Disney world isn’t just princesses and fairy tales; it’s also personal stories, the rise of an empire, and some pretty cool facts stemming from it all. And if you’re as huge of a fan as we are, you’ll find these Disney facts thoroughly entertaining and enlightening, too.
Rest assured that these facts about Disney will leave no stone unturned as we go from the very beginnings of the animation studio to the present times. From such interesting pieces of information as the studio’s very first logo to specific drawing techniques to some statistics (the fun kind, of course), these fun Disney facts will surely give something new even to the most dedicated fans. For instance, did you know that Disney owns a cruise ship line or that the legendary spaghetti scene from The Lady and The Tramp almost didn’t happen? Can you imagine the world without it? Neither can we! So, you get the gist – the stories about Disney are endless, and so are the Disney world facts. But, all the better for us – more stuff to oooh and ahhh about!
You know what to do here, right? Scroll on down below to reveal our selection of interesting facts and give the ones that raised your astonished eyebrow a vote so they’ll find their place on the top of our list. Once that is all well and done, share these facts about Walt Disney and his magnificent creation with anyone who you think would find them useful.
#1 The Spaghetti Scene From Lady And The Tramp Almost Never Happened
In fact, Walt found it to be silly, thinking that no dog would ever share their food with another. Because of this, the scene almost got scrapped if not for animator Frank Thomas’ persistence.
Image source: disneydining.com
#2 Merida Is The Second Disney Princess To Not Have An American Accent
The first princess without an American accent is Princess Aurora. She had a British accent.
Image source: hero.fandom.com
#3 The Name Of The Little Girl In Monsters, Inc. Is Mary
Image source: pixar.fandom.com
#4 Disney Animators Often Hide Other Classic Characters In The Background Of Certain Scenes
Image source: businessinsider.com
#5 All Screams In Monsters, Inc. Were Supplied By The Children Of The Animators
Image source: pixarpost.com
#6 The Early Concept Of Inside Out Included Over 27 Different Emotions
Before the final five characters were settled upon in Inside Out, there were 27 emotions in the running! The roster included Pride, Greed, Irritation, Shame, Gloom, Love, Ennui, Hope and even Schadenfreude.
Image source: independent.co.uk
#7 Disney Pixar’s Lamp Mascot Is Named Luxo Jr.
Image source: pixar.com
#8 The Movie Wall-E Was Originally Titled Trash Planet
Image source: lostmediawiki.com
#9 Each Pixar Film Holds An Easter Egg That Features The Code A113
A113 (pronounced A-One-Thirteen) is the classroom number used by character animation students at the California Institute of the Arts. Many of its alumni (including Pixar staff) have used the number in their professional works. It is said to appear in some way, shape, or form in every Pixar film.
Image source: pixar.fandom.com
#10 For 2 Years, Walt Disney Was The Only One Who Could Produce Colored Films
Image source: lethbridgenewsnow.com
#11 Hidden Mickeys Can Be Found Throughout Disneyland
Image source: lajollamom.com
#12 The Little Mermaid Features Over One Million Hand-Painted Bubbles
Image source: ideas.fandom.com
#13 Zootopia Originally Intended To Revolve The Story Around Nick Wilde Instead Of Judy Hopps
Image source: slashfilm.com
#14 Merida Is The Only Disney Princess To Not Sing In Her Movie
Image source: sites.psu.edu
#15 A Hyena Researcher Once Sued Disney
One biologist felt so strongly about the portrayal of hyenas in The Lion King, that they sued Disney studios for defamation of character!
Image source: bbc.co.uk
#16 Voice Actors Of Mickey Mouse And Minnie Mouse Married In Real Life
The couple, though, kept their personal romance private. They did not want their marriage to color how Disney fans viewed Mickey and Minnie, who have never officially married. Once, radio host Paul Harvey asked them to share their romantic story with his “The Rest of the Story” listeners, Farmer recounts. They refused. That would have drawn the spotlight away from their characters.
