Disney Pin Review: The Musical Quill - Windows of Main Street - 2021 Release

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Honors the writer of two classic attraction songs

Cons: Hard to read the writing on the window

The Bottom Line:

A park composer

Honored with this window pin

That’s too hard to read

Musical Window Tribute

As I’m looking at the pins in the Windows of Main Street series, I enjoy learning a bit more about the people being honored with the windows in Disney Parks and now these pins.  That’s the case again with the pin to honor Xavier Atencio.  Unfortunately, it’s again weaker than I wish it were.

I’ll admit I hadn’t heard of Xavier before I went to review this pin, but I certainly knew his work.  He started out as an animator at the studio in the 1930’s and came back after serving in the military during World War II.  He eventually transitioned to the Imagineering, where he is best known for his work on two popular attractions – Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion.  He wrote both “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” and “Grim Grinning Ghosts” along with the script for the entire Haunted Mansion attraction.  His voice also shows up in both attractions.  Xavier has actually been honored with the same window at both Disneyland (above the Opera House) and Walt Disney World (above the Confectionary).

Since he is known for those two songs, this window is for a music store.  There are two panes for the window.  The top one says “The Musical Quill,” while the bottom one says “Lyrics and Librettos by X. Atencio.”  There’s also a quill and inkwell on the window.  Above the window is a yellow and blue striped awning.

Or, at least, that’s what the pictures of the windows in the parks look like.  Unfortunately, the clear plastic on the pin is just a little too clear to truly read this.  So far, the two pins I’ve reviewed that were released at Walt Disney World have had this issue.  I’m sure it is a coincidence, but it is a funny coincidence.  Actually, the bottom half looks a little better when it slides up. 

Speaking of sliding up, when you do that, you’ll see a scene of pirates.  I hesitate to say it is from the ride, but it is close.  You’ve got a pirate captain (and not just his bones) at a ship’s wheel.  In the foreground, we’ve got lots of treasure and a skull.  Overall, this picture is cartoony, but it is a great way to honor Xavier’s contribution to Pirates of the Caribbean.

Overall, however, I am disappointed with the pin.  It’s too hard to read all of the writing, and I want that part as much as I want the characters.

The end result is only for die hard Disney fans who want to complete their collection of this pin series.  It’s a shame they didn’t figure out a way to get all of the parts of this pin to be easy to see.