From Snitch, to Princess Jasmine, to Buzz Lightyear, and even the big guy himself, Mickey Mouse, Disney has created many memorable characters. And some of their best characters were not created for movies or television, but for their theme parks. Here are ten of our favorite “Parks Only” Disney characters.
10 – The Birds of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
Opening at Disneyland on June 23, 1963, macaws Jose, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz have been serenading guests with a soundtrack by the Sherman Brothers daily for almost sixty years. The first attraction to feature Audio-Animatronics, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
was sponsored by United Airlines for 12 years before it was taken over by the Dole Food Company in 1976. Dole provides Dole Whip, a soft serve snack, that is sold near the attraction’s entrance. The attraction has copies in Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, but it’s the one in Walt’s original magic kingdom in Disneyland that is the most endearing. With Jose, voiced by Wally Boag, Michael, voiced by Fulton Burley, Pierre, voiced Ernie Newton, and Fritz, voiced by Thrul Ravenscroft, these colorful birds invite you to enjoy this topical hideaway … you lovely people you. Along with the macaws, there are singing flowers, talking tiki statues, and drumming idols all creating the sights and sounds of an island paradise. The birds of the Enchanted Tiki Room are some of Walt Disney’s and WED Enterprises' best achievements. So, the next time you find yourself in Adventureland, grab a Dole Whip and enjoy the show.
9 - Harold from the Matterhorn
When the Matterhorn Bobsled attraction first opened on June 14, 1959, it was without its beloved mascot, the yeti nicknamed Harold. It wasn't until the 1977 refurbishment that Harold was added to Disneyland’s iconic ride. Standing at six feet tall with glowing red eyes, Harold the Yeti terrifies guests on the fast-moving bobsleds. His powerful roar can be heard throughout the ride, adding even more suspense, because you’re never quite sure where Harold will pop up next. In 2015, for Disneyland’s 60th anniversary, Harold was updated to keep up with new technology and advancement in Animatronics. The new Harold has a better range of movement and more fluid motion. A CGI effect was also added to the lift hill where Harold follows guests behind a wall of ice. But don’t feel too bad for the original Harold, he can be found among the Collector's treasures in the basement of Guardian of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout attraction at Disney California Adventure Park.
8 - Orange Bird
Debuting in 1971 as a mascot for the Florida Citrus Commission, Orange Bird is a delightful canary-like bird with green leaves for wings and a large head in the shape of, you guessed it, an orange. An Orange Bird figure was a feature at the Sunshine Tree Terrace at Walt Disney World for most of the 70s and 80s, as well as a walk-around character, bringing smiles to guests in Adventureland. But when Disney and the Florida Citrus Commission cut ties in 1987, Orange Bird almost faded into obscurity. However, you can thank a Japanese holiday for bringing Orange Bird back into the world. Every April 14th, people in Japan celebrate Orange Day, where couples exchange orange-themed gifts. Since there’s a Disneyland in Tokyo, the company was looking for new merchandising to sell at the park to coincide with the holiday. Turns out Orange Bird was just the right mix of cute and orange for guests. Orange Bird merchandise was soon selling at the parks again due to his regained popularity. Then in April of 2012, the Orange Bird figure was finally restored to the Sunshine Tree Terrace at Walt Disney World. It doesn’t appear this happy bird will be flying away any time soon. Check out the video below for more Orange Bird history.
7 - Skippy from Alien Encounter
The terrifying attraction known as ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter had a sordid history until it was eventually closed in October 2004 and replaced with something a bit more family-friendly, Snitch’s Great Escape. But the most endearing albeit awful part of the ride was in the pre-show. Skippy was a small, cute, and furry animatronic alien, whose job was to “demonstrate” Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Centers' “flawless” teleportation system. However, for poor Skippy, the system was less than perfect. When Skippy would be teleported across the room, guests would see a burned and mangled Skippy, showing that the technology was very dangerous and less than perfect. This set the tone for the rest of the attraction which included a horrifying alien escaping a large tube in the center of the room and “breathing and drooling” on guests. The attraction would see less than positive reviews over the years, as parents deemed the ride too scary for younger children. Even though ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter's run lasted for only 10 years, Skippy's legacy lives on in those of us who remember this ill-conceived ride.
6 - Fuzzball from Captain EO
When you bring the power of Michael Jackson, George Lucas, and Francis Ford Coppola together in the year 1986, you get the Disney Parks classic of Captain EO, a technologically advanced 3D science fiction film. Playing at the Magic Eye Theater in Tomorrowland at Disneyland and Epcot, Captain EO was regarded as one of the first “4D” films, due to it incorporating 3D film along with in-theater effects, like lasers and smoke which would be synchronized to the movie. Captain EO told the story of the titular character, played by Michael Jackson and his ragtag crew on a mission to deliver a gift to “The Supreme Leader.” One of Captain EO’s crew was a red, furry flying sidekick named Fuzzball, often resting upon the captain's shoulders. Fuzzball looked like a cross between a cat and a monkey with butterfly wings. While many things about Captain EO were iconic even for the time, there was something endearing about the fiercely loyal Fuzzball. Even with Captain EO officially closing in 1997, guests lucky enough to have seen this groundbreaking film still remember that little red fur ball. If you have never seen Captain EO, check out the video below.