Image source: washingtonpost.com
#17 Mickey Mouse Became The First Animated Character To Get A Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame
Image source: walkoffame.com
#18 Disneyland Banned His Theme Park Employees From Growing Facial Hair
This was one the Disney’s aesthetic – ‘a fresh, clean, and approachable’ look, ensuring that every guest feels comfortable with the entire cast. This way, Walt wanted to emphasize the importance of the show and not the individual.
Image source: weeklyview.net
#19 Belle’s Blue Dress Is Meant To Symbolize Her Role As An Outsider
The color blue gives a bit of power to a character – the color of yearning and wishes, resembling the sky. So, although it symbolizes an outsider, the color is also a mean to empower these on-screen ladies!
Image source: allure.com
#20 The Girl Who Voiced Boo In Monsters Inc Had Difficulty Staying Still For Her Lines
Image source: newsweek.com
#21 Pixar’s First Human-Only Feature Film Was The Incredibles
Image source: looper.com
#22 Pocahontas Is The Only Disney Princess Based On A Real Life Person
Image source: nps.gov
#23 The Little Mermaid Was The Last Disney Film To Use A Traditional Animation Process
And everything that came after it was done using a digital method of animation known as the Disnay Computer Animation Production System, or CAPS for short. First movie to be made using CAPS was 1990s The Rescuers Down Under.
Image source: americanhistory.si.edu
#24 You Can Send Certain Disney Characters An Invitation To Your Wedding
Disney’s top couple is known for sending a postcard and a “Just Married” pin from one of the theme parks. Cinderella and Prince Charming are also reported to send a similar keepsake.
Image source: insideweddings.com
#25 The Snowman Olaf Was Originally Going To Be Elsa’s Sidekick
Olaf is one of the greatest parts of Frozen, but the original version of Disney’s iconic snowman, where he was mean, would have made him a much less beloved character. Olaf started the animated feature as a typical Disney sidekick, brought to life by Elsa’s magic. Josh Gad’s performance as Olaf and a major deviation from the original plan, which had Frozen writer and director Jennifer Lee ready to kill the character off, resulted in a delightful companion that truly made the movie magical.
Image source: screenrant.com
#26 The Vultures Found In The Jungle Book Were Supposed To Be Voiced By The Beatles
Image source: independent.co.uk
#27 Monsters, Inc. Was Originally Centered Around A Grown Man Haunted By His Drawings
Image source: writingcooperative.com
#28 Many Disney Films Do Not Feature A Mother Due To Walt Disney Losing His Mother
Image source: snopes.com
#29 As Of 2019, Princess Aurora Is The Only Real Blonde Disney Princess
Aurora is the only true blond princess. Rapunzel was blonde but later got brown hair. Cinderella had more strawberry blonde hair.
Image source: princess.disney.com
#30 Over 100 Garments Were Made For The Film The Incredibles
12 unique garments and 6 different body types were created for all the male background figures. Adding variations in patterns and colors totaled 72 uniquely costumed male characters! When it comes to the women, they made 20 unique garments and 7 body types. Changing some variations, they came up with 64 uniquely costumed characters.
Image source: mamasgeeky.com
#31 The First Disney Film Produced After Walt Disney’s Death Was The Aristocats
Image source: imdb.com
#32 The Film Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs Received A Special Academy Award
Image source: d23.com
#33 There Are 10,297 Balloons In Disney Pixar’s Movie Up
Image source: wired.com
#34 Disney World Buys The Second-Most Explosives In The United States
Image source: edtimes.in
#35 Disney’s Chernabog Is Considered To Be The Best Representation Of Pure Evil
Image source: ign.com
#36 The Image Of The Beast From Beauty And The Beast Was Inspired By Several Animals
It’s a mixture of many and known to be inspired by wild boars, goats, and mandrills.
Image source: screenrant.com
#37 Mickey Mouse Was Named By The Wife Of Walt Disney
Image source: loc.gov
#38 Disney’s Mulan Is Based On The Legend Of A Real Female Warrior In China With The Same Name
Image source: historyextra.com
#39 Toy Story 2 Was Almost Entirely Deleted
Toy Story 2, after months and months of tedious work, got almost deleted from the company’s servers after an erroneous command. Luckily, though, this was discovered right on time to retrieve the movie!
