100 Disney Facts, Facts and Secrets in a row!

100 Fun Disney Facts, Facts and Secrets

Disney is a magical world that enchants millions of people around the world. But behind those enchanting castles, cheerful songs, and iconic films lies a wealth of interesting facts and secrets. Here are 100 fun facts about Disney that even the biggest fans may never have heard!

---

The Magic Behind the Movies

1. Walt Disney's favorite character was Goofy because he always made him laugh.
2. Mickey Mouse was originally called Mortimer Mouse, until Walt's wife convinced him that “Mickey” sounded friendlier.
3. “Frozen” is the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
4. The famous roar of the lion in “The Lion King” is actually the sound of a tiger.
5. Ursula from “The Little Mermaid” is based on the drag queen Divine.
6. In “Aladdin,” the Genie used over 60 different voices and accents.
7. Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” reads a book about Aladdin, years before the film came out.
8. The spots on Pongo from “101 Dalmatians” were drawn by hand and each frame has a unique composition.
9. The clock in “Cinderella” stops at midnight, but in the movie it is 12:01.
10. The first words Mickey ever said were, “Hot dogs!” in 1929.

---

Park Secrets You Need to Know

11. The castle in Disneyland Paris is the only one painted pink because of the gray weather in Europe.
12. There are Hidden Mickeys hidden in every Disney park around the world.
13. Main Street USA in Disneyland smells like freshly baked cookies, thanks to hidden scent machines.
14. In Magic Kingdom, there are secret tunnels beneath the park where employees can move around quickly.
15. There is an exclusive club at Disneyland, Club 33, that only members have access to.
16. The statue of Walt and Mickey at Disneyland is called “Partners”.
17. In Epcot's World Showcase, the music subtly changes as you move between lands.
18. The haunted house in Disneyland has no right angles to create a sense of mystery.
19. The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disney World uses projectors to simulate real fire.
20. The Skyliner gondolas at Walt Disney World feature images of Disney characters.

---

Historical Disney Facts

21. Walt Disney's first studio was called Laugh-O-Gram Films.
22. The first Disney animated film in color was “Flowers and Trees” (1932).
23. The sound of snow in “Snow White” was made with a bag of cornstarch.
24. Disney won 22 Academy Awards, more than anyone else in film history.
25. Disneyland park opened its doors on July 17, 1955.
26. Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971, five years after Walt's death.
27. The animation in “Fantasia” was specially tailored to the music.
28. The first female director of a Disney film was Jennifer Lee for “Frozen.”
29. Walt Disney chased the rights to Mary Poppins for 20 years.
30. The Disney train in Disneyland Paris is modeled on French steam locomotives.

---

Hidden Meanings and Symbolism

31. The rose in “Beauty and the Beast” symbolizes not only love, but also vulnerability.
32. The wild animals in “Tarzan” are designed based on real animals from Africa.
33. “Up”'s balloons were animated by hand, using a whopping 10,297 balloons.
34. In “The Lion King,” the stars sometimes form the silhouette of Mufasa.
35. The name “Nemo” means “nobody” in Latin, a nod to “Captain Nemo”.
36. The lamp from “Aladdin” also appears in “The Princess and the Frog”.
37. Walt Disney's signature was stylized by an artist and was not an exact copy.
38. In “Lilo & Stitch” there is a poster of Mulan in Nani's room.
39. The clockmaker in “Pinocchio” has dozens of hidden Disney references in his clocks.
40. The towers of Rapunzel's castle are an optical illusion and appear the same height from every angle.

---

Bizarre and Funny Facts

41. Donald Duck is banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
42. Pluto is named after the dwarf planet Pluto, which was discovered in the same year.
43. The song “Hakuna Matata” was not originally planned for “The Lion King”.
44. Mickey Mouse wears size 47 shoes.
45. Olaf from “Frozen” was originally going to be an evil snowman.
46. Walt Disney hated cats, but Cheshire Cat from “Alice in Wonderland” is a fan favorite.
47. At Disneyland there are cats that control mice after closing time.
48. Minnie Mouse's voice married Mickey Mouse's voice in real life.
49. All Disney princesses wear shades of blue to radiate strength and hope.
50. The first name for “Zootopia” was “Zootropolis” in certain countries.

