11 Truths You Don't Know, Disney Rewrote History For Their Own Purposes
By  anonymous
Sept. 25, 2024

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Via Disney


Disney gave us some of the most beautiful movies and stories ever to grace the big screen. However, they took some creative license, which allows them to tweak the narratives of a plot to create a more stimulating effect. And on some other times to arouse more suspense.


Here are 11 notable times Disney chose to change a story to fit their purposes:


1. Jasmine Was a Bit of a Trendsetter

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This is somewhat surprising because Disney is usually historically accurate when it comes to their clothing and costume, if nothing else. That's why Jasmine's clothing choices are a bit strange for the times.


Aladdin was probably set in the 4th-7th century when Arabian girls dressed much more conservatively than Disney would lead us to believe. Maybe Jasmine was the fashionista of her time, or she just had a rebellious streak. Only Disney will ever know for sure.


2. Aladdin Was Quite the Optimist

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While our society thrives on ideals such as the American Dream, Hollywood trends, and self-made success stories, it wasn’t always so. In fact, up until the 19th century, changing your social status was nearly impossible.


Thus, someone like Aladdin, who was vividly born poor, would have very little chance of changing his lot in life. We love his optimism and refusal to quit, but the story would probably have ended a lot more sadly in the real world. Right call on this one Disney.


3. Maybe Disney Did Have Some Good Ideas in Atlantis: The Lost Empire

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If you watched the movie closely (or rewatched it after reading this article), you'd notice a Coelacanth swimming in the Professor's aquarium.


Besides being a bizarre-looking fish, there's another creative blunder that wouldn't go unnoticed. Coelacanths were extinct in 1914, the year the movie was set (or at least people believed they were).


The aquatic species, which was initially believed to be extinct, was rediscovered in 1938. However, this was technically after the events of the movie occurred. Thus, it was thoughtful of Disney to sneak in a thought-to-be extinct fish. It tied quite nicely with the Atlantis theme.


4. Any Love Affair Between John Smith and Pocahontas Might Have Been Awkward

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Have you seen this popular 1995 Disney version of the narrative, where Disney portrayed and made us believe that the Englishman, John Smith has a brief but beautiful romance with the Native American Princess, Pocahontas? That was a very obvious blunder.  However, the reason for this is not farfetched.


If Disney had stuck to the facts, any romance between the two would have been awkward as Pocahontas was only 11 years old at the time while John was 27 years old.


However, the pair may have had some interactions and probably exchanged a few words, but it was nothing like the fairytale Disney led us to believe.


5. Mulan’s Parents Supported Her Decision to Join the Army

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The Disney movie Mulan is a narrative of the famous Chinese poem known as The Ballad of Mulan. While Disney did get some historical facts correct, they gave themselves some creative license and strayed from the script.


In the ballad, Mulan was indeed a well-trained fighter before she ever thought of joining the army. In the real sense, she enlisted in the military because her father was too old and weak, while her younger brother (who was completely written out of the movie) was still just a child.


Her parents were fully aware of her decision and even supported her. Another shocking fact Disney changed is that nobody in the army knew she was a woman until her return home after the conquest at war.


6. Disney Should Have Hired a Paleontologist

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Of course, Disney couldn’t resist giving us a dinosaur movie. The movie Dinosaurs was a heartwarming tale and featured some pretty accurate depictions of its time's fauna, except for the lemurs.


Primates (of which lemurs belong to) did not exist until millions of years after the dinosaur dynasty. This makes it pretty unlikely that a group of lemurs could have raised a dinosaur. It did make for a good movie, though.


7. Frozen Was Set in the 1800s, meaning the characters should Have Had Guns

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Well, you have to give them some slack here because Frozen is more of a traditional Disney fairytale than a historical representation of the times (I doubt Ice Queens played a significant role in Scandinavian politics).


However, there is quite a lot of swordplay in the movie. This is historically inaccurate as guns had existed in Europe since at least the 1400s. We can forgive Disney for this little white lie since a firearm would have shortened the movie considerably. Have you, for any moment, imagined the chances of Elsa surviving a gunfight?

 

8. Hercules Might Need Some Family Counseling

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Unlike the picture-perfect scenario painted by Disney, Hercules isn’t the son of love-struck Zeus and Hera. Realistically, he is the result of an affair between Zeus and a mortal, something I’m sure Hera didn’t appreciate.


In fact, according to the legends, Hera spent most of Hercules' childhood trying to kill him. This must have made for some pretty awkward family meetings.


9. Hercules' and Megara's Story is a Tragedy

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Hercules did eventually marry Megara, daughter of the king of Thebes, and they had children together. However, after Hercules took a brief trip to the underworld, things took a sour turn.


Through a twisted series of events, Hera convinces Hercules that his children aren’t his but that of the usurper, Lycus. In a jealous rage, Hercules murders Lycus, Megara, and his kids. Talk about a plot twist.

 

10. Tiana’s Dream Prince and Restaurant Would Have Been Just a Dream

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The Princess and the Frog were set in the 1900's New Orleans, a time of racial segregation and oppressive Jim Crow laws. It was a gory and a not so good time in history to be an African American.


So, it is highly unlikely that Tiana (a black girl) would open her restaurant and marry Naveen (who isn't black). It was nice of Disney to let her have this moment, though.


11. A Little Dirty Dancing in the Sleeping

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Sleeping Beauty had everything a typical Disney movie should have. A handsome Prince, a beautiful damsel in distress and a bit of dirty dancing?


What do you think of these historical inaccuracies? Do you think Disney took some a little too far? Let us know which one surprised you the most.