Griffin Statues

The Griffin Statues are recurring decorations featured in the Haunted Mansion at the Disney Parks.
==Background==
The griffins that appear in the Haunted Mansion attraction come in multiple variants and sizes often appearing as stone statues. Like typical griffins in mythology, they display characteristics of having the head of an eagle and the body of a lion respectively.
===Development===
According to the blueprints, it is said that the griffins were intended to move where they stare at guests riding on Doom Buggies going up the staircase. However, this effect was not used for unknown reasons.
==Appearances==
===The Haunted Mansion===
In every version of the Haunted Mansion attraction found in Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland, the staircase scene depicts two griffin statues. Both of these statues depict the griffins standing with their front talons raised as guests ride on Doom Buggies to pass by the two statues.
In addition to the griffins appearing in the staircase, other griffin statues are encountered outside the attraction. The California version of the attraction featured a griffin statue standing on a sign leading to a Fastpass entry, albeit this statue is designed with its talons lowered down. In the Florida version of the attraction, a griffin statue is encountered in the queue area of the attraction right before guests enter the Mansion. The Tokyo version of the attraction also features two original griffin statues standing at the entry gates outside the Mansion, presumably used to fit the theming of Fantasyland.
===Phantom Manor===
Another variant of a griffin is mounted on the wall in the Disneyland Paris version of the attraction. The griffins featured in this queue are seen holding onto ropes attached to curtains in the room.
==Trivia==
*The griffin statues mounted on the wall in Phantom Manor closely resemble the griffin statue from the Evil Queen's secret lair in Snow White's Scary Adventures in Disneyland. However, unlike in Haunted Mansion, the griffin statue holds onto a mace. This could be a coincidence that this attraction was designed by imagineer, Claude Coats, who also designed the Haunted Mansion attraction.
*The way the blueprints depict the griffin statues being sentient can imply that the griffin statues take some form of spirit, hinting that the griffins are supposed to be animated before the effect was abandoned.
**Coincidentally, the lines seen on the griffin statues in the finalized version of the attraction could imply that they were to be animatronic statues which could be a result of the concept seen via blueprints.
==External links==
*Griffin Statues on Haunted Mansion Wiki.
Category:Objects
Category:The Haunted Mansion
Category:Griffins