Today In Disney History ~ November 25th
10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Princess and the Frog from Oh My Disney
1. It took three and a half years to make the film. (No frogs were kissed in the process.)
2. Directors Ron Clements and John Musker pitched the film to Oprah on a trip to Disneyland, just for fun. She loved the idea so much that she asked to be a part of it.
3. The women who fawn over Prince Naveen are all caricatures of women who work at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
4. Anika Noni Rose requested that Tiana be left-handed, just like her. (Tiana’s dimples are also borrowed from Anika.)
5. This interlude is an homage to Dick Van Dyke’s dance with the penguins in Mary Poppins.
5. “Achidanza,” a word Naveen says in the made-up language of Maledonian, means, “cool!”
6. In an earlier version of the story, Louis was a human who couldn’t play any instruments, but really wanted to, so went to Dr. Facilier who gave him the ability to play the trumpet–and turned him into an alligator in the process. It was too complicated, so filmmakers nixed the subplot.
7. Ray was animated by Mike Surrey who also animated Timon in The Lion King. He’s voiced by Jim Cummings, the voice of Winnie the Pooh!
8. Mama Odie’s character is based half on comedian Moms Mabley and half on Yoda.
9. Dr Facilier’s name is derived from the french word “facile,” meaning easy. The idea was that he would lure people in under the guise of giving them what they wanted with ease–without them having to earn it the old-fashioned way (work).
10. The birds used in this shot were recycled from existing bird animation in The Lion King.
TMSM Today in Graphic by Sherry Rinaldi DeHart
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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