Here’s an idea: they could both be master Gracie. The aging man is him in his early 20s or late teens, hatchet man is him maybe his mid-40s after he’s gone insane
Hi Dallin!!! I'm a cast member at WDW and I can confirm a few things after doing a CM tour of The Haunted Mansion. First off, the hatchet man is INDEED the ghost host. Second off, the aging man in the main hall before the stretching room is NOT Master Gracey. It is quite often confused for that, but it is simply an homage to The Picture of Dorian Gray. Master Gracey, if you actually look at the graves outside, was a 12 year old child that lived in the mansion. Kinda' morbid, but that's what I found out. Hope that helps!
i’ve worked at the mansion in disney world for a while- hatchet man is not master gracey. the ghost host is beauregard the butler, master gracey’s butler if you will. this merchandise drop is SO frustrating to us maids and butlers and the mansion. i could literally talk about this for HOURS!
Yet, early promotional recordings have Paul Frees say a twist on his standard spiel that has him refer to himself as *The lord & master of this Haunted Mansion* [ th-cam.com/video/gknmP6cZXrg/w-d-xo.html ] & even the _Story & Song_ [ th-cam.com/video/l_qRCqw8LZs/w-d-xo.html ] has the Ghost Host therein tell teens Mike (Ron Howard) & Karen (Robbie Lester) that they wouldn't be harmed, but that they *"would not be released until you take a tour of MY home"* with the emphasis on the word MY indicating ownership over the house, thus further adding to the confusion. Someone also did an animatic for the "Human Story" promotional radio ad to promote the attraction's grand opening, which played up to the idea that the Ghost Host sired offspring, in which his ghost child (whom fans may or may not believe to be "Little Leota", per fan speculation) asks her father to tell her a story about humans & he tells her about how the Haunted Mansion is allowing human visitors to come in & get scared, much to her surprise. After asking her dad if he believes in humans, the animatic pans up to the Ghost Host to see his response (which was, "I don't know, but I do believe in Disneyland") & the artist who did the animatic chose to depict him as the Hatchet Man instead of the Aging Man Hanging Portrait that's usually associated with Master Gracey. The animatic can be viewed here: th-cam.com/video/uetqEgnBRsg/w-d-xo.html Similarly, various adaptations (from _The Haunted Mansion Comic Book_ by SLG Comics, the _Tales from the Haunted Mansion_ book series, the 2003 movie starring Eddie Murphy, the 2 Epic Mickey videogames, etc.) also tend to combine pre-2007 refurb Attic Bride Beating Heart (who has went under various names: Priscilla Gore [Ken Anderson's Captain Gore abandoned plotline], Emily Cavanaugh Gracey nee De Claire [the Ghost Gallery formerly located at doombuggies.com from whence the 3 Hitchhiking Ghosts -- bony skeleton Ezra, portly carpetbagger Phineas & bearded prisoner Gus -- and alligator bait tightrope walker Sally Slater got their seemingly official names, _The Haunted Mansion Comic Book_ from SLG Comics, and even DeviantArt fan artist TwistedWind's _Count Mickey Dragul_ unofficial fan comic], Sally Little [the _Tales from the Haunted Mansion_ book series], Elizabeth Henshaw [the 2003 movie starring Eddie Murphy], and Bernadette [done for alliterative reasons, she can be found located floating near her tombstone in the graveyard within the 2 Epic Mickey video games' Lonesome Manor level], whatever the Japanese named Beating Heart at Tokyo Disneyland, etc.) with schizoid Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchaway when they're two completely different characters (as proven by the fact that Beating Heart still exists at Tokyo Disneyland & the fact that her thudding heartbeat can still be heard on the ride soundtrack during the Attic scene despite having been unfairly replaced by Constance Hatchaway stateside, even though Constance, as a murderous Black Widow, shouldn't have a heart worth beating, not due to the fact that she's already dead, but simply just because she's NOT forlornly heartbroken like her tragic predecessor & is instead a conniving bitch whom all of the other remaining 997 Happy Haunts rightfully fear aside from a certain leering haberdasher, who may or may not have been an accomplice in helping Connie axe murder her 5 husbands in order to tie the returned Hatbox Ghost into the post-2007 refurb story thread pertaining to Connie as the replacement Attic Bride following his 2015 return to the original Disneyland attraction, although I'm sure even Hattie would very much prefer to have Beating Heart back, since his disappearing head trick was intended to synch up with Beating Heart's glowing heartbeat). The irony of Constance Hatchaway replacing Beating Heart stateside in 2007 came full circle with the release of _Nuptial Doom_ with the irony being that although it retold one of the origins of Beating Heart (the tragically forlorn pre-2007 Attic Bride predating Constance, the subsequent Black Widow Bride), the story was actually narrated by Kat Cressida, the voice actress for Constance! _Nuptial Doom_ can be heard here: th-cam.com/video/Bu0-bElhDY8/w-d-xo.html TLDR version: Beating Heart is a heartbroken Attic Bride whose story - similar to Melanie Ravenswood's of Phantom Manor - was one of tragic lost love, whereas Constance Hatchaway is a selfish, murderous Black Widow who only wed her 5 husbands for their vast wealth & their high society positions. So, they are 2 completely different characters! The same is true for Master Gracey & the Ghost Host as also previously mentioned, yet even Disney itself tends to confuse the lot of them.
Ya' ll are my favorite crew to hang with. I was a dancer in the light parade and I always tried to get there waaaay early to eat w my mansion homes. Yall are one of a kind. My favorite people in all the WalT Disney WORLD
An important aspect to remember is that a “Host” is a person who receive guests, which is usually the person who has held the party. It’s likely that the “Ghost Host” is, in fact, the Master of the household at one point. You have to remember: a plantation house, which the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland is based upon, would have multiple “Masters” over time. As the old owner of the house died or left, the next person to control the house would become the “Master” of the house. Rather, I’d argue that Master Gracy was a *later* master of the household whereas the Ghost Host was the *Original* Master of the house who may have brought about the curse upon the household.
Not to mention they might be related. The first Master Gracey could be the Ghost Host and then of course he reproduces, has kids. And when he dies the house passes onto the next of kin who also bears the name Gracey. Pretty simple when you put it that way.
@@pearlthecryptid3836 I agree, both are master Gracey. Father and son. I think the original master Gracey is the changing man and then he had a son mater Gracey the Ghost Host. The Father and everyone else dies in horrible ways, leaving the younger Mater Gracey to go mad and eventually hang himself to escape.
I personally like to think that the mansion was owned by many different people, like Constance after she killed the fifth husband. I like to think that Captain gore first owned the mansion because of the weather vein. Maybe he built the mansion, and him and his wife were the first to die in it.
I’d like to think that the Ghost Host is, in fact, one of the Masters of the household at one point and was the one who brought about the hauntings in the first place. When you look at the portrait of the Ghost Host, his attire is more akin to that of the early 19th century (1810’s-1820’s) whereas Master Gracey’s attire is more Mid-19th century in appearance. Similarly, Constance has clothing that’s post-bellum attire leading up to the late 19th century. So, it’s reasonable to assume that the Ghost Host was one of the first people to haunt the mansion, effectively cursing it and those who resided within it.
@@MatthewChenault I like to think that all the people/families that lived in the mansion all had tragic fates,( like Constance murdering her husbands, the roof collapsing from Bloodmere Manor, and Captain Gore killed his wife and himself). All the tragedies have caused the house to become cursed, and the perfect place for a retirement home for ghosts.
I like that: weather "Vein" rather than "Vane". Gruesomely clever. I hope that was intentional, I didn't mean to open a critical comment. Open........ a Vein. See what I did there?
My Head Canon has always been: 1: hanging man in the portrait is neither Ghost Host nor Master Gracey, he was actually a butler/caretaker and one of the last living in the house (besides the grave keeper and pupper). 2: Aging man is Master Gracey but also not the Ghost Host. 3: The Ghost Host is actually the house itself. The Host is talking in a possessive form. How there's always room for another and there's always my way. As if it is what lures and keeps the spirits. I think the house itself is what slowly drives people insane and the spirits that reside there are just a cacophony of unrelated, unfortunate people that found their way there. The widows watch and the weather vane are symbolic not of constance waiting for a lost seafaring love. but a house welcoming anyone as a port in a storm. It is predatory in the entire spiel.. being coy and welcoming at first then cackling maniacally as it dares you to try and leave, showing you its last victim. hatchet man hanging. Edit: more points supporting my theory. 1. The ride is named Haunted Mansion because the house is the central character. Much like the pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean. 2. The voice claims to be your ghost host. So not a ghost itself per say, but a "host" of ghosts.
Yes, this was always the story of the ride as I understood it! The "Ghost Host" has to be the house, or the malevolent spirit possessing the house, and he invites you in warmly in order to trap you in the mansion as a ghost forever. I never saw the Hanging Man as the Ghost Host - he's just showing you what happened to the last person who entered, and enticing you to do the same to yourself. THIS is what made the ride terrifying to me as a child (along with all the other references to death, of course). It's also a way more magical interpretation than "the Ghost Host was an actual person", which makes it more believable as Disney's actual intent. I think only adults, who tend to overlook magical explanations and overthink things, would insist the Ghost Host be a real person. The ride has way more impact on children for that reason.
@@LeannLeannProduction Right, and throw in that anthropomorphism is kinda of a key trait of Disney stories, its all the more believable that the house itself is the main character of the story. Great summation!
The current VA of the Ghost Host (Corey Burton) shares the broad strokes of this theory actually, and while it's not my personal headcanon is is very very interesting
You said you feel like your missing something, you are: This isn’t the first character name that Was applied to Hatchet Man and someone else. The Haunted Mansion anthology books feature Mansion Librarian Amicus Arcane as a narrator connecting the various stories who bears a striking resemblance to the Hatchet Man, but when Disney put out the Host a Ghost merch with ghosts in jars, Amicus looked entirely different. If Hatchet Man, who is clearly the Ghost Host as pointed out so many times, gets equated with both Arcane and Gracey, then one could make the argument this is a case of stolen identity. Picture this: A librarian, Amicus Arcane, is hired to take care of the priceless collection of Master Gracey, only for him to be bumped off and some unknown vagabond taking his place when arriving at the mansion. That “Arcane” tries the same thing with Gracey and becomes the owner of the mansion. He then gets trapped in a secret room he is unable to exit, forcing him to find his own way out [diabolic laughter]
Merchandise consistently gets things wrong about the mansion. This is them just putting a name on something they think will sell. That hanging man is not master Gracey but is the Ghost Host
The thing is, even early promotion from Paul Frees himself further confuses parkgoers, because in one of the early recordings used to entice guests to visit the attraction's grand opening in 1969, Paul Frees does a twist on his standard spiel, which went something like this: "Welcome Foolish Mortals! I am your host, your Ghost Host. *The lord & master of this Haunted Mansion.* Inside & outside and even between the walls of this possessed manor are ghosts, brought here from tombs all across the Earth. Heinous but delightful creatures, every one. All 999 of them! But we have room for a thousand. Any volunteers?"
There are pins sold in Momento Mori that read “I am your ghost host” with an image of a ghoul attached. That same ghoul can be spotted in the outdoor graveyard scene of the ride watching the riders (ghost host?). Hard to describe without having an actual image, though.
Let's be real. Dalin is the Ghost Host. Dalin has always been our Ghost Host. Thank you Offhand Disney for such fun videos on one of the greatest attractions of all time!
Ultimately: master in this instance is a title is for a young man. He is nothing more than a child connected enough to the one-time ownership of the mansion to be buried there. There's no way of getting round that, and I don't care what Disney comes up with!
