Lot Deeper.” These newly installed lines have replaced more risqué epitaphs: “Kept the Master Happy” and “Kept the Master Happier,” respectively.
A Broader Pattern of Disney Park Change
The tombstone edits are part of a larger pattern at Disney Parks, reflecting the company’s ongoing push toward more socially conscious storytelling. In 2023, nearly all of the nooses inside Phantom Manor were quietly removed—save for the one that looms above guests in the infamous Stretching Room scene.
This shift isn’t isolated to Europe. Over at Disneyland Park in California, changes have also been made to the Haunted Mansion’s infamous Bride character. “The bride that used to be in there was an axe murderer, and in this day and age we have to be really careful about the sensitivities of people,” said Kim Irvine in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Irvine, who recently announced her retirement from The Walt Disney Company, is no stranger to the ride’s evolution. Her mother, Imagineer Leota Toombs, famously provided the face and voice for Madame Leota—still a fixture of the Haunted Mansion experience to this day.
There has even been talk of removing the noose from the Stretching Room at Disneyland. “We’re still looking at that,” Irvine explained to the Los Angeles Times. “That one is complicated, structurally … One thing at a time.”
In Florida, Disney park fans are watching closely. A Notice of Commencement filed earlier this year for the Orlando version of Haunted Mansion has sparked theories that the park may also rework its depiction of the Bride—or even make further changes to the attraction’s more sensitive visuals.
While these updates may seem minor, they point to a larger evolution in how Disney balances nostalgia with responsibility. For some longtime fans, the edits feel like a compromise. For others, they're proof that even the afterlife has room for growth.
What do you think of Disney's changes to Phantom Manor?
Totally wrong, these woke people need to get a grip on life. I am so done with Disney caving to all these stupid woke people