Mr. Toad also known as J. Thaddeus Toad Esquire is a character buried in the Haunted Mansion in Walt Disney World as an Easter egg tribute to the park's former Mr. Toad's Wild Ride attraction.
Description[]
Origins[]
The character of Mr. Toad originates from the 1908 children's book The Wind in the Willows, but the appearance of the statue in the Haunted Mansion comes from 1949 animated Disney film the "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" in which Toad is the protagonist of the first half of the picture.
Toad was an enthusiast for anything that was new and exciting. He got into trouble when he became obsessed with motor cars, and traded Toad Hall to purchase it. He was arrested for allegedly stealing the car, allowing for weasels to take over the hall. It wasn't until his friends busted him out that he finally regained it and learned his lesson.
History[]
Toad's appearance in the Haunted Mansion is a tribute to the now extinct Fantasyland attraction, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Guests rode on motor-cars belonging to Mr. Toad as they recklessly drove through Toad Hall, the town, the depths of Hell, and finally back to the Living World. The ride was removed from the Magic Kingdom in 1998 in order to make room for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which is why the alleged epitaph makes reference to Toad being less popular than Pooh.
Appearances[]
The Haunted Mansion[]
Within the Pet Cemetery found in the Magic Kingdom Mansion, Mr. Toad's tombstone can be spotted near the back of the plot. The grave marker is a simple rusted over metal statue of Toad.
However there is a popularized epitaph associated with the grave which is either out of sight or a complete fabrication, that epitaph being:
"Here Lies Toad, it's sad but true. Not nearly as marketable as Winnie the Pooh"
Room for 1 More (40th anniversary event)[]
At the Haunted Mansion's "Room for 1 More" event, a statue of Mr. Toad could be obtained which also featured a "Deed of Departure" from Toad reading, "I hereby announce my departure from regions beyond to take a journey across the pond, merrily going nowhere in particular. So as to not be forgotten I tribute myself to you dear friend, for this is not the end. Farewell until we meet again at a later date"
Disney Parks Attractions[]
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: In the Magic Kingdom version of the ride, a portrait of Mr. Toad can be found handing over the deed to his estate to the character of Owl. This once again serves as a sort of meta-joke alluding to the closure of the beloved opening-day attraction.
- Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin: There is a 1941 Toon Town licence-plate labelled, "MR TOAD" in the Toon Town Taxi Company's base.[1] This might reference a brief cameo which he had in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) as a denizen of Toon Town in 1947.
- Skipper Canteen: This S.E.A./Jungle Cruise themed restaurant includes a book in its library called The Wildest Ride by J.T. Toad. This being a reference to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and the character of J. Thaddeus Toad himself.
- Toad Hall Restaurant: This Disneyland Paris restaurant is themed around The Wind in the Willows and Toad Hall.
- Town Square Theater: In Mickey Mouse's Main Street, U.S.A. dressing-room is a letter from Angus MacBadger of the "J. Thaddeus Toad Motors, Ltd.".
- Trader Sam's Grog Grotto: Toad's car-keys are hung from the ceiling of Trader Sam's Grog Grotto bar in Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. This seemingly identifies Toad as having been a patron of Trader Sam.
Trivia[]
- In a deleted Ken Anderson script, the Headless Horseman (who also appeared in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad) would have appeared in the Haunted Mansion.
- His appearance in the Mansion is very similar to that of Sparky from Frankenweenie, as they are both Disney characters who are referenced via tombstone in the Pet Cemetery of their Haunted Mansion.
- A Mr. Toad popcorn bucket released in 2022 at Walt Disney World was announced by way of a TikTok of the bucket being dug up from Toad's Pet Cemetery grave.[2]