60 Plus Fun Disney Details That Will Change The Way You See Your Favorites
Disney is adored for its classic animated films. It’s brought to life some of the best fairy tales there are and a few originals. It’s no surprise then that all of their features are packed with tiny details you might have missed, from the traditional 2D stuff to their modern complex 3D movies. We’ve gathered a round-up of some such details that will change the way you see some of your favorite Disney movies.
Pinocchio’s Nose Grows A Single Time In The Movie!
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Pinocchio? That’s right! His nose that grows with each lie! You’d be forgiven for thinking that’s a regular feature of the film, but it isn’t!
Pinocchios Nose Grows A Single Time In The Movie
The puppet’s nose only grows a single time in the film! This happens when he lies about encountering a pair of monsters while traveling to school. It shows how the movie represents his struggle against his bad impulses.
There A Literally Millions Of Black Spots In 101 Dalmatians
101 Dalmatians is famous for its dotted dogs, but have you ever thought about how many spots actually appear on screen? With 101 dogs you’d guess it’s a lot!
There A Literally Millions Of Black Spots In 101 Dalmatians
There are a total of 6,469,952 dots that can be seen throughout the film. We don’t know who took the time to count them, it must have taken weeks! Fun fact: Perdita has 68 dots, Pongo 72, and each of the puppies have 32.
The Only Princess To Have Green Eyes Is Rapunzel
Another staple of Disney is its lineup of princesses. Each one is unique in terms of personality and look. When it comes to Rapunzel, her large swath of hair isn’t the only thing that separates her. She has another highly unique feature.
The Only Princess To Have Green Eyes Is Rapunzel
Rapunzel is the only princess that has green eyes. Every other princess has blue eyes or brown eyes. Even the Celtic Princess Merida of Brave, with her bright auburn hair, has blue eyes.
Only One Disney Princess Has Ever Had A Job
Princesses aren’t known for toiling, and Disney keeps to that, except in one case. Tiana from The Princess and the Frog isn’t only the first African-American princess of Disney’s, she’s also the only one that ever had a job.
Only One Disney Princess Has Ever Had A Job
Princess Tiana had a job as a waitress, while at the same time dreaming of becoming a chef. Every other Disney princess was either imprisoned in some form, or at liberty to play around all day.
Aladdin Was Inspired By A Famous Actor
Some Disney characters feel kind of familiar, don’t they? In some cases, like this one, it’s because they’re based on a famous actor. It helps artists model expressions to use the face of someone who has a lot of footage, like a live actor.
Aladdin Was Inspired By A Famous Actor
They chose Cruise as a basis because he’s an action star known for chase scenes, and Aladdin, being a notorious thief, spends a lot of time being chased around Agrabah city!
In Big Hero 6, You Can Spot Hans From Frozen
Disney loves including its easter eggs in its films, particularly in its Pixar ones. The 3D animated films tend to be a little meta these days, often including a reference to the previous film on the roster.
In Big Hero 6 You Can Spot Hans From Frozen
In the superhero film Big Hero 6, you can see a wanted poster of Hans from Frozen. If you connect the dots, it’s also a bit of a spoiler, hinting at the fact that Hans may be untrustworthy.
Walt Disney Has A Character Named After Him
Disney movies don’t often reference the man who started it all, but one does in a big way… WALL-E. The chipper little robot the film is named after.
Walt Disney Has A Character Named After Him
Disney’s full name is Walter Elias Disney. So you take the first part of his first name “Wal”, and you add the initial of his second name, and what do you get? WALL-E! For such an obvious name reference, it’s only clear to most people in retrospect.
The Rock’s Grandfather Inspired Maui
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had a bigger creative influence on the film Moana than most people realize. The Hollywood A lister was able to get the creators to base the character Maui’s look on his late granddad.
The Rocks Grandfather Inspired Maui
His grandfather, Peter Maivia, was a well-known Samoan wrestler and looking at the photo, he was certainly built for it. He, and the Rock’s father, helped Johnson become a WWE star, which led to his film career!
You See Mickey Mouse Often In The Emperor’s New Groove.
You can’t think of Disney without envisioning the Mouse himself. It’s then obvious that he’d be referenced every now and then, even in films that don’t feature him directly. The references are often just a silhouette of his distinct head.
