Caretaker
The terrified caretaker and his emaciated, whimpering dog stand at the open gates of the cemetery, wide-eyed and shivering at the sight of the ghostly multitudes. He and his dog are some of the only "living" characters in the entire attraction, and as such they are lit with incandescent light rather than fluorescent or black light. The caretaker's dog (or a very similar looking dog) is also seen moments later near the mummy, sniffing his sarcophagus. In Collin Campbell's artwork for The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion album, the caretaker stands at the gates of Whispering Glade Cemetery, a reference to the 1965 film The Loved One. The caretaker is sometimes referred to as the groundskeeper, the gravedigger, or the night watchman. The footprints (and paw prints) of the caretaker and his dog can be found in the queue outside of the Walt Disney World Mansion.
The caretaker and his dog make a brief appearance in the 2003 film, but as ghosts themselves. In early drafts of the screenplay, the caretaker had a small speaking role. Don Knotts reportedly signed on to play the character, but dropped out before filming began.
In the comics, the character is named Horace Fusslebottom in some stories and Dick in others. Accompanied by his dog Boney, he works as groundskeeper so he can dine with his wife's ghost every night, on her gravesite.
Zeke Holloway, the cowardly lantern-holding protagonist of the video game, was inspired by the character. He initially comes to the house to inquire about an assistant caretaker position. In the epilogue narration, Zeke reveals that he became caretaker of the estate for a time before continuing to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. The original caretaker from the attraction (sans dog) appears as a disgruntled ghost in the winter garden, who complains that no one is ever around to pay him for his work.
Read more about this topic: List Of Haunted Mansion Characters