---

Nice Crossovers and Hidden Details

51. The carpet from “Aladdin” appears briefly in “The Princess and the Frog”.
52. The pizza delivery truck from “Toy Story” appears in almost every Pixar film.
53. Rapunzel and Flynn Rider make a cameo in “Frozen.”
54. In “Moana,” the Spirit of Maui is trapped in a form that resembles Sven from “Frozen.”
55. Andy's address in “Toy Story” is based on Pixar's first office.
56. The books in Belle's library contain titles from other Disney films.
57. Andy's mother from “Toy Story” is believed to be Jessie's original owner.
58. “Finding Dory” contains a reference to “The Little Mermaid” with a shipwreck in the background.
59. Lightning McQueen's license plate, “A113,” refers to a classroom at CalArts.
60. The candies in “Wreck-It Ralph” are based on real American brands.

---

More Facts to Love

61. Mickey Mouse has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
62. The music in “Fantasmic!” was composed especially for the show.
63. Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland is based on Neuschwanstein in Germany.
64. Olaf's nose was animated using real carrots as reference.
65. “Toy Story” was the first fully computer-animated film ever.
66. Walt Disney provided his voice for Mickey Mouse in the early years.
67. Disneyland Paris was first called Euro Disney.
68. Stitch's full name is Experiment 626.
69. The Yeti in Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom is named Harold.
70. “The Lion King” was originally called “King of the Jungle”.

---

Iconic Inspirations

71. The Disney princesses are based on classic fairy tales.
72. The concept for Disneyland came from Walt Disney's desire to create a place where parents and children could have fun together.
73. The colors of Ariel's hair and tail were specifically chosen to stand out in the ocean scenes.
74. Walt Disney smoked, so you rarely see him depicted without a cigarette.
75. The original 1951 “Alice in Wonderland” was not a huge success upon release.
76. The first Disney character to have her own star on the Walk of Fame was Snow White.
77. Timon and Pumbaa's voice actors improvised much of their dialogue.
78. The lamps in the Main Street shops are designed to give an old-fashioned feel.
79. The music in Disney films is often recorded by a real orchestra.
80. Walt Disney wanted Disneyland to constantly change and evolve.

---

Disney's Global Impact

81. Disneyland Tokyo is the first Disney park built outside the US.
82. Fresh French bread is baked daily at Disneyland Paris.
83. Shanghai Disneyland has the largest Disney castle in the world.
84. Disney has plans for new theme parks in emerging markets.
85. The Disney Cruise Line has special itineraries through the Caribbean.
86. The Disney Store was one of the first stores focused on “branding”.
87. Disney's animation department has produced more than 50 major films.
88. Disney character merchandising began with a simple pencil line.
89. Disney's international films often feature unique local adaptations.
90. Walt Disney inspired countless other companies to design amusement parks.

---

Hidden Details for the Fans

91. Pixar often incorporates easter eggs into all of their films.
92. The colors in “Inside Out” are designed to reflect emotions.
93. In “Big Hero 6” you see a poster of Bolt in the background.
94. Wall-E is named after Walter Elias Disney.
95. Merida from “Brave” is the first princess without a love interest.
96. The snow in “Frozen” was designed using a special algorithm.
97. Gaston's Tavern in Magic Kingdom serves specialty dishes such as “LeFou's Brew.”
98. The flags on Pirates of the Caribbean are based on real historical pirate flags.
99. The dragon in Fantasmic! is called Maleficent.
100. Walt Disney's favorite song was “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins.

---

Thanks for reading another magical blog from www.startedwiththemouse.com ! We hope you have become a little wiser about the secrets, facts and trivia of Disney. Do you have a fun Disney fact that is not on this list? Let us know in the comments or via our social media. Who knows, we might add your tip to our next magical list!