You See Mickey Mouse Often In The Emperors New Groove
In The Emperor’s New Groove you’ll see the famous outline of his head hidden all over the place like in the jungle, on Yzma’s earrings, and even on plates of food being served to Kuzco.
Cars Features An Apple Car
The Disney-Pixar series Cars is renowned for all the car designs it features, each with a different look and personality. One that was only on screen for a few seconds caught fans’ attention.
Cars Features An Apple Car
If you’re as quick as Lighting McQueen, you’ll spot a car with Apple branding, and the number 84, which is a reference to 1984, the year Apple released its first Mac. At the time, Steve Jobs was a majority shareholder in Disney.
Scar Shows Up In Hercules, Sort-Of
Sometimes Disney films reference each other slyly, and other times the reference is very on the nose, or in this case, on the head. You see it in the scene where he poses to have his likeness painted on a vase.
Scar Shows Up In Hercules Sort Of
In it he’s wearing a lion’s pelt, a reference to the Nemean Lion from Herculean myth, but take a closer look and you’ll see the lion is in fact Scar from the Lion King!
Cinderella Features Walt Disney’s Favorite Animation
What went on in the mind of Walt Disney, that’s what everyone would like to know. Well, we got some insight when he was asked which scene in a Disney film was his favorite. He said the famous dress transformation scene in Cinderella. It is quite spectacular.
Cinderella Features Walt Disneys Favorite Animation
Since his death in 1966, the Walt Disney Company has made many more films. We can only wonder if any of them would have been a new favorite.
Celtic Princess Merida Has Long Hair
It’s not the most well-known Disney film out there, but Brave is of the same quality as all the rest, with excellent storytelling and characterization. Of course, its main attraction is the fiery, curly-haired Celtic Princess Merida!
Celtic Princess Merida Has Long Hair
Hair experts have crunched the numbers and figured out that if Merida straightened her hair, it would come out at at least four feet in length! She’d even be given Rapunzel a run for her money.
The Emperor’s New Groove Showed The First Pregnant Women In Disney History
While she has a very small role in the 2000 film, Chicha is notable for being the first pregnant character to appear on screen in any of the studio’s movies.
The Emperors New Groove Showed The First Pregnant Women In Disney History
Disney movies often draw criticism for the way they portray mothers and their lives. They’re often the first victim in a film, or end up becoming a villain. Chicha’s progression in the film as a stable presence was a turning point for mothers in Disney.
An Ink Angel On The Shoulder
The movie Moana, mentioned once above, features a Polynesian princess meeting a demigod named Maui. A famous feature of his look is the mural of tattoos covering his body, and how they show off his history.
An Ink Angel On The Shoulder
One, however, is a little version of him, and it’s alive! The animator, Mark Henn, created it to be a companion of sorts to Maui, but also as a voice for morality and guidance. In other words, his consciences.
Tarzan And Clayton Share A Voice
Tarzan is known for his signature “Tarzan Yell”. In fact, the sound is trademarked to the Burroughs estate, which belonged to the original author and creator of Tarzan. A Tarzan actor needs the voice to deliver.
Tarzan And Clayton Share A Voice
Unfortunately Tony Goldwyn, who voices Tarzan, wasn’t up to the task. Instead, the voice of antagonist Clayton, Brian Blessed, recorded the yell. It’s actually quite cool when you remember that Tarzan and Clayton are cousins in the original story.
The Lady And The Tramp Almost Lost Its Signature Scene
What would The Lady and the Tramp be without the spaghetti eating scene? Even those who haven’t seen the film at least know of that famous image.
The Lady And The Tramp Almost Lost Its Signature Scene
The movie’s cutest, and most lampooned scene, shows the dogs eating spaghetti together, before accidentally kissing. Walt Disney didn’t like it and had it removed from the movie’s story board. He thought it would look too messy. Luckily the director of animation, Frank Thomas, redid the classic moment.
The Muses Were Almost Played By The Spice Girls
Throughout the film, Hercules the Muses, who are based on a number of Greek goddesses, provide context for the story with their rich and super soulful singing.
