But while some real-life inspirations for Disney characters might be obvious, some of them are not unless you look very closely.

It's pretty awesome that someone's legacy can live on in a brand new character with features, hair, and clothing that echoes their own. Fry from Futurama wears the same threads as James Dean's character Stark in the classic flick Rebel Without a Cause.

For instance, the Rescue Rangers' Chip was based on Indian Jones, while Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I. That's right - The Little Mermaid's Ariel, Beauty and the Beast's Belle, Aladdin's Genie, Sleeping Beauty's Princess Aurora, and so many more beloved characters were actually modeled after famous and non-famous people who exist in the real world.Īnimators often use real people as their source of inspiration, because art usually imitates life. But even that magical world has roots in reality, as many Disney characters are inspired by real-life people. Fortunately, Disneyland and Disney World theme parks help us all come close to fulfilling that desire.

During my childhood, I used to wish I could go and actually live in the world of Disney cartoons.

Pocahontas (character)