Top 10 Disney Questions That Got Answered

Mickey Mouse was already an icon by the time he appeared in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” with a slick redesign. Without any dialogue, though, the Sorcerer’s name never comes up. In a 1940 screenplay for “Fantasia,” the Sorcerer is identified as Yen Sid (Disney spelled backward). The filmmakers not only confirmed this as the Sorcerer’s official name, but also that the character was modeled after Walt Disney himself. Walt would occasionally use Retlaw Yensid as a pseudonym, most notably for a story credit in the 1966 comedy, “Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.” With Yen Sid reflecting Walt’s stern, no-nonsense demeanor and Mickey bringing out his playful, experimental side, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” centers on two opposites who together paint a full portrait of Mr. Disney.

Many Disney movies bring up the same question: “Where’s the protagonist’s mom?” “The Little Mermaid” got around to answering this in the straight-to-video “Ariel’s Beginning.” While Ariel’s mom was briefly mentioned in the TV series, she didn’t make an onscreen appearance until this prequel. Queen Athena is the spitting image of Ariel… but not really her other six daughters. Ariel inherited a love of singing from her mother, who received a music box from Triton on their anniversary. While trying to rescue oldest daughter Attina and reclaim her music box, Athena is crushed by a pirate ship. Her death causes a grief-stricken Triton to go “Footloose” on the kingdom. Ariel brings music back in Ren McCormack fashion, although Triton remains skeptical about human stuff.

Crashing into Marlin’s life, Dory remembers little about her past outside of the fact that she has a short-term memory. Dory ponders where her family is, although she immediately forgets what she was thinking about. The question doesn’t come up again until the sequel, which takes place one year later. In a flashback, we learn that Dory was separated from her mom and dad. Dory just keeps swimming… in the wrong direction, eventually switching priorities. When a memory is triggered, Dory once again sets out to find her parents, who never stopped looking for her. It’s a happy ending for Dory, but not so much for the Tank Gang, who miraculously floated across the ocean in plastic bags without starving, only to be captured again!

“Tangled” opens with an elderly Mother Gothel discovering the Sundrop Flower, unlocking its powers with a song. The film otherwise doesn’t delve deep into Gothel’s life before she captured Rapunzel, but the follow-up series provides further insight. It’s suggested that Gothel was a pupil of Lord Demanitus, betraying him in favor of the evil Zhan Tiri. This would explain how Gothel already knew so much about the Sundrop, which is revealed to have a counterpart, the Moonstone. Gothel is only interested in the Sundrop, though, since it can restore youth. Once Rapunzel absorbs the Sundrop’s powers, Gothel kidnaps the princess while abandoning her biological daughter, Cassandra. Gothel is an even worse mother than we thought, setting the stage for an epic sibling rivalry years later.

Co-director Jared Bush has taken to social media to answer numerous questions about “Encanto,” confirming that if the Madrigal family were to adopt a child, they would still get a gift. Speaking of gifts, Dolores hears everything that goes on in Casita. She even knew Bruno was still living there, although she didn’t share that information. This led viewers to wonder exactly how honest Dolores is. One fan pointed to a scene where Dolores tells Isabela that Mariano wants five babies. It was theorized that Dolores made this up - both to mess with Isabela and because she secretly loves Mariano. When asked about the exchange, Bush replied, “I mean… the evidence is right here.” Dolores hears all, but that doesn’t mean she tells all.

In “Toy Story 2,” Stinky Pete tells Woody that nothing lasts forever, noting that Andy probably won’t take him to college. Woody nonetheless decides to make the most of Andy’s childhood, but time flies. While a college-bound Andy has moved on from his playthings, he can’t quite bring himself to let go of Woody yet. It appears Pete’s premonition was off, although he was pretty close on the whole “rotting in some landfill” thing. Thankfully, the toys survive their encounter with an incinerator, making it back to Andy. Before departing, Woody is motivated to pass his toys on to a girl named Bonnie, leaving us with just one more question: whatever happened to Bo Peep? You’ll have to watch “Toy Story 4” to find out!

Watching “The Lion King,” one has to wonder, “Was Simba’s uncle named Scar at birth, coincidentally getting a facial wound later in life?” “The Lion Guard” TV series reveals that Scar was merely a nickname. Mufasa’s younger brother was born Askari. Becoming the Lion Guard, Askari initially protected the Pride Lands before letting power go to his head. His mind was further poisoned after a rogue lion’s cobra bit his left eye, giving him his signature look. Killing the lion and cobra, Askari received the nickname Scar from Mufasa. This only fuels the animosity between the brothers, leading to Scar usurping Pride Rock with help from the hyenas. By the way, the hyenas survive the events of “The Lion King,” but only thanks to cannibalism.

Arendelle’s King and Queen become lost at sea in “Frozen,” their intended destination left unknown. The internet cooked up a fun theory that the couple was heading to Rapunzel’s wedding, their sunken ship was the same one from “The Little Mermaid,” and they were stranded on an island with their newborn son, Tarzan. While the “Frozen” filmmakers humored this theory, they gave an official explanation in the sequel. Discovering their parents’ wrecked ship, our heroes learn that the King and Queen were searching for Ahtohallan, hoping that they could unlock the mystery of Elsa’s powers. They only got so far, but Elsa finds that her powers aren’t a curse, but rather a gift that nature granted after her mother selflessly saved her father years ago.

While the narrator identifies him as the Prince and his servants call him Master, Belle refers to her beau as Beast. Now that he’s human again, Beast is hardly a proper name. So, what did Belle call him going forward? Did his real name ever come? Did Belle even ask? You won’t find the answer in any of the films, but you will in the 1998 Disney trivia CD-ROM game, “The D Show.” During a Fast Focus round, the player is asked to identify the character - the correct answer being Prince Adam. It’s unclear where the name Adam came from. Even the filmmakers aren’t entirely in agreement. With the name being used for other tie-in material, though, many consider Prince Adam to be canon.

Everyone knows that Robin Williams brought The Genie to life, but you might be surprised to learn that he also voiced the peddler at the beginning of “Aladdin.” This sparked a theory that the peddler was truly the Genie in disguise. Aside from sharing the same voice actor, this would tie into the film’s overarching theme with Jasmine pretending to be a peasant and Aladdin pretending to be a prince. The theory made so much sense that it had to be true… which it was! Directors John Musker and Ron Clements confirmed that this was their intention. They even planned an ending where the peddler unveils his true identity. It didn’t make the final cut, but the peddler is officially more than he seems.

Which Disney questions do you still have? Let us know in the comments!