The Muses Were Almost Played By The Spice Girls
The composer for the film, Alan Menken, originally planned to have the Spice Girls voice the muses for the song “I Won’t Say”. Due to being too busy, the pop group couldn’t do it. So instead the film ended up with the gospel style Muses rather than pop.
Ariel Was Once Ursula’s Niece
One of the best known Disney villains is Ursula, the tentacled sea witch from the film The Little Mermaid. This villain helps Ariel become human so she can marry Prince Eric.
Ariel Was Once Ursulas Niece
In the first draft of the film, Ursula was going to be King Triton’s sibling, and therefore Ariel’s aunt, but the idea was ultimately abandoned. Still, the film does imply she used to live in the palace before being thrown out for causing trouble.
Gaston’s Was Originally Brutaler
With his hatred of reading and his attitude, Gaston is certainly one of the most disliked Disney villains. Originally in the climax of the film, he shouts “Time to die!” as he sticks the Beast with a dagger.
Gastons Was Originally Brutaler
The line was later rewritten as “Belle is mine!”. The writers felt like the first line was a bit too aggressive for a children’s film, and that the new line better showed Gaston’s possessive and controlling nature.
Dr. Facilier’s Image Was Inspired By A Pop Star
One of the latest Disney villains is another character that may seem a little familiar, and for good reason too! Dr. Facilier is from The Princess and the Frog. In it, he’s a houngan who torments the main character, Princess Tiana.
Dr Faciliers Image Was Inspired By A Pop Star
Despite being evil, he’s suave and stylish. There’s a good reason for this. The animator based his movement and mannerisms on Michael Jackson! Even his outfit is inspired by the stylish King of Pop.
Alyssa Milano Inspired Ariel!
Another character based on someone famous is the main mermaid herself, Ariel. The choice seems a little random at first, but there’s no denying that it worked out well.
Alyssa Milano Inspired Ariel
The child star of the ‘80s, Alyssa Milano, was at the height of her popularity at the time, and so seemed a good pick for Disney to base Ariel on. They used both her looks and movements as inspiration. The only difference is Ariel’s red hair.
Simba Doesn’t Have A Lion’s Roar
This may be an odd fact to put on the list, but it’s interesting. When creating sound effects for the film The Lion King, it wasn’t a lion they used for Simba.
Simba Doesnt Have A Lions Roar
Instead, Disney used a recording of a tiger’s roar instead. It turns out that a lion’s roar is too quiet. Who would have thought that the most popular sound bite of the film was from an animal not even featured on screen?
The Shortest Disney Film Is Dumbo
Here’s a fact for you, most Disney movies aren’t very long. No parent, or kid, wants to sit through three hours, but Dumbo takes it up, or rather down, should we say, a notch.
The Shortest Disney Film Is Dumbo
The film is just over an hour, or to be exact, 4 minutes over an hour for 64 minutes total. Walt Disney was told to make the film longer by executives, but he replied that overdoing something threatens to destroy it.
Sleeping Beauty Didn’t Talk Much
Thinking about it, the title of the film kind of gives it away, you can’t do much talking in your sleep. The beauty herself, Aurora, only has 18 lines of dialogue throughout the whole film.
Sleeping Beauty Didnt Talk Much
That’s quite a surprise! Aurora ranks second for the lowest amount of words spoken by a prominent character in Disney. At number one is Dumbo. Now that isn’t a surprise seeing as Dumbo is both a baby and an elephant.
Beast Has Elements Of Many Animals
Ever wonder what type of beast Beast actually is? You may think he’s some cryptid, or even completely made up. The truth is in between.
Beast Has Elements Of Many Animals
Beast is actually a mixture of multiple different animals. A lion, a human, a bear, a wolf, a gorilla, a buffalo, and a boar. This mixture of elements makes for a character that is both unique, yet organic and oddly familiar at the same time. A well thought out design.
A Creepy Reference In Toy Story
Sometimes children’s films reference darker, adult topics. In the case of Toy Story, it reference’s Kubrick’s classic adaptation of The Shining. In Sid’s house, the carpet is the same pattern as that of the Overlook Hotel.
A Creepy Reference In Toy Story
It’s well known that designer Ralph Eggleston is a huge fan of the Kubrick film, and so this was his way of honoring it, and giving older viewers a laugh. Sid’s house is a house of horrors for toys.
