Welcome to an exploration of historical inaccuracies in Disney movies! Disney films are beloved for their enchanting stories and magical worlds, but sometimes they take creative liberties with history. Let’s dive into some examples where Disney’s storytelling doesn’t quite match up with historical facts.
Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is set in the late 15th century, but the Notre Dame Cathedral depicted in the film includes elements that weren’t added until later. For instance, the large statues of the Twelve Apostles seen in the movie weren’t present during that time. Additionally, the dramatic stairs where Quasimodo’s mother dies are fictional; the real Notre Dame is mostly at ground level.
In “Sleeping Beauty,” Prince Philip mentions the 14th century, giving us a timeframe for the story. However, when Aurora dances with the prince, they waltz—a dance that didn’t become popular until the 16th century. In reality, they would have been doing a different type of dance, like a line dance.
“Mulan” is based on an ancient Chinese legend from the 6th century. However, the film mixes various elements from different periods of Chinese history. For example, the Great Wall of China shown in the movie didn’t exist in its depicted form until the 14th century. Mulan also uses simplified Chinese characters, which were developed in the 1950s, and the multicolored fireworks seen in the film weren’t invented until the 19th century.
“Beauty and the Beast” is likely set in 18th-century France, as suggested by the presence of rifles. However, the Eiffel Tower appears during the “Be Our Guest” scene, even though its construction didn’t start until 1887.
There’s some debate about when “Tarzan” takes place. While the first book was published in 1914, some suggest the story is set in the late 1880s. Regardless, it doesn’t make sense when Jane mentions meeting Charles Darwin and Rudyard Kipling, as Darwin died in 1882 and Kipling became famous in 1889.
“Frozen” is designed to have an 1840s Western European look. This means Elsa’s reference to “frozen fractals” in the song “Let It Go” is anachronistic, as the term “fractal” was first used in 1975. Additionally, during the 1840s, rifles would have been more common than swords and crossbows.
“Tangled” is set in the 1780s, which means Rapunzel wouldn’t have had access to matches for lighting candles, as they weren’t invented until later.
In “Hercules,” there are inaccuracies regarding his parentage. In mythology, Hercules was not the son of Hera; his mother was a mortal woman named Alcmene.
The presence of King Richard in “Robin Hood” places the story between 1189 and 1199. However, the film includes anachronisms like badminton and farthing coins, which didn’t exist during that time.
In Disney’s “Dinosaur,” a dinosaur is raised by lemurs, but lemurs didn’t exist during the time of non-avian dinosaurs.
“Atlantis: The Lost Empire” features coelacanths in an aquarium, but these fish weren’t rediscovered until 1938.
Jasmine’s outfit in “Aladdin” wouldn’t have been accurate for the 4th to 7th century CE, as she would have worn looser clothing and likely a veil. The film also includes modern references, leading some to theorize it takes place in a post-apocalyptic future.
The opening of “Pinocchio” features a clasp-bound book, but the story was published in 1883, and books of that time wouldn’t have had clasps.
In “101 Dalmatians,” a TV show within the movie features a dog named Thunderbolt, but the type of advertising shown would have been against UK rules at the time.
In the live-action film “Saving Mr. Banks,” there are inaccuracies regarding Walt Disney and Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers. They never visited Disneyland together, and Travers had signed away the rights to her work in 1960 before meeting Disney. While she did cry at the premiere of “Mary Poppins,” it wasn’t for the reasons shown in the film.
The real Pocahontas experienced much more turmoil than depicted in the movie, and she was only about ten years old when John Smith entered her life. There was no romance between them; they were just friends.
Thanks for exploring these Disney movie inaccuracies! Feel free to share your favorite Disney anachronism or fact. Remember, even with historical liberties, these films continue to entertain and inspire audiences worldwide.
Choose one Disney movie from the article and research its historical setting. Create a presentation comparing the movie’s depiction with actual historical facts. Highlight at least three inaccuracies and explain why they might have been included for storytelling purposes.
Pick a scene from a Disney movie mentioned in the article and rewrite it to be historically accurate. Use your imagination to describe how the scene would change if it adhered to historical facts. Share your story with the class and discuss the impact of these changes on the narrative.
Create a timeline that includes the historical events and periods mentioned in the article. For each Disney movie, place it on the timeline according to its setting and note the anachronisms. Use visuals and brief descriptions to make your timeline engaging and informative.
Participate in a class debate on the importance of historical accuracy in films. Form two groups: one arguing for strict adherence to history and the other supporting creative license for storytelling. Use examples from the article to support your arguments and consider the impact on audience engagement.
Design a historically accurate costume for a character from one of the Disney movies discussed in the article. Research the clothing styles of the time period and create a drawing or collage of your design. Present your artwork to the class and explain the historical elements you included.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to my salon. This is a Mental Floss video, and today we’re discussing some architectural inaccuracies in Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” The story takes place in the late 15th century, but the Notre Dame in the film features elements that weren’t added until later, such as the large statues of the Twelve Apostles, which wouldn’t have been present despite their appearances in the movie. Additionally, the stairs where Quasimodo’s mother died are not accurate; the real Notre Dame is more or less at ground level without large stairs in front of it. Disney often incorporates anachronisms, and I’m going to share several examples with you today.
