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Have you ever heard narration or even just a snippet of dialogue at a Disney park and thought, "Hey...that voice sounds familiar"? Here are the names behind some of those voices -- and some of them might surprise you.

1. "Dead men tell no tales."

Pirates auctioneer

The same man who voices the mayor and the pirate auctioneer on Pirates of the Caribbean also supplies the voice for your Ghost Host on the Haunted Mansion. Paul Frees was a very prolific voice actor who also provided Boris Badenov’s voice on “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.”  For his many Disney credits, he was honored posthumously as a Disney Legend in 2006.

2. "I was born and raised in the briar patch!"

Br'er Rabbit

The voice behind Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox on Splash Mountain is Jess Harnell’s. You may have also heard Harnell on “Animaniacs” as Wakko Warner, or as Chilly in “Doc McStuffins,” and he’s also the announcer for “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

3. "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”

Br'er Frog

Did you know that James Avery (who played Uncle Phil on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”) voiced Br’er Frog in the Walt Disney World version of Splash Mountain? And that wasn’t Avery’s only voice credit. He worked on several animated series, and provided the voice of Shredder in the 1987 TV series “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

4. “Ev’rybody’s got a laughin’ place!”

Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain is filled with hidden voice talent. The man who voiced the bullfrogs in the ride is also behind several other Disney attraction characters: Fritz the parrot in The Enchanted Tiki Room and the American bison head named Buff in the Country Bear Jamboree, just to name two. But you have also heard Thurl Ravenscroft’s distinctive voice as the voice of Tony the Tiger (“they’re grrrrrreat!”), and as the uncredited singer of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Additionally, Ravenscroft sang “No Dogs Allowed” in the “Peanuts” movie called “Snoopy, Come Home.”

5. “No privacy at all around this place!”

Carousel of Progress

Voices in the Carousel of Progress have been updated throughout the years, but one man’s voice has always remained – Uncle Orville’s. And you’ve heard the man behind that character’s voice many times. Mel Blanc, called “The Man of a Thousand Voices,” is behind many cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, the Tasmanian Devil, Pepe Le Pew and Speedy Gonzalez.

 
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