What if we tell you that Disney purposefully made a few mistakes on purpose in order to create a “perfect fairy tale”?
For starters, Mulan pretended to be a man and enlisted in the army with the full support of her family, according to the real Chinese legend. This sounds a little different from what is depicted in the Disney film about her life and times. Walt Disney has created a plethora of wonderful stories that we all adore with all of our hearts and that fill us with wonder each and every time we watch them. Many great and blockbuster movies are based on true events or are deeply linked to our history, but Disney occasionally sacrifices historical accuracy in order to create a true fantasy story.
Who doesn’t love to watch or read this historical Disney information and stories? That’s why we have compiled some amazing stories that will amuse you:
1. Pocahontas and John Smith never had a romance going on.
The arrival of John Smith and other English colonists on the scene coincided with Pocahontas’ 11th birthday. John Smith was 27 years old at the time, and the two of them had never been romantically involved. Native Americans kidnapped John Smith, but he was soon released. In the meantime, he and Pocahontas were teaching their languages to each other.
When she later married an Englishman, her husband’s name was John Rolfe, and their union was the first of its kind to be documented because it was known to be the first marriage between a Native American and a European. Also, her real name was Matoaka, and became Rebecca once she was converted to Christianity.
2. In the army, no one knew Mulan was a woman. Also, Mulan’s parents supported her plan.
Mulan is the name of a real woman who inspired the animated film. Mulan enlisted in the military because her father was ill and her brother was too young to join the military. She had been learning how to fight since she was a child, so she was well prepared when she joined the military. In addition, she didn’t have to leave her house because her family was aware of her plans and encouraged her to carry them out.
When Mulan returned home with a group of people, they discovered she was a woman only after she was seen wearing women’s clothing, despite serving in the military for 12 years and earning numerous awards.
Mulan also had a little brother. Yeah, that’s right, you didn’t pay attention to him. You might need to rewatch the movie and see this little doggo named Little Brother!
3. In Atlantis: The Lost Empire, extinct animals are spotlighted for a reason.
In Atlantis: The Lost Empire, the action takes place in 1914. Coelacanths can be seen in the aquarium, which was thought to be extinct at the time because they weren’t explored until 1938. The situation is related to the lost city of Atlantis, which was previously thought to be a myth
4. During the era of racial segregation, Tiana couldn’t marry Naveen nor can open a restaurant.
The action takes place in New Orleans in the early 1900s, during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation. A black girl (Tiana) would not only not have been able to open her own restaurant, but she would also not have been able to marry Naveen because interracial marriages were illegal at that time.
5. Aurora and Felipe were caught dancing was considered inappropriate during that era.
In one scene, Felipe wraps his arm around Princess Aurora’s waist in Sleeping Beauty. Remember? But, in the 14th century, it was only acceptable to hold hands while dancing, so the way Aurora and Felipe danced would have been considered wildly inappropriate.
6. Jasmine doesn’t fit in with the era because of her clothing choice.
The costumes in Aladdin did not match the era, which is unusual for Disney, which usually strives for historical accuracy. As the story takes place in the 4th–7th centuries CE, it’s likely that Arabian women wore more conservative clothing, including veils that covered their faces and necks.
7. Neither Aladdin’s dream was according to that era.
Aladdin’s belief that he will one day live in a castle, as he tells Abu at the beginning of the film, is another interesting outdated concept in the movie. A person who used to live on a street is unlikely to imagine living in a castle.
When it became possible to change one’s social status in the 19th century, this view was born. There had been no shift in this way of thinking prior to that. Poverty was the only option for those who were born into it. They were well aware of this and could not conceive of living any other way.
8. Lemurs could not have raised a dinosaur in Dinosaur.
After the dinosaur era, primates like lemurs and chimpanzees first appeared millions of years later. So they couldn’t have co-existed with any of them, and they couldn’t have raised one as they did in the movie.
9. The story of Hercules’ birth is a little different than what was depicted in the movies.
It was revealed in the film that Hercules is the son of Zeus and Hera, who lived in idyllic situations. However, Hercules is the son of Zeus and a mortal girl, which enraged Hera. She despised Hercules and made his life difficult from a young age, and it was her, not Hades, who desired Hercules’ death.
Megara had a different, less interesting story. She was a princess and the daughter of Creon, king of the Greek city-state Thebes, who offered Hercules the opportunity to marry his oldest daughter in exchange for aiding in the defeat of their rivals.
10. Megara and their children were killed by Hercules.
If you’ve ever wondered why there isn’t a sequel to Hercules, it’s probably because, according to legend, it was no fun after that. According to legend, Hercules later went to the underworld, but when he returned, he discovered that a usurper named Lycus had taken the crown and was about to kill his family. Hercules ends up killing him and saves his wife and children, but Hera persuades him that his sons are actually Lycus’ sons. Hercules kills his children and Megara in a fit of rage.
Which Disney historical story caught your eyes the most? Let us know in the comments section below.