The Beatles Inspired Jungle Book’s Vultures
Yet another instance of characters appearing oddly familiar. However this time it isn’t just one character, it’s four characters instead. In this case, we’re looking at Jungle Book.
The Beatles Inspired Jungle Books Vultures
The vultures in the film are based heavily on The Beatles. Disney actually wanted the British band to voice the birds, but John Lennon decided to be a spoilsport and refused to be a part of the production. Luckily they got great impressionists to voice them instead.
Mulan Is Referenced In Tarzan
Here’s a cute example of Disney self referencing another studio film again. Only those with the keenest eye would have been able to spot this one in the film Tarzan.
Mulan Is Referenced In Tarzan
In the scene where the professor gets caught up in some thick vines, trying to get a better look at the gang of gorillas, a dinky toy drops from his satchel. The toy looks just like Little brother, the adorable dog from the film Mulan.
Optimus Prime And Eeyore Share A Voice
The best voice actors are renowned for their “vocal range”, their ability to change their voice. One of the best is actor Peter Cullen, which is shown by this big contrast.
Optimus Prime And Eeyore Share A Voice
The voice artist voices both Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh and Optimus Prime from the Transformers movies. The voice of the big booming robot and the demure mule seem as if they’re entire worlds apart. It’s impressive that he portrays both characters so well.
Ratatouille Teases Up
Sometimes instead of looking back, Disney films give us a hint of what’s to come. This has been a growing trend in its 3D animated films. A good example is found in Ratatouille.
Ratatouille Teases Up
In a moment when Remy is sneaking around a house, he gets scared by the shadow of a dog. If you look at it, it’s the silhouette of Dug from the hit film Up, which hadn’t even come out at that point.
Pocahontas Was A Real Person
Okay, you might know this one, but this makes Pocahontas the only Disney princess that’s based on a real figure from history. She’s based on a First Nations woman of the same name, of the Powhatan people.
Pocahontas Was A Real Person
Her real history is tragic, as she was forced into Christianity, after which she got married, and had a child. Some say Mulan was a real figure, but the only actual evidence is an old ancient Chinese poem.
Do Belle And Ariel Appear In Enchanted?
Enchanted isn’t an animated film per se, but it’s still a Disney princess film! It also references this fact by including two Disney princesses, or rather the actresses who portrayed them. This is a meta thematic reference.
Do Belle And Ariel Appear In Enchanted
The voices of Ariel and Belle both show up in the film briefly, playing an office worker, and an actress on the TV. Their names are Paige O’Hara and Jodi Benson. They had fun brushing with their past.
A Cheeky Reference In The Rescuers
There are some occasions where Disney creators have slipped a dirty joke or two into films that are otherwise for children. Here’s an example from the film The Rescuers.
A Cheeky Reference In The Rescuers
It happens in a split second. As Miss Bianca and Bernard are flying through the night, you can very briefly see a topless woman standing in a window. In a bit of a PR nightmare, Disney recalled 3.4 million VHS tapes after receiving strong backlash.
Lilo And Stitch Love Elvis
Some modern Disney films have pop culture references that are quite old. A great example is Lilo and Stitch, which has a lot of Elvis featured throughout. His heyday was back before Lilo and Stitch were born.
Lilo And Stitch Love Elvis
Elvis’ own films didn’t do well critically, but this animated film was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Academy Awards back in 2002. To hammer it home, Stitch even dresses up like Elvis in one scene.
The Witch’s Voice In Snow White Was A Practical Effect
You don’t get far in the entertainment industry without creativity, and Disney has loads. In this case, it was an actress who improvised and made a character far more interesting.
The Witchs Voice In Snow White Was A Practical Effect
Actress Lucille La Verne, who voices the Queen and Witch in Snow White, removed her dentures before voicing the witch, giving the character her instantly recognizable voice. It also helped the character sound more distinct from her queenly form. Great thinking for a timeless classic.
Disney Got Sued By A Hyena Researcher
Cartoons can teach us a thing or two about right and wrong but aren’t always factually correct. Sometimes the portrayal of animals has a poor outcome for the animals they’re based on.