In “Sleeping Beauty,” Prince Philip tells his father, “You’re living in the past; this is the 14th century,” giving us a timeframe for the film. However, there are issues with this, such as when Aurora waltzes with the prince. This type of dance emerged in the 16th century, so Philip and Aurora would have likely been doing a line dance or something involving holding hands, rather than the waltz.
Moving on to “Mulan,” which is based on an ancient Chinese legend. The story was first written in the 6th century, and it was believed that Mulan lived sometime between 420 and 589 CE. Unfortunately, Disney didn’t take those dates into account and mixed various elements of Chinese history. For instance, the Great Wall of China appears in the film, but the version shown didn’t exist until the 14th century CE. Mulan also writes text on her arm that is in simplified Chinese, which wasn’t developed until the 1950s. Additionally, while fireworks are present in the film, multicolored fireworks weren’t developed until the 19th century.
As for “Beauty and the Beast,” it’s likely set in the 1700s in France, based on clues like the appearance of rifles. However, an anachronism occurs when the Eiffel Tower appears during the “Be Our Guest” scene, as construction didn’t start until 1887.
There’s some debate about when “Tarzan” takes place. The first book about him was published in 1914, but Disney enthusiasts suggest it occurs around the late 1880s. Regardless, it doesn’t make sense when Jane tells Tarzan she can take him to meet Charles Darwin and Rudyard Kipling, as Darwin died in 1882 and Kipling became famous in 1889.
“Frozen” likely takes place around the same time, as the costume designer aimed for an 1840 Western European look. This means Elsa wouldn’t refer to “frozen fractals” in the song “Let It Go,” since the term “fractal” was first used in 1975. Additionally, in the 1840s, there would have been more rifles than swords and crossbows in the film.
Now, let’s discuss “Tangled.” It’s said to take place in the same universe as “Tarzan” and “Frozen,” and is set in the 1780s. This means Rapunzel wouldn’t have been able to use matches to light candles.
“Hercules” is based on a mythological character, but there are inaccuracies in the portrayal. For example, he was never said to be the son of Hera; his mother was actually immortal.
In “Robin Hood,” the presence of King Richard helps place the film between 1189 and 1199, but there are anachronisms, such as badminton and farthing coins, which didn’t exist during that time.
Disney’s “Dinosaur,” released in 2000, features a dinosaur raised by lemurs, but there were no lemurs during the time of non-avian dinosaurs. Similarly, in “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” coelacanths appear in an aquarium, but they weren’t rediscovered until 1938.
Jasmine’s outfit in “Aladdin” would not have been accurate for the 4th to 7th century CE, as she would have worn looser clothing and likely a veil. The film also contains many anachronisms, including references to modern figures, leading some to theorize it takes place in a post-apocalyptic future.
The opening of “Pinocchio” features a clasp-bound book, but the story was published in 1883, and books of that time wouldn’t have had clasps. In “101 Dalmatians,” a TV show within the movie features a dog named Thunderbolt, but the type of advertising shown would have been against the rules in the UK at the time.
Finally, in the live-action film “Saving Mr. Banks,” there are important corrections regarding Walt Disney and Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers. They never visited Disneyland together, and Travers had signed away the rights to her work in 1960 before meeting Walt Disney. While she did cry at the premiere of “Mary Poppins,” it was not for the reasons depicted in the film.
Pocahontas, the real woman, experienced much more turmoil than portrayed in the movie, and she was only about ten years old when John Smith entered her life. There was no romance between Pocahontas and John Smith; they were just friends.
Thanks for watching this episode of Mental Floss video! Leave your favorite Disney anachronism or fact in the comments, and as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!
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This version removes any informal language and maintains a more polished tone while preserving the original content’s essence.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – The history of ancient civilizations helps us understand how societies have evolved over time.
Art – The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture. – The Renaissance period is renowned for its incredible contributions to art and culture.
Inaccuracies – Errors or mistakes in information or details. – Historians often work to correct inaccuracies in historical records to provide a clearer picture of the past.
Disney – A major American entertainment company known for its animated films and theme parks. – Disney has adapted many classic fairy tales into animated movies that are loved by audiences worldwide.
Movies – Films or motion pictures that tell stories through moving images and sound. – Historical movies can bring important events to life, making them more engaging for students.
Culture – The social behavior, norms, and practices of a particular nation or people. – The culture of ancient Egypt is reflected in its art, architecture, and religious beliefs.
Characters – The people or beings that appear in a story, play, or movie. – Historical characters like Julius Caesar have been depicted in numerous plays and films.
Timeline – A graphical representation of a chronological sequence of events. – Creating a timeline of the American Revolution helps students understand the sequence of key events.
Mythology – A collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition. – Greek mythology includes fascinating stories about gods and heroes that have influenced Western art and literature.
Legends – Traditional stories or tales that are regarded as historical but not authenticated. – The legends of King Arthur have inspired countless works of literature and art throughout history.
