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13 Random and Obscure Facts About Disney That Most People Don’t Know

If you think you’re the biggest fan of Disney that ever lived and you know absolutely everything there is to know about the House of Mouse (and everything that goes along with it), well…you might be right.

Just in case you’re not, though, don’t you want to scroll through these 13 Disney facts and see what we’ve got?

You never know, we could surprise you!

13. The voice of Cinderella’s narrator might sound familiar.

Image Credit: Disney

Betty Lou Gerson was also the voice of Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians.

12. Walt Disney mortgaged his home to make Snow White happen.

Image Credit: Disney

It was obviously a gamble that paid off, but he must have been nervous.

Even his wife, Lillian, suspected the movie would be a bust.

11. Snow White was also the first movie to be released with an accompanying soundtrack.

Image Credit: Disney

A practice that’s obviously made a lot of people a lot of money in the decades since.

10. There had been a previously released single, from “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf,” though.

Image Credit: Disney

The 78 rpm record was a big seller.

9. Lady Tremaine (Cinderella) and Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty) are both voiced by Eleanor Audley.

Image Credit: Disney

Apparently scary lady voices are hard to find.

8. Eleanor Audley is also the voice of Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion Ride.

Image Credit: Disney

The face you see in the crystal ball, though, is Imagineer Leota Toombs Thomas.

7. The first Disney character merchandise was a Mickey Mouse writing tablet.

Released in 1930, the licensing of the character to earn extra money was an eye-opener./h1>

6. “When You Wish Upon A Star” was Disney’s first Oscar-winning song.

The tune from Pinocchio won for Best Original Song.

5. The Haunted Mansion ride is in a different land at every Disney park.

Image Credit: Disney

New Orleans Square at Disneyland, Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland, and in Paris, you’ll find it in Frontierland.

4. Disney was a big part of the WWII war effort.

90% of their production was propaganda films, training films, print campaigns, and other things that supported the Allies’ war effort.

3. Sleeping Beauty took 8 years to make.

Image Credit: Disney

It went into production in 1951 and was released in 1959 – Disney was working on building Disneyland at the same time.

2. Cinderella was shot in live action first.

Image Credit: Disney

Animators then used the live-action movements as reference to animate the movie. Wild.

1. Anita from 101 Dalmatians was based on Julie Andrews.

Image Credit: Disney

There’s probably no way to make a human more likable.

Well, I’m waiting on the verdict!

Tell us in the comments which, if any, of these facts were new to you!