You know, portrait painters were known to sometimes…. Smooth away the, er, less then pleasing aspects of their subjects. (Particularly if said subjects were rich.) It’s entirely possible it’s the same man in both portraits, one done later in life, with the master of the house made eccentric by years of living with ghosts and wanting a more honest picture.
It doesn't say this is a statue of Master Gracey, but rather something from his sketchbook. Was he an artist, and this is from one of his drawings of those whose fate lays with the Manison?
Here me out: The pirate looking master Gracey is the OG (that's why there are ships throughout the ride), but the aging master Gracey stole his identity (possibly a murder) for the mansion/land. Maybe they are slowly setting up the storyline. Idk just a thought.
My theory on the identity of the ghost host is this. The hatchet man is the ghost host, he’s also the aging man, his name is Master Gracey, he takes the form of a raven, and his REAL name is JEAN LAFITTE!
I feel that they did this to have some sort of tie to the Phantom Manor’s hanged man. Og story and the one the movie borrowed from was that the man in the stretching room was Melanie’s fiancé who would have become the master of the house through marriage; in the movie Master Gracey was the master who was jilted by his bride and then he hung himself in his grief. I used to go back and forth on whether the master gracey and hatchet man were the same person, but I at least knew that the hatchet man was the ghost host. It could be that Aging Man was a Master Gracey from years prior as the title would pass down from father to son and that hatchet man is a descendant who is trapped by his duty to the mansion I like to think the the Ghost Host was the head butler of the mansion and over time the family he served died out. Ever the loyal servant he did his best to keep the mansion in its glory for the next family who moved in. After a time, he went mad from loneliness and without anyone to serve, murdered a bunch of people for company and when he realized that his company were on the other side of the veil, he joined them. When he came to as a ghost he decided to be the consummate host to all the living people are touring the mansion hoping to get one more person to join his ghostly guest in their eternal home
Phantom Manor and the Haunted Mansion have completely different narratives. Haunted Mansion's is loose & not very well defined, whereas Phantom Manor's is concrete & stable (right down to the Phantom being her vengeful father, Henry Ravenswood, back from the dead following the 2018 refurb).
I'd say that the Aging Man is the real Master Gracey, the one buried out front. Perhaps the Host started calling himself Gracey because people in the area would recognize the name.
Who's to say it can't be both? It could be where one portrait is him as a young man and the other is him after he's aged and obviously been driven to a really bad mental place. I've seen people make even more drastic changes over time without any intervention from a particular type of doctor so I could believe that he just had a really rough few decades!
I feel like I was solving one of those grid elimination puzzles where based on a set of clues you have to figure out which name goes with which profession which goes with which dog breed.
I would prefer that none of the Ghosts be named at all. As a “scary” ride, it’s far more effective to not know and let your imagination run away. Yes I agree that most Disney attractions do better with a back story. That’s just where this specific one differs. It’s far more foreboding not knowing and only knowing you’ll never know until you bring your death certificate and move in.
I argue that only having some ghosts have backstories is the best solution. That way we can create larger stories in our imaginations. If nothing was named we’d be making up stories about each ghost, if we know a little we’re speculating on overarching stories and connections
@@apolloparks3686 Which they totally began throwing out the window with the movie which we can decide is non canon if we want. Then continued with that awful bride which is very much canon.
@@TheNotverysocial The thing is, much like the Ghost Host/Hatchet Man/Master Gracey/Aging Man Portrait confusion, merchandise also likes to perpetuate the idea that Constance the Black Widow Bride is the same character as her tragic forlorn predecessor with the glowing beating heart & thudding heartbeat. The problem? Beating Heart's gone by countless names (Priscilla Gore for the Captain Gore origin developed by Ken Anderson, Emily Cavanaugh Gracey nee De Claire for the Ghost Gallery as well as _The Haunted Mansion Comic Book_ created by SLG Comics, Elizabeth Henshaw for the 2003 farce film starring Eddie Murphy, and Bernadette for alliterative purposes in the Lonesome Manor level found within Bog Easy inside of the Epic Mickey videogames, etc.), but her origin of being a tragic homicide or suicide victim whom fans actually felt pity for has always been maintained, regardless. In fact, it is STILL maintained at Tokyo Disneyland even to this day (since Japan's version of the attraction never carried over the 2007 updates that added Constance Hatchaway to supplant Beating Heart). Constance Hatchaway, by comparison, is -- in all honesty -- a selfish, axe-murdering bitch. What's ironic about this is that Disney actually released _Nupital Doom_ (a retelling of one of Beating Heart's origin stories centered around her falling in love with a sea captain who was suspected of being a nefarious pirate [in a homage to the Captain Gore story], but her nobleman father already had her arranged to be married to someone else with high standing, only to be swayed by the Captain's roguish charm & his fulfilled promise to create a lavish antebellum Mansion along the bayou river, however when the Captain left to go on another voyage, the nobleman was having second thoughts about allowing his lovestruck daughter to marry the Captain, so he lied to his daughter by telling her that the Captain she had fallen in love with had died at sea, which led to her running away in tears to the Mansion that was made for her by her beloved & holding herself up in the Attic, with her telling herself that the Captain would eventually return & that the candle she held in her lithe hand would remain lit until they were reunited once more, however by the time he had indeed returned, the nobleman was now worried for his daughter's well-being, so he sent the strongest & stoutest men to break into the Mansion & break down the Attic door, but nothing they did could budge it, prompting the Captain to stride into the Mansion himself & head straight for the Attic to retrieve his Bride, with the door swinging open freely at his touch, but his beloved Bride was seemingly nowhere to be found, with it being implied that she had died either from a combination of isolation & starvation as inferred by the snuffed out candle wick OR she had escaped out of the smashed Attic window in an attempt to find the Captain on her own & sadly drowned in the boggy swampland marsh surrounding the Mansion's grounds, which in turn led to the Captain hanging himself in the rafters [in a nod towards the Ghost Host/Master Gracey narrative]; Naturally, ever since then, the swamp's been drained & it has been paved over with concrete & currently houses a personal cemetery for all of the ghostly residents that now haunt the Mansion, but the woe befallen Bride's heartbeat can still be heard in the Attic even to this day, although this no longer makes any sense with schizoid psycho Constance Hatchaway now taking up Beating Heart's position inside of the American Haunted Mansions), BUT the true irony comes in when you realize that _Nuptial Doom_ [ th-cam.com/video/Bu0-bElhDY8/w-d-xo.html ] is actually narrated by Kat Cressida, the voice actress for Constance! In addition to this, there's also the obvious fact that most black widows are self-serving & do not actually love their various husbands, given that they typically only marry them for their vast fortunes and/or their high society status, so by that logic, Constance shouldn't have a heart worth beating (and yet as we've just addressed, the preceding Beating Heart Bride's persistent heartbeat can still be heard on the soundtrack when you find yourself in the Attic whilst onboard the ride & Connie -- using a badly done digital effect to imply possession of an empty dress dummy wearing the Black Widow Bride's wedding gown -- isn't spouting corny puns correlating marriage to death ["Here comes the Bride", "For better or...worse", "As long as we both shall live", "I do...and I did", "'Until death...do us part", etc.]), not only because she's already dead, but rather, because Connie's greedy & only cares for herself, so much so that even the other 998 Happy Haunts rightfully fear her). All of the above that I mentioned regarding Constance starkly contrasts against the sorrowful origins of her Beating Heart predecessor, whom we've pointed out has always maintained a crestfallen tragic love story.
Not quite sure this is the case. I cheated and looked at the IMDB page, there was no "Ghost Host" in the character list. Ohhh! Maybe they'll reveal one in a mid-credit scene!!
I'm not gonna lie I was definitely about to defend offhand to the death and then I realized... We're really sitting here having a crisis (like you said)... Over an ornament. I really sat here speechless for a moment bc I'm just as worked up as him lmao
I would asume this might be a listing mistake, for all we know they might have had a Master Gracey version unrevealed or in the works and it got misnamed, because this entire problem can be solved by just renaming it the ghost host...
Seems like the ornament description was probably written by an employee who had limited knowledge of the Haunted Mansion, and is likely just a mistake.
Growing up and visiting Disneyland as well as the Haunted Mansion, I never considered who the voice belonged to, and never even questioned that it was Master Gracie. But when you piece things together, the hanging man in the stretching room, the tombstone outside bearing Gracie’s name, you start to see a pattern. I’m not saying I know the answer, but I am saying Disney is trying to do with the Haunted Mansion, with what they did to the Pirates of the Caribbean, create a solid story plot. The Haunted Mansion movie was quaint. Eddie Murphy did his usual job of comedy. And I don’t take away that this was good as a comedy, but I think it should have been less campy. Having said that, Disney tried to tell the story of who the hanging man is in the Haunted Mansion. I think overall they succeeded, if done in a tongue-in-cheek manner. So here is my take on this, after all the evidence has been put before me. The disembodied voice is that of Master Gracie. It is proven by his statement about “ There is always MY way.” Clearly suggesting he hung himself, which coincides with the movie plot. Any and all paintings of said Gracie, is all the same person. Just depicted differently. The reason Disney chose the character they used in the Christmas ornament is probably because it looks gruesome and more in keeping with the theme, rather than a young Master Gracie. The fact that none of this seems plausible, is because over the years, the rumors from fans had different ideas as to what the Haunted Mansion is all about, and Disney, through a movie, decided to settle the debate. Now if they do a second movie, we may see that they have “fleshed” (pardon the pun) out the storyline, or decided to change it yet again. They do that in movies, disregarding previous movies, and ultimately saddening the hearts of devoted fans. So there you have it. My unsolicited thoughts on who is who. Never let be said that I didn’t kill this whole idea, and make a grave mistake on the body in question. ❤️❤️
This is exactly the theory and points that I had. I see the body hanging in the stretching room and know the Ghost Host says "There's always MY way", hinting that the body hanging from the rafters is HIS, which is exactly how Master Gracey hung himself in the movie, in roughly the same place as it would be in the Haunted Mansion's Stretching Room.
@@kaleemarie13 The problem? The movie follows - loosely - the notions of the ride before the 2007 refurb, including the tragic fate of the Attic Bride. Now, Constance Hatchaway is an axe murdering Black Widow, who starkly contrasts against her forlorn, melancholy predecessor, who has gone under many names, but is officially known as Beating Heart (for obvious reasons).
A potential theory to explain the story of the Haunted Mansion: The Ghost Host was the original master of the household. He was the master of the plantation house that would become the Haunted Mansion. At some point in his life, he became psychologically paranoid and - either due to the grief of some crime he committed or in his own madness - he had hung himself from the rafters of the attic. Presumed to be lost and having died elsewhere, the mansion would go on to have multiple different owners, which would include Master Gracey - the second master of the household - who lived prior to and during the American Civil War. Either he was killed during the war or suffered from some affliction that ended his life at an older age (pneumonia, stroke, TB, etc). After his passing, the mansion went on to the next (and final) owner: Constance Hatchaway. We all know what she’d do with her husbands, which would later cement the place as a haunted mansion. After her passing, the grounds would eventually be purchased by the City of New Orleans as a new burial ground for the city’s burgeoning population. Much like many plantations nearby developing urban centers, the land would be utilized as a planned-out cemetery project. However, the cemetery would suffer from poor management, resulting in it’s decrepit, rough appearance.