Disney Got Sued By A Hyena Researcher
In The Lion King, the hyenas are shown as the evil, and a little dim, lackeys of the lion Scar. A hyena biologist was offended by the portrayal and actually sued Disney for defamation. Hyenas are actually smart apex predators in their environment.
Disney Loves Feisty Horse Sidekicks
Sometimes creators leave patterns, something they fixate on. If you’ve watched a lot of Disney you may have noticed one, a certain type of character. Wait no, not princesses.
Disney Loves Feisty Horse Sidekicks
There’s an animal Disney loves in particular. Man’s other best friend, the noble horse! In fact, there are 11 horse sidekicks featured throughout Disney’s filmography. Each is a dependable feature for the main characters to rely on. They’re all familiar for their loyalty and good nature.
Pumbaa Made History
Flatulence is a normal thing, everyone does it, but it was never shown on screen. That was until Disney released The Lion King. In it Pumbaa the warthog is quite gassy, to the chagrin of those around him, and the laughter of the audience.
Pumbaa Made History
He was the first character to ever do this in a Disney movie. What made it worse for his friends, is that they were animals with very strong senses of smell.
A Particular Toy Shows Up A Lot
This little factoid applies to a lot of Disney films, specifically their Pixar studio lineup. It’s about the “Luxo Ball” that Buzz Lightyear often uses to reach great heights.
A Particular Toy Shows Up A Lot
After its first appearance, it made many more. You can spot it in Finding Nemo, Cars, The Incredibles, and even Monsters, Inc. Does this perhaps indicate that all these films take place in the same universe? We’ll have to keep an eye out for further sightings.
Jackie Chan Shows Up In Disney Films
Jackie Chan has been dubbed “The Stunt-Master”, because he does his own stunts, but did you know that he sings too? He’s done so for various Disney films.
Jackie Chan Shows Up In Disney Films
Chan is a classically trained singer who has released over 20 albums in Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Cantonese. Not only did he voice Captain Li Shang in the Chinese dub of Mulan, but he also recorded the Chinese version of the song “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”.
A Turkey Was Almost A Sidekick
With its theme of the American frontier, maybe it’s not surprising that the creators of Pocahontas originally wanted a turkey named Redfeather to be the sidekick of the main character.
A Turkey Was Almost A Sidekick
However, after the actor who was recording for the character passed away, rather than recast him, they replaced him with another signature North American animal, the raccoon named Meeko. Meeko proved to be a big hit with the audience. Merchandise of the character was common.
Tinker Bell’s Was Inspired By A Real Person
We’re not done with the real life inspirations of characters yet. In the 1953 animated Peter Pan, viewers delighted in the look and behavior of the cute pixie Tinkerbell. She was actually inspired by the actress Margaret Kerry.
Tinker Bells Was Inspired By A Real Person
Animators analyzed Kerry’s movements and dramatic poses to create Tinkerbell. To help animators out, Kerry even acted out some of the planned scenes using oversized props so everything was to scale. Now that’s dedication to the craft.
A French Studio Brought Paris To Life
Tons of animated films take place outside of the United States, despite being created in house. When developing the film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney wanted to ensure that the city of Paris was portrayed as accurately as possible.
A French Studio Brought Paris To Life
To this end, they outsourced 20% of the film to an animation studio based in Paris, France. The creators also visited Paris in order to accurately record reference material of the city’s architecture and history.
One Scene In The Lion King Took Years To Make
The stampede scene in The Lion King is a dramatic one that has left many children crying. The scene was only two and a half minutes long, but it took Disney a whole three years to create.
One Scene In The Lion King Took Years To Make
The creators used both hand drawing and computer generated imagery to build the scene. They also analyzed the herd behavior of African wildebeests and even went to an African savannah to accurately portray the look of the landscape.
A Fictional Language Was Created For Atlantis
Disney went big on 2001’s film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire. They didn’t just want Altantis to have a look and feel, they wanted to give the subterranean city life. They did this by inventing a language for its residents to speak!
A Fictional Language Was Created For Atlantis
The language is called Atlantean, and was put together by linguist Marc Okrand, who also helped develop Star Trek’s Klingon. In total, he created about 1000 words that were used in the final film.
How Does Tarzan Tree Surf?
