The Phantom House

From the outside, the Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris is the antithesis of the original in

Disneyland's New Orleans Square.  Dilapidated and rundown, it goes against how Walt Disney directed the stately, antebellum architecture of the Haunted Mansion.  "We'll take care of the outside, and let the ghosts take care of the inside," he famously said.  And so, Disneyland's iconic mansion looks beautiful and elegant... until one enters it.

In Paris, the Phantom Manor looks more like the Psycho House--old, decaying, and giving the sense that it's full of spooks.  The ghosts appear to have taken care of both the exterior and interior, but it's okay.  This eerie and creepy visage appeals to my Gothic sensibilities, creating a more sinister ambiance that marks the lore around Thunder Mesa.  And whether the view be from near or afar, the aesthetic of this estate sends lovely tingles up the spine!