@@rattyeely, that’s because I based the theory on real life. The one example that comes to mind is Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. It was originally farmland that had been purchased by the City of Richmond in the 1850’s as a means of dealing with their overcrowding issues in their current cemeteries. Similar cases happened throughout the south where a major urban center, either desperately needing space to bury the dead or seeking to future proof any expected growth, would buy farmland and convert it into a cemetery. To add to the intrigue, many of the city-owned cemeteries that don’t have proper foundations dedicated to their preservation often end up becoming decrepit with various degrees of deferred maintenance occurring with them.
My lukewarm take to help Dallin take a breather: They are both Master Gracey AND the Ghost Host. Despite their differences, there are enough similarities in their looks that it's reasonable to presume that they are just different visual takes on the same person. Like an "artist's interpretation", if you will. There could be an age difference, making both circumstances fit into a single timeline for a single person, as well. The muddling of the naming convention across the merch leads one to the conclusion that the titles are interchangeable between the two. It can even be reasonable that the aging that occurs is what happens to the visage of the Ghost Host in their post-life visage, making it at least plausible that the two can co-exist as the same person. That's just my headcanon, though, and YMMV. It's improbable, sure, but is a convenient way to mesh all the confusing bits of lore that were never hard confirmed, while taking into account all the different and conflicting things that are available to theorize about surrounding this.
Could the hatchet man be “Master Gracey” the father and original owner of the house who went crazy, hung himself and is now the ghost host? Then the aging man could be “Master Gracey”, the son who went crazy because his fathers spirit still lurks the house in the form of a raven. That’s the only way I see it working…most likely merchandise department didn’t consult the story department on this merch drop but hey fun times for us story nerds!! Great vid as always.
I feel like I stepped into a time warp or something... As an old member of Doombuggies, I always took it for granted - as did everyone else it seemed - that the aging man, hatchet man, Ghost Host, and Master Gracey are all the same person. The aging man and hatchet man are wearing the same clothes. The hatchet man is certainly mean to be the suicide victim in the stretching room, who is clearly the Ghost Host. The aging man is implied to be the Ghost Host, it's just a slightly more realistic portrait. The only thing I remember anyone disputing is whether or not Master Gracey was really anybody or just a "Master" in the sense of all children in the 19th century being called "Master" by the servants.
Maybe we have young Gracie then older, deranged, possessed Gracie? Or maybe they're brothers and they have a similar voice and take turns being the Ghost Host? Or maybe Disney can't get it together? Most likely the last one.
Supposedly it's a typo. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on one it will be worth some coin in years to come. Expect a re-release of the correct name on the tag, "Hatchet Man" 🤷♂️
It's very clear that Master Gracey is not the Ghost Host, at least in the Disneyland mansion. Either they made a mistake, they don't care and thought we wouldn't notice, or they're being so inconsistent because Disneyland and WDW have different stories for who our host is and they want the merch to be able to cater to both coasts.
The same goes for Constance the Black Widow Bride & her forlorn heart-beating predecessor, because Connie, as an axe murderess, shouldn't have a heart worth beating, whereas Beating Heart's story has always been that of a tragic lost love (similar to Melanie Ravenswood of Phantom Manor) whether or not the Attic Bride herself is a homicide or suicide victim, depending on the version of the narrative told. Since Beating Heart still exists at Tokyo Disneyland, that also means she & Connie are two different characters, as well.
Ok, here we go: The Ghost Host is Mister Gracey (aka Gracey Sr.) his clothes are quite a bit older than Gracey Jr. aka Master Gracey. You know how Alfred always calls Bruce *Master* Wayne after *Mister* Wayne died? Same thing here. Gracey Sr. was the first owner of the house and the first to haunt it. His suicide (maybe due to his wife’s death?) cursed the mansion, and attracted the evil Constance, who convinced Hightower to buy it after Gracey Jr also died. The biggest whole one this theory for me is who the Hatbox Ghost is. Maybe he was a spirit that drove Gracey Sr mad to the point he killed himself?
In some stories, Hattie is a haberdasher/dress designer for the Ghost Host's ill-fated Bride (Beating Heart), yet the _Story & Song_ [ th-cam.com/video/l_qRCqw8LZs/w-d-xo.html ] seems to imply that Hattie and Beating Heart are connected, since it was the case originally that Hattie's disappearing and reappearing head trick was supposed to synch up with Beating Heart's glowing heartbeat. Now, murderous Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchaway-Hightower has supplanted Beating Heart & a lot of old-school doombugs aren't happy about it, especially since Beating Heart still exists at Tokyo Disneyland, her thudding heartbeat can still be heard on the ride soundtrack during the Attic scene, and a retelling of one of Beating Heart's many origins, titled _Nuptial Doom_ [ th-cam.com/video/Bu0-bElhDY8/w-d-xo.html ], was ironically narrated by Kat Creissida, the voice actress for Constance!
The WDW Haunted Mansion backstage tour tells us that Master Gracey is the aging man and hatchet hanging man is the ghost host, so that's the canon i believe ☕. It appears that the "products" section of DPEP isn't communicating with the "parks" section.
I literally saw this ornament in the park today and thought, "Huh, weird choice." All of the other ornaments in the collection make sense. Constance? Iconic. Hitchhiking ghosts? Obviously. This ambiguous Amicus Arcane/Master Gracey/Ghost Host hobo looking dude that they have been putting in merch more recently? No. I wonder how many of these have sold. I'd also like to imagine someone with this on their Christmas tree having loved ones over for a party or something and them asking, "Hey, who's this creepy guy on your lovely tree?" and the owner having to explain the contents of this video to them and providing their personal opinion on the matter to some poor unsuspecting family member.
One: I love that movie so there. Two: The house in California is definitely set in the US. By the rules of etiquette, a boy up to age 12 is addressed as master. If the house in Florida is, I don't know. In the US the only other particular use of Master in the 19th century when the house very much appears to be set, is as an honorific for a tradesman, or academic of certain status. Such as a master bricklayer or a headmaster. I don't believe that Master Gracey is an adult.
The WDW mansion is situated in a section called the Streets of America, which is supposed to be reminiscent of Colonial New England right around the time of the Revolution. It's where the Hall of Presidents is also located, in a building resembling the old Philadelphia town hall where the original Declaration of Independence was signed (they actually had an hourly Muppet show from the outer facade for a bit there, but that's neither here nor there). The WDW version is definitely set in America, it's just a Tudor-style manor located somewhere in New England. They would've observed the same custom around calling young boys "master" back around the time the mansion was built, so no big story change there.
I've read somewhere that before the HM opened to the public, in one of the early iterations of the actual final ride, the designers used the raven as the host but the Imagineers found its voice universally annoying, so they scrapped it. However, they never removed the raven caricatures from the ride itself and that's why you see the raven appear in various rooms within the HM today.
"Master" and "Mister" aren't interchangeable titles. From the Victorian era till the mid-20th Century, "Master" was a form of address for a boy of 18 or younger. It had nothing to do with being master of the house or a master of illusion. So the "Master Gracey" epitaph probably wasn't intended to refer either to the Aging Portrait or the Hatchet Man. As you point out, Disney never had a plan for any of this. The Tightrope Girl has had so many names over the years... and Constance Hatchaway only came into being thirty years after the ride opened, so her being the owner is definitely a retrofit. My feeling is... it's more fun if we don't know. Not everything should be rationalized or explained.
Plus, Connie & Beating Heart, much like the Ghost Host & Master Gracey confusion, are two different takes on the Attic Bride, as indicated by the fact that Beating Heart still exists in Tokyo Disneyland, whereas she was replaced by Constance Hatchaway stateside.
@@TherealRNOwwfpooh Beating Heart is still THE Bride as far as I'm concerned. Constance Hatchaway is just such a tonal disconnect from the rest of the ride.
I remember back before the mid 2000s update of the WDW mansion there was a note outside signed "Master Gracey, Your "Ghost Host." Apparently people complained that Master Gracey wasn't the ghost host and Disney got rid of the Master Gracey so it was just signed "Your Ghost Host." I wouldn't be surprised if they do the same with the ornament.
To me, the ghost host is the guy in the attic, and takes the from of the crow in each major scene shift. It is also possible for two people to share the same name.
Just pointing this out since it wasn't mentioned in the video. In the SLG Comic series... specifically, 'The Mystery of the Manse' story... the master and owner of the mansion was and is William Gracey. He's shown to be the 'aging man' in the portrait. The aging portrait in the comic was meant to depict William Gracey's fate and changed before his very own eyes, scaring him. In the end, William Gracey actually does hang himself in the stretching room after being cursed by Leota, beheading her with the hatchet, and driven insane by the spirits. So in the SLG comics, the aging man and the hatchet man are essentially the same person, William Gracey, aka The Ghost Host. Personally, however, I believe and always believed the Hatchet man is the Ghost Host, and that the aging portrait is Master Gracey. Two different people. Two different spirits.
@@crazybird199 Nothing is really canon outside of the ride. No. The comics were just a collection of different stories about the mansion and the ghosts. Usually origin stories made up by fans. Still cool though.
The host of the manor would be the master of the house. He's a host ghost, so it's his house. Master can refer to both guests and the owner of the house, it just depends on who is talking.
the only reason any of the executives would have an opinion is that's what the marketing department told them was the most popular version. the number of times the entirety of the board had a fun fan debate about this topic hovers around zero. these are NOT the people to trust to resolve a 50-year-old mystery.
Disney has previously confirmed that the Hanging Man and the Ghost Host are the same, while vehemently stating that Master Gracey is a separate character. So much so that when there was a note on the closed HM in 2007 signed by Master Gracey, your "Ghost Host", it was later covered. I feel some merch isn't made with input from Imagineers. There was 45th anniversary merch identifying the host with Gracey as well. They sold a cousin Huet tombstone at some point, and it had Hatbox Ghosts face on it,so did good old Fred, brother Dave had Phineas.
THANK YOU for making a vid on this! I was on the disney store right after this product dropped and I was so confused! I immediately thought of your channel and even contemplated sending it to you on twitter. For someone who does actually love the 2003 film, this ornament is clearly depicting the ghost host from the ride. I'm convinced someone was just confused because of the film btw love your channel even though I've never been to Disneyland :)
So this has been an issue in merchandising and décor before. Not specifically with Haunted Mansion. But one of the themed hotels in Orlando had a princess suite with silhouettes of the princes in the rooms, and Beast's human form was labeled "Prince Adam" but since then (when I stayed in the suite) Disney has officially said that Beast's human form doesn't have a name. So it could very well be that kind of mix up
No. It bombed because it focused too damn much on Eddie Murphy's unfunny comedy rather than the actual ghosts whom The Haunted Mansion ride revolves around.
My theory: they're both Masters Gracie, AKA brothers. Ghost Host brother was maybe kept in the attic because he was "touched" or whatever while the brother who is portrayed in the Aging Man portrait becomes the master of the house as they get older. Eventually GH brother's madness and possibly isolation gets to him and he... Well, goes out "his way". Master Gracie in the Aging Man portrait lives to old age and is the one planted in the yard.
For me, the Ghost Host I his own identity. He shows us a hanged man as an example of "My Way", but it's not necessarily him. I really don't care about the other two guys. The Mansion is better when it's a mystery and you make it whatever you want.
Up until about 5 years ago, the phantom at Phantom Manor was not necessarily the ghost host. That was cemented during the big refurb. Before that, the story and characters were shrouded in mystery. So they basically did the same there as their doing now to the mansion.
Camp "The aging man is Master Gracey. The hatchet man is the Ghost Host, NOT Gracey" People saying "they're the same! He could age into hatchet guy!" We literally see the aging man get older. He never looks like hatchet guy. They're two distinct individuals. I think you can believe either one is the Ghost Host, by design, but not that they're the SAME guy.