Tarzan grew up in the jungle, and as anyone who has seen the film will tell you, he’s very good at navigating the environment, swinging from vines, and “surfing” the trees.
How Does Tarzan Tree Surf
To find inspiration for Tarzan’s slick style, and the famous jungle transversal scene, animator Glen Keane researched and studied the movements of skating legend Tony Hawk. He also took some inspiration from his own son, who is an avid surfer and extreme sports enthusiast.
Lilo Is Played By A Horror Actress
Lilo & Stitch is a cute film, so it’s hard to imagine that the actress who played Lilo also voiced the well dwelling Samara from the film, The Ring, based on the Japanese film Ringu, which is based on the Koji Suzuki novel of the same name.
Lilo Is Played By A Horror Actress
Even though both characters are complete opposites, the young actress Daveigh Chase voiced them both and did a good job. Fans are often quite shocked to discover this fact.
Casting Hades Was A Hell Of Its Own
One couldn’t possibly imagine Hades being voiced by anyone except James Woods in the 1997 movie Hercules, but before Woods, Jack Nicholson was considered for the role. He was a real “hot” ticket at the time.
Casting Hades Was A Hell Of Its Own
However, Nicholson asked for way much more money than Disney was prepared to pay, and so he walked. It worked out though, because the studio incorporated Woods’ own mannerisms, making for a natural character, and an instant classic villain.
Tim Burton Is The Real Nightmare
Everyone remembers the end of The Nightmare Before Christmas, where the villain, Oogie Boogie unravels in a terrifying fashion. The director, Henry Selick, wanted the ending to reveal that Sally’s father was actually Oogie, hiding in a custom. Burton didn’t like this at all.
Tim Burton Is The Real Nightmare
The two got into an argument, and Burton actually broke a hole in a wall. To be fair, Burton had been planning the film for years and wanted his perfect vision.
Complications The Sword In The Stone
As chance would have it, actor Rickie Sorensen was going through the awkward stage of puberty when he was cast in the film Sword in the Stone. He was at the point where his voice had started changing.
Complications The Sword In The Stone
Luckily the director had sons of the same age, and so he understood. The film was created, but if you pay attention you’ll hear that the pitch of the main character’s voice differs to some degree throughout.
The Six Planets In Hercules
In the film Hercules, The Fates can see throughout time. In one part they discuss an aligning of the planets, which will allow prophecy to be fulfilled.
The Six Planets In Hercules
Look close and you’ll see that there are six planets, instead of eight. This is because, in ancient Greece, astronomers were only able to see six planets, and so only recognized those. Each one was named after a god, except Earth, which was named after the primordial Gaia.
Beyoncé’s Lost A Role
Being an A-lister can make one feel the role is a given. When production started on The Princess and the Frog, Beyoncé thought she’d just be given the role of Tiana. She didn’t show up to audition.
Beyonces Lost A Role
She was wrong. She and other well known actresses and singers had to audition just like everyone else. Actress Anika Noni followed through and was ultimately given the role. It pays to see things through to the end.
A Place In London Made Disney History
Fans love the 1961 film One Hundred and One Dalmatians for its classic story, and puppy stars. The film made history in that it was the first Disney feature to be set in a specific place in an at the time modern setting.
A Place In London Made Disney History
Before this film, every other Disney film was set in a vague geographical region. The London setting was novel because it had to be accurate, and set the way for future films.
Tangled’s Pascal Was Inspired By Real Life
It isn’t only human Disney characters that are inspired by real figures. Tangled’s Pascal is Rapunzel’s sidekick. He’s a fan favorite for his cute look.
Tangleds Pascal Was Inspired By Real Life
The creators knew that they wanted Rapunzel to have an unorthodox sidekick, and so they chose a lizard. One of the animation artists had a pet lizard named Pascal. The chameleon had children after the film, and so his kids are listed along with the rest of the “production babies”.
Tramp Was Modeled On A Female Dog
Yup, another animal inspired by a real one! This time it’s Tramp, but there’s a twist to this tale.
Tramp Was Modeled On A Female Dog
Tramp was inspired by a real life street dog rescued by one of the film’s artists. After a lot of leg work, the artist, Erdman Penner, discovered the poor creature at a local dog pound where she was about to be euthanized. Penner saved her, and she ended up being a live model for Tramp’s animation.
