Everybody knows about the lovable broadcasting and cable company known as Disney. It is the world’s second largest company in terms of revenue, after Comcast. There are approximately 500 different Disney movies to date, and they seem to come out with a few new ones each and every year. Their movies range from love to tragedy, from history to present events, and from animals to real people. It’s no lie that the creative side of Disney is always surprising us, as the audience, with their newest hit movie. The popularity of Disney movies seems to grow each and every year too. For example, the 2013 hit Frozen, earned $400.7 million in North America, and an estimated $873.5 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $1.274 billion. And we all know that Frozen has only begun, as children everywhere are obsessed with this adorable film and a sequel is already in the works. With everything that was just said, Disney is taking over the world. We all have seen at least one Disney movie, but did you know in practically every film there is a hidden secret?
1. Andy, from Toy Story, never had a dad in the movie. The reason? Because human characters were too expensive to create.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is the most expensive film ever made, but worth every penny in my opinion.
3. Here is a fun one for you. Sid from Toy Story made an appearance in Toy Story 3. He’s the garbage man.
4. Boo, from Monsters Inc., has a name. It is Mary.
5. Russell from Up was designed after a Pixar employee.
6. Sleeping Beauty didn’t make as much as anticipated. Unfortunately, due to this film there were tons of layoffs at Disney. The next Disney movie, The Little Mermaid, came out 30 years later.
7. How about this Disney fact of generosity? The creator of Peter Pan gave the story’s rights to a children’s hospital, so they could always collect royalties to fund their operations.
8. The voice actress behind Lilo in Lilo & Stitch, Daveigh Chase, also played Samara in The Ring. I bet you will never be able to look at Lilo the same.
9. This Disney fact is just fun. Walt Disney received one regular sized Oscar statue and seven smaller statues when Snow White and the Seven Dwarves won an honorary Academy Award.
10. Over 50 children were hospitalized with salmonella after the release of The Princess and the Frog. The reason for the sickness? They kissed frogs.
11. A young girl with cancer was too sick to see the movie Up. So Pixar flew an employee to her house with a DVD to have a private screening. She passed away 7 hours after watching it.
12. Here is a Disney fact that will make your brain think. If the events of Finding Nemo actually happened, and Nemo’s mother and siblings got eaten, Nemo’s father would have developed female sex organs and bred with Nemo. Thank goodness it is just a pretend film.
13. Did you know that Frozen is the first animated Disney film that is directed by a female?
14. The character of Beast from Beauty and the Beast is a mixture of several animals. He has the head of a buffalo, the brow of a gorilla, the body of a bear, the mane of a lion, the tusks of a boar, and the legs and tail of a wolf.
15. Remember the crazy hyenas from The Lion King? A hyena biologist actually sued Disney for giving them a bad character.
16. The Edinburgh Trader from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest sank off the coast of North Carolina during Hurricane Sandy. Crazy, huh?
17. A little history Disney fact for you. The Disney songwriter Robert Sherman, who helped write “It’s a Small World After All” was one of the officers who led the American troops into Dachau during World War II.
18. One of the designers for Eve from Wall-E is the same designer who helped create the iPod, iMac and iPhone.
19. Did you know that Pocahontas was going to have a pet turkey, his name was Redfeather? He was supposed to be voiced by John Candy. Due to his death, they got rid of him in the movie.
20. In the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pumbaa can be seen as a gargoyle.
21. How about this Disney fact? In Lilo and Stitch, there is a place named after Mulan.
22. Look closely, Kermit the Frog is in The Little Mermaid.
23. And Mickey Mouse appears in A Goofy Movie.
I always love learning new things, especially about Disney movies. There is something about it that just intrigues me. It gives you more of an appreciation for the movies and helps you try to find new hidden secrets. What secrets, facts, or stories do you have that relate to Disney movies?