This all reminds me of the Delbert Grady/Chales Grady discrepency in The Shining. Disney might very well be taking some inspiration from Stanley Kubrick's ambiguousness in their construction of the Haunted Mansion world.
Nahhh! It's a "marketing ploy" to sell more Christmas ornaments. Plus Disney forgot what they sold already. They care little If any to story line & continuity. They broke a "rule" they had that other studios thought of the movie goers. That "they are STUPID and won't notice the flaw". One of my favorite "Master scenes" Mary Poppins (Step in Time dance sequence. Hermonie while dancing with chimney sweep.) "It's the MASTER!" When Mr. Bank returns home.
I like the idea that they're the same guy for this reason: The corpse of Master Gracey hangs in the rafters above the Stretching Room, but there's a tombstone outside that implies a body lies under it. It's almost like a cover-up. As to who is covering it up, I don't know and I have some theories, but it's a really fun aspect to this to think about.
Within the canon of the 2023 movie (& a few other sources), THE HATBOX GHOST IS THE GHOST HOST. What if when he says “there’s always my way out” and shows the hanging man, he’s not showing how he died, but how Master Gracey died, and ties in with how the hatbox ghost convinced Gracy to commit suicide. This whole thing is a mess.
I always thought that the Hatchet/Hanged Man was the Ghost Host, who was the former butler. Master Gracey was the Aging portrait in the stretching room, he was a previous owner before Constance. Just my thoughts.
Maybe the ghost host is the old part of the aging portrait of Master Gracy? like maybe he gets old, goes up to the rafters, ends himself, and because his body isn't found it's assumed he passed and the grave out front is empty? perhaps the inscription on the stone is actually from a note one would leave behind in such situations, it kinda reads like one.
Well, Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris also have that question about the local 'Ghost Host' identity- sure Vincent Price's voice and laugh is the phantom but in the new version he's accompanied with a french narrator (Bernard Alane) and it feels like there are two separate entities speaking. Moreover, the french voice - if he's the phantom- refers to himself as 3rd person narrative, which is weird. So i'd like to think Price is the actual phantom and the french narrator is some kind of ghost butler, like Jasper Jones, a canon character who was the manservant of the Ravenswood family.
I'm still onboard to the idea that the Ghost Host is indeed the Hatchet Man who we see hanging in the Stretching Room from the rafters. The line the Ghost Host says "...well, there's always my way", before you see him hanging from the rafters seals it for me personally. To what @Matthew Chenault is saying below, the view that Master Gracey is a later Master of the Mansion and that the Ghost Host may be the ORIGINAL Master of the Home prior to Master Gracey makes a LOT of sense to me.
Imagineering continuity hit a wall some years back when all the imagineers that learned from the originals retired. Now they're just making things up to sell in the merch stores. No, it's not a good thing. This is how tradition is lost and history is forgotten. This is why Tiana's Bayou Adventure is going to fail.. because it won't have a soul. And this is a ride that relies on music and an era that created soul. They're essentially demolishing Mr. Toad's and putting Pooh up in it's place all over again.
The Fast Pass Facts Film Haunted Mansion Origins said that The HatBox Ghost is one of Constance Hatchaways Husbands, and of course you said in your Film who owns The Haunted Mansion 2 that Constance Hatchaway is the owner of The Haunted Mansion from what I Remember, anyway this is a great Film I Believe the Man on the Thimble is the Ghost Host and yes I Believe the Aging Man in the Photo is Master Gracy if I'm wrong then will have to wait until the next Offhand Disney Haunted Mansion Film although I Believe The Man on Thimble is The Ghost Host
Por que no los dos? That is to say: different ages, different looks. Madness does such things to people.....and Master Gracey *is* - at least at WDW - "our host" (this last is based on interpretations of info from a certain CM training document circa the 1990's, from the East Coast Branch of the Mouse Factory that while not directly at hand at the moment does have a place in my library).
idk man i keep going back to that first sign they put up before the mansion opened that describes it as a retirement home for ghosts, and the ride’s narration confirms that to be canon, so like. did some spooky things happen in that particular mansion which then led to it being haunted in the first place? yeah probably! but it definitely doesn’t seem like every ghost had some connection to the house from before they died (ie the ghosts from various time periods in the graveyard) so honestly i feel like the answer could be literally anything. maybe gracey is the ghost host, or maybe they’re all different characters! maybe there are multiple master graceys in the mansion’s history and they’re just relatives! i personally feel like the ghost host is something More than just some guy who lived in the mansion. what do i mean by that?? even i’m not too sure… but at the very least i feel that the host introducing themselves as the ghost host and not as, say, “the master of the house”, seems to indicate that he is separate from master gracey, even if master gracey was not originally meant to be more than a name on a tombstone. furthermore, i know it’s widely agreed that the first portrait is of the ghost host, but tbh i don’t feel like that’s necessarily true. it’s the first portrait we see, sure, and we get introduced to the host at the same time, but there’s really not any indication in the narration that this is actually a painting of the person speaking. you could probably argue that the hanged man isn’t actually the ghost host, either-sure, he refers to it as “MY way” but there’s no other indication that it is HIS body, and it really is mostly there to serve as shorthand for “death is the only way out” so who knows, maybe the ghost host is just showing us what happened to the last guy who came on his tour!
Personally I think all Haunted Mansion merch is non-cannon and just a desperate attempt by the merchandise people to figure out what to call merch of these characters. You can almost see them googling "ghost host", finding the "ghost host is master gracey" theory, and then naming the ornament that. I fully agree with you that Disney should just come up with official standardized names for all these characters, for the sake of merchandise consistency if nothing else. Even Sally Slater, who you mentioned earlier in the video, has been called Daisy De La Cruz by some merch.
This is most likely a case of merchandising getting it wrong, more than anything else. Recently they released a magic band for the “Electrical Light Parade” getting the name wrong… I don’t see their merchandising department holding storyline meetings with imagineering for a few products, just not efficient.
They are one. The portrait is just a piece of the house that became haunted (it was originally just a portrait but a ghost possessed it) Gracey was the master of the house and ghosts trapped him in the stretching room and became one with the ghosts. My hot take.
One is the Ghost Host for WDW, the other is the Ghost Host of DL, so they both are Ghost Hosts. They are two very different mansions on the outside. Or its possible they are both the same person, one is Master Gracey is his mortal form, the other is the Master Gracey after he died and is his ghost form. Dying from hanging would alter your face, make your eyes pop out a bit. So it's a picture of his body after he died and partially decomposed.
It is worth noting that the Stretching Room corpse (who we can infer is the Ghost Host thanks to dialogue- "there's always MY way" etc) does happen to be dressed in a way that deliberately matches the Hatchet Man portrait, *not* the aging portrait of Master Gracey. This is true both of the Hatchet Man portraits in the Corridor of Doors (At DL since opening day and at WDW since 2011) as well as the variant "Sinister 11" portrait at WDW and Tokyo. This does lend credence to the idea that the Hatchet Man is (at least supposed to be) the Ghost Host, in the eyes of Imagineering. As for Gracey, the name Gracey has never been connected to the Hatchet Man as far as I can tell. Though I could see them putting Hatch in as Master Gracey/The Aging Man's uncle or brother or something and giving Hatch the last name as a nod to all this confusion. Part of this also is that the Master Gracey phenomenon began at WDW, and the most prominent portrait of the Ghost Host/Hatchet Man (the Corridor of Doors one) was only added in 2011, so this stuff has only started affecting the Mansions in recent years. It should also be noted that Merchandising has gotten this wrong several times before also (notably with the 45th anniversary merch), so it's likely this is just another slip-up on their part.
Huh, I would of guessed that both the hanging man and the picture is Master Gracie/the Ghost House. I mean if you think about it in the Eddie Murphy’s Disney Haunted Mansion Master Gracie hang himself. However, we don’t know if that’s accurate to the Haunted Mansion ride or if it’s a fib. So, it could be possible that both maybe Master Gracie/the Ghost Host. I mean when people pass away for a very long time they don’t actually look like the character that they are supposed to be for example maybe Hector from Coco or maybe the bride in Corpse Bride. Which is kind of ironic because the person who helped created the corpse bride also work on the nightmare before Christmas. Which I’m thinking if the Nightmare Before Christmas is kind of canon to the Haunted Mansion story, then maybe it’s possible that either they may know Master Gracie or maybe they can confirm if both the hanging man and the portrait are master Gracie/the ghost host. Just a little theory.
The ornament says Master Gracey Sketchbook. Master Gracey drew a picture of the Ghost Host. Maybe it’s a representative of Master Gracey’s sketch of the Hanging Man.
The "Tax Man" owns the mansion for years of up-paid taxes, it will soon be torn down for a parking lot. "Master Gracie" is like the name John Smith - - - they're everywhere..... Wish Walt did the voice, that would have been great......
Master Gracey is the guy in the foyer and who’s buried outside. The ghost host is the hatchet man and the one who is hanging in the stretching room . Simple as that
Here’s an idea: they could both be master Gracie. The aging man is him in his early 20s or late teens, hatchet man is him maybe his mid-40s after he’s gone insane
I said the same thing lil
They're either the same guy or keep it ambiguous. The mystery is half the fun.
THIS
I thought the same thing, they look similar enough.
Nah, they don't have the same head shape to be the same person.
Hi Dallin!!!
I'm a cast member at WDW and I can confirm a few things after doing a CM tour of The Haunted Mansion. First off, the hatchet man is INDEED the ghost host. Second off, the aging man in the main hall before the stretching room is NOT Master Gracey. It is quite often confused for that, but it is simply an homage to The Picture of Dorian Gray. Master Gracey, if you actually look at the graves outside, was a 12 year old child that lived in the mansion. Kinda' morbid, but that's what I found out.
Hope that helps!
this makes sense, as "master" was often used to refer to boys rather than grown men.
Yeah
i’ve worked at the mansion in disney world for a while- hatchet man is not master gracey. the ghost host is beauregard the butler, master gracey’s butler if you will. this merchandise drop is SO frustrating to us maids and butlers and the mansion. i could literally talk about this for HOURS!
Just curious, was this naming by the cast members or by higher-ups?
Yet, early promotional recordings have Paul Frees say a twist on his standard spiel that has him refer to himself as *The lord & master of this Haunted Mansion* [ th-cam.com/video/gknmP6cZXrg/w-d-xo.html ] & even the _Story & Song_ [ th-cam.com/video/l_qRCqw8LZs/w-d-xo.html ] has the Ghost Host therein tell teens Mike (Ron Howard) & Karen (Robbie Lester) that they wouldn't be harmed, but that they *"would not be released until you take a tour of MY home"* with the emphasis on the word MY indicating ownership over the house, thus further adding to the confusion.
Someone also did an animatic for the "Human Story" promotional radio ad to promote the attraction's grand opening, which played up to the idea that the Ghost Host sired offspring, in which his ghost child (whom fans may or may not believe to be "Little Leota", per fan speculation) asks her father to tell her a story about humans & he tells her about how the Haunted Mansion is allowing human visitors to come in & get scared, much to her surprise. After asking her dad if he believes in humans, the animatic pans up to the Ghost Host to see his response (which was, "I don't know, but I do believe in Disneyland") & the artist who did the animatic chose to depict him as the Hatchet Man instead of the Aging Man Hanging Portrait that's usually associated with Master Gracey.
