Editor’s Picks: Our 5 Favorite Disney Ghosts
With Halloween right around the corner, all manner of ghoul and goblin are making their way into our mortal realm. And there have certainly been a fair share of ghosts that have haunted various Disney productions throughout the years, each one spookier and more frightful than the last. It was enough to make us think about our favorite Disney ghosts. Hey, tis the season, right?
Below is our list of five favorite Disney ghosts, which range from the bone chilling to the benevolent, from man’s best friend to man, do I want to get out of here. (And yes, it was a tough list to make: some of our favorites that just missed the cut include Ma and Pa Duskerton from Gravity Falls and the ghost versions of the weasels from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?)
Read our list and take to the comments below to tell us which Disney ghosts are your favorite.
1. Lonesome Ghosts
The stars of the classic Mickey Mouse short “Lonesome Ghosts”—premiered way back on Christmas Eve 1937—are more mischievous than outright scary, choosing to prank Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in this truly spirited cartoon. The flawless animation was done by Disney greats like Milt Kahl and Art Babbitt, and we love the classic look of these guys with their glowing, translucent skin and fashionable bowler hat and cape combo. The ghosts, who years later were identified as Gilbert, Ian, Gabriel, and Screechin’ Sam in the Epic Mickey video game, are really looking for fun more than scares. The reversal at the end of the short, where Mickey and the gang end up scaring them, is really great. This is definitely a Halloween trick worth going door-to-door for.
2. The Hatbox Ghost
There are 999 happy haunts residing in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, but the award goes to the Mansion’s newest resident: the Hatbox Ghost. The Hatbox Ghost was actually in the building for a few weeks when the ride opened in 1969 (you can read our exhaustive history starting here) but was quickly removed. In the years since, he’s become a fan favorite, even without having an official place in the Mansion. His grinning, cadaverous face and his ability to appear in his hatbox, is super eerie and identifiable. And earlier this year, as part of the Diamond Celebration for the 60th anniversary of Disneyland, a new version of the Hatbox Ghost was installed. He was probably one of our favorite Disney ghosts before he reappeared, so the fact that he’s here now makes us even more excited.
3. Zero
There’s nothing quite like the relationship between man and dog, even if that dog is a glowing ghost with a lack o’ lantern nose, as is the case with Zero in The Nightmare Before Christmas. (Tim Burton, who produced The Nightmare Before Christmas and came up with the story while working at Walt Disney Animation in the early eighties, is clearly obsessed with the canine afterlife; just watch his utterly charming stop motion marvel from 2012, Frankenweenie.) Zero is everything you want from both a dog (loyal, friendly, energetic) and a ghost (can phase through walls and play catch with a ribcage), making him one of the ultimate Disney ghosts. He’s also one of the more unforgettably designed Disney ghosts on our list, combining the classic, billowy bed-sheet look with a distinctly Burtonian twist.
4. Auguste Gusteau
Not all ghosts are scary. Just look at Auguste Gusteau, the prestigious French chef who dies before the events of Brad Bird’s Ratatouille take place. As the movie goes along, he shows up in tiny ghost form, guiding culinary-minded rodent Remy as he attempts to become a great chef. Gusteau, it turns out, is a figment of Remy’s imagination. But he’s still a ghost. Proof positive that just because you’re gone, doesn’t mean you’ll be forgotten.
5. Friends on the Other Side
Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog is one of our favorite Disney villains ever and his show-stopping musical number is dedicated to his “Friends on the Other Side,” a coterie of otherworldly demons. These ghostly beings are truly terrifying, especially when, towards the end of the movie, they turn on Dr. Facilier. Sometimes our favorite ghosts are also the ones that creep us out the most. And if we were walking down a moonlit street around Halloween, we would definitely want to make sure that there weren’t any “Friends on the Other Side” trailing behind us.
