History of Walt Disney Animated Feature Films

Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs

Feb 4, 1938

Fact: Walt Disney came up with the idea of retelling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when he was 15.

Pinocchio

Feb 7, 1940

Fact:
It took 12 artists and 18 animators to design the character Pinocchio.

Fantasia

Nov 13, 1940

Fact:
Fantasia was the first film to be screened in stereo sound.

Dumbo

Oct 23, 1941

Fact:
Dumbo is the only lead character to not speak.

Bambi

Aug 13, 1942

Fact:
Donnie Dunagan, the voice of Bambi, later joined the Marines and became its youngest drill instructor.

The Three Caballeros

Dec 21, 1944

Fact:
The Three Caballeros were created by Disney in order to improve the United States relations with South America during World War II.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

Oct 5, 1949

Fact:
The movie is based on the children's novel, "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving.

Cinderella

Feb 15, 1950

Fact:
Cinderella is Walt Disney's favorite princess.

Alice in Wonderland

Jul 28, 1951

Fact:
According to Lewis Carroll, the author of the children's book "Alice in Wonderland, the riddle, "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" has no answer.

Peter Pan

Feb 5, 1953

Fact:
Walt Disney once starred as Peter Pan in a school play.

Lady and the Tramp

Jun 22, 1955

Fact:
Lady is inspired by a real dog named Lady. One of the writers showed Walt Disney several sketches of his own cocker spaniel named Lady and soon wrote a screenplay of the movie.

Sleeping Beauty

Jan 29, 1959

Fact:
The film took a long time to make. Production started in 1951 and the film was made with expensive technology and design.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Jan 25, 1961

Fact:
There are over six million spots in the movie.

The Sword in the Stone

Dec 25, 1963

Fact:
The Sword in the Stone is the last film Walt Disney directed before his death on December 15, 1966.

The Jungle Book

Oct 18, 1967

Fact:
Bruce Reitherman, the voice of Mowgli, is now a wildlife documentarian.

The Aristocats

Dec 24, 1970

Fact:
The Aristocats is based on a true story of a Parisian family of cats that inherited a famous fortune in 1910.

Robin Hood

Nov 8, 1973

Fact:
Some of the dance scenes in the morning were recycled from scenes in Snow White, The Jungle Book and The Aristocats.

The Rescuers

Jun 22, 1977

Fact:
The Rescuers is the first Disney film to inspire a sequel.

The Fox and the Hound

Jul 10, 1981

Fact:
The Fox and the Hound is the first animated Disney movie to use CGI (computer-generated imagery).

The Great Mouse Detective

Jul 2, 1986

Fact:
Production of The Great Mouse Detective only took one year.

Oliver & Company

Nov 18, 1988

Fact:
Oliver & Company is based on the book "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens.

The Little Mermaid

Nov 17, 1989

Fact:
The Little Mermaid started "The Disney Renaissance Era".

Beauty and the Beast

Nov 22, 1991

Fact:
Walt Disney attempted to develop Beauty and the Beast into an animated film in the 1930's and the 1950's, but writers found the original story too hard to adapt.

Aladdin

Nov 25, 1992

Fact:
Aladdin is the first animated movie to gross more than $200 million.

The Lion King

Jun 15, 1994

Fact:
The Lion King is based on Shakespeare's play "Hamlet".

Pocahontas

Jun 23, 1995

Fact:
Pocahontas is the first Disney animated film to have a Native American Protagonist

Toy Story

Nov 22, 1995

Fact:
Toy Story is the first feature-length computer-animated film.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Jun 21, 1996

Fact:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is the first animated Disney film to receive a PG rating due to its dark themes.

Hercules

Jun 14, 1997

Fact:
The movie took 72,000 pencils and 1,000,000 sheets of paper to make.

Mulan

Jun 5, 1998

Fact:
Mulan is the first Disney animated film to openly deal with warfare.

Tarzan

Jun 12, 1999

Fact:
Tarzan's sliding movements on the trees were based off pro-skater Tony Hawk.

The Emperor's New Groove

Dec 10, 2000

Fact:
The character Kuzco is named after the ancient capital of the Incas, Cuzco.

Lilo & Stitch

Jun 16, 2002

Fact:
"Lilo & Stitch" was the first animated Disney film since "Dumbo" to use watercolor painted backgrounds.

Chicken Little

Oct 30, 2005

Fact:
There are over 250,000 feathers on Chicken Little.

Meet The Robinsons

Mar 30, 2007

Fact:
The movie took four years to make.

Bolt

Nov 21, 2008

Fact:
The movie's art style is inspired by the work of Edward Hopper.

The Princess and the Frog

Nov 25, 2009

Fact:
Princess and the Frog is the first 2-D film since Beauty and The Beast to have all the actors do both the speaking and singing parts.

Tangled

Nov 24, 2010

Fact:
Tangled is Disney's first CGI-animated fairy tale adaptation.

Frozen

Nov 27, 2013

Fact:
Frozen is currently the high grossing animated film.

Big Hero 6

Nov 7, 2014

Fact:
Big Hero 6 is based on a Marvel comic.

Zootopia

Mar 4, 2016

Fact:
Zootopia is currently the longest Disney animated feature.

Moana

Nov 23, 2016

Fact:
Moana is currently the most technologically advanced animated film Disney has ever done.