The animatic can be viewed here: th-cam.com/video/uetqEgnBRsg/w-d-xo.html
Similarly, various adaptations (from _The Haunted Mansion Comic Book_ by SLG Comics, the _Tales from the Haunted Mansion_ book series, the 2003 movie starring Eddie Murphy, the 2 Epic Mickey videogames, etc.) also tend to combine pre-2007 refurb Attic Bride Beating Heart (who has went under various names: Priscilla Gore [Ken Anderson's Captain Gore abandoned plotline], Emily Cavanaugh Gracey nee De Claire [the Ghost Gallery formerly located at doombuggies.com from whence the 3 Hitchhiking Ghosts -- bony skeleton Ezra, portly carpetbagger Phineas & bearded prisoner Gus -- and alligator bait tightrope walker Sally Slater got their seemingly official names, _The Haunted Mansion Comic Book_ from SLG Comics, and even DeviantArt fan artist TwistedWind's _Count Mickey Dragul_ unofficial fan comic], Sally Little [the _Tales from the Haunted Mansion_ book series], Elizabeth Henshaw [the 2003 movie starring Eddie Murphy], and Bernadette [done for alliterative reasons, she can be found located floating near her tombstone in the graveyard within the 2 Epic Mickey video games' Lonesome Manor level], whatever the Japanese named Beating Heart at Tokyo Disneyland, etc.) with schizoid Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchaway when they're two completely different characters (as proven by the fact that Beating Heart still exists at Tokyo Disneyland & the fact that her thudding heartbeat can still be heard on the ride soundtrack during the Attic scene despite having been unfairly replaced by Constance Hatchaway stateside, even though Constance, as a murderous Black Widow, shouldn't have a heart worth beating, not due to the fact that she's already dead, but simply just because she's NOT forlornly heartbroken like her tragic predecessor & is instead a conniving bitch whom all of the other remaining 997 Happy Haunts rightfully fear aside from a certain leering haberdasher, who may or may not have been an accomplice in helping Connie axe murder her 5 husbands in order to tie the returned Hatbox Ghost into the post-2007 refurb story thread pertaining to Connie as the replacement Attic Bride following his 2015 return to the original Disneyland attraction, although I'm sure even Hattie would very much prefer to have Beating Heart back, since his disappearing head trick was intended to synch up with Beating Heart's glowing heartbeat).
The irony of Constance Hatchaway replacing Beating Heart stateside in 2007 came full circle with the release of _Nuptial Doom_ with the irony being that although it retold one of the origins of Beating Heart (the tragically forlorn pre-2007 Attic Bride predating Constance, the subsequent Black Widow Bride), the story was actually narrated by Kat Cressida, the voice actress for Constance!
_Nuptial Doom_ can be heard here: th-cam.com/video/Bu0-bElhDY8/w-d-xo.html
TLDR version: Beating Heart is a heartbroken Attic Bride whose story - similar to Melanie Ravenswood's of Phantom Manor - was one of tragic lost love, whereas Constance Hatchaway is a selfish, murderous Black Widow who only wed her 5 husbands for their vast wealth & their high society positions.
So, they are 2 completely different characters!
The same is true for Master Gracey & the Ghost Host as also previously mentioned, yet even Disney itself tends to confuse the lot of them.
Ya' ll are my favorite crew to hang with. I was a dancer in the light parade and I always tried to get there waaaay early to eat w my mansion homes. Yall are one of a kind. My favorite people in all the WalT Disney WORLD
OK I LOVED the Eddie Murphy haunted mansion movie. He did it well. The man is a talented storyteller who does NOT get enough credit as an artist
OK so the aging man is master Gracie, but the caretaker is the ghost host( hatchet man?)
An important aspect to remember is that a “Host” is a person who receive guests, which is usually the person who has held the party.
It’s likely that the “Ghost Host” is, in fact, the Master of the household at one point.
You have to remember: a plantation house, which the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland is based upon, would have multiple “Masters” over time. As the old owner of the house died or left, the next person to control the house would become the “Master” of the house.
Rather, I’d argue that Master Gracy was a *later* master of the household whereas the Ghost Host was the *Original* Master of the house who may have brought about the curse upon the household.
Good theory
Not to mention they might be related. The first Master Gracey could be the Ghost Host and then of course he reproduces, has kids. And when he dies the house passes onto the next of kin who also bears the name Gracey.
Pretty simple when you put it that way.
@@pearlthecryptid3836 I agree, both are master Gracey. Father and son. I think the original master Gracey is the changing man and then he had a son mater Gracey the Ghost Host. The Father and everyone else dies in horrible ways, leaving the younger Mater Gracey to go mad and eventually hang himself to escape.
Or it could be Uncle and Nephew.
@@tjtennisicmroll2k mind bottling
The Disney Store is what officially broke Dallin.
I worked there for 5 years, it also broke me.
@@lostghoooul f
at least in the meantime you got plenty of other people broken as well lol
Damn you Disney Springs!
Yeah
I personally like to think that the mansion was owned by many different people, like Constance after she killed the fifth husband. I like to think that Captain gore first owned the mansion because of the weather vein. Maybe he built the mansion, and him and his wife were the first to die in it.
I’d like to think that the Ghost Host is, in fact, one of the Masters of the household at one point and was the one who brought about the hauntings in the first place.
When you look at the portrait of the Ghost Host, his attire is more akin to that of the early 19th century (1810’s-1820’s) whereas Master Gracey’s attire is more Mid-19th century in appearance.
Similarly, Constance has clothing that’s post-bellum attire leading up to the late 19th century.
So, it’s reasonable to assume that the Ghost Host was one of the first people to haunt the mansion, effectively cursing it and those who resided within it.
@@MatthewChenault I like to think that all the people/families that lived in the mansion all had tragic fates,( like Constance murdering her husbands, the roof collapsing from Bloodmere Manor, and Captain Gore killed his wife and himself). All the tragedies have caused the house to become cursed, and the perfect place for a retirement home for ghosts.
I like that: weather "Vein" rather than "Vane". Gruesomely clever. I hope that was intentional, I didn't mean to open a critical comment. Open........ a Vein. See what I did there?
Maybe there were two Masters Gracey because after the first one died his son inherited the Mansion.
I felt that "Why, Disney, why, what do you have to gain?" in the depths of my soul
Bob Cheap*ss needs a new mansion...
money. they have to gain money. duh.
di$ney just does stuff, the people in charge could honestly care less.
Damn
I don't think Disney as the Ghost Host would have worked:
"To all who come to this haunted place, welcome"
yeah, but... enough folks claim that Walt's ghost roams the park that it would be freaky if it were his voice doing that narration
@@jasonkrynicky3170 That's just the Grim Grinning Walt coming out to socialise.
It's freaking perfect
If u were dead, would you go to work?!?😅
@@cherylmaden5989 If I end up with a personalised Hell, then yes I would be.
My Head Canon has always been:
1: hanging man in the portrait is neither Ghost Host nor Master Gracey, he was actually a butler/caretaker and one of the last living in the house (besides the grave keeper and pupper).
2: Aging man is Master Gracey but also not the Ghost Host.
3: The Ghost Host is actually the house itself. The Host is talking in a possessive form. How there's always room for another and there's always my way. As if it is what lures and keeps the spirits. I think the house itself is what slowly drives people insane and the spirits that reside there are just a cacophony of unrelated, unfortunate people that found their way there. The widows watch and the weather vane are symbolic not of constance waiting for a lost seafaring love. but a house welcoming anyone as a port in a storm. It is predatory in the entire spiel.. being coy and welcoming at first then cackling maniacally as it dares you to try and leave, showing you its last victim. hatchet man hanging.
Edit: more points supporting my theory.
1. The ride is named Haunted Mansion because the house is the central character. Much like the pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean.
2. The voice claims to be your ghost host. So not a ghost itself per say, but a "host" of ghosts.
Interesting, I like this theory
Yes, this was always the story of the ride as I understood it! The "Ghost Host" has to be the house, or the malevolent spirit possessing the house, and he invites you in warmly in order to trap you in the mansion as a ghost forever. I never saw the Hanging Man as the Ghost Host - he's just showing you what happened to the last person who entered, and enticing you to do the same to yourself. THIS is what made the ride terrifying to me as a child (along with all the other references to death, of course). It's also a way more magical interpretation than "the Ghost Host was an actual person", which makes it more believable as Disney's actual intent. I think only adults, who tend to overlook magical explanations and overthink things, would insist the Ghost Host be a real person. The ride has way more impact on children for that reason.
@@LeannLeannProduction Right, and throw in that anthropomorphism is kinda of a key trait of Disney stories, its all the more believable that the house itself is the main character of the story. Great summation!
OOoooooooooooh, I like this theory...
The current VA of the Ghost Host (Corey Burton) shares the broad strokes of this theory actually, and while it's not my personal headcanon is is very very interesting
You said you feel like your missing something, you are: This isn’t the first character name that Was applied to Hatchet Man and someone else. The Haunted Mansion anthology books feature Mansion Librarian Amicus Arcane as a narrator connecting the various stories who bears a striking resemblance to the Hatchet Man, but when Disney put out the Host a Ghost merch with ghosts in jars, Amicus looked entirely different. If Hatchet Man, who is clearly the Ghost Host as pointed out so many times, gets equated with both Arcane and Gracey, then one could make the argument this is a case of stolen identity.
Picture this: A librarian, Amicus Arcane, is hired to take care of the priceless collection of Master Gracey, only for him to be bumped off and some unknown vagabond taking his place when arriving at the mansion. That “Arcane” tries the same thing with Gracey and becomes the owner of the mansion. He then gets trapped in a secret room he is unable to exit, forcing him to find his own way out [diabolic laughter]
I was straight up looking for a comment about the books and Amicus Arcane before I commented on it myself!
It's also possible Amicus Arcane is the Ghost Host's penname, but yeah the way he's written is pretty blatant he's supposed to be the Ghost Host
Merchandise consistently gets things wrong about the mansion. This is them just putting a name on something they think will sell. That hanging man is not master Gracey but is the Ghost Host
The thing is, even early promotion from Paul Frees himself further confuses parkgoers, because in one of the early recordings used to entice guests to visit the attraction's grand opening in 1969, Paul Frees does a twist on his standard spiel, which went something like this: "Welcome Foolish Mortals! I am your host, your Ghost Host. *The lord & master of this Haunted Mansion.* Inside & outside and even between the walls of this possessed manor are ghosts, brought here from tombs all across the Earth. Heinous but delightful creatures, every one. All 999 of them! But we have room for a thousand. Any volunteers?"
There are pins sold in Momento Mori that read “I am your ghost host” with an image of a ghoul attached. That same ghoul can be spotted in the outdoor graveyard scene of the ride watching the riders (ghost host?). Hard to describe without having an actual image, though.
Let's be real. Dalin is the Ghost Host. Dalin has always been our Ghost Host. Thank you Offhand Disney for such fun videos on one of the greatest attractions of all time!
Ultimately: master in this instance is a title is for a young man. He is nothing more than a child connected enough to the one-time ownership of the mansion to be buried there. There's no way of getting round that, and I don't care what Disney comes up with!
You know, portrait painters were known to sometimes…. Smooth away the, er, less then pleasing aspects of their subjects. (Particularly if said subjects were rich.) It’s entirely possible it’s the same man in both portraits, one done later in life, with the master of the house made eccentric by years of living with ghosts and wanting a more honest picture.
Very true, I can see this happening
It doesn't say this is a statue of Master Gracey, but rather something from his sketchbook. Was he an artist, and this is from one of his drawings of those whose fate lays with the Manison?
I just want to see Bob Paycheck walk out on the stage and announce his goddamn resignation.
He finally did it 🎉🍾
Here me out: The pirate looking master Gracey is the OG (that's why there are ships throughout the ride), but the aging master Gracey stole his identity (possibly a murder) for the mansion/land. Maybe they are slowly setting up the storyline. Idk just a thought.
