Boot Hill

Near the conclusion of Phantom Manor, rather than falling into a cemetery filled with "grim, grinning ghosts" as in the Haunted Mansion, guests instead are dropped into an open grave for a trip through the Underworld. Just when you think you've escaped this pit of rotting (but not quite dead) corpses, you emerge into Phantom Canyon, a ghostly version of Thunder Mesa. Here, the town's Mayor tips his hat (and his whole head) as you pass, and the undead engage in everything from a bank robbery to a game of cards in a saloon.

Ultimately, it's the ethereal, wedding gown-clad ghost of Melanie Ravenswood who leads you safely back to our world and the exit of the attraction. A visit to Phantom Manor wouldn't be complete, though, without a stroll past Boot Hill, the town's graveyard.

The cemetery scene begins near the mansion, with the tombs of Henry and Martha Ravenswood, who "Quarreled and fought as man and wife, Now silent together beyond this life."

There are quite a few other former residents of Thunder Mesa here, too, along with some of the humorous epitaphs we've come to expect at the U.S. Haunted Mansions. Here are:

B. ARNOLD

Cold is my bed, But oh I love it

For colder are my friends above it

Here Lies

LEADFOOT FRED

Danced too slow and now he's dead

(notice the bullet holes in his boots)

Consider the case of young Frank Ballard and Mary Murphy. They were in love and determined to get married, but Frank's mother had something to say about that. Now, even in death the two lovers are drawn together... and Ma Ballard is still looking over their shoulders.

Or how about the poor fellas who died in Mine No. 39:

THESE MINERS WERE TOLD

ABOUT DIGGING TOO FAST

THEY LOST ALL THEIR GOLD

IN A DYNAMITE BLAST

Around the bend is a collection of tombstones which some may mistake as a version of a pet cemetery. Look more closely, though, and you'll see they tell a different story. It seems November 13, 1865 (a Friday no doubt) was unlucky for this poor squirrel, cat and hunter. They became breakfast, lunch and dinner, respectively, for a burly bear. He eventually got his, though, joining them 20 years later: "Hibernating in happiness after years of hearty hunting."

With all these deaths, this corner of Thunder Mesa is not the happiest... unless, of course, you're J. Nutterville. He's the local undertaker and cabinet maker. My guess is, he's been making fewer cabinets lately.

Ravenswood Manor

Ravenswood Manor overlooks the town of Thunder Mesa. It was Henry Ravenswood who owned and operated the Big Thunder Mine, and his money built this town. What money couldn't buy, however, was immortality... or could it? The accepted version has it that Henry and his wife, Martha, died in the great quake of 1860, but some believe he returned from the dead in the form of a phantom who haunts the house on the hill.

This tale forms the foundation of Phantom Manor, a Frontierland attraction similar in many ways to the traditional Haunted Mansion, but which stands as a completely unique adventure at Disneyland Paris.

As the story goes, Henry built the mansion and grounds for his wife and daughter, Melanie. In its day, the estate was spectacular, but things started to go south when Melanie met a young man. The two were betrothed, but the groom had plans to take Melanie away from Thunder Mesa and her family. That just didn't sit well with Henry.

This gazebo on the grounds of Phantom Manor appears decked out for a reading of some kind, perhaps palm or Tarot.

Folks say that, even in death, Henry was determined not to lose his precious Melanie. On the eve of the wedding, the groom vanished (although there have been reports of him "hanging" around the portrait chamber) and Melanie fell into a state of despair. She took to wandering the halls, searching for her beloved for the rest of her days... and beyond.

Cast member costumes at Phantom Manor and other Disneyland Paris locales are often as spectacularly detailed as the park's attractions.

Those brave enough to venture into Phantom Manor today may just encounter the ghost of young Melanie, still in her wedding gown after all these years. Should you come face-to-face with her father, the phantom, however... Melanie could prove to be your saving grace, leading you away from his clutches.

As opposed to the Haunted Mansion, which Walt Disney directed his Imagineers to create as a simple retirement home for ghosts, Phantom Manor tells a complete (and complex) story. The attraction is also considerably more gruesome and frightening than its American counterparts, owing to different cultural expectations with a European audience.

During my trips through Phantom Manor, I spent every moment soaking in the details. As a result, I don't have any interior pictures to share. If you'd like to see and learn more, though, there are some great resources out there. First and foremost, I recommend Jason Surrell's book, The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies. If you don't already own this and his book on Pirates of the Caribbean, you should.

Online, there are also a couple of really nicely done sites, including a portion of DoomBuggies.com and Ravenswood-Manor.com. Check 'em out!

The Town of Thunder Mesa

Within the protective boundaries of Fort Comstock lies the town of Thunder Mesa, a community which owes its very existence to the discovery of a vein of gold in nearby Big Thunder Mountain back in 1849. The town grew up around the mine, and although the mine was abandoned after the great quake of 1860, the citizens of Thunder Mesa continue to thrive.

A stroll along the "dirt" roads and wooden sidewalks of the town reveals a healthy variety of business enterprises, from a general store and frontier outfitter to a "modern" portrait studio promising "likenesses twice as natural as life."

The Land Agents office would be the place to go to see about available farmland for sale or to negotiate the mineral rights for a piece of property, especially if you're lucky enough to find gold, silver or copper on your land, as many folks have here in Thunder Mesa.

Of course, along with wealth and prosperity, Thunder Mesa has also attracted its share of hucksters and snake oil salesmen. A billboard for the Thunder Mesa Apothecary promotes a "miraculous" hair renewer, while across town a medicine man has pulled up his wagon. Doc Wassell seems to guarantee "miracle cures for all ailments." About the only true guarantee, though, is that he'll be long gone once you realize you've been swindled.

Doc Wassell certainly knows where the money is. After all, he's parked his wagon in the wealthiest stretch of town, right outside the Silver Spur Steakhouse. The Silver Spur is one of the largest establishments in Thunder Mesa, featuring a handsomely appointed dining room decorated with genuine, limited-edition western sculptures by Frederic Remington.

Nearby and no less prominent is the Lucky Nugget Saloon. Patterned on the Golden Horseshoe Saloon at Disneyland, but with a more warmly-colored interior, the Lucky Nugget gets its name from the saloon in Disney's 1967 movie, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, a story set during the California Gold Rush.

According to the story of Thunder Mesa, a lady by the name of Diamond Lil charmed her way into a tour of the Big Thunder mine, during which she happened upon an enormous nugget of solid gold. Today, Lil is the proprietor of the Lucky Nugget Saloon, and the lucky gold nugget itself is proudly displayed just inside the entrance.

Not everyone who struck it rich in Thunder Mesa has been quite as lucky as Diamond Lil, particularly the town's founding family. Industrialist Henry Ravenswood, who started the Thunder Mesa Mining Co. which essentially built the town, poured his riches into a stately Victorian mansion on a hill at the bend in the river. The mansion and its grounds were a gift to his wife, Martha, and their lovely daughter, Melanie. None of the Ravenswoods have been seen, however, since the 1860 earthquake, and residents of the town have taken to calling the now-dilapidated house on the hill Phantom Manor... but that's a story for another day.

A brief postscript: Several names are used throughout Main Street and Frontierland at Disneyland Paris, the sources of which have mostly been lost to time. Examples in this article alone include Doc Wassell, James Collins and Ulman & Snerly. Very likely, they refer to real people - either Imagineers or historical figures - but we may never know. Of course, if anyone reading this does happen to know, I invite you to share with the rest of us by leaving a comment below.