The Organist is a specter that inhabits the Grand Hall of the Haunted Mansion.
In the Attraction
Dressed in a cape and top hat, this ghostly organist plays Grim Grinning Ghosts as a macabre waltz on the Grand Hall's pipe organ. Tiny wisp-like spirits emerge from the organ's pipes as the organist plays.
Composer's Crypt
In the Liberty Square Mansion the Organist has a crypt near the family plot section of the queue in which a name on the crypt possibly identifies him as "Ravenscroft". The crypt has three visible sides; the front is made to look like the pipe organ complete with banshees and even the mansion's Raven. Guests can play the keys on the organ as if they were real keys causing mist to spray from the "pipes" as music emits from it. Another side of the crypt has carvings of bagpipes, a harp, a trumpet, a tambourine, a horn, a marching-drum and a xylophone with bones for mallets; in reference to the Phantom Five. When you touch the carvings they play the music to Grim Grinning Ghosts. The final visible side features similar carvings but here the instruments are all insane and inspired by Rolly Crump artwork for the Museum of the Weird along with a One-Eyed Black Cat.
Other Appearances
The Ghost Gallery
In the unofficial Ghost Gallery storyline, the Organist was referred to as Wolfgang Elias Furlong and he was said to have been the child of two wealthy Irish pianists. After moving to the states he took up work as organ player in a circus and eventually became hired by the tightrope walker's wealthy husband Master Gracey (who in this version of the story becomes the Ghost Host) to become Gracey Manor's resident musician. He commit suicide by hanging himself with piano wire after having his hands crushed by the lid of the music room's piano which was haunted by a phantom pianist.
SLG comics
The Organist was stated to appear in one of the stories of the cancelled eighth issue. He would have been the sadistic narrator of the tale of how the Banshees who float out of the organ came to be (according to this continuity, they were a choir of obnoxious children that the Organist lured to their death to have a children choir to compose for).
The "Ravenscroft" Crypt at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion
Disney Kingdoms
In the Marvel comics' second issue, the Organist makes a brief appearance starting up a song on his organ in the Ballroom.
Ghost Post
The organist is given the name of Herr Victor Geist and is one of the major characters of the Ghost Post interactive game, heard speaking in a German accent through the Phantom Radio. Victor is a member of the Committee of Wandering Ghosts and, despite his eerie appearance in the attraction, comes off as a very friendly and outgoing (albeit eccentric) spirit. He is very close with Sally Slater, the tightrope walker, with perhaps a slight hint of a romance between them.
Generally only heard chatting with Sally about the situation of the Great Unraveling, Victor takes charge during the puzzle of finding the spectral wavelengths that reveal the location of the Forgotten Room, using his organ to play along with the music box melodies through the radio. Furthermore, if players of the game visited the Disneyland mansion and used their Phantom Radio with a special doom buggy, Victor would speak to the guests as they passed through the Grand Hall, thanking them for their help and wishing them luck in dispelling the fog.
2003 video Game
The organist is one of the six friendly ghosts featured in the game who gives the player character, Zeke, an upgrade upon completion of the Ballroom. While he retains the cape, he does not wear a hat and is shown to be short-tempered and rude, on account of him calling Zeke a beggar and his being upset when his playing is interrupted. However, despite his negative attitudes, he is also shown to be benevolent and kind when he appreciates Zeke's efforts to restore the Mansion and expresses his gratitude for setting him as well as his friends and the other spirits free from Thorn's control.
2003 Film
The organist does not appear in this adoption unlike the dancing ghosts in the ballroom from the attraction. However, the film pays homage to him through the botched wedding ceremony scene wherein one of the supporting characters, Ezra, dons a cape and a hat while playing an off-key rendition of Richard Wagner's "Bridal March".
Trivia
- In the original Disneyland version of the attraction, the organ console is the original prop of the organ used by Captain Nemo in the in the 1954 film, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. While the console is the same, the noticeable differences are that of the bat-shape note stand which takes the place of the mirror from the 1954 film and the taller set of pipes that replaced the fan-shaped pipes of Nemo's organ to better compliment the ballroom's dimensions and to make a good effect on the skull-like spirits floating out of the pipes.
- The name of "Ravenscrofr" comes from Disney legend Thurl Ravenscroft.
- The 2019 Host-A-Ghost merchandise identifies the Organist as Victor Geist.