My theory on the identity of the ghost host is this. The hatchet man is the ghost host, he’s also the aging man, his name is Master Gracey, he takes the form of a raven, and his REAL name is JEAN LAFITTE!
I feel that they did this to have some sort of tie to the Phantom Manor’s hanged man. Og story and the one the movie borrowed from was that the man in the stretching room was Melanie’s fiancé who would have become the master of the house through marriage; in the movie Master Gracey was the master who was jilted by his bride and then he hung himself in his grief. I used to go back and forth on whether the master gracey and hatchet man were the same person, but I at least knew that the hatchet man was the ghost host.
It could be that Aging Man was a Master Gracey from years prior as the title would pass down from father to son and that hatchet man is a descendant who is trapped by his duty to the mansion
I like to think the the Ghost Host was the head butler of the mansion and over time the family he served died out. Ever the loyal servant he did his best to keep the mansion in its glory for the next family who moved in. After a time, he went mad from loneliness and without anyone to serve, murdered a bunch of people for company and when he realized that his company were on the other side of the veil, he joined them. When he came to as a ghost he decided to be the consummate host to all the living people are touring the mansion hoping to get one more person to join his ghostly guest in their eternal home
Phantom Manor and the Haunted Mansion have completely different narratives. Haunted Mansion's is loose & not very well defined, whereas Phantom Manor's is concrete & stable (right down to the Phantom being her vengeful father, Henry Ravenswood, back from the dead following the 2018 refurb).
I'd say that the Aging Man is the real Master Gracey, the one buried out front. Perhaps the Host started calling himself Gracey because people in the area would recognize the name.
Who's to say it can't be both? It could be where one portrait is him as a young man and the other is him after he's aged and obviously been driven to a really bad mental place. I've seen people make even more drastic changes over time without any intervention from a particular type of doctor so I could believe that he just had a really rough few decades!
I feel like I was solving one of those grid elimination puzzles where based on a set of clues you have to figure out which name goes with which profession which goes with which dog breed.
"Master Gracey Sketchbook"? Maybe it's based on a sketch of the Ghost Host...in Master Gracey's sketchbook.
I would prefer that none of the Ghosts be named at all. As a “scary” ride, it’s far more effective to not know and let your imagination run away. Yes I agree that most Disney attractions do better with a back story. That’s just where this specific one differs. It’s far more foreboding not knowing and only knowing you’ll never know until you bring your death certificate and move in.
Madame Leota has always been the sole exception to the rule.
I argue that only having some ghosts have backstories is the best solution. That way we can create larger stories in our imaginations. If nothing was named we’d be making up stories about each ghost, if we know a little we’re speculating on overarching stories and connections
@@apolloparks3686 Which they totally began throwing out the window with the movie which we can decide is non canon if we want. Then continued with that awful bride which is very much canon.
@@TheNotverysocial The thing is, much like the Ghost Host/Hatchet Man/Master Gracey/Aging Man Portrait confusion, merchandise also likes to perpetuate the idea that Constance the Black Widow Bride is the same character as her tragic forlorn predecessor with the glowing beating heart & thudding heartbeat.
The problem? Beating Heart's gone by countless names (Priscilla Gore for the Captain Gore origin developed by Ken Anderson, Emily Cavanaugh Gracey nee De Claire for the Ghost Gallery as well as _The Haunted Mansion Comic Book_ created by SLG Comics, Elizabeth Henshaw for the 2003 farce film starring Eddie Murphy, and Bernadette for alliterative purposes in the Lonesome Manor level found within Bog Easy inside of the Epic Mickey videogames, etc.), but her origin of being a tragic homicide or suicide victim whom fans actually felt pity for has always been maintained, regardless. In fact, it is STILL maintained at Tokyo Disneyland even to this day (since Japan's version of the attraction never carried over the 2007 updates that added Constance Hatchaway to supplant Beating Heart).
Constance Hatchaway, by comparison, is -- in all honesty -- a selfish, axe-murdering bitch. What's ironic about this is that Disney actually released _Nupital Doom_ (a retelling of one of Beating Heart's origin stories centered around her falling in love with a sea captain who was suspected of being a nefarious pirate [in a homage to the Captain Gore story], but her nobleman father already had her arranged to be married to someone else with high standing, only to be swayed by the Captain's roguish charm & his fulfilled promise to create a lavish antebellum Mansion along the bayou river, however when the Captain left to go on another voyage, the nobleman was having second thoughts about allowing his lovestruck daughter to marry the Captain, so he lied to his daughter by telling her that the Captain she had fallen in love with had died at sea, which led to her running away in tears to the Mansion that was made for her by her beloved & holding herself up in the Attic, with her telling herself that the Captain would eventually return & that the candle she held in her lithe hand would remain lit until they were reunited once more, however by the time he had indeed returned, the nobleman was now worried for his daughter's well-being, so he sent the strongest & stoutest men to break into the Mansion & break down the Attic door, but nothing they did could budge it, prompting the Captain to stride into the Mansion himself & head straight for the Attic to retrieve his Bride, with the door swinging open freely at his touch, but his beloved Bride was seemingly nowhere to be found, with it being implied that she had died either from a combination of isolation & starvation as inferred by the snuffed out candle wick OR she had escaped out of the smashed Attic window in an attempt to find the Captain on her own & sadly drowned in the boggy swampland marsh surrounding the Mansion's grounds, which in turn led to the Captain hanging himself in the rafters [in a nod towards the Ghost Host/Master Gracey narrative]; Naturally, ever since then, the swamp's been drained & it has been paved over with concrete & currently houses a personal cemetery for all of the ghostly residents that now haunt the Mansion, but the woe befallen Bride's heartbeat can still be heard in the Attic even to this day, although this no longer makes any sense with schizoid psycho Constance Hatchaway now taking up Beating Heart's position inside of the American Haunted Mansions), BUT the true irony comes in when you realize that _Nuptial Doom_ [ th-cam.com/video/Bu0-bElhDY8/w-d-xo.html ] is actually narrated by Kat Cressida, the voice actress for Constance!
In addition to this, there's also the obvious fact that most black widows are self-serving & do not actually love their various husbands, given that they typically only marry them for their vast fortunes and/or their high society status, so by that logic, Constance shouldn't have a heart worth beating (and yet as we've just addressed, the preceding Beating Heart Bride's persistent heartbeat can still be heard on the soundtrack when you find yourself in the Attic whilst onboard the ride & Connie -- using a badly done digital effect to imply possession of an empty dress dummy wearing the Black Widow Bride's wedding gown -- isn't spouting corny puns correlating marriage to death ["Here comes the Bride", "For better or...worse", "As long as we both shall live", "I do...and I did", "'Until death...do us part", etc.]), not only because she's already dead, but rather, because Connie's greedy & only cares for herself, so much so that even the other 998 Happy Haunts rightfully fear her).
All of the above that I mentioned regarding Constance starkly contrasts against the sorrowful origins of her Beating Heart predecessor, whom we've pointed out has always maintained a crestfallen tragic love story.
@@TherealRNOwwfpooh I would certainly hope when Constance Hatchaway died she drowned. A fitting ending for one like that.
I wonder if this could have something to do with the new upcoming movie. They might want a Ghost Host who matches with the voice in the movie.
I think you are probably 100% correct
Not quite sure this is the case. I cheated and looked at the IMDB page, there was no "Ghost Host" in the character list. Ohhh! Maybe they'll reveal one in a mid-credit scene!!
alternate title: offhand disney having an existential crisis over a christmas ornament
I'm not gonna lie I was definitely about to defend offhand to the death and then I realized... We're really sitting here having a crisis (like you said)... Over an ornament. I really sat here speechless for a moment bc I'm just as worked up as him lmao
@@stefalspaugh5362 lol i'm as worked up as he is ngl... offhand i'd crisis is valid 😅
I would asume this might be a listing mistake, for all we know they might have had a Master Gracey version unrevealed or in the works and it got misnamed, because this entire problem can be solved by just renaming it the ghost host...
Seems like the ornament description was probably written by an employee who had limited knowledge of the Haunted Mansion, and is likely just a mistake.
Agreed! ♡
Growing up and visiting Disneyland as well as the Haunted Mansion, I never considered who the voice belonged to, and never even questioned that it was Master Gracie. But when you piece things together, the hanging man in the stretching room, the tombstone outside bearing Gracie’s name, you start to see a pattern. I’m not saying I know the answer, but I am saying Disney is trying to do with the Haunted Mansion, with what they did to the Pirates of the Caribbean, create a solid story plot.
The Haunted Mansion movie was quaint. Eddie Murphy did his usual job of comedy. And I don’t take away that this was good as a comedy, but I think it should have been less campy. Having said that, Disney tried to tell the story of who the hanging man is in the Haunted Mansion. I think overall they succeeded, if done in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
So here is my take on this, after all the evidence has been put before me. The disembodied voice is that of Master Gracie. It is proven by his statement about “ There is always MY way.” Clearly suggesting he hung himself, which coincides with the movie plot. Any and all paintings of said Gracie, is all the same person. Just depicted differently. The reason Disney chose the character they used in the Christmas ornament is probably because it looks gruesome and more in keeping with the theme, rather than a young Master Gracie.
The fact that none of this seems plausible, is because over the years, the rumors from fans had different ideas as to what the Haunted Mansion is all about, and Disney, through a movie, decided to settle the debate. Now if they do a second movie, we may see that they have “fleshed” (pardon the pun) out the storyline, or decided to change it yet again. They do that in movies, disregarding previous movies, and ultimately saddening the hearts of devoted fans.
So there you have it. My unsolicited thoughts on who is who. Never let be said that I didn’t kill this whole idea, and make a grave mistake on the body in question. ❤️❤️
It's just good that you took a stab at it😉
This sounds like it could be the case, great theory!
This is exactly the theory and points that I had. I see the body hanging in the stretching room and know the Ghost Host says "There's always MY way", hinting that the body hanging from the rafters is HIS, which is exactly how Master Gracey hung himself in the movie, in roughly the same place as it would be in the Haunted Mansion's Stretching Room.
@@kaleemarie13 The problem? The movie follows - loosely - the notions of the ride before the 2007 refurb, including the tragic fate of the Attic Bride. Now, Constance Hatchaway is an axe murdering Black Widow, who starkly contrasts against her forlorn, melancholy predecessor, who has gone under many names, but is officially known as Beating Heart (for obvious reasons).
A potential theory to explain the story of the Haunted Mansion:
The Ghost Host was the original master of the household. He was the master of the plantation house that would become the Haunted Mansion. At some point in his life, he became psychologically paranoid and - either due to the grief of some crime he committed or in his own madness - he had hung himself from the rafters of the attic.
Presumed to be lost and having died elsewhere, the mansion would go on to have multiple different owners, which would include Master Gracey - the second master of the household - who lived prior to and during the American Civil War. Either he was killed during the war or suffered from some affliction that ended his life at an older age (pneumonia, stroke, TB, etc).
After his passing, the mansion went on to the next (and final) owner: Constance Hatchaway. We all know what she’d do with her husbands, which would later cement the place as a haunted mansion.
After her passing, the grounds would eventually be purchased by the City of New Orleans as a new burial ground for the city’s burgeoning population. Much like many plantations nearby developing urban centers, the land would be utilized as a planned-out cemetery project. However, the cemetery would suffer from poor management, resulting in it’s decrepit, rough appearance.
I like the theory that it's actually been turned into a cemetery, that explains the number of graves and ghosts so well
@@rattyeely, that’s because I based the theory on real life. The one example that comes to mind is Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. It was originally farmland that had been purchased by the City of Richmond in the 1850’s as a means of dealing with their overcrowding issues in their current cemeteries.
