4. Disco Yeti

Expedition Everest hinges on a single conceit. Adventurers and archaeologists visiting Mount Everest are in danger. Unbeknownst to them, their voyage on the Anandapur Rail Service is in jeopardy. A mythic monster claims the mountain as its own. Trespassers are unwelcome, and train tracks have a tendency to get torn apart.

The fabled monster is, of course, the Yeti. Yes, the Abominable Snowman is real and yes, he hates train passengers. The Yeti does everything to disrupt the voyage on Expedition Everest, eventually coming face to face with passengers. And that’s what makes the monster so charming. Disney Imagineers did something rare. They miscalculated the weight of the Yeti and its impact on the artificial mountain. When the ride opened, the Yeti literally shook the foundation of Disney’s forbidden mountain (which isn’t actually Everest, oddly enough), eventually causing cracks in it.

As a stopgap measure, park planners disabled some of the menacing tech of the Yeti. Its limited abilities are described as B-mode, which isn’t short for Beast mode. Instead, it’s a reflection of what the Yeti can do. At this point, it can display strobe lights, and that’s about it. The lack of other abilities has earned the character the nickname of Disco Yeti. Ostensibly, that’s a dig, but I’m of the opinion that it infuses the Yeti with a unique personality. Sure, it hates tourists and wants them to die…but at its heart, the Disco Yeti just wants to boogie. Even by accident, that makes him (?) an adorable character.

3. Hatbox Ghost

Image: DisneyOne of the incongruities of the early days of Disneyland is the way that Imagineers found a way to make decapitation funny. After years of planning, The Haunted Mansion finally arrived at New Orleans Square in 1969. One of the original inhabitants was a worldly gentleman. He was nattily attired and had an irresistible grin. He also had a hatbox. Its purpose was nefarious, at least in theory. The Hatbox Ghost stored his own head in a hatbox.

Imagineers came up with several sublime characters for The Haunted Mansion, and several of them got to do tricks. One of the most popular denizens of the dwelling, however, couldn’t do his trick. The Hatbox Ghost was supposed to make his head disappear into the box. The only problem was that the trick didn’t work. At all. Early rides of The Haunted Mansion expressed confusion and frustration, and Disney quickly pushed the Hatbox Ghost into the closet with all the other hatboxes. At least he was happy there.

People loved the Hatbox Ghost for his panache and possibly even for his failure. Over time, they demanded his return, a seemingly unlikely feat. Disney ignored their cries for several decades. Then, their 40th anniversary celebration featured merchandise of the occasionally headless ghost. Six years later, the Hatbox Ghost triumphantly returned to New Orleans Square, once again inhabiting a place at The Haunted Mansion. His absence had made the hearts of Disney fans everywhere grow fonder for him, and he is now one of the most popular characters of any Disney attraction. This proves the point that horror movies have over and over again. You just can’t kill a ghost.