Image source: independent.co.uk
#40 The Movie Cars Was Paul Newman’s Last Film That He Had Worked On
Image source: abcnews.go.com
#41 Disney Made A Special Animation Software Just For Merida’s Hair In Brave
“Merida has curly, long, and expressive hair,” May said. “It’s important, and a reflection of her character.” And to create such stunning locks, Pixar animators used never-before-released tools!
Image source: cnet.com
#42 Dumbo Almost Made The Cover Of Time Magazine In 1941
TIME editors, hoping to release an uplifting issue for the Christmas season, commissioned artists from The Walt Disney Studios to draw a black-and-white portrait of the elephant for the cover. The accompanying story was scheduled to run on December 29 and would anoint Dumbo the “Mammal-of-the-Year.”
But on December 7, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. The attack propelled the United States into World War II and sent TIME editors scrambling to rewrite their December 15 issue.
Image source: time.com
#43 As Of 2012, A Total Of Three Babies Have Been Born At Disneyland
Image source: wdwinfo.com, nytimes.com
#44 There Are Exactly 6,469,952 Black Spots In The Film 101 Dalmatians
Image source: d23.com
#45 Lilo And Stitch Is The First Feature-Length Animated Film Set In Hawaii
Image source: homeyhawaii.com
#46 Walt Disney’s First Original Character Was A Rabbit
Image source: disney.fandom.com
#47 The Personality Of Disney Villain, Hades Was Inspired By The Audition Of James Woods
Image source: screenrant.com
#48 Until 2013, The Lion King Was The Highest And Best-Selling Home Movie Of All Time
Image source: the-numbers.com
#49 The Voice Of Snow White, Adriana Caselotti Was Underpaid And Uncredited For Her Role
Image source: nytimes.com
#50 Walt Disney Was A Big Fan Of Trains
Image source: waltdisney.org
#51 The Color Of Elsa’s Ice Palace Changes Depending On Her Mood
Image source: sane.org.uk
#52 Many Believe That Walt Disney Was Cryogenically Frozen To Be Revived At A Later Date
Image source: bbc.com
#53 There Are Approximately 2.3 Million Individual Hairs On Sulley From Monsters Inc
Image source: Pixar
#54 Walt Disney Died From Lung Cancer In 1966
Image source: latimes.com
#55 In The Movie Cars, Mater’s Name Was Inspired By A Real Nascar Fan
Image source: pixarcars.fandom.com
#56 Disney Was Founded On October 16, 1923
Image source: history.com
#57 Mickey Mouse Has A Wardrobe Of Around 300 Outfits
Image source: anaheiminn.com
#58 Alligators Have Been Found Swimming In Disney World Frequently
Image source: orlandosentinel.com
#59 The First Words Mickey Mouse Ever Spoke Were “Hot Dog!”
Image source: disneydiary.com
#60 Disney World Has A Network Of Secret Tunnels Used By Staff
Image source: nypost.com
#61 The Garbage Compactor, Wall-E Has A Real Name
And its full name is Waste Allocation Load Lifter. Fancy, right!
Image source: disney.fandom.com
#62 The Spice Girls Were Originally Considered For The Roles Of The Muses In Hercules
Image source: nylon.com
#63 Tiana Is The First Black Disney Princess
Image source: today.com
#64 Disney Has A Special Event Called Disney After Hours
Once in a while, the parks stay open for three extra hours after the official closing time. That’s when, if you have the tickets to Disney After Hours, you can visit the place sans queues!
Image source: disneyworld.disney.go.com
#65 Wall-E And The Robot R2-D2 Are Played By The Same Actor
Image source: backstage.com
#66 Snow White Is The Youngest Disney Princess
Image source: cheatsheet.com
#67 The Film Ratatouille Created A Trend For Pet Rats
Image source: reuters.com
#68 Over 1,500 Costumes Were Made For The Second Movie Of Disney’s Descendants
Image source: hollywoodreporter.com
#69 Mickey Mouse Only Has Four Fingers For A Specific Reason
It simply makes the hands easier to draw! And in the times of hand-drawn animation, having one less finger to draw on each character, could save a lot of time. And, in turn, money. Also, as Walt Disney put it, “Using five fingers would have made Mickey’s hands look like a bunch of bananas.”
