logo

31 Unhappily Ever After Disney Illustrations That Show How Characters Would Do If They Lived In The Real World

“As all of them do not particularly have extremely distinct facial features, it is often more about getting a sense of their personality across.” - Jeff Hong

31 Unhappily Ever After Disney Illustrations That Show How Characters Would Do If They Lived In The Real World

Disney characters usually get the neatest endings possible, but Jeff Hong’s illustrations flip that fantasy on its head. Instead of castles and sing-alongs, these familiar faces are dropped into modern life, where money, pollution, violence, and bad luck are a lot harder to escape.

Hong’s project, titled Unhappily Ever After, imagines what would happen if beloved Disney and fairy tale characters had to deal with the same problems people face every day. The result is dark, funny, and a little uncomfortable, because the contrast between the original stories and these real-world scenarios is impossible to ignore.

[ADVERTISEMENT]

Scroll through the collection and see how different these characters look once the Disney filter is gone.

1. Ariel would like to retract her statement of wanting to be part of our world

1. Ariel would like to retract her statement of wanting to be part of our worldJeff Hong
[ADVERTISEMENT]

2. Lost boys have lost their homes too

2. Lost boys have lost their homes tooJeff Hong
[ADVERTISEMENT]

3. Dalmatians are currently adopted; please visit your local shelter to find out more information

3. Dalmatians are currently adopted; please visit your local shelter to find out more informationJeff Hong

4. Finding Nemo turns into finding a new home for Nemo

4. Finding Nemo turns into finding a new home for NemoJeff Hong

5. The gleam in your eyes is so dangerous to me

5. The gleam in your eyes is so dangerous to meJeff Hong

6. When the circle of life is cut short because of illegal hunting

6. When the circle of life is cut short because of illegal huntingJeff Hong

7. Breaking news: Robin Hood caught by authorities after months of investigation

7. Breaking news: Robin Hood caught by authorities after months of investigationJeff Hong

The jokes get sharper once the fairy tale glow wears off.

8. Rats are real New Yorkers too

8. Rats are real New Yorkers tooJeff Hong

9. Save the polar bears! Save Queen Elsa!

9. Save the polar bears! Save Queen Elsa!Jeff Hong

10. There were times when hard work couldn't even get you justice

10. There were times when hard work couldn't even get you justiceJeff Hong

11. The human world is a mess, and they can try to take anything down with them

11. The human world is a mess, and they can try to take anything down with themJeff Hong

12. We guess Jiminy Cricket found another job

12. We guess Jiminy Cricket found another jobJeff Hong

Some of these scenes land as satire, others just feel bleak.

13. Esmeralda trying to run cons just to get through life feels like a con itself

13. Esmeralda trying to run cons just to get through life feels like a con itselfJeff Hong

14. Oh bother, Pooh Bear doesn't have anywhere to hide his honey anymore

14. Oh bother, Pooh Bear doesn't have anywhere to hide his honey anymoreJeff Hong

15. The colors of the poker chips feel really far from the colors of the wind

15. The colors of the poker chips feel really far from the colors of the windJeff Hong

16. Drifting through this life is harder than it seems

16. Drifting through this life is harder than it seemsJeff Hong

17. Mulan's future looks smoggy

17. Mulan's future looks smoggyJeff Hong

18. Ride the subway and come swing by the office

18. Ride the subway and come swing by the officeJeff Hong

The real-world details make the fantasy characters look strangely ordinary.

And if you’re still questioning reality, these visual anomalies will scramble your logic.

19. It's hard to be fast like a butterfly if the heavy traffic stings like a bee

19. It's hard to be fast like a butterfly if the heavy traffic stings like a beeJeff Hong

20. Flying away isn't a trick they teach in a circus

20. Flying away isn't a trick they teach in a circusJeff Hong

21. This Ohana needs another place to live

21. This Ohana needs another place to liveJeff Hong

22. It's incredible what this world can throw at you

22. It's incredible what this world can throw at youJeff Hong

23. Bambi was too slow to run away from the hunters

23. Bambi was too slow to run away from the huntersJeff Hong

24. All of what the zoo's fluorescent light touches is yours... for a price

24. All of what the zoo's fluorescent light touches is yours... for a priceJeff Hong

By this point, the collection has fully committed to the bit.

25. This really is a whole new world

25. This really is a whole new worldJeff Hong

26. Beauty and a little Botox

26. Beauty and a little BotoxJeff Hong

27. Mowgli would have to look for the bare necessities

27. Mowgli would have to look for the bare necessitiesJeff Hong

28. Alice in Wonderland wandered too far from what's good

28. Alice in Wonderland wandered too far from what's goodJeff Hong

29. Chicken Little is scared of a lot of things, but this takes the cake

29. Chicken Little is scared of a lot of things, but this takes the cakeJeff Hong

30. Evil step-family members aren't the only evil in this world

30. Evil step-family members aren't the only evil in this worldJeff Hong

31. Humans don't just survive; they discover, they create... they use animals to test cosmetics

31. Humans don't just survive; they discover, they create... they use animals to test cosmeticsJeff Hong

Hong’s work leaves the fairy tale ending looking a lot less guaranteed.

Before you think about how unfair it is that you don't get to live out your happily ever after like these characters in Disney movies, consider how different our world is from theirs. Although being realistic doesn't mean being skeptical.

They can serve as inspiration for positive goals. They can motivate you to learn to follow your dreams.

Do you think your favorite characters would survive in our world? You can leave your thoughts in the comments.

Want more “what just happened?” moments like these? See normal life turning weird.

More articles you might like