Similar cases happened throughout the south where a major urban center, either desperately needing space to bury the dead or seeking to future proof any expected growth, would buy farmland and convert it into a cemetery.
To add to the intrigue, many of the city-owned cemeteries that don’t have proper foundations dedicated to their preservation often end up becoming decrepit with various degrees of deferred maintenance occurring with them.
Why not both? The first Master Gracey was the father. He died and stayed so his son became the 2nd Master Gracey
It was updated on the shop Disney website today. It is now listed as a ghost host ornament now.
Can’t Master Gracey be the Ghost Host as he ages and decays? It makes sense.
My lukewarm take to help Dallin take a breather:
They are both Master Gracey AND the Ghost Host.
Despite their differences, there are enough similarities in their looks that it's reasonable to presume that they are just different visual takes on the same person. Like an "artist's interpretation", if you will. There could be an age difference, making both circumstances fit into a single timeline for a single person, as well.
The muddling of the naming convention across the merch leads one to the conclusion that the titles are interchangeable between the two. It can even be reasonable that the aging that occurs is what happens to the visage of the Ghost Host in their post-life visage, making it at least plausible that the two can co-exist as the same person.
That's just my headcanon, though, and YMMV. It's improbable, sure, but is a convenient way to mesh all the confusing bits of lore that were never hard confirmed, while taking into account all the different and conflicting things that are available to theorize about surrounding this.
Could the hatchet man be “Master Gracey” the father and original owner of the house who went crazy, hung himself and is now the ghost host? Then the aging man could be “Master Gracey”, the son who went crazy because his fathers spirit still lurks the house in the form of a raven. That’s the only way I see it working…most likely merchandise department didn’t consult the story department on this merch drop but hey fun times for us story nerds!! Great vid as always.
I feel like I stepped into a time warp or something... As an old member of Doombuggies, I always took it for granted - as did everyone else it seemed - that the aging man, hatchet man, Ghost Host, and Master Gracey are all the same person. The aging man and hatchet man are wearing the same clothes. The hatchet man is certainly mean to be the suicide victim in the stretching room, who is clearly the Ghost Host. The aging man is implied to be the Ghost Host, it's just a slightly more realistic portrait. The only thing I remember anyone disputing is whether or not Master Gracey was really anybody or just a "Master" in the sense of all children in the 19th century being called "Master" by the servants.
You can never do too many Haunted Mansion video vlogs. So, keep them coming.
Maybe we have young Gracie then older, deranged, possessed Gracie? Or maybe they're brothers and they have a similar voice and take turns being the Ghost Host? Or maybe Disney can't get it together? Most likely the last one.
Supposedly it's a typo. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on one it will be worth some coin in years to come. Expect a re-release of the correct name on the tag, "Hatchet Man" 🤷♂️
Well it will now say Ghost Host! I'm not sure if they shipped it out with the Master Gracey label! If so hang on to it! 😉
It's very clear that Master Gracey is not the Ghost Host, at least in the Disneyland mansion. Either they made a mistake, they don't care and thought we wouldn't notice, or they're being so inconsistent because Disneyland and WDW have different stories for who our host is and they want the merch to be able to cater to both coasts.
The same goes for Constance the Black Widow Bride & her forlorn heart-beating predecessor, because Connie, as an axe murderess, shouldn't have a heart worth beating, whereas Beating Heart's story has always been that of a tragic lost love (similar to Melanie Ravenswood of Phantom Manor) whether or not the Attic Bride herself is a homicide or suicide victim, depending on the version of the narrative told. Since Beating Heart still exists at Tokyo Disneyland, that also means she & Connie are two different characters, as well.
Ok, here we go: The Ghost Host is Mister Gracey (aka Gracey Sr.) his clothes are quite a bit older than Gracey Jr. aka Master Gracey. You know how Alfred always calls Bruce *Master* Wayne after *Mister* Wayne died? Same thing here. Gracey Sr. was the first owner of the house and the first to haunt it. His suicide (maybe due to his wife’s death?) cursed the mansion, and attracted the evil Constance, who convinced Hightower to buy it after Gracey Jr also died.
The biggest whole one this theory for me is who the Hatbox Ghost is. Maybe he was a spirit that drove Gracey Sr mad to the point he killed himself?
In some stories, Hattie is a haberdasher/dress designer for the Ghost Host's ill-fated Bride (Beating Heart), yet the _Story & Song_ [ th-cam.com/video/l_qRCqw8LZs/w-d-xo.html ] seems to imply that Hattie and Beating Heart are connected, since it was the case originally that Hattie's disappearing and reappearing head trick was supposed to synch up with Beating Heart's glowing heartbeat. Now, murderous Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchaway-Hightower has supplanted Beating Heart & a lot of old-school doombugs aren't happy about it, especially since Beating Heart still exists at Tokyo Disneyland, her thudding heartbeat can still be heard on the ride soundtrack during the Attic scene, and a retelling of one of Beating Heart's many origins, titled _Nuptial Doom_ [ th-cam.com/video/Bu0-bElhDY8/w-d-xo.html ], was ironically narrated by Kat Creissida, the voice actress for Constance!
The WDW Haunted Mansion backstage tour tells us that Master Gracey is the aging man and hatchet hanging man is the ghost host, so that's the canon i believe ☕. It appears that the "products" section of DPEP isn't communicating with the "parks" section.
I literally saw this ornament in the park today and thought, "Huh, weird choice." All of the other ornaments in the collection make sense. Constance? Iconic. Hitchhiking ghosts? Obviously. This ambiguous Amicus Arcane/Master Gracey/Ghost Host hobo looking dude that they have been putting in merch more recently? No. I wonder how many of these have sold. I'd also like to imagine someone with this on their Christmas tree having loved ones over for a party or something and them asking, "Hey, who's this creepy guy on your lovely tree?" and the owner having to explain the contents of this video to them and providing their personal opinion on the matter to some poor unsuspecting family member.
Disney Store really said
“Yeah this is probably Master Gracey idk I didn’t read the manga”
One: I love that movie so there. Two: The house in California is definitely set in the US. By the rules of etiquette, a boy up to age 12 is addressed as master. If the house in Florida is, I don't know. In the US the only other particular use of Master in the 19th century when the house very much appears to be set, is as an honorific for a tradesman, or academic of certain status. Such as a master bricklayer or a headmaster. I don't believe that Master Gracey is an adult.
The WDW mansion is situated in a section called the Streets of America, which is supposed to be reminiscent of Colonial New England right around the time of the Revolution. It's where the Hall of Presidents is also located, in a building resembling the old Philadelphia town hall where the original Declaration of Independence was signed (they actually had an hourly Muppet show from the outer facade for a bit there, but that's neither here nor there). The WDW version is definitely set in America, it's just a Tudor-style manor located somewhere in New England. They would've observed the same custom around calling young boys "master" back around the time the mansion was built, so no big story change there.
I've read somewhere that before the HM opened to the public, in one of the early iterations of the actual final ride, the designers used the raven as the host but the Imagineers found its voice universally annoying, so they scrapped it. However, they never removed the raven caricatures from the ride itself and that's why you see the raven appear in various rooms within the HM today.
"Master" and "Mister" aren't interchangeable titles. From the Victorian era till the mid-20th Century, "Master" was a form of address for a boy of 18 or younger. It had nothing to do with being master of the house or a master of illusion. So the "Master Gracey" epitaph probably wasn't intended to refer either to the Aging Portrait or the Hatchet Man.
As you point out, Disney never had a plan for any of this. The Tightrope Girl has had so many names over the years... and Constance Hatchaway only came into being thirty years after the ride opened, so her being the owner is definitely a retrofit. My feeling is... it's more fun if we don't know. Not everything should be rationalized or explained.
Plus, Connie & Beating Heart, much like the Ghost Host & Master Gracey confusion, are two different takes on the Attic Bride, as indicated by the fact that Beating Heart still exists in Tokyo Disneyland, whereas she was replaced by Constance Hatchaway stateside.
@@TherealRNOwwfpooh Beating Heart is still THE Bride as far as I'm concerned. Constance Hatchaway is just such a tonal disconnect from the rest of the ride.
the absolute bafflement i felt upon seeing that ornament, i'm so glad it wasn't just me
I think the real Master Gracey was the friends we made along the way…
I remember back before the mid 2000s update of the WDW mansion there was a note outside signed "Master Gracey, Your "Ghost Host." Apparently people complained that Master Gracey wasn't the ghost host and Disney got rid of the Master Gracey so it was just signed "Your Ghost Host." I wouldn't be surprised if they do the same with the ornament.
Modern Disney doesn't care about Cannon. They only care about consumable content.
To me, the ghost host is the guy in the attic, and takes the from of the crow in each major scene shift.
It is also possible for two people to share the same name.
Just pointing this out since it wasn't mentioned in the video. In the SLG Comic series... specifically, 'The Mystery of the Manse' story... the master and owner of the mansion was and is William Gracey. He's shown to be the 'aging man' in the portrait. The aging portrait in the comic was meant to depict William Gracey's fate and changed before his very own eyes, scaring him. In the end, William Gracey actually does hang himself in the stretching room after being cursed by Leota, beheading her with the hatchet, and driven insane by the spirits. So in the SLG comics, the aging man and the hatchet man are essentially the same person, William Gracey, aka The Ghost Host.
Personally, however, I believe and always believed the Hatchet man is the Ghost Host, and that the aging portrait is Master Gracey. Two different people. Two different spirits.
Are the comics canon?
@@crazybird199 Nothing is really canon outside of the ride. No. The comics were just a collection of different stories about the mansion and the ghosts. Usually origin stories made up by fans. Still cool though.
@@eviltom17 Definately cool
The host of the manor would be the master of the house. He's a host ghost, so it's his house. Master can refer to both guests and the owner of the house, it just depends on who is talking.
I’m in Dallin’s tribe, hatchet man is the Ghost Host, but not Master Gracey, and the Aging Man is Master Gracey
the only reason any of the executives would have an opinion is that's what the marketing department told them was the most popular version. the number of times the entirety of the board had a fun fan debate about this topic hovers around zero. these are NOT the people to trust to resolve a 50-year-old mystery.
Disney has previously confirmed that the Hanging Man and the Ghost Host are the same, while vehemently stating that Master Gracey is a separate character. So much so that when there was a note on the closed HM in 2007 signed by Master Gracey, your "Ghost Host", it was later covered. I feel some merch isn't made with input from Imagineers. There was 45th anniversary merch identifying the host with Gracey as well. They sold a cousin Huet tombstone at some point, and it had Hatbox Ghosts face on it,so did good old Fred, brother Dave had Phineas.
Bruh, I've never even been to Disneyland / Disneyworld and suddenly I have to decide my head cannon.
THANK YOU for making a vid on this! I was on the disney store right after this product dropped and I was so confused! I immediately thought of your channel and even contemplated sending it to you on twitter. For someone who does actually love the 2003 film, this ornament is clearly depicting the ghost host from the ride. I'm convinced someone was just confused because of the film
btw love your channel even though I've never been to Disneyland :)
So this has been an issue in merchandising and décor before. Not specifically with Haunted Mansion. But one of the themed hotels in Orlando had a princess suite with silhouettes of the princes in the rooms, and Beast's human form was labeled "Prince Adam" but since then (when I stayed in the suite) Disney has officially said that Beast's human form doesn't have a name. So it could very well be that kind of mix up
I never realized the reason the Haunted Mansion bombed was because they got the lore of Master Gracey wrong.
Makes sense; I agree.
