The Pipe Organ is an instrument featured in the Haunted Mansion attraction at the Disney Parks.
Background[]
The Pipe Organ is a large instrument (hence its name) with twelve pipes decorated on it. The headboard on the organ is decorated in the shape of a black bat with outstretched wings as well as two candelabras placed on each side. Located in the Ballroom scene, the Organist is the one who plays on it.
Development[]
The idea of creating this pipe organ featuring a ghostly musician first notably appeared during development of the unbuilt Museum of the Weird attraction and would have featured a skeleton playing on the organ. This instrument is actually a reused prop from the 1954 Disney film, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea which belonged to Captain Nemo who used it onboard the Nautilus. It used to be in Tomorrowland for years until it was moved to New Orleans Square in 1969 for the opening of the Haunted Mansion attraction.[1]
With the organ placed inside the attraction, a bat-shaped headboard was placed to replace the headboard mirror, showing that it is a modified version of Captain Nemo's instrument and the original pipes were replaced with taller pipes to make a good effect for the banshees to fly out of them.
Due to the success of the attraction at Disneyland, the Haunted Mansion attraction was later constructed at Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, still featuring the haunted pipe organ in it.
Appearances[]
The Haunted Mansion[]
When the guests first enter the Haunted Mansion, the sound of the pipe organ's music is heard playing an instrumental version of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" just before guests enter the Stretching Room area. It later appears again in the Ballroom area where the Organist plays the aforementioned song while various heads of spirits emerge from the pipes while ballroom dancers are seen dancing to the music.
In the queue in the Florida version of the attraction, the Pipe Organ is seen in the queue where guests can play it which mist sprays from the pipes when playing it. Additionally, a carving of a raven is decorated on the headboard looking at guests.
Haunted Mansion Holiday[]
In the seasonal overlay of the attraction, the pipe organ plays an instrumental cover of "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" in the ballroom area. Additionally, the pipe organ is decorated with Halloween-themed Christmas decorations on it.
Other appearances[]
The Haunted Mansion (2003)[]
The pipe organ appears in the 2003 adaptation of the attraction. It is said that the pipe organ originated from a Scottish mansion according to a backstory supposedly owned by an evil man who died in a fire that destroyed the mansion, although the pipe organ and the fireplace were the only ones obtained from the fire. This item was the one purchased by Master Gracey's father George which is bought for Abigail as a gift to the Gracey family's home.
Unlike in the attraction, this depiction of the organ has three keyboards instead of two and does not have a bat-shaped headboard as well as having a rectangular bench. It is also located at the ballroom's grand staircase and the Organist does not appear in the film, although Ezra takes over the former's role, making him a reference to the character from the original attraction.
Epic Mickey/Epic Mickey: Rebrushed[]
The Pipe Organ appears as a large sentient being serving as a character in Epic Mickey and its 2024 HD remake Epic Mickey: Rebrushed. When the Lonesome Ghosts feel uncomfortable of the Pipe Organ driving them out of the Lonesome Manor, they recruit Mickey in helping them so that he can help take care of the Pipe Organ. When approached, Mickey has two options to deal with the Pipe Organ.
The good path is when Mickey chooses to help the Pipe Organ play its tune by jumping on the keys marked with musical notes very quickly without missing. Once done so, the Pipe Organ thanks Mickey for helping it play its tune, causing the player to complete the "Play the Pipe Organ" quest and thus receiving the "Play a Tune" pin. The bad path is when Mickey chooses to use Paint Thinner to thin the Pipe Organ's keys, which it is defensive of itself to those who harm its keys. If the player thins all the keys using Paint Thinner, this not only destroys the Pipe Organ, but suddenly becomes furious and steamed up, making it extremely angry. Doing so causes Mickey to deal with two Tanker generators and thus failing the aforementioned quest.
Disney Crossy Road[]
The pipe organ appears as one of the floating obstacles in the Haunted Mansion hub area, randomly on road areas which the player must avoid.
Haunted Mansion (2023)[]
The pipe organ appears in the 2023 reboot of the original 2003 film adaptation of the attraction. It is often used by the Organist throughout the film playing an eerie version of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" in the background. At the end of the film, audio of the pipe organ rendition of the song from the actual ride plays during the end of the film.
Trivia[]
- In the Florida version of the queue for Haunted Mansion, the Pipe Organ is decorated with the brand "Ravenscroft" on it as a reference to Thurl Ravenscroft.
- An audio fragment of the pipe organ playing an instrumental version of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" can be heard in the 2015 Disney/Pixar film, Inside Out at the beginning of the film in Riley's dream during the part where she adapts her life in San Francisco, although the pipe organ does not physically appear in the film.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ "The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Connection to the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Park". Disney Parks Blog (December 17, 2014).
External links[]
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