Agree with Tim to a large extent here. While I personally prefer Phantom Manor considerably over Haunted Mansion (basing that on Florida’s incarnation alone), it’s always had some storytelling issues.
The narrative that was created for it is immense, with a plot tying Big Thunder Mountain, Thunder Mesa and Phantom Manor all together into an amazingly intricate and sinister tale. However, the ride itself never managed to tell it very well, and even less so since the refurb. Nowadays, owing mostly to the changes to the stretching room portraits, Melanié seems to be presented as simply being a black widow sort of character, as opposed to a heartbroken young beauty suffering at the hands of her evil father’s vengeful spirit (this is my personal interpretation based on riding many times both before and after the changes).
It’s almost as if they came up with the story to explain the area all sitting together, but then either didn’t want to deviate from the existing Mansion blueprint and introduce new pre-show elements, or they decided that the storyline wasn’t suitable (not only is it very dark it would also be a challenge to tell it effectively in multiple languages as needed at DLP).
All that said though, it’s still an incredibly well designed attraction, with plenty of atmosphere. The production value is significantly higher than that of other attractions of its kind. Even looking to the queue, while mostly a covered cattlepen, there’s still a subtle ambiance to it. The audio of the wind whistling through the trees, faintly intermixed with ghostly little touch of the ride’s main theme, or a music box and chimes when you’re near the pagoda (damn I’d love to see the teaset animation fixed!). Using Tim’s analogy, it feels like something from a top level horror or thriller film, without resorting to in your face thrills and gags you’d see in a B movie.
I still find it’s finale is able to make the hairs on the back of the neck bristle a little as the Phantom leers at you, beckoning towards a hangman’s noose and an open grave, with that glorious Vincent Price laugh echoing out.
The only area where the Haunted House really moves ahead is the ride system technology (which I’m a big fan of) and, by extension, the ability to throw effective jump scares. The drawback there of course being that it’s quite challenging to tell a story when you’re being continually hit by scares. None of this is to say the Haunted House wasn’t great. It’s still a fantastic ride and accomplishment in its own right, especially for a more regional park to have pulled off. But it is a bit like trying to compare Silence of The Lambs to Sharknado 2.