5 - Buzzy from Cranium Command
Cranium Command was an attraction at the now-defunct Wonders of Life pavilion at Epcot. The show was a presentation on the importance of the human brain. The pre-show of Cranium Command was an animated film featuring a character called General Knowledge who would brief his troops on their mission: to pilot human brains and keep them away from trouble. Enter a bumbling little soldier named Buzzy, who was given the most difficult mission, to pilot a 12-year-old boy. After the pre-show, guests would enter a large theater with projection screens and a now animatronic Buzzy. With the help of the different parts of the brain, Buzzy would get 12-year-old Bobby through a typical day. Both educational and entertaining, Cranium Command showed the importance of each function of the brain. Cranium Command permanently closed in 2007 after running for 17 years, and the Wonders of Life pavilion was turned to part-time use for Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival. After the closure through, the attraction was pretty much left intact, just hidden behind walls, away from the public. In 2017, urban explorers discovered Buzzy was still there. But this is where Buzzy's story takes an unfortunate turn because in 2018 it was reported that Buzzy had been stolen. Check out Jenny Nicholson’s comprehensive history of Buzzy and well as the Orlando Sentinel article below for the full story. To this day, we still don’t quite know where Buzzy is, but his legacy will live on in the millions of guests he helped to understand who our brains work.
4) Redd, or The Redhead from Pirates of the Caribbean
Originally, the character known colloquially as “The Redhead” was a citizen of Puerto Dorado, the town in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. The Redhead had been kidnapped and was being auctioned off in the “Take a Wench for a Bride Auction,” where a group of pirates would chant “We want the redhead.” Needless to say, the original scene was made at a different time. It wasn’t until 51 years later that Disney updated the scene to have the Redhead, or Redd as she would be called, as a woman of action. The new incarnation was modeled after historic pirate Anne Bonny. Disney Imagineer Marc Davis actually used Anne Bonny as the inspiration for the original Redhead. Redd now helps “auction” off goods stolen from the townspeople and declaring “It’s the rum they want” to a rowdy group of pirates. Disney also added a walk-around version of the character. Redd now joins Jack Sparrow and the other pirates in wreaking havoc and having a jolly good time. The original Redhead is preserved in the Walt Disney achieves.
3 - R-3X/DJ Rex from Star Tours/Oga’s Cantina
RX-24, or Captain Rex, started out his life as a Disney Parks character piloting a StarSpeeder 3000 in the Star Tours attraction. For years, Captain Rex would help guests navigate the world of Star Wars while also evading Imperial officers. Voiced by Paul Reubens, Rex was tasked to take guests to Endor but would get a little sidetracked and ended up helping destroy the Death Star. Guests felt like they were in their very own Star Wars adventure thanks to this flight simulator attraction. In 2010, Disney decided to update the ride, adding new destinations and scenes. That meant, unfortunately, Rex lost his job as StarSpeeder captain as he was replaced with a reluctant C-3PO. Guests could still find at least a version of Rex in the cargo bay area of the queue. But Rex didn’t stay unemployed for long. In 2019, when Disney open their new land inspired by Star Wars, you could find Rex, or now officially R-3X, at Oga’s Cantina where he DJs while guests enjoy a Fondor Fizz or Jedi Mind Trick. Check out the link below for DJ R-3X's cool space tunes.
2 - Hatbox Ghost from the Haunted Mansion
When the Haunted Mansion opened at Disneyland in August of 1969, the Hatbox Ghost was a part of the attraction but was mysteriously removed shortly after. Did the Hatbox Ghost move on to haunt other attractions? Well, no. The Hatbox Ghost was installed for cast member previews, and it was noticeable how much the effect didn’t really work. The specter’s face was supposed to “disappear” and then reappear inside the hatbox he was holding. But the ambient light inside the attraction’s attic scene prevented the face from disappearing fully, so guests could see both faces. Even though Imagineers tried to rectify the issue, the effect was never fully convincing, so the Hatbox Ghost was removed and went into Disney Parks legend. Thankfully that wouldn’t be the end of the story of this dapper phantom. In 2015, to coincide with Disneyland's 60th anniversary, the Hatbox Ghost was restored to the Haunted Mansion. Using projection technology, the imaginer's effect was finally realized. Check out the time-stamped video below to see the Hatbox Ghost in all his spooky glory.
1 - Figment and Dreamfinder
The story of Figment and Dreamfinder starts with Discovery Bay, an unbuilt land for Disneyland designed by Disney Parks Legend Tony Baxter in the 70s. But that project fell through and Baxter moved on to other things. Eventually, he was assigned to work on Kodak’s Imagination pavilion at Epcot and decided to use some of his ideas from Discovery Bay. One of those ideas was Professor Marvel, an eccentric bearded inventor. For the Omnimover ride that was added to the Imagination pavilion, Professor Marvel was changed to Dreamfinder, and his dragon companion went from green to purple and was named Figment. In keeping with Epcot’s theme of entertainment and education, Dreamfinder was meant to represent the right brain, and Figment was the left brain. Journey Into Imagination debuted on March 3, 1983. The attraction quickly became a fan favorite with its colorful scenes, a soundtrack from the Sherman Brothers, and a whimsical storyline about the creative process. Figment's child-like personality played off well with Dreamfinder’s enchanting presence. However, to the dismay of many fans, Journey Into Imagination was closed in October of 1998. The ride was turned into a less-than-favorable version, erasing Dreamfinder completely and reducing Figment’s role. The attraction was changed again in 2002, adding Figment back into the ride but still didn’t have the lasting quality of the original. Fans who remember a walk-around version of Dreamfinder and Figment still lament his disappearance from the park, but fortunately, Figment remains a fixture at Epcot. He has become the unofficial mascot of Epcot's numerous food festivals. Check out the video below for Defuctland's amazing history of one of Disney Park's best attractions.
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