Hitchhiking Ghosts

## The Hitchhiking Ghosts

Phineas (left), Ezra (middle) and Gus (right)

**The Hitchhiking Ghosts** are three characters from the Haunted Mansion. They are amongst the most popular and recognizable characters originating from the *Disney Parks*.

## Description

### Mission

The Hitchhiking Ghosts are three ghosts in the employ of the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans, Louisiana. The three hitchhike across the globe to assist in filling up the mansion's, "Quota" of ghosts needed to retire in its estate. Their ghostly version of hitchhiking entails turning invisible and following the bodies of mortals until they return to the Haunted Mansion.

### Members:

* **Phineas**: Phineas also known as, "**The Traveler**" and sometimes referred to as **Prof. Phineas Plump** is most commonly identified as having been a snake-oil salesman and is depicted as a hunched-back man with a squashed face.
* **Ezra**: Ezra also known as, "**The Skeleton**" and sometimes referred to as **Ezra Beane** is a skeletal ghost known for constantly smiling and sometimes carrying a travel-bag covered in luggage-stickers from across the globe.
* **Gus**: Gus or, "**The Prisoner**" is an elderly-looking ghost who was at some time imprisoned and in the afterlife has a ball-and-chain locked to his ankle. He might have been connected to an executioner and beheaded knight who inhabited the mansion's graveyard as he was often seen in their company.

## History

### Background

Not much is known of Ezra, Gus and Phineas as they were in their corruptible, mortal states. It is known that when they died, the three became ghosts who made their headquarters the Haunted Mansion. While fairly chaotic, the three were involved in the manor's bureaucracy and had the job of finding new guests to inhabit the mansion to help and fill their quota.

### Development history

The three ghosts were designed for the Haunted Mansion by animator Marc Davis and sculptor Blaine Gibson. The names, Phineas, Ezra and Gus come from a non-canonical, cast-member created backstory called The Ghost Gallery which identified the three as being escaped asylum lunatics named **Prof. Phineas Queeg**, **Ezra Dobbins** and **Gus Gracey**. Here, Phineas was a snake-oil salesman who died after being poisoned by the metal of his own elixir bottle, Ezra was a sex-offender crushed by a large woman who he was stalking, and Gus was a homicidal genetic-dwarf who was related to the mansion's Gracey family and kept locked away until he drowned in a well when trying to kill some cats.

## Jungle Cruise appearances

### Jungle Cruise

In the *Jungle Navigation Company*'s *Amazon River Base* is a cabinet of medicinal supplies. One of the bottles is labelled, "*Prof. Plump's Miracle Tonic for Everlasting Life*" with font similar to that of the Haunted Mansion's logo. This is an apparent reference to Phineas whom is consistently portrayed as having been a snake-oil salesman and whom Disney frequently gives the name of, "Professor Phineas Plump". The medicine also appears in the cabinet at the lookout of Disneyland's boathouse.

### Trader Sam's

These bars are known to sell, "Tiki mugs" in the likeness of the three hitchhiking ghosts. The bars also sell and serve, "Zombie Head" mugs modelled after Blaine Gibson's, "Leering head" mould which is used for Ezra.

### Other connections

#### Skipper Canteen

Two books in the canteen's library allude to the mythology of the Haunted Mansion. One is titled *Ghosts of New Orleans* by Scholtz while the other is, *Tales of the Supernatural* by Gracey, the latter of which alludes to Master Gracey and the Gracey family whom owned the Haunted Mansion.

## Other appearances

### Disney Skyliner

The ghosts have their likeness printed on a Haunted Mansion themed gondola.

### Haunted Mansion

The ghosts appear in the flooded crypt, hitching a ride with guests before appearing in their reflections. Gus makes an additional appearance in the graveyard, singing, "Grim Grinning Ghosts" alongside the executioner and the beheaded knight. In the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion, the tombstones for the three can be seen outside the mansion.

#### Haunted Mansion Holiday

Depending on the incarnation, the hitchhiking ghosts might be seen in the horizon when guests encounter Lock, Shock and Barrel. When the Doom Buggies halt due to technical difficulties, the Ghost Host mentions them attempting to hitch a ride on Jack Skellington's coffin sleigh. Gus still appears in the graveyard, singing, "Scary Christmas" with the knight and executioner.

### Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

In the Tokyo version of the attraction, three droids impersonate the hitchhikers.

### World of Disney

Concept art of the ghosts is etched into an animation table, implied to have previously belonged to Marc Davis.

## Trivia

* Professor Plump and Doctor Terminus from *Pete's Dragon* (1977) are both snake-oil salesmen who have their supply in the Amazon River Base's medicine cabinet.
* In the Magic Kingdom, Phineas has a marble-bust of Charles Dickens in his case.
* The Haunted Mansion has had assorted connections to the Jungle Cruise:
	+ Crates in the Jungle Cruise are labelled, "Hightower Industries" with Hightower being the surname of the Haunted Mansion's late-owner George Hightower who was killed by his bride Constance Hatchaway in 1877.
	+ The Goliath Spiders of Shir Lee's Temple used to appear in the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion and still appear in Tokyo.  A member of the trapped safari who used to appear in the Magic Kingdom's Jungle Cruise and who still appears in Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions and the Skipper Canteen shared his mould with the Haunted Mansion's caretaker and was sometimes mentioned by skippers as being a distant cousin of his.
* A commercial for Disneyland from the 2000s portrayed the ghosts as being terrified of the dolls from *It's a Small World*.
* The ghosts are similar to Trader Sam, Ellie and Chief Nah-mee in being audio-animatronic characters that acknowledged guests during the falling-action/denouement portion of their respective attraction. Nah-mee was also designed by Marc Davis who designed the hitchhiking ghosts.

## Gallery

Plump's tonic alongside Practically Perfect Peculiar Way RemedyA tiki mug of the ghosts from Trader Sam'sOn the poster for the Haunted MansionConcept art by Marc DavisThe original hitchhiking ghostsEzra's tombstone in the Magic Kingdom (Phineas Pock is not to be confused with Phineas)Gus' tombstone in the Magic Kingdom
## References

1. ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2021/08/photos-final-additions-arrive-on-jungle-cruise-as-refurbishment-nears-completion-in-magic-kingdom/