The Happiest Little Graveyard in the World

My favorite attraction at Walt Disney World is the Haunted Mansion.  Funny and (slightly) scary at the same time, it is a classic through and through.  throughout the ride, and even in the line to get in, there are many in-jokes between the imagineers that designed and built the attraction.  Some of the most famous and funny are the tombstones.

There are (at least) 20 tombstones along the line as of this writing.  In the past few years, the line has been refurbished and many more new and interactive items have been added.  Here's a run-down of the tombstones that commemorate actual people.  Those stones that showcase fictional characters will be covered in an upcoming post.

IN MEMORY OF OUR PATRIARCH,

 DEAR DEPARTED GRANDPA MARC

This stone commemorates Marc Davis.  Marc was one of Disney's "Nine Old Men", the famous group of original Disney animators.  He also designed many of the animatronics for quite a few Disney attractions, such as the Jungle Cruise, It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean and, of course, the Haunted Mansion.  For the Mansion, he came up with much of the funnier, light-hearted moments, in contrast with Claude Coats' darker ideas.  (More on Mr. Coats later.)

REQUIESCAT FRANCIS XAVIER,

 NO TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR, RIP

Francis Xavier Atencio, best known as X. Atencio, was also an animator and imagineer for Disney.  He wrote the scripts for Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion and also wrote the theme songs that play during those attractions.

DEAR DEPARTED BROTHER DAVE,

 HE CHASED A BEAR INTO A CAVE

Dave Burkhart was a model maker for Disney.  He also was a show designer.  One of his biggest projects was the Haunted Mansion.

IN MEMORIUM, UNCLE MYALL,

 HERE YOU'LL LIE FOR QUITE A WHILE

Chuck Myall was an art director and master planner for the Magic Kingdom.

RIP, GOOD FRIEND GORDON,

 NOW YOU'VE CROSSED THE RIVER JORDAN

Gordon Williams was an audio designer and audio-animatronics expert who worked on the Haunted Mansion and many other attractions.

FIRST LADY OF THE OPERA, OUR HAUNTING HARRIET,

 SEARCHED FOR A TUNE, BUT NEVER COULD CARRY IT

The first woman hired to Disney Imagineering, Harriet Burns was a prop and set designer for the Mickey Mouse Club TV show.  She shared a workstation with Fred Joerger (more on him later), and helped him on some of the models of the Mansion.  She also was a "figure finisher", ensuring that the animatronic figures had a "finished look".  She specialized in creating birds, such as in the Enchanted Tiki Room, the Haunted Mansion and in the film Mary Poppins.

MASTER GRACEY, LAID TO REST,

 NO MOURNING PLEASE AT HIS REQUEST, FAREWELL

Yale Gracey started as a layout artist, who specialized in creating illusions, which were important in helping to create the Haunted Mansion.

(By the way, many call Master Gracey the master of the mansion.  This is not correct, as the term "Master" is used in it's original meaning, which is a young boy not old enough to be called "Mister".)

CAMPBELL, HE DIED IN THE FALL, IT'S A FACT NOTWITHSTANDING,

 BUT THE JUDGES ADMIRED HIS FORM ON THE LANDING

Collin Campbell was a background artist for many Disney films and a conceptual artist for many park attractions, including the Haunted Mansion.

FAREWELL FOREVER, MISTER FREES,

 YOUR VOICE WILL CARRY ON THE BREEZE

Paul Frees was famous as a voice actor.  He provided the voice for the "Ghost Host" in the Mansion.  He was also the voice of Boris Badanoff from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Mister Granite on The Flintstones, Burgermeister Meisterburger on Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, and many, many others.

DRINK A TOAST FOR OUR FRIEND KEN

FILL YOUR GLASS AND DON'T SAY "WHEN"

Ken Anderson was a key animator for many of Disney's classic films, such as Snow White, Pinocchio, The Jungle Book, and others.  He also helped in the development of Disneyland.

WHILE BROTHER ROLAND HERE REPOSES,

HIS SOUL'S ABOVE, ONE SUPPOSES

Rolly Crump was an assistant animator on many Disney films.  He became an imagineer, where he designed many sttractions and shops for the theme parks.

A TRAIN MADE A STAIN OF

ABSENT-MINDED UNCLE BLAINE, REST IN PIECES

Blaine Gibson was a sculptor, who also was an assistant animator for many films.  On joining Disney Imagineering, he returned to sculpting, helping to develop the audio-animatronics on quite a few attractions.

HERE LIES A MAN NAMED MARTIN

THE LIGHTS WENT OUT ON THIS OLD SPARTAN

I've found two different imagineers that this stone could feature.  Bill Martin was an art director and set designer.  He was also a key planner for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  He became Vice President of Design for WED Enterprises, which later became Disney Imagineering.

Bud Martin was head of the Imagineering Special Effects department while the Haunted Mansion was developed.

REST IN PEACE COUSIN HUET

WE ALL KNOW YOU DIDN'T DO IT

Cliff Huet was an architect and interior designer for Disney, working on many attractions, including the Haunted Mansion.

OUR DEAREST DOROTHEA

Dorothea Redmond was an illustrator before she came to Disney, becoming famous for her work with Alfred Hitchcock.  On joining Disney, she turned to architecture, designing portions of Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

HERE RESTS WATHEL R. BENDER

HE RODE TO GLORY ON A FENDER, PEACEFUL REST

Wathel Rogers created many of the early audio animatronics for Disney.  He created the Abraham Lincoln animatronic for the 1964-65 Worlds Fair and figures for the Carousel of Progress.

HERE LIES GOOD OLD FRED

A GREAT BIG ROCK FELL ON HIS HEAD, RIP

Fred Joerger was a model builder for Disney, who specialized in rock formations used in attractions, such as Big Thunder Mountain, Tom Sawyer Island and, of course, the Haunted Mansion.

AT PEACEFUL REST LIES BROTHER CLAUDE

PLANTED HERE BENEATH THIS SOD

Claude Coats, another of the "Nine Old Men", was an Animation Background Painter.  He helped to create the story for the Haunted Mansion, coming up with much of the darker, scarier ideas.  He also created the track layout.

RIP, MISTER SEWELL

THE VICTIM OF A DIRTY DUEL, PEACEFUL REST

Bob Sewell was a model maker, helping to design the Haunted Mansion.

And here's my favorite...

DEAR SWEET LEOTA, BELOVED BY ALL

IN REGIONS BEYOND NOW, BUT HAVING A BALL

Leota Tombs started in the Ink & Paint department for Disney.  Yale Gracey asked her to model for the crystal ball head illusion, in which her image can still be seen.

This tombstone is one of the few that are animated themselves.  Occasionally, the face on the stone will move, it's eyes will open and look around for a moment before it shuts it's eyes and goes back to normal.

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These tombstones are not the only place in the Disney parks where the imagineers are honored (I may have to write a post about the Main Street Windows, sometime.), but they are a fun, funny and memorable way to express thanks to those men and women whose fingerprints are all over these parks that I love.