The Coffin Occupant is the undead corpse trapped in a coffin in the Conservatory.
Apperance[]
The ghost is trapped in a long, black coffin. Gnarled hands grasp the end, pushing the lid up in an attempt to escape. Several jagged nails protrude from the coffin's lid.
Attraction[]
As the guests arrive in the conservatory through their Doombuggies, the Ghost Host informs them that "All our ghosts have been dying to meet you. This one can hardly contain himself." (This line is usually deleted, but does occasionally reappear in Disneyland's mansion, often after the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay is removed).
The Coffin Occupant's inability to leave his mortal remains and wander free from the coffin demonstrates this, as he desperately calls the guests for help, "Lemme out of here! Lemme out! Lemme out! Lemme out of here!". Following which, the guests move on through the Corridor of Doors where more ghosts attempt to break through the doors and walls around the guests' doom buggies.
Haunted Mansion Holiday/Haunted Mansion Holiday Nightmare[]
In Haunted Mansion Holiday, a Scary Teddy can be seen on top of the coffin, trying to hammer the nails back into the coffin. Around the occupant's coffin is a tag which says, "Do not open till Xmas" and the vines of the man-eating wreath can be seen outstretched around the room with budding flowers singing an instrumental version of Kidnap the Sandy Claws from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
Other Appearances[]
Ghost Gallery[]
In the Ghost Gallery, he was a wealthy plantation owner named Jamie Padgett who became engaged to Little Leota however was deluded into thinking he was a vampire by her secret lover Nicholas Crown, so that he willingly hid inside a coffin from the sunlight. One evening his bride then nailed the lid shut over the poor man, causing him to spend seven days trying to escape only to die of starvation.
It is implied that the plantation he owned was the Ghost Gallery version of the Antebellum Mansion.
SLG Comics[]
In the SLG comics, he was revealed in the story Blueprint for Murder to be Mr. Davis, one of the architects who built Gracey Manor in the first place.
2003 Film[]
The character inspired the Mausoleum Crypt scene from the 2003 film adaption wherein the protagonists are attacked by its undead residents. The key-bearing corpse lying in a coffin located at the center of the crypt as well as the first zombie that opens its coffin to attack following the demise of the former is a nod to the Coffin Occupant.
Disney Skyliners[]
The Coffin Occupant appears on the artwork of the Haunted Mansion themed sky gondola
Video-Games[]
The Haunted Mansion: The Black Widow Bride[]
Here, he is said to be none other than Frank Banks, one of Constance Hatchaway's unfortunate husbands.
Kinect Disneyland Adventures[]
He cameos in the Conservatory sequence of the video game Kinect Disneyland Adventures where his coffin is raised on a pedestal in a much larger version of the Conservatory as the player is chased by the Knight.
Possible Identities[]
- At Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party which is a seasonal Halloween event at the Magic Kingdom, two characters named Lady Carlotta and Lady Renata make appearances and tell stories to the guests. In one of their stories they claim that the man in the Coffin is their ex-lover Billy Bob who died when the two ladies plummeted off of a balcony to their deaths and landed on him.
- In the Haunted Mansion Pop-Up Book, the Aging Man portrait is located next to the Coffin, clearly implying that the corpse is that of the man pictured in the portrait.
- A variant cover by Jody Daily for the Disney Kingdoms Haunted Mansion comic line showed Brother Claude lifting his grave's stone, as if about to come out, in a scene extremely reminiscent of the Coffin Occupant — with the hand and sleeve nearly identical to the Occupant's.
- In 2021, Disneyland's Conservatory received additional props implying a family for the Man in the Coffin with a basket of flowers with a card reading "With Love Affectionate, Father, Husband" and a "Dearly Departed Father" banner.
Trivia[]
- The Coffin Occupant was voiced by Imagineer X. Atencio, who gave an elderly, sympathetic tone to his plea. In the Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion record, on the other hand, uses an alternate, slowed-down take by X. He sounds much creepier and more low-pitched, almost monstrous.
- The coffin-occupant is briefly referenced in Phantom Manor during the underworld scene where one coffin similar to his is being opened in the catacombs.
- The Coffin Occupant may be inspired by the character of Madeline Usher from Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher (1839). In said story, Madeline is presumed dead by the narrator and by her twin brother Roderick, and then placed inside of a coffin which is sealed shut with screws before leaving it in a locked tomb as to avoid her body being desecrated by body-snatchers. After this, living sounds are made around the House of Usher which torment the two until it is revealed that Madeline was entombed alive, and that she escaped completely bloody from forcing open her coffin before attacking her brother in revenge.
Gallery[]
