Captain Mary Oceaneer is a character who originates from Hong Kong Disneyland's Haunted Mansion analogue, Mystic Manor. Since her initial appearances, she has since appeared as a more pivotal character in different attractions throughout the parks.
Description[]
Biography[]
Captain Mary Oceaneer was an Englishwoman sea-captain and treasure hunter who had an avid love for pirates and their lore. She had a beloved pet parrot named Salty whom often accompanied her in her adventures. Mary had a high-end ship known as the "Oceaneer Lab" which made its maiden voyage on July 30th of 1898. Aboard this ship, she and Salty would hunt treasure and scuba-dive.
At some point prior to 1899, she became a member of the international colonial organization, The Society of Explorers and Adventurers. In 1899, she went on a riverboat expedition on the Orinoco River where she was seemingly attacked with arrows; quite possibly by Indigenous peoples upset by the society's colonial presence. On the New Year's Eve of 1899, Mary attended a S.E.A. meeting at the Hotel Hightower of New York City to celebrate how her contemporary, the evil Harrison Hightower III had stolen a religious idol known as Shiriki Utundu from the Mtundu peoples of the Congo.
In 1901, she excavated a pirate wreckage off the coast of Castaway Cay in the Caribbean where she found a gold-hilted pirate's sword which became her favourite weapon. She also excavated pirate ruins such as the old pirate haven of Shipwreck Cove and the sunken Isla de Muerta where she recovered a cursed Aztec gold. Prior to 1928, she created a map of the Mediterranean which depicted various legendary creatures. By the latest of 1938, Mary wrote two books titled: Parrots as Pets and Charting Course respectively.
By the 1950s, Mary was a world-renowned treasure hunter who could speak Atlantean and had recovered undersea artifacts such as a contract belonging to the sea witch Ursula. During an unknown year (likely around 1955) Mary and her pet parrot Duncan took her then ship M.S. Salty IV to Blustery Bay on a treasure hunt. Mary and her ship got caught in a typhoon during this voyage however causing her ship to be wrecked at a place known as Placid Palms (later renamed Typhoon Lagoon) where she and her pet were forced to make their new home.
Appearances[]
Jungle Cruise[]
There is an obscured post-card from Captain Oceaneer addressed to Alberta Falls where she mentions searching for Alberta's lost grandfather. The letter reads:
"Ahoy Skippers,
Hope things in the jungle are in shipshape. I just wanted to give you an update on my expedition. Sadly, there has been no sign of your lost grandfather.
However, i am hearing some strange stories from the Forbidden Mountain near Anandapur. I’m leading some members to investigate. On the way back maybe they can bring back a decent cup of tea.
Exploratio Continua
Capt. Mary Oceaneer
Society of Explorers and Adventurers".
Mystic Manor[]
Mary Oceaneer can be seen in a portrait dated to 1899 in the queue for Mystic Manor along with other S.E.A. members.
Oceaneer Lab[]
The Disney Cruise line has kid activity areas themed around Mary Oceaneer's research vessels with paintings detailing her adventures.
Miss Adventure Falls[]
The Miss Adventure Falls ride at Walt Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon water-park is themed around the M.S. Salty IV's marooning at the Lagoon. Magazine covers of her can be found in the queue and she provides the safety spiel for the guests. The ride passes by the remains of her vessel.
Skipper Canteen[]
This Magic Kingdom restaurant includes many allusions to the captain. This includes her fez in a SEA member display-case, two of her books in the library, and her map of the Mediterranean on the wall.
The Tropical Hideaway[]
This restaurant has the paddle from Mary's 1899 expedition on the Orinoco River in South America.
Mary's first appearance in Mystic Manor
Trivia[]
- Mary's surname "Oceaneer" is an allusion to her profession's direct involvement with the ocean while her first name Mary is a play on words of her being "merry" and/or a reference to imagineer/Disney concept artist Mary Blaire who created much of the artwork featured in Captain Oceaneer's areas in the Disney Cruise Lines.
- Despite making her first appearance in Mystic Manor, none of Mary's Disney Park appearances afterwards have been connected to a Haunted Mansion property.
- An old backstory for Disney's defunct Pleasure Island placed the hurricane of Typhoon Lagoon in the year 1955. The canonicity of this year can be disputed due to Pleasure Island's removal and Mary Oceaneer's retroactive continuity but it is also a likely possibility for the year of Mary's marooning. If true this would likely mean she was likely somewhere between 75 and 95 years old based off of her approximate age in the portrait dated to 1899.
- It is shown that Mary Oceaneer was both aware of the existence of Atlantis and could write in Atlantean. This is evidenced by Oceaneer's personal diving-bell at Typhoon Lagoon having, "I come in peace" written on its front in the Atlantean language.
- Among Mary's connection seen in Typhoon Lagoon was a contract created by the Disney villain Ursula from The Little Mermaid (1989).