The Host-A-Ghost Jars were a series of merchandise released for the Haunted Mansion’s 50th Anniversary. They were light-up jars themed to popular characters in the mansion.
Product description[]
From her Seance Circle, Madame Leota invites guests of The Haunted Mansion to become a caretaker to one of its restless spirits. With a simple tap of this jar, Leota, as head spiritualist, will channel your spirit to materialize for you.
Characters[]
- The Hatbox Ghost - “Bowers, top hats, a fez for your head/This hatter’s style will fill you with dread/All of his boxes collect dust in the attic/He’ll find something for you, no need to panic/A mischievous trickster with a sick, twisted smile/Reveals his head in a hatbox - the latest style”
- Constance Hatchaway: The Bride - “Here comes the bride, time after time/With each new husband, a wedding more sublime/Listen now as her plan unfurls/With each new husband, a new strand of pearls/Her love would prove costly, much like a state tax/When they ran out of money, she gave them the ax”
- Phineas Plump: The Traveler - “Thumb-hitching Phineas, snake oil was his pitch/Crossed over to the Mansion after a recipe glitch/His elixir had too much of this stuff or that/Knocked him out cold in 10 seconds flat/He now stands waiting with his carpet bag in tow/Willing to ride anywhere that you’ll go”
- Ezra Beane: The Skeleton - “Lean and lanky, the tallest of the three/Ezra is the one always smiling with glee/Always traveling, a gaunt vagabond/Thumbing his way to the regions beyond/Came to the Mansion with all that he owns/Hungry for life, as he’s just skin and bones”
- Gus: The Prisoner - “With a ragged old shroud and a baggard long beard/This pint-sized phantom could be considered quite weird/Easy to tell he committed no crime/With ball and chain, Gus served most of his time/Playfully innocent, ‘til the day that he died/Now spends his time hitchin’, hoping for a ride”
- Sarah “Sally” Slater - “A dancer at heart, with balance for days/Caught up in a moment with a gentle gaze/Razor sharp teeth watch hungrily below/For the slightest of breeze, it started to blow/At the end of her rope, the crowd began to boo/All that they found was a single pink shoe”
- Victor Geist: The Organist - “Our ghoulish maestro knows every song/Plays every instrument, from organ to gong/His melodic music will place you in a trance/Make a ballroom of spirits stand up and dance/Always performing, no time to rest/He is dying to play your final request”
- Captain Culpepper Clyne - “This salty old captain sailed the high seas/Made it to land and started to sneeze/With dirt and the pollen, his nose needed a rub/To clear his sinuses, he climbed in the tub/He began to panic and things got grim/Old Clyne drowned in his tub, as he forgot to swim”
- Amicus Arcane: Mansion Librarian - “Our mansion librarian is quite the book lover/He read every one, cover to cover/Catalogued every title in our collection/Tends to them all with care and affection/Every first edition his own memento mori/He’ll even help you finish your personal own ghost story”
Death Certificate[]
Each jar came with a death certificate of authenticity and verification. Each read this: “This certifies that you have officially and voluntarily assumed the role of caretaker for a resident and happy haunt from the Haunted Mansion”. They are signed by M.T. Tomb, a representative of the Ghost Relations Department.
Leota’s Incantations[]
“Family, friends, next of kin,
Summon a spirit from the Mansion!
Goolies travel from near and far
All invited to reside in a jar!”
Trivia[]
- Phineas’ backstory is similar to his from the Ghost Gallery and SLG comic - a snake oil salesman.
- This is the first time Amicus has been acknowledged in official merchandise alongside other characters. He is the only character not featured in any version of the attraction.
- Culpepper is the only character that is exclusive to the Walt Disney World mansion.
- The jars would often be designed to look as-if they had a dried, white, pulpy liquid drizzled from their openings. This is more than likely meant to be ectoplasm, the paranormal excretion of ghosts which in-real-life was hoaxed using wet paper.