The Horn Ducks are characters who are featured in the 1951 Disney animated feature film, Alice in Wonderland. They are one of the creatures whom Alice encounters at the Tulgey Wood area at Wonderland.
Background[]
The Horn Ducks, as their names imply, are anthropomorphic vehicle horns with waterfowl-like feet albeit without wings as their names imply. They each have a yellow horn for their head as well as a purple bulb for their body. Though docile, the adult Horn Duck generally dislikes when anyone steps on its purple body, especially when sleeping and anyone who steps on an adult Horn Duck can cause it to act hostile at any person who stepped on it. Like the other creatures of Tulgey Wood, the Horn Ducks do not speak and their dialogues only go through sounds mixed between a horn's honk and a duck's quacking. Later when they approach a tearful Alice during the "Very Good Advice" sequence, they tearfully react to Alice who is lost in Wonderland, along with the other Tulgey Wood creatures just before fading away.
Appearances[]
Alice in Wonderland[]
When Alice arrives at the Tulgey Wood area after encountering a Glasses Bird and a Mirror Bird respectively, she stumbles upon an adult Horn Duck peacefully sleeping with its ducklings and when Alice unawarely steps on the adult, it and the four ducklings scatter in panic just as Alice apologizes to the adult Horn Duck for accidentally stepping on it. The adult Horn Duck angrily honks at her to be aware of her surroundings while exploring Tulgey Wood just as the adult leaps into the water with its offspring just as the Horn Duck family leaves. They later appear during "Very Good Advice" where the adult Horn Duck and its four offspring sympathetically approach a tearful Alice along with the other Tulgey Wood creatures. At one point, one of its offspring listens to Alice's singing just as it runs back to its parent. As Alice starts crying, the Horn Ducks also break down in tears with the other Tulgey Wood creatures just before disappearing. They make no further appearances in the film after that.
Alice's Wonderland Bakery[]
The horn ducks make a prominent appearance in the episode, "It's the Hatter That Matters". They are first shown in a flashback where Hattie Hatter, having lost his signature hat, explains how he was helping two little horn ducks get unstuck from a lily pad and back to the flower garden. Later in the episode, they arrive with their parent at the group's tea party and Hattie recognizes them. Kiki the Caterpillar then tells Hattie that the horn ducks have a surprise for him, revealing his lost hat, which they found while he was helping them.
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products[]
Alice in Wonderland[]
In the Disneyland attraction based on Alice in Wonderland, sculpted figures of the adult Horn Duck and three of its offspring appear during the Tulgey Wood sequence and after passing by the Horn Duck family, vehicles pass by two Hammer Birds placing two individual signs reading "Watch out" in Tulgey Wood (presumably the Mome Raths) just before the vehicles arrive at the Queen of Hearts' Castle area. In the original 1958 version, two horn ducks are represented as flats, honking at the riders as they pass by.
Alice's Curious Labyrinth[]
A statue of an adult Horn Duck and two of its offspring can be seen in the Tulgey Wood section of the Alice's Curious Labyrinth attraction at Disneyland Paris.
Trivia[]
- In the Kingdom Hearts franchise, the Loudmouth enemy (also known as Crescendo) has a striking resemblance to the Horn Ducks from Alice in Wonderland.
- Horn Ducks appear among the enemies of The Castle level in the Japanese version of Mickey Mousecapade. They are replaced by hens in the US version.
Gallery[]
