If you think you know everything there is to know about Disney, you might be surprised by what you’re about to see.
Here are 13 facts about all-things Disney that you might not be familiar with.
Let’s take a look.
13. The voice of Cinderella’s narrator might sound familiar.
Image Credit: Disney
Betty Lou Gerson was also the voice of Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians.
12. Walt Disney mortgaged his home to make Snow White happen.
Image Credit: Disney
It was obviously a gamble that paid off, but he must have been nervous.
Even his wife, Lillian, suspected the movie would be a bust.
11. Snow White was also the first movie to be released with an accompanying soundtrack.
Image Credit: Disney
A practice that’s obviously made a lot of people a lot of money in the decades since.
10. There had been a previously released single, from “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf,” though.
Image Credit: Disney
The 78 rpm record was a big seller.
9. Lady Tremaine (Cinderella) and Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty) are both voiced by Eleanor Audley.
Image Credit: Disney
Apparently, scary lady voices are hard to find.
8. Eleanor Audley is also the voice of Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion Ride.
Image Credit: Disney
The face you see in the crystal ball, though, is Imagineer Leota Toombs Thomas.
7. The first Disney character merchandise was a Mickey Mouse writing tablet.
Mickey Mouse Writing Tablet
First Licensed Piece of Disney Character Merchandise
1930#DisneyArchives50 pic.twitter.com/Ijy2w3eOGB— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) June 11, 2020
Released in 1930, the licensing of the character to earn extra money was an eye-opener.
6. “When You Wish Upon A Star” was Disney’s first Oscar-winning song.
The tune from Pinocchio won for Best Original Song.
5. The Haunted Mansion ride is in a different land at every Disney park.
Image Credit: Disney
New Orleans Square at Disneyland, Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland, and in Paris, you’ll find it in Frontierland.
4. Disney was a big part of the war effort.
90% of their production was propaganda films, training films, print campaigns, and other things that supported the Allies’ war effort.
3. Sleeping Beauty took 8 years to make.
Image Credit: Disney
It went into production in 1951 and was released in 1959 – Disney was working on building Disneyland at the same time.
2. Cinderella was shot in live action first.
Image Credit: Disney
Animators then used the live-action movements as a reference to animate the movie. Wild.
1. Anita from 101 Dalmatians was based on Julie Andrews.
Image Credit: Disney
