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.”
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!”
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”
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 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!”
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.
6. “Bright Little Star”
The smooth voice of alien lounge singer Sonny Eclipse at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café at Walt Disney World is provided by Kal David, who actually is a blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. His career has spanned 50 years.
7. “Be Prepared”
The voice of Scar at Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ version of Fantasmic is provided by Jeremy Irons. The actor used to have a bigger presence in Disney parks: he narrated Spaceship Earth in 1994-2007, and he voiced H.G. Wells in the former attraction The Timekeeper.
8. “Savages!”
The voice of Jumba Jookiba in “Lilo and Stitch” also makes an appearance in Fantasmic as Governor Ratcliffe. David Ogden Stiers, who also played Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on “M*A*S*H,” has provided voices for “Darkwing Duck” and was the voice of Cogsworth (and provided opening narration) in “Beauty and the Beast.”
9. “Definitely…bad to the bone”
When you’re waiting to board your Time Rover to save the dino in Dinosaur in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you’re listening to the background narration of Bill Nye the Science Guy. He’s also part of Ellen’s Energy Adventure at the Universe of Energy in Epcot.
10. “Blood on the Saddle”
Big Al in the Country Bear Jamboree is voiced by Tex Ritter, who was a country music singer and actor. He was also the father of actor John Ritter and grandfather of actor Jason Ritter.
