The Walt Disney Company is originated in America, it is a mass media platform for entertainment, it’s headquarter is located in Burbank, California. It is more commonly known as Disney and it was founded in 16.10.1923 by two brothers Walt Disney and Roy Disney. Disney’s mascot and icon is Mickey Mouse, because it was the first sound cartoon. Disney is one of the best known companies in the world. Disney is also known for its hidden messages in the movies. The company has also been critizised because, some of the movies have hidden messages of racism and for allegedly plagiarising on some films.
First popular Disney movie is The Lion King. It was first animated in 1994 and it had a remake in 2019. The story is about Simba, a lion cub whose father died. His father was the King of the Pride lands. Simbas father was killed by his uncle Scar, because the uncle wanted to get the throne for himself. Simba was made to believe that his father died because of him and because of that he was exiled from the pride. At one point Simba founds out that the death of his father wasn’t his fault and he is going to fight with his uncle to be the rightful king of the pride lands. The hidden message in Lion King is when you can see in the sky an adult word. This occurs when Simba is struggling with memories of his father and sits on the edge of a cliff. As flower petals and dust float in the air, you might catch a glimpse of letters forming in the night sky. These letters spell out something inappropriate for children. The bigger message in Lion king is the importance of friendship, love and hope. The animation also tells a story about life and the struggles you might get, and sometimes you can’t control what happens. Important is to trust yourself and not to worry to much.
Frozen was released in 2013, this animation was inspired by Danish fairy tale “The snow queen” and it was written by Hans Christian Andersen. The story is about Princess Anna who is together with an iceman, his reindeer, and a snowman. They team up because they try to find Anna’s sister Elsa. Elsa has powers, she can make ice, but she can’t control them. Because of her icy powers, she turned the whole kingdom into eternal winter. Anna and her team are going to look for the way how to make end to this winter. The hidden message or hidden theme in Frozen is acceptance that we all look and act differently. In this animation Elsa is the only one with the powers and she feels that know one will accept her because of that. The non hidden message of this movie is family and supporting each other.
Sleeping Beauty was first released in 1959, it is an animated musical fantasy film. The original story is based on Charles Perrault’s fairy tale and it was released in 1697. The animation is about the princess Aurora and she was cursed by her evil fairy called Maleficent. Maleficent but a spell on the spindle of a spinning wheel and when Aurora cut herself with the spindle, she fells into enteral sleep. Luckily she was saved by three good fairies, but the catch was that if Aurora falls a sleep, then she can be only saved by true love’s kiss. The hidden message in Sleeping beauty is the wheel. It represents the cycle of life and it also represents a traditions. The other thing in Sleeping beauty is term called “helicopter parenting’. This term is used for the parents who are over protective when it comes to their children. Aurora was protected until she was 16 and until that she didn’t have any experience of life until then.
Encanto is a rather new animation, it was released in 2021. Encanto is an animation about one family called the Madrigals, they are a typical Columbian family where all the generations live together in one big house. The household is led by matriarch and all her kids have magical powers, except for Mirabel Madrigal. They use they powers or gifts to help the other people in their village called Encanto. Mirabel finds out that their family members are losing their magic and her goal is to find out the way how to save the magic in their family and house. In Encanto there is a lot of hidden messages, there is a lot of symbolism and there is also family traumas which is carried throw generations. Even though they were family members, they all looked different. Mirabel feels isolated from her family, because she was the only one without the gifts. At the end they understand that the differences are what makes the family stronger.
Peter Pan was produced in 1952. The animation is based on J. M. Barrie’s play Peter Pan and it was first played in 1904. Peter Pan is a boy who wants to stay a boy forever and that why the animation is also called “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up”. The animation is about Wendy and her two brothers, who meet with Peter Pan. They travel with him to the island called the Never Land. On this island everyone stays young. On this island they also meed with Peters enemy called Captain Hook. The hidden message in Peter Pan is that growing up is a natural thing about life and nobody shouldn’t have to feel embarrassed of it. Living in isolation doesn’t make your problems go away, instead of it you might feel the anger, loneliness, resentment and so on.
In conclusion, the animations are for everyone. If you are young then you can just watch them as they are, but when you are older then you can understand the bigger meaning behind them. The animations can even teach you something about life. Or they can be watch together as a family, so that the parents can discuss the meaning behind it with their kids.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King
https://sites.psu.edu/realdisney/2018/04/13/the-lion-king/
https://insidethemagic.net/2022/11/disney-animator-debunks-obscene-hidden-message-ea1/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_(2013_film)
https://www.cbr.com/smart-secret-messages-disney-films/#frozen-rsquo-s-theme-is-acceptance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Beauty_(1959_film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encanto
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan_(1953_film)