Image source: avclub.com
#70 Disney Princesses Found At Disney’s Theme Parks Must Fit A Specific Body Type
Image source: commons.lib.jmu.edu
#71 Employees Are Not Allowed To Break Character At Any Of The Disney Theme Parks
Image source: mirror.co.uk
#72 The First Disney Movie To Inspire A Sequel Was The Film The Rescuers
Image source: collider.com
#73 There Was No Disney Pixar Movie Released In 2014
Image source: businessinsider.com
#74 The Actor Who Was The Voice Of Dashiel Parr From The Incredibles Was Made To Run Laps Around The Studio
Image source: moviedetail
#75 The Horses That Are Found On Disneyland’s Main Street Have Rubber-Soled Shoes
Image source: wdwinfo.com
#76 The Most Popular Souvenirs Bought At Disney Parks Are The Famous Mickey Mouse Ears
Image source: souvenirfinder.com
#77 Disney Once Used Real Skeletons For The Pirates Of The Caribbean Attraction
Image source: sfgate.com
#78 Disney World Is One Of The Cleanest Theme Parks Found In The United States
Image source: cheatsheet.com
#79 Walt Disney Kept Live Animals On The Set Of Some Of His Productions
Image source: syfy.com
#80 Thelma Howard, Walt Disney’s Housekeeper Was Given Disney Shares As Holiday Bonuses
Image source: groovyhistory.com
#81 Walt Disney Dropped Out Of School When He Was 16
Image source: d23.com
#82 The Disney Company Owns A Line Of Cruise Ships
Image source: center.cruises
#83 A Unified Theory Connecting All Pixar Films Is One Of The Most Popular Disney Theories Among Fans
The point of this theory is to have fun and exercise your imagination while simultaneously finding interesting connections between these fantastic movies.
Image source: jonnegroni.com
#84 In 2007, A Teenager Died On A Roller Coaster In Disneyland Paris
Image source: nbcnews.com
#85 The Disney World Resort Measures As Big As San Francisco
Image source: allears.net
#86 Around 2 Million Pounds Worth Of Turkey Legs Is Sold At Disneyland Each Year
Image source: disneyparks.disney.go.com, nytimes.com
#87 It Took Six Years To Make Sleeping Beauty
Image source: nytimes.com
#88 Disney Acquired The Star Wars Franchise In 2012
Image source: thewaltdisneycompany.com
#89 The Most Profitable Disney Pixar Film Is The Incredibles 2
Image source: cinemablend.com
#90 The Company Was Originally Known As Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio Until 1926
Image source: d23.com
#91 The Original Disney Logo Showed A Profile Of Its Mascot Mickey Mouse
Image source: logo.com
#92 The Disney Skyliner Was First Opened On September 29, 2019
Image source: disneyparks.disney.go.com
#93 In Aladdin, Genie’s Lines Were Recorded In 20 Different Ways
Image source: ew.com
#94 Disney World Welcomes An Average Of 50,000 Visitors Per Day
Image source: disneyorlandoandbeyond.co.uk
#95 Disney Princesses Who Do Not Wear Gloves Were Born Into Royalty
Image source: seventeen.com
#96 Rapunzel’s Hair Measures Around 70 Feet Long
Image source: curlcentric.com
#97 Animators Modeled The Character’s Teeth In The Incredibles Based On People
Image source: youtube.com
#98 Disney Has Produced Over 60 Feature Films And Around 100 Original Series
Image source: imdb.com
#99 Disney Was Founded By Walt Disney And Roy O. Disney
Image source: history.com
#100 Ariel’s Perfect Proportions Are Based On A Real Model Named Sherri Stoner
Image source: mylittlemermaid.com
#101 Mulan Is The Only Disney Princess Who Is Not A Real Princess
Image source: disneywithdavesdaughters.com
#102 The Official Name Of Disney Is Now The Walt Disney Company Which Was Made Permanent In 1986
Image source: thewaltdisneycompany.com
#103 Disney World Is One Of The Most Photographed Locations In The United States
Image source: wdwnt.com
#104 Disneyland Has A Secret Basketball Court Hidden Inside The Matterhorn Roller Coaster