Lilo And Stitch Wasn’t Always Set In Hawaii
When Lilo & Stitch was first conceptualized, the original setting was a remote rural location. Initially, the plan was for it to be in Kansas. UFO crashes are often reported in such areas after all. Eventually, Hawaii was chosen instead.
Lilo And Stitch Wasnt Always Set In Hawaii
The lush new setting actually worked to the film’s favor, as while they were there, the creators learned about the cultural idea of ohana, which ultimately ended up becoming a big part of the final film.
Jungle Book Was Originally Morbid
Many viewers remember the 1967 movie The Jungle Book, as being a feel-good film with a couple of catchy songs to boot. The story that inspired it however was a lot grimmer.
Jungle Book Was Originally Morbid
The film is based on a Kipling novel with the same title. His work usually touched on more serious themes such as justice, dying, and morality. The movie’s main artist, Bill Peet, wanted to keep to these themes, but Walt Disney himself intervened.
Maleficent’s Real Inspiration
Maleficent is perhaps Disney’s most distinct villain. She’s a combination of various villains throughout the history of fairy tales but is still thoroughly original. She even got her own live action film.
Maleficents Real Inspiration
Although no one was sure, the rumor was that actress Maila Nurmi was the main inspiration for her. There was no proof of this, until in 2014 some diary entries were discovered by Nurmi, where she confirms that she indeed was the model.
Rex Was Created By The Avenger’s Director.
Joss Whedon wasn’t always a well known director of superhero movies. Initially, he was a cult favorite responsible for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was also involved with the creation process of the first Toy Story 3D animated movie.
Rex Was Created By The Avengers Director
Whedon was directly responsible for the creation and characterization of Rex the nervous dinosaur. Who would have guessed that a director connected to two big superhero franchises did that? The character is beloved to this day.
The Inspiration For Ratagan
Sherlock Holmes was reimagined in the Disney classic The Great Mouse Detective. It featured rats and mice in a Victorian inspired London. Animated looked at historical 1800s photos for inspiration.
The Inspiration For Ratagan
For the film’s antagonist, they used former company CEO Ron Miller as a basis. From Miller, Ratigan got his stocky frame. Miller was 6’6”, and also played professional football. We hope Miller took it as a compliment, and that Ratigan didn’t get his personality too.
The Jaws Reference In Finding Nemo
Disney loves to reference pop culture, but this one is a little more obscure. In Finding Nemo, the characters meet an intimidating but pacifist shark named Bruce. He’s actually a vegetarian shark!
The Jaws Reference In Finding Nemo
The character is actually named after the puppet that was used to portray Jaws in the film of the same name. Couldn’t find a real shark that big to cooperate! Of course, the puppet didn’t really eat meat, and neither did Nemo’s Bruce!
Mike Wazowski Is The Actor’s Favorite Role
Billy Crystal is a Hollywood legend, starring in a number of acclaimed roles. It may surprise you then to learn that his favorite role was that of Mike Wazowski, the one-eyed wise-cracking green monster from Monsters, Inc.
Mike Wazowski Is The Actors Favorite Role
Crystal relates to the character quite a lot in fact. Adding to the fun was the fact that he and Sully’s actor, the renowned legend John Goodman, recorded their lines together making the chemistry all the more real.
Does Disney Discriminate Against The Elderly?
Brigham Young University did a study on Disney films and found that 22% of Disney villains are over the age of 55! Plus, roughly 42% of older characters in their films are portrayed negatively.
Does Disney Discriminate Against The Elderly
It’s worried that kids watching the films may start thinking negatively of the elderly. But not all old Disney characters are shown as evil. Look at Up, in that film the hero is an old man… but the villain is too.
Married, On Screen, And In Real Life
Sometimes life does imitate art. That happened in the case of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. For over three decades Russi Taylor and Wayne Allwine voiced Disney’s most famous couple.
Married On Screen And In Real Life
What’s even more interesting is that the pair got along so well, they fell in love and got married! They were happily married for over two decades before Mr. Allwine passed away at the age of 62. He voiced the mouse in films, shows, and games.