No. It bombed because it focused too damn much on Eddie Murphy's unfunny comedy rather than the actual ghosts whom The Haunted Mansion ride revolves around.
@@TherealRNOwwfpooh I don’t know, man. That’s what’s used to think, but my man Dal here makes a good case.
My theory: they're both Masters Gracie, AKA brothers. Ghost Host brother was maybe kept in the attic because he was "touched" or whatever while the brother who is portrayed in the Aging Man portrait becomes the master of the house as they get older. Eventually GH brother's madness and possibly isolation gets to him and he... Well, goes out "his way". Master Gracie in the Aging Man portrait lives to old age and is the one planted in the yard.
The Disney Store HAS RELABELED the ornament and it is nolonger attributed to Gracey but now simply "Ghost Host"!
If they drop more merch, I might change my mind, but in my option, your opinion sounds more accurate. #RevealTheGhostHost
For me, the Ghost Host I his own identity. He shows us a hanged man as an example of "My Way", but it's not necessarily him.
I really don't care about the other two guys. The Mansion is better when it's a mystery and you make it whatever you want.
Up until about 5 years ago, the phantom at Phantom Manor was not necessarily the ghost host. That was cemented during the big refurb. Before that, the story and characters were shrouded in mystery. So they basically did the same there as their doing now to the mansion.
Once again we thoroughly enjoyed this video! I will never tire of anything to do with the Haunted Mansion, so, keep them coming 🙂
8:10
Every fan: "Why Disney, what do you have to gain?"
Disney: _"Money"_
Camp "The aging man is Master Gracey. The hatchet man is the Ghost Host, NOT Gracey"
People saying "they're the same! He could age into hatchet guy!" We literally see the aging man get older. He never looks like hatchet guy. They're two distinct individuals. I think you can believe either one is the Ghost Host, by design, but not that they're the SAME guy.
This all reminds me of the Delbert Grady/Chales Grady discrepency in The Shining. Disney might very well be taking some inspiration from Stanley Kubrick's ambiguousness in their construction of the Haunted Mansion world.
Nahhh! It's a "marketing ploy" to sell more Christmas ornaments. Plus Disney forgot what they sold already. They care little If any to story line & continuity. They broke a "rule" they had that other studios thought of the movie goers. That "they are STUPID and won't notice the flaw". One of my favorite "Master scenes" Mary Poppins (Step in Time dance sequence. Hermonie while dancing with chimney sweep.) "It's the MASTER!" When Mr. Bank returns home.
I like the idea that they're the same guy for this reason:
The corpse of Master Gracey hangs in the rafters above the Stretching Room, but there's a tombstone outside that implies a body lies under it. It's almost like a cover-up. As to who is covering it up, I don't know and I have some theories, but it's a really fun aspect to this to think about.
Within the canon of the 2023 movie (& a few other sources), THE HATBOX GHOST IS THE GHOST HOST. What if when he says “there’s always my way out” and shows the hanging man, he’s not showing how he died, but how Master Gracey died, and ties in with how the hatbox ghost convinced Gracy to commit suicide. This whole thing is a mess.
I always thought that the Hatchet/Hanged Man was the Ghost Host, who was the former butler. Master Gracey was the Aging portrait in the stretching room, he was a previous owner before Constance. Just my thoughts.
Maybe the ghost host is the old part of the aging portrait of Master Gracy? like maybe he gets old, goes up to the rafters, ends himself, and because his body isn't found it's assumed he passed and the grave out front is empty? perhaps the inscription on the stone is actually from a note one would leave behind in such situations, it kinda reads like one.
Well, Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris also have that question about the local 'Ghost Host' identity- sure Vincent Price's voice and laugh is the phantom but in the new version he's accompanied with a french narrator (Bernard Alane) and it feels like there are two separate entities speaking. Moreover, the french voice - if he's the phantom- refers to himself as 3rd person narrative, which is weird. So i'd like to think Price is the actual phantom and the french narrator is some kind of ghost butler, like Jasper Jones, a canon character who was the manservant of the Ravenswood family.
I'm still onboard to the idea that the Ghost Host is indeed the Hatchet Man who we see hanging in the Stretching Room from the rafters. The line the Ghost Host says "...well, there's always my way", before you see him hanging from the rafters seals it for me personally. To what @Matthew Chenault is saying below, the view that Master Gracey is a later Master of the Mansion and that the Ghost Host may be the ORIGINAL Master of the Home prior to Master Gracey makes a LOT of sense to me.
Imagineering continuity hit a wall some years back when all the imagineers that learned from the originals retired. Now they're just making things up to sell in the merch stores. No, it's not a good thing. This is how tradition is lost and history is forgotten.
This is why Tiana's Bayou Adventure is going to fail.. because it won't have a soul. And this is a ride that relies on music and an era that created soul. They're essentially demolishing Mr. Toad's and putting Pooh up in it's place all over again.
The Fast Pass Facts Film Haunted Mansion Origins said that The HatBox Ghost is one of Constance Hatchaways Husbands, and of course you said in your Film who owns The Haunted Mansion 2 that Constance Hatchaway is the owner of The Haunted Mansion from what I Remember, anyway this is a great Film I Believe the Man on the Thimble is the Ghost Host and yes I Believe the Aging Man in the Photo is Master Gracy if I'm wrong then will have to wait until the next Offhand Disney Haunted Mansion Film although I Believe The Man on Thimble is The Ghost Host
Por que no los dos?
That is to say: different ages, different looks. Madness does such things to people.....and Master Gracey *is* - at least at WDW - "our host" (this last is based on interpretations of info from a certain CM training document circa the 1990's, from the East Coast Branch of the Mouse Factory that while not directly at hand at the moment does have a place in my library).
Holy Commonwealth of Narnia, Batman! I can't wrap my tiny brain around this one... I been befuddled!
idk man i keep going back to that first sign they put up before the mansion opened that describes it as a retirement home for ghosts, and the ride’s narration confirms that to be canon, so like. did some spooky things happen in that particular mansion which then led to it being haunted in the first place? yeah probably! but it definitely doesn’t seem like every ghost had some connection to the house from before they died (ie the ghosts from various time periods in the graveyard) so honestly i feel like the answer could be literally anything. maybe gracey is the ghost host, or maybe they’re all different characters! maybe there are multiple master graceys in the mansion’s history and they’re just relatives!
i personally feel like the ghost host is something More than just some guy who lived in the mansion. what do i mean by that?? even i’m not too sure… but at the very least i feel that the host introducing themselves as the ghost host and not as, say, “the master of the house”, seems to indicate that he is separate from master gracey, even if master gracey was not originally meant to be more than a name on a tombstone. furthermore, i know it’s widely agreed that the first portrait is of the ghost host, but tbh i don’t feel like that’s necessarily true. it’s the first portrait we see, sure, and we get introduced to the host at the same time, but there’s really not any indication in the narration that this is actually a painting of the person speaking. you could probably argue that the hanged man isn’t actually the ghost host, either-sure, he refers to it as “MY way” but there’s no other indication that it is HIS body, and it really is mostly there to serve as shorthand for “death is the only way out” so who knows, maybe the ghost host is just showing us what happened to the last guy who came on his tour!
They corrected the listing now
This isn't the first time they conflated The Ghost Host and Master Gracey. They did it before, when they posted that refurb sign. on the DLR mansion
Personally I think all Haunted Mansion merch is non-cannon and just a desperate attempt by the merchandise people to figure out what to call merch of these characters. You can almost see them googling "ghost host", finding the "ghost host is master gracey" theory, and then naming the ornament that. I fully agree with you that Disney should just come up with official standardized names for all these characters, for the sake of merchandise consistency if nothing else. Even Sally Slater, who you mentioned earlier in the video, has been called Daisy De La Cruz by some merch.
What if Master Gracie is like the Dread Pirate Roberts and the mansion just traps a new Master every so often.
I have always thought of the ghost host as a disembodied voice
This is most likely a case of merchandising getting it wrong, more than anything else. Recently they released a magic band for the “Electrical Light Parade” getting the name wrong… I don’t see their merchandising department holding storyline meetings with imagineering for a few products, just not efficient.
It’s also possible that the aging man became the ghost host with “living” age, then deaded himself.
They are one. The portrait is just a piece of the house that became haunted (it was originally just a portrait but a ghost possessed it) Gracey was the master of the house and ghosts trapped him in the stretching room and became one with the ghosts. My hot take.
One is the Ghost Host for WDW, the other is the Ghost Host of DL, so they both are Ghost Hosts. They are two very different mansions on the outside. Or its possible they are both the same person, one is Master Gracey is his mortal form, the other is the Master Gracey after he died and is his ghost form. Dying from hanging would alter your face, make your eyes pop out a bit. So it's a picture of his body after he died and partially decomposed.
It is worth noting that the Stretching Room corpse (who we can infer is the Ghost Host thanks to dialogue- "there's always MY way" etc) does happen to be dressed in a way that deliberately matches the Hatchet Man portrait, *not* the aging portrait of Master Gracey. This is true both of the Hatchet Man portraits in the Corridor of Doors (At DL since opening day and at WDW since 2011) as well as the variant "Sinister 11" portrait at WDW and Tokyo. This does lend credence to the idea that the Hatchet Man is (at least supposed to be) the Ghost Host, in the eyes of Imagineering.
As for Gracey, the name Gracey has never been connected to the Hatchet Man as far as I can tell. Though I could see them putting Hatch in as Master Gracey/The Aging Man's uncle or brother or something and giving Hatch the last name as a nod to all this confusion.
Part of this also is that the Master Gracey phenomenon began at WDW, and the most prominent portrait of the Ghost Host/Hatchet Man (the Corridor of Doors one) was only added in 2011, so this stuff has only started affecting the Mansions in recent years.
It should also be noted that Merchandising has gotten this wrong several times before also (notably with the 45th anniversary merch), so it's likely this is just another slip-up on their part.
How can Disney mix up THE BUTLER (hatchet guy) for Master Gracey (the aging man)?!? Ahhhh! It’s madness!!!!
Huh, I would of guessed that both the hanging man and the picture is Master Gracie/the Ghost House. I mean if you think about it in the Eddie Murphy’s Disney Haunted Mansion Master Gracie hang himself. However, we don’t know if that’s accurate to the Haunted Mansion ride or if it’s a fib. So, it could be possible that both maybe Master Gracie/the Ghost Host. I mean when people pass away for a very long time they don’t actually look like the character that they are supposed to be for example maybe Hector from Coco or maybe the bride in Corpse Bride. Which is kind of ironic because the person who helped created the corpse bride also work on the nightmare before Christmas. Which I’m thinking if the Nightmare Before Christmas is kind of canon to the Haunted Mansion story, then maybe it’s possible that either they may know Master Gracie or maybe they can confirm if both the hanging man and the portrait are master Gracie/the ghost host. Just a little theory.
The ornament says Master Gracey Sketchbook. Master Gracey drew a picture of the Ghost Host. Maybe it’s a representative of Master Gracey’s sketch of the Hanging Man.
I saw that ornament online and KNEW this video was coming! Yeah!
The "Tax Man" owns the mansion for years of up-paid taxes, it will soon be torn down for a parking lot. "Master Gracie" is like the name John Smith - - - they're everywhere..... Wish Walt did the voice, that would have been great......
According to tour CMs, neither are Master Gracy.
Master Gracey, and Master Gracey can both be canon
Fathers have Sons, Brothers have Brothers.
*Blows out the welding torch*
Master Gracey is the guy in the foyer and who’s buried outside.
The ghost host is the hatchet man and the one who is hanging in the stretching room .
Simple as that