Disney movies were the backbone of my childhood and were for many others out there as well. But, as we get older and rewatch some of our favorite films, we find hidden messages, special appearances, and make connections that we would have never seen coming before.
Continue scrolling for some of the most surprising, little-known facts about some of the cult classic Disney movies!
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1. Mufasa and Scar aren’t brothers.
“Scar and Mufasa couldn’t really be from the same gene pool. In fact, that’s what [Scar] says. There’s a line, he goes, ‘I’m from the shallow end of the gene pool,” producer Don Hahn said .
Does that make what Scar did less tragic and soul-crushing? Absolutely not.
2. Yen Sid, the sorcerer in Fantasia, is “Disney” spelled backwards.
Crazy coincidence? Not so much. After all, only Disney could hold so much magic!
3. Ariel and Hercules might be cousins.
Lemme break this down: Ariel is the daughter of Triton. Triton is the son of Poseidon. Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. Zeus is the father of Hercules.
So, in short, Ariel and Hercules are cousins . Cool, right? Does this explain the matching red hair?
4. Aladdin has a tell.
Whenever he tells a lie, which if we’re being honest here, is a lot, his turban falls in his face. Jasmine totally saw through that poker face, didn’t she?
5. Tarzan could be related to Anna and Elsa
Okay, this one isn’t a proven fact, more of fan speculation, but certainly worth mentioning.
Theorists claim that rather than dying in a shipwreck, Anna and Elsa’s mom and dad found themselves in the jungle, later giving birth to Tarzan. Crazy set of long-lost siblings, right?
6. Elsa is the oldest princess.
She is the only princess who isn’t a teenager, at the ripe, old age of 21. Snow White is on the opposite end, ringing in at the youngest, at age 14.
7. Bruce in Finding Nemo was a namesake.
Bruce, our favorite vegetarian shark, was named after the animatronic shark in Jaws.
8. Elsa was supposed to be the villain of Frozen.
She is still somewhat villainous in the final film to a degree, but more of a heroine with a villainous side. She was originally written as a cold-hearted, ice woman, and Let it Go was what changed that.
9. Villains are associated with lime green, and that isn’t a coincidence.
Lime green has been a subtle synonymous symbol for villains, and evil in the Disney franchises.
10. Ariel is the only princess to have a child.
Her name is Melody, and she stars alongside her mother in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, the only sequel to ever exceed our expectations.
11. Aurora had a mere 18 minutes of screen time in Sleeping Beauty.
She also had 18 lines, but despite all of this, is considered to be an official Disney princess like all of the others. Someone dozed off during the remainder of the movie!
12. Gaston was the first male villain in a princess movie.
Makes sense, considering he is such a ladies man. Also, I feel as though this was a realistic villain that we have all seen in real life. Am I right, ladies?
13. The Rescuers had an unexpected adult scene.
Copies of The Rescuers had to be recalled , because the VHS tapes had one scene of a topless woman in the background of a scene. How did that get by the editing team?
14. Aladdin was modeled after Tom Cruise.
Yup! Our favorite bread-stealing, identity-hiding prince was modeled after none other than Tom Cruise, although he was supposed to be modeled after Michael J. Fox.
15. Finding Nemo could have had quite the plot twist.
If it was scientifically accurate, after Nemo’s mother left, Marlin would have changed sexes and become Nemo’s mom.
I know, I know. I am as weirded out as you are.
16. Disney reuses animation to stick to their budget.
You’d be surprised at how common this is and once you realize it, you cannot unsee it. Robin Hood borrowed a ton of animation from The Jungle Book and Snow White, and Beauty and the Beast reused the same final dance scene that was originally in Sleeping Beauty.
17. Finding Nemo and 101 Dalmatians were responsible for species endangerment.
Okay, we can’t prove that these films can be held accountable, but there just so happened to be a huge spike in sales for dalmatians and clownfish when each of these movies was released.
Unfortunately, most people couldn’t keep up with the care for these creatures, and gave them up, forcing them closer to the endangered zone.
18. Princesses married into royalty wear gloves, while those who are born royal do not.
Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana? Married a prince, and wear gloves. Ariel, Rapunzel, and Aurora? Born a Princess, and have bare hands. This fact blew my damn mind.
19. Jafar makes a secret cameo in Hunchback of Notre Dame
There is an old prisoner in Hunchback of Notre Dame that is identical to the disguise Jafar uses in Aladdin. Yup, you know where I’m going with this, Jafar is the prisoner!