Image source: mentalfloss.com
#105 Each Year, Disneyland Finds Thousands Of Missing Items Around The Park
Image source: allears.net
#106 The Little Blue Alien, Stitch Was Originally Not Able To Talk
Image source: vulture.com
#107 Woody From The Toy Story Franchise Has A Last Name
Woody’s actual full name is “Woody Pride.” And here we thought it was Harrelson…
Image source: leeunkrich
#108 The Disney Company Owns Several Theme Parks That Are Located Globally
Image source: attractionsmagazine.com
#109 Disney Has Strict Rules For All Of Its Cast Members
Image source: cepfranco.files.wordpress.com
#110 Mickey Mouse Was Created In 1928 By Walt Disney And Ub Iwerks
Image source: kcur.org
#111 Disney’s First Real Original Film In Terms Of Storyline Was The Movie The Lion King
The first Disney animated film that isn’t based on an already-existing story is “The Lion King.” It is based on half of the tales from classical mythology, to put it another way. It tells the story of lion baby Simba’s birth, upbringing, and eventual maturation into a man. The “The Circle of Life” opening sequence, which is a stirring combination of music and animation to portray all the animals of the African veld assembling to laud their future king, announces the birth of the cub.
Image source: rogerebert.com
#112 Disney’s Descendants 2 Was Said To Be Inspired By West Side Story And Hamilton
Image source: billboard.com
#113 Barbie Was Only Added To The Toy Story World After The Success Of The First Movie
Image source: theatlantic.com
#114 Visitors Can Come To See The Walt Disney Concert Hall For Free
Image source: laphil.com
#115 Disney Does Not Own Nor Manage All The Disney Springs Restaurants
Image source: patinagroup.com
#116 Avalanche Software Launched Disney Infinity In 2013
Image source: avalanchesoftware.com
#117 Disney Acquired Marvel Entertainment In 2009
Image source: thewaltdisneycompany.com
#118 You Are Not Allowed To Bring Pogo Sticks And Some Others Items Inside Disneyland
Image source: disneyland.disney.go.com
#119 Walt Disney’s Motto Is “Dream, Believe, Dare, Do”
Image source: coachmahr.com
#120 Tokyo Disney Sea Began Construction In October 1998
Image source: olc.co.jp, tripadvisor.com
#121 The Disney Channel Original Movies Are Typically Filmed Within Three Months Or Less
Image source: androidauthority.com
#122 Disney Offers Ongoing Internship Program
Image source: jobs.disneycareers.com
#123 Employees At Disneyland Are Referred To By Their First Names
Image source: businessinsider.com
#124 The Elephant, Dumbo Is The Quietest Central Character Among All Disney Characters
Image source: liveabout.com
#125 Disneyland’s Main Street Takes Inspiration From 1910 America
Image source: nytimes.com
#126 Several Families Annually Want To Spread The Ashes Of Their Loved Ones On The Haunted Mansion Attraction At Disneyland
Image source: wsj.com
#127 The Disney Boardwalk Resort Hotel Ranks As An Aaa Four-Diamond Award-Winning Hotel
Image source: newsroom.aaa.com
#128 As Of 2019, Disney Has A Revenue Of $69.570 Billion Dollars
Image source: forbes.com
#129 In 1926, Disney Changed Its Name To The Walt Disney Studio Until 1929
Image source: d23.com
#130 The Predecessor Of The Company Is The Laugh-O-Gram Studio
Image source: theclio.com
#131 Only Disney Cast Members Can Access Disney Hub
Image source: ogin.myid.disney.com
#132 Walt Disney Has Won Numerous Academy Awards For His Work
Image source: emmys.com
#133 As Of 2019, Disney Has $193.984 Billion Worth Of Assets
Image source: ceoworld.biz
#134 You Can Get Rewards From Buying Products From Disney
Image source: disneyrewards.com
#135 Playhouse Disney Officially Closed On February 13, 2011
Image source: avid.miraheze.org
Follow Us
