Albert the Monkey is the pet of Lord Henry Mystic and the protagonist of Mystic Manor in Hong Kong Disneyland.
History[]
Albert the monkey was a monkey which through unknown circumstances lived in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. During the late 1870s/early 1880s, the monkey got caught in the web of a giant spider which intended on eating him. He was later rescued by adventurer Lord Henry Mystic who named the monkey Albert after a beloved uncle of his before taking in the animal as his pet.
The two became an inseparable pair on many adventures across the globe. In the June of 1882 the pair went to Morocco where they became particularly attached to middle-eastern fashion, namely the fez. It is likely this esplanade which resulted in the fez becoming a staple garment for members of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers of which Mystic was a senior member. In 1889, Mystic and Albert went to India where Lord Henry attempted to learn to play the Tanpura much to Albert's dismay.
n 1896 Lord Mystic went on to establish the colony of Mystic Point in the jungle of New Guinea where he rescued Albert and brought his nephews James and Edward Mystic to the port to aid in construction. Here, Lord Henry created a victorian estate known as Mystic Manor where he kept his collection of what would come to be 7000 artifacts from across the globe. In 1899, Albert and Lord Henry travelled to the Hotel Hightower in New York City to attend a meeting for the Society of Explorers and Adventurers held by Mystic's contemporary Harrison Hightower III who would disappear shortly after.
In 1900, Henry and Albert attended the l'exposition de Paris where they showed off an invention of the lord's, an electric vehicle known as the Mystic Magneto-Electric Carriage. The carriage received a first-place prize and would inspire one Henry Ford in a new design for his own gasoline automobiles (which contrary to Mystic's belief were not invented by Ford but rather Karl Benz in 1889). In the April of 1903, Lord Henry Mystic and Albert went on a Siberian expedition in Russia with several other adventurers.
In 1908, the lord opened up Mystic Point and his manor to the public to serve as a sort of museum to people from across the globe. On the June 12th of 1908, Lord Henry Mystic established the Explorers Club restaurant in Mystic Point which contained many artifacts from his collection that he did not wish to keep in the manor such as several animate masks he was afraid of. In this same year, Henry and Albert travelled to Paris where they watched the construction of the Eiffel Tower and took part of it as a souvenir.
In 1909, Lord Henry Mystic was in Bali in Indonesia, when he came across an ancient music box with two monkeys carved into the front with a bright red jewel on the top. According to legends and superstitions, it had the power to bring inanimate objects to life when played. Mystic brought it back to Mystic Point, housing it in the Acquisitions and Cataloging Room at Mystic Manor. Albert, was intrigued by the box, and had trouble keeping his hands off of it only to discover that the legends were true. When Albert opened the music box, magic spread across the manor, bringing the inanimate to life. Instruments played its song by themselves, paintings changed, and suits of armor and statues came to life. At first, they were harmless, but as the ride progressed, the magic became more aggressive, attacking Albert and the guests. These events climaxed when the Chinese Salon was ripped apart, and Albert frantically tried to run after the box. Albert managed to close it, and all of the magic returns. Lord Mystic was ultimately none the wiser of these events.
Appearances and allusions[]
A stuffed(?) Albert as seen photographed in Bengal Barbecue
Bengal Barbecue[]
A 2017 refurbishment added references to SEA in one of the new dining areas. One of these new props was a doctored photo of Albert (depicted through the use of a plush toy) accompanying Charlie Allnut and Rose Sayer from the 1951 non-Disney film The African Queen (one of the inspirations for the Jungle Cruise) on a search for the Trapped Safari of the Jungle Cruise attraction.[1]
Mystic Point[]
Mystic Manor[]
In 1909, during a trip to Bali, Mystic acquired an enchanted Balinese Music Box, said to hold the power to bring objects to life. Albert held a fascination with the music box and its carvings of monkeys, which eventually resulted in him opening it and unleashing its magic across the museum. Albert is seen throughout the attraction's queue in paintings by Charlton J. Taboret. They depicted his various adventures with Lord Mytic, including how they met.
Though he has fun at first amongst the self-playing musical instruments and the solarium of giant Venus flytraps, things begin becoming more sinister as Albert is threatened by the suits of armour in the Arms & Armour room, pinned to a wall by tiki darts in the hall of Tribal Arts, and finally caught in a storm conjured by a statue of the Monkey King in the house's Chinese Salon. He finally closes the music box, stopping the spell and leaving Henry none the wiser. Later at the end of the attraction, Lord Mystic tells Albert to know if he didn't touch the music box and Albert claims it wasn't him to avoid getting in trouble as Mystic bids the guests a farewell.
Mystic Point Freight Depot[]
Albert appeared the shadow-puppet show "The Adventures of Lord Henry" during the 2013 Holiday season. It depicted some of his adventures, getting into mischief with other animals.
Oceaneer Lab[]
A portrait of Lord Henry and Albert opening up Mystic Manor is hung in Captain Oceaneer's vessel the RV Oceaneer Lab.[2]
Skipper Canteen[]
Albert's SEA membership fez can be found in a display case. Additionally, a book "written" by Albert can be found on the shelves of the library. A play on the infinite monkey theorem, the spine title is a string of random letters, "FUZNEWI PDMWH CHF JD U".[3]
Trivia[]
- In concept art, Albert was initially depicted as a realistic Capuchin monkey. He later received a stylized design, which would be used in the attraction.
- Albert shares some similarities with Abu from Aladdin, from his design to his affinity for shiny jewels. Coincidentally, they were both voiced by Frank Welker.