Disney movies have grown and adapted over the years. However, no matter how much the writing or animation of Disney films has changed, some attributes have remained steady over the years. Plenty of Disney movies share similar storylines or concepts in a mold that has proven to work for decades. While there are similarities and differences between old and new Disney movies, there are numerous standard plot lines that have woven themselves into several Disney films.
The Princess movie brand of Disney heavily features romantic leading or subplots, such as Cinderella or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. However, other films want to focus on familial or platonic love at the forefront of the importance of the story, such as Lilo and Stitch or Frozen. Disney films are also very well known for killing off one of both of the character’s parents or important relatives to supply their motivation to the audience or make the central character empathetic, something that works in The Lion King and Big Hero 6. Over the years, Disney has provided many different films that, while they are individual in their own right, also provide a series of similar plot lines, even if their execution is portrayed differently between the older and newer movies.
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Dead Parents
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures The Lion King
The Lion King is famously known for this one. Although both of Simba’s parents are alive at the start of the movie, things get going when Scar’s plan results in Mufasa’s tragic death. But, it is not bad enough that Simba witnesses the entire thing; Scar convinces him that it is Simba’s fault that Mufasa is dead, and Simba has a better chance of survival if he runs away. Scar takes advantage of Simba’s absence, taking over the kingdom. However, from the moment Simba is tricked into believing he caused his father’s death, the audience is steadily behind Simba, if they are not already.
Although Hiro’s parents had already passed away prior to the start of the movie, with Hiro and his older brother, Tadashi, living with their aunt, Big Hero 6 pulls that same plot when Tadashi dies. Hiro, devastated, refuses to attend college and hides away from his brother’s friends. Finally, however, Hiro finds himself latching onto his brother’s last creation, Baymax, finding a companion in the robot and considering him the last thing Hiro has of Tadashi.
Other Disney films that feature dead parents include Brother Bear, Frozen, Bambi, Tarzan, The Jungle Book, Cinderella, and many more.
The Disney Princess
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Ralph Breaks The Internet
One of the story tropes that allowed Disney to grow into the sensation it became is its decision to create the Disney Princess, who eventually finds love with a prince. Such a trope has evolved to become known as harmful and non-romantic, mainly as many of the “true love” moments occur in non-consensual situations. Plenty of elements of the romances in Disney films have not aged well.
Ralph Breaks The Internet took the opportunity to call out Disney’s use of the princess trope, even if more recent Disney Princesses have had a more significant stake in their own lives and destinies. In Ralph Breaks The Internet, Vanellope ends up stuck in a room with all of Disney’s most famous princesses, where they make fun of how people deem their problems were solved because a man showed up.
Evil Opponents
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Tangled
Whether it be Captain Hook in Peter Pan, Yzma in The Emperor’s New Groove, Hades in Hercules, or Mother Gothel in Tangled, Disney films are filled with evil antagonists. However, some are more evil for the sake of there being an antagonist in the movie. Meanwhile, other Disney films create a villain for the sake of having a more significant narrative discussion.
For example, in Zootopia, the movie uses its main antagonist, Dawn Bellwether, to have a larger discussion about racism and discrimination. In Tangled, Mother Gothel is a solid example of controlling and someone who uses gaslighting to keep Rapunzel under her thumb. Yzma’s desire for control of the empire leads her to want Kuzco out of the way.
Generational Trauma
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Encanto
Encanto and Turning Red feature storylines about generational trauma. In Encanto, Mirabel is the only member of her family without a magical gift, which has resulted in conflict between her and her grandmother, Alma. Mirabel wants to make her family proud but faces adversity feeling the pressure of her grandmother’s wishes for their family. Meanwhile, Mirabel’s sisters, Luisa and Isabela, constantly feel the pressure to be perfect in their family. Luisa feels she must be helpful with her strength and carry on, no matter what she feels. Although considered perfect for creating flowers and plants, Isabela wants to expand and acknowledge that she is not perfect. The generational trauma also spreads to Bruno, who runs away after it is made to seem that he is hurting the family, even though he loves them.
In Turning Red, the movie explores the different perspectives mother and daughter duo Ming and Mei have toward their red panda counterparts. Ming had happily locked hers away years ago. She could not handle how large her red panda would get and did not enjoy having a persona capable of rising if Ming lost control. Mei, terrified at the beginning, finds herself starting to love being a red panda. Mei and Ming’s differing perspectives on the same event cause strife and conflict as they can not understand the other’s perspective. However, Turning Red is also about self-acceptance and parents’ understanding when their behavior or actions have been wrong. Showing parents apologizing to their kids and acknowledging being in the wrong is a significant step, as it shows that parents are not perfect, and they know it. However, it also opens doors for healthier relationships between parents and children when parents accept responsibility for their wrongful behavior rather than the child having to take their parent’s actions no matter how badly it hurts them.
The Power Of Love And Friendship
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Love can break even the deadliest of curses as long as it’s true. Whether it be true love’s kiss or an act of true love in whatever form, love is the key to numerous conflicts or problems in Disney movies. In Frozen, an act of true love can save Anna from a frozen heart. However, it is not Kristoff’s rush for a romantic moment that saves her life. Instead, Elsa’s love for her sister saves the day. In Beauty and the Beast, true love saves the Beast from having to remain a beast forever.
Discovering One’s Own Path
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Moana
Even though Moana’s father wants her to steer clear of the water, she can not help but feel drawn to the ocean. So when her grandmother permits Moana to go on a massive journey to find Maui and return the Heart of Te Fiti, it gives her a chance she has always wanted to explore beyond the island she has always lived on. In Frozen, Elsa must leave her kingdom behind, at least temporarily, to figure out how to gain control of her ice powers, which her parents had always tried to get her to force down. Although the war is only drafting male soldiers, Mulan goes anyway and becomes the best warrior of the group. In Brave, Merida refused to follow the rules that would force her into marriage and chose to fight for her own destiny. In Ralph Breaks the Internet, Vanellope moves on from “Sugar Rush,” finding a new home and excitement in “Slaughter Race.”
Transformation
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Brother Bear
Physical transformation is another key storyline in Disney movies. It is usually done to have the person who has transformed understand another perspective or get them out of the way. For example, Tiana and Naveen are both turned into frogs in The Princess and the Frog. Although they wish to return to human form, that does not occur until they have found a way to accept the possibility of being frogs forever. Beauty and the Beast is another famous example, even if the plot does not quite match the original intent of the sorcerer’s curse.
In Brother Bear, Kenai is transformed into a bear after his actions result in a bear’s death. During his time as a bear, Kenai meets Koda, a young bear whose mother is missing. When Kenai realizes he is responsible for Koda’s mother’s death, it helps him see the horrors of his actions. In The Emperor’s New Groove, Kuzco accidentally becomes a llama. Still, the experience helps him understand that he needs to stop seeing himself on a pedestal and understand life from Pacha’s perspective.
