Did you know that Mickey Mouse wasn’t Walt Disney’s first cartoon?

Ever wanted to know some wild facts about the happiest place on Earth? Whether you’re a lifelong Disney lover or not, we think you’ll find these Disney facts pretty compelling. Plus, trivia for kids is always a fun way to entertain! These fascinating facts about Disney are sure to wow your young Mouseketeers and maybe even inspire a Disney trivia for kids-themed game night.

Disney trivia for kids
Disney/Matt Stroshane

1. Mickey might be the most famous mouse in the world, but Walt Disney’s first cartoon character was actually a rabbit named Oswald.

2. Covering 25,000 acres or 43 square miles, the Walt Disney World Resort is about the same size as San Francisco, so make sure you pack your walking shoes!

3. The iconic spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp almost didn’t make it into the movie because Walt didn’t think it would work. Luckily he changed his mind after seeing a ruff cut.

4. Cats roam around Disneyland at night. The helpful felines keep the mice (other than Mickey and Minnie) at bay.

5. The Buy-N-Large or BNL logo from the mega-corporation made famous in Wall-E appears in several other Pixar films. For example, Buzz Lightyear’s batteries are BNL brand. 

6. If you’re walking down Main Street and you suddenly crave popcorn, blame the scent machines. The Disney Smellitizer (a machine patented by Disney Imagineering) emits different scents throughout the theme parks. 

7. Mickey and Minnie are married in real life! Wayne Anthony Allwine, who voiced Mickey for over three decades, married Russi Taylor, who played Minnie.

8. Though it was only utilized in a handful of scenes, The Little Mermaid was the first Disney film to incorporate Pixar’s computer animation process. (BONUS: Walt had the idea for this film as far back as the late 1930s)

9. Sleeping Beauty Castle was not designed with Princess Aurora in mind. It went through several themes, including a Medieval castle, Robin Hood’s castle, and even Snow White’s castle. It was finally named for the slumbering royal to promote the release of the upcoming film. 

10. Lilo and Stitch features more original Elvis Presley songs than any of the King’s own films.

Disney facts and Disney trivia for kids
Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort

11. The Pizza Planet delivery truck from Toy Story makes a cameo appearance in every Pixar film except for The Incredibles.

12. Buzz Lightyear was originally going to be named Lunar Larry.

13. Despite the fame of Disney royalty, there is a 30-year gap between the release of Sleeping Beauty and its next princess predecessor, The Little Mermaid.

14. A secret basketball court is hidden inside the bowels of the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland.

15. When the Pirates of the Caribbean ride opened in 1967, it featured real skeletons procured from the medical research department of UCLA.

16. The first words ever spoken by Mickey Mouse in a 1929 animated short was “Hot dog!”

17. The color of Elsa’s ice palace in Frozen changes with her mood, from purple when she’s sad to blue when she’s happy and red when she’s scared.

18. Disney hides classic characters in the backgrounds of its animated films. For example, Mickey, Goofy and Donald all appear in the opening sequence of The Little Mermaid.

19. Hidden Mickeys are sprinkled throughout the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World, see if you can spot them!

Disney trivia for kids
Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland

20. Aladdin’s Jasmine is the only Disney Princess who is not the star of her film. She is also the first and only Middle Eastern princess.

21. Wall-E and R2D2 have the same “voice.” Both characters' unique sounds were created by sound designer Ben Burtt.

22. The sorcerer in Fantasia is named ‘Yen Sid,’ see if you can decipher where that came from (Hint: Read it backward!).

23. Doritos were invented at Disneyland in 1966. On a whim, a park restaurant called Casa de Fritos served up repurposed stale tortillas, and the recipe was later purchased by Frito Lay.

24. Merida, from Brave, is the only Disney Princess who doesn’t sing.

25. Mickey Mouse Ears are the most popular souvenir item sold at Disney Parks, with over three million pairs sold annually. 

Disney trivia for kids and fun Disney facts
Laura Green

26. In keeping with the pre-indoor-plumbing Revolutionary era, you won’t find any bathrooms in Walt Disney World’s Liberty Square.

27. Mickey was originally named Mortimer. It was Walt’s wife, Lillian, who suggested he change the name.

28. With absolutely zero lines, Dumbo is the quietest lead character of any Disney film, followed by Aurora, who has exactly 18 lines of dialogue.

