15+ Truly Magical Facts About Some Of Your All-Time Favorite Disney Films

Disney has been a world full of magic and certainly has some of the best-kept secrets. It’s an empire that had its humble beginnings with animation. 

There have been ups and downs before it became what it is now, but through it all, Disney has produced numerous memorable movies. From Snow White to Peter Pan, many people's childhoods are filled with fairy dust and tunes from these films.

Each movie has its own history. They had their own teams who worked on them, making it possible for these tales to be told to viewers everywhere.

Some productions lasted for years and cost millions of dollars. Others were thought to be unsuccessful but turned out to be late bloomers at the box office.

One thing's for sure: each and every movie stemmed from a dream of bringing an idea to life. Whether they were reimagined or original works, great research went into them.

Walt Disney faced many challenges while producing films during hard times, and many people at the time wouldn’t have believed he would achieve what he did with the Disney brand. Fortunately, he became a part of history and produced beloved films like The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Moana.

1. There was a lot riding on the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Walt Disney risked his own home to finance the production of the movie when the costs began to exceed the budget.

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What’s a Disney movie without Easter eggs? Walt Disney cleverly included the acronym of his name in the movie as the circus’s name.

2. Even Walt’s daughter couldn’t persuade him to stray from the original story of Bambi, where the mother has an early death.

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The team went above and beyond to ensure accuracy by going on zoo trips and even observing deer that were donated to the studio.

3. Cinderella originated from a folk tale and was another movie on which Walt had to take a risk. At that time, they were in serious debt for various reasons as the war was ending. Fortunately, things turned around, and the movie earned enough to resolve the studio's financial problems.

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4. Famous for remaking stories that caught his attention, Walt Disney went above and beyond when he wanted to see the touring performance of J.M. Barrie’s masterpiece as a child and even played Peter in one of his school’s productions.

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The voice actors, specifically Wendy and Peter’s, served as inspiration for the animators in developing their designs.

5. The dogs in Lady and the Tramp were inspired by the writer’s Springer Spaniel. Walt worked on developing the idea with the adventures of the Tramp.

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As usual, animators tried to work closely with the animals featured in the story, such as canines, to achieve accuracy in their work.

6. Sleeping Beauty was actually a late bloomer. It didn’t perform well at the box office upon its release, leading to a temporary avoidance of animated fairy tales. However, after its re-releases, the movie became the second-most profitable film in 1959.

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7. Rocky the Rhino was removed from the 1967 adapted film when Walt decided that it would be overwhelming to have a back-to-back comedy scene right after King Louis’s scene.

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The vultures were quirky characters, and the composers of the song “That’s What Friends Are For” actually wanted to book the Beatles for it, but it didn’t work out.

8. Disney movies have their own eras, and The Little Mermaid is known as the start of the Disney Renaissance.

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The coloring of Ariel’s hair was discussed in detail, as it could help differentiate her from other famous mermaids, such as the one in Splash (1994). It was also colored to complement her other features.

9. Writers find inspiration in various characters, and Linda Woolverton, the screenwriter for the movie at that time, based Belle’s traits on Katharine Hepburn’s character from Little Women.

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10. Disney produced royal princes one after the other, but then Aladdin came to life and broke that mold.

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Several actors were considered for the role of Iago the parrot, and ultimately, Gilbert Gottfried was cast. However, the role of Genie was specifically created for Robin Williams.

11. The Lion King was different from previous animated films. It wasn’t based on any original stories and was in development at the same time as Pocahontas. Although they didn’t expect it to succeed, it eventually did.

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12. The story of Pocahontas was Disney-fied, and although it was already 1995, it was the first film to feature a relationship between an interracial couple.

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13. Pixar’s fame skyrocketed when Toy Story became a hit as the first feature-length computer-animated film.

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14. Brad Bird had the idea of a family of superheroes for a while but hesitated because he knew it would require a hefty budget and a lot of time to produce. It eventually went into production when he pitched it to Pixar, and the movie garnered two Oscars.

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15. Say hello to Disney’s first Black princess, Tiana. There were rumors of Beyoncé refusing to audition for the part, and after auditions from Alicia Keys and other major stars, the role went to Anika Noni Rose.

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During a trip to Disneyland, the directors shared the concept of the upcoming movie with Oprah, and she loved it so much that she eventually voiced Tiana’s mother.

16. Probably one of the longest overdue ideas by Walt, Frozen was something he had envisioned around 70 years before he first wanted to adapt the story of the Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen.

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17. The creators of Moana aimed to cover all aspects of the Polynesian region’s culture. They assembled a team of anthropologists, navigators, haka practitioners, and many others to create the Oceanic Story Trust.

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Disney is a world filled with fascinating facts, and there is always something surprising in every film produced. From Easter eggs to subtle clues that connect one movie to another, they make it a point to elevate creativity to a whole new level.

Each of the films also has its own intriguing history. Some required more people to be involved in the production, while others had to be released during tough times and ultimately became saving graces for the studio.