“Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat, call in the spirits, wherever they’re at!
Rap on a table — it’s time to respond. Send us a message from somewhere beyond…
Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween, awaken the spirits with your tambourine!
Creepies and crawlies, toads in a pond, let there be music from regions beyond!
Wizards and witches, wherever you dwell, give us a hint, by ringing a bell!”

— Madame Leota

Madame Leota is one of the most beloved and iconic characters of Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Her presence has been seen and felt in many other Disney projects as well, including in the Memento Mori shop in Walt Disney World, in the 2003 Haunted Mansion film, in Once Upon a Time, as well as in comics and video games. Her psychic nature and tone is ghostly yet enchanting, and people can’t get enough of her. Her voice, provided by the incomparable Eleanor Audley is intriguing, but her face is one no one could forget. Madame Leota is an immortal reminder and tribute of the pivotal Leota Toombs Thomas.

Leota Toombs working on a model. Image from: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/675680750319195969/

Leota Toombs Early Life and Early Disney Career

Leota Thomas was born in 1925, and was an artist since she was young. Her attention to detail and precision made her the perfect candidate to work in the early days of the Walt Disney Company. She joined their ink and paint department, a part of the Disney company that was mostly lead by women at the time, in 1940. 1940 was the year of Pinocchio and Fantasia, Disney’s second and third films. 5 years later, the studio decided to do another theatrical re-release of Pinocchio, in attempt to make the film’s popularity increase. During this 1945 revival, Leota was transferred to the animation department to be an assistant animator after her artistic skills were recognized. That’s when she met her soon-to-be husband, Harvey Toombs. Harvey had joined Disney just a year before Leota, but ended up working on the major animated films such as Cinderella, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, and more. The pair married in 1947, and had 2 children, when she effectively left Disney to take care of them.

Leota Toombs’ Work At Disneyland

Leota was asked to return to WED enterprises in 1962, as her craftsmanship was now needed for another venture of the company: Disneyland. She returned just before the 1964 World’s Fair held in New York, where Disney would debut attractions such as it’s a small world, the Carousel of Progress, Ford’s Magic Skyway, and Greatest Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Toomb’s would work closely on all of these projects, lending her design skills to the animatronics featured in the rides.

“He took all of the model builders from the studio, along with a bunch of his animators and background artists, and he created WED Imagineering in Glendale. Mom was one of the first women to actually be part of it.”

— Kim Irvine

After the World’s Fair was complete, Leota was brought on to other major Disneyland projects. Her first one being the Enchanted Tiki Room, working on the final models for the attraction. She also spent a lot of time on Pirates of the Caribbean, the Country Bear Jamboree, and of course, the Haunted Mansion. She not only worked on the designs, models, and painting of Disneyland California, Tokyo Disneyland and Walt Disney World figures, but she also had a chance to become a teacher and trainer for up and coming Imagineers. In 1979 she joined the WDI Show Quality Service Department, where she would work closely with animators and taught them about the nuances of character development.

Leota Toombs working on Pirates of the Caribbean. Image from: https://twitter.com/WDFMuseum/status/1504924738988109825

Leota Toombs Becomes Madame Leota

During the development of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion in the 1960s, Yale Gracey and Blaine Gibson, 2 key members of the design of the Haunted Mansion, approached Leota about becoming the face of the “psychic in the crystal ball” idea they had. She was originally meant to be just the test model for it, and she was enthused just to be a part of the process. Blaine made a life mask of her, molding all of the crevices and angles of her features. It turned out so well that they decided to keep her face for the character, then naming her Madame Leota. They were looking for a deeper voice for the psychic though, hence the inclusion of Eleanor Audley, the infamous Disney villainous queen. Leota’s voice and face was featured in another part of the ride though, as the Little Leota bride at the end of the attraction.

“Hurry back! Hurry back! Be sure to bring your death certificate… if you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now! We’ve been dying to have you…”

— Little Leota

These cameos in the Haunted Mansion would serve as a reminder of the work Leota did for the company, and how pivotal her role was for women in the company. Leota Toombs passed away on December 21, 1991.

Madame Leota. Image from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgh0inOxU4w

Kim Irvine Continues Leota’s Legacy

Kim Irvine, Leota and Harvey Toombs’ daughter, is also a Disney Imagineer and still is today. Since she was a little girl, she would visit the studio with her mom, and be enchanted by the process. She was around for the building of the Enchanted Tiki Room, and looks back on fond memories of witnessing the creations. Her fascination followed her until 1970, when she joined Walt Disney World as a summer intern. Just like her mother, she began with painting, this time with painting the dolls for it’s a small world. Her work continued year-round, and she has since been promoted to Executive Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering.

In 2001 when the idea of the Haunted Mansion Holiday was being tossed around, they asked Kim if she would pose for a life mask for a reimagined Madame Leota, just for the overlay. Kim also had a cameo role in the Muppets Haunted Mansion special. She continues on her mother’s legacy in a respectful and prideful way, wanting her mother to be remembered for the work she did for the company.