29. The horses that pull the carriages along Main Street have rubber-soled shoes. The design is to protect the horses' feet, but it also bolsters the natural ‘clip-clop’ sound.

30. When Disneyland opened in 1955, the price of admission was just one dollar. Guests had to pay separately to ride each attraction, but the cost ranged from just 10 to 35 cents.

Kate Loweth

31. The Anaheim Disney park originally opened as a production studio and some films were produced there before it became a theme park. It is only 0.13 square miles.

32. EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Walt wanted to create a futuristic city with shopping, restaurants, residential properties, and more. He was frustrated by the inefficient infrastructure in the United States, but the idea was abandoned after Walt's death.

33. Disney received a customized Oscar for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

34. Donnie Dunagan, who was the voice of Bambi when he was a child, grew up to be a United States Marine Corps major.

35. Disney's Animal Kingdom doesn't allow balloons or straws out of safety for the animals but also to begin eliminating single-use plastics.

36. Mickey Mouse is the first animated character to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

37. Another Disney princess attended Elsa's coronation day in Arendelle. Who was it? Rapunzel. 

 

Ask your little movie critics for an example of an animated movie and you’re bound to hear: Toy Story, Cars, Inside Out (or anything else Pixar-made). But, did you know some of the best stories weren’t even created in this century? Read on to discover animation through the ages—from the 19th century to today. We even give movie suggestions and quick shorts for the family to watch together!

 photo: Josh Hallett via flickr

Zoetrope (19th c.)
According to John Lasseter (director of Toy Story), the zoetrope is the best example to understanding how animation works. The zoetrope is a cylindrical device with images that appear to move when spun, kind of like a flip book. This was one of the oldest forms of moving pictures that people would gather around to watch.

To Watch: Learn more about how little changes can bring a moment to life in this Pixar short here.

 

photo: puppetmister via flickr

Traditional Animation (20th c.)
If you ever get nostalgic about the style in Disney classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Bambi and other flicks that came pre-VHS, you’re reminiscing about traditional animation. This hand-drawn, hand-painted style is labor intensive and expensive as it requires the artist to get every frame right, along with the timing for voice overs and music. 

To Watch: If you really want to appreciate the details of traditional animation, watch Spirited Away (2001) by Studio Ghibli, which you can rent through your local library. Never heard of Spirited Away? Watch the trailer here.

 

photo: Geekxgirls.com

2D Computer Animation (20th – 21st c.)
When modern technology gave animators more control over their work, hand drawn animation slowly faded into the background. It meant that animators could change aspects of their drawings without having to re-do all the work. This technique is most often used for TV cartoons today, like Daniel Tiger.

Fun Fact: Production on Beauty and the Beast (which was a combination of traditional and computer) ran out of time and money, so they had to re-use the dancing scenes from Sleeping Beauty.

To Watch: To see a stunning 2D animation in action, check out Oscar winning short Paperman here.

 

photo: roninzer0 via flickr

Stop-Motion Animation (19th – 21st c.)
Stop-motion animation is a technique where the creator physically manipulates objects to make it look like they are moving on their own. Old black and white movies would use this method for scenes that required “magic.” Today it’s often a stylistic choice by the director and production company. We can’t imagine Nightmare Before Christmas being as frightening without it’s rickety movements. Do you think Chicken Run would have been just as funny if the hens escaped without a hitch?

To Watch: Get a glimpse of how cool stop-motion can be in the shortest Oscar nominated clip ever Fresh Guacamole.

 

photo: kristoffbjorgman.tumblr.com

3D Computer Animation (21st c.)
Finding Nemo, Minions, Toy Story… the movies your kids have come to love and recognize as “animations” are actually categorized as 3D computer animations. Computers also give animators the ability to create photo realistic worlds much more easily. Think of the clouds in How to Train Your Dragon, Up and the landscapes in Ice Age–those places look so authentic that some people even look for these destinations in real life.

However, modern technology doesn’t necessarily speed up production. An animated film can still take years and years to create.

Fun Fact: The scene in Frozen where Elsa walks out of her ice palace took 132 hours (more than 5 days) to generate, and that’s not including the time it took to draft, draw and create!

To Watch: If your kids loved Inside Out, then they’ll enjoy this hilarious student film Brain Divided. Watch it on YouTube here.

Which animation did you love watching? Share it in the Comments below!

— Christal Yuen