It's fun to imagine what happens when worlds collide with the mixing of entertainment genres.
As an example of this, American author Seth Grahame-Smith comes to mind.
He brilliantly wove together two completely contrasting literary worlds together with his novels Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter–both of which were adapted for the big screen.
So what would happen if Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games trilogy was replaced by a completely different type of heroine?
The imagination of strangers went wild when Redditor AgreeableSolid7034 asked:
"Which Disney princess would win the Hunger games and why?"
Some people thought Elsa would be the best candidate, hands down, due to her supernatural powers.
Hard To Choose
"I have 3 potential winners:"
"Elsa on account of having super powers that can be used offensively."
"Mulan on having actual combat training."
"Nala (if you count her) for being a literal lion."
– Theher0not
Icy Powers
"Elsa can literally create sentient life and freeze everyone on their starting pedestals aoe style....there's no contest here twentieth level elemental wizard wins."
– Unnecessaryloongname
Fearless
"Ohhh I hadn’t thought of Nala. Technically not in the Disney Princess lineup, and also she’s not a princess. But yes, Nala would be a good contender."
– Pyrocephalus-rubinus
Disqualification
"Not one of the early ones, I’ll tell you that right now."
– ShinyRedBalloon
"Ah, but what if the sounds of the battlefield awaken sleeping Aurora to her true love, the love of Blood drawn in war. She wakes, shatters her glass coffin, and uses the shards of glass as a pair of swords. She hasn't eaten in years, so she doesn't need a lot of food. She jumps full into the fray, slashing and jabbing with her glass swords. Tributes fall to the left and right, as Aurora, goddess of the dawn, destroys them unto their very bloodline. Exterminated."
– jewel-frog-fur
Some thought unique skills and credentials were more effective than witchcraft.
Take A Bow
"Merida is excellent with a bow. I think she’d have a fighting chance."
– UnStoppableWho_
Thematically And Practically
"Thematically? Meridia."
"Practically? Elsa. She's literally a magical ice goddess that can flash freeze an entire lake. The only other princess with anything approaching supernatural power is Moana, and her power is over water ."
– Allfunandgaymes
The Forest Expert
"Thematically, consider Pochahantas and Mulan too! If Elsa didn’t immediately freeze everything in the arena, Pochahantas might survive just from knowing what’s edible and what’s not and being able to track people and avoid being seen!"
– ruiqi22
So which is it?
Woman Warrior
"Mulan - trained warrior with excellent survival skills."
– TitleProfessional760
Weapon Of Choice
"She defeated the boss Hun with a paper fan. I think she's a safe bet."
– inadequatepockets
Hitting The Bullseye
"Don't discount Merida. The Hunger Games were won by an archer, after all."
"Mulan definitely wound up being the skilled soldier of the bunch and probably best survival skills, but Merida was no stranger to the outdoors herself."
– 1CEninja
It's A Toss-Up
"I’m also between Merida and Mulan. I think they both have the skill set to win, but when it comes to killing the other princesses, I think Mulan’s death count will give her an edge. Merida hasn’t killed a human before, while Mulan is a war tested soldier with a 10,000 kill count."
– Pyrocephalus-rubinus
I'd put my pound sterling on Merida to epically conquer all.
Our red-headed heroine is skilled with a bow and arrow and she would fiercely take down leaders of the wealthy Capitol city of Panem to end the annual carnage once and for all.
Stage actors are trained to completely transform into their respective characters and be emotionally present night after night.
Unlike film actors, theatrical performers have the added pressure of having only one shot to pull off their storytelling without any flubbing of lines... or other mishaps.
Those who work as characters at Disney parks are faced with a unique challenge.
Because the Disney characters, or cast members, interact with park guests–there is no separation between talent and audience that theaters provide.
A successful character meet and greet largely depends on the improv skills of the actor and how they respond to many unpredictable situations while remaining in character.
This applies specifically to face characters, the actors who portray human characters from a Disney animated film, including heroines and princesses like Rapunzel, and Snow White; and villains like Maleficent and Gaston.
But while there is no scripted dialogue, it doesn't mean they never break character.
Curious to hear anecdotes from those who were a part of the magic, Redditor HesSoZazzy asked:
"Disney theme park characters - have there been situations where you had to break character? What was the reason? Consequences?"
Sometimes, guests can get a little too handsy.
Occupational Hazards
"I auditioned to be a face character and Disneyland and made it to the stage where they run through scenarios of unruly guests, rude comments etc. and you have to respond and come up with responses in character."
"My dance teacher was a face more than 20 years ago and she had all kinds of stories of people trying to reach up her skirt (she was Pocahontas mainly). In the end I'm glad I didn't make it through! At the time it was like barely above min wage which was like $6.75/hour or something like that."
– Oddlyoddish
The Loin King
"Maybe someone who actually played Tarzan can confirm this for me;"
"Disneyland used to have a Tarzan character, but you don't see him anymore. Since the characters are always expected to pose for photos and selfies, and Tarzan wore nothing but a loin cloth; woman were constantly grabbing the actor's butt, when they got in close."
"So, the park just quit that character."
"Update: After some confirmation of the bad behavior, there are still recent Tarzan sightings. It appears Disney paused the character and re-designed his loin-cloth costume into one more like a pair of shorts and a 'jungle-vine' sash. Apparently, women are still 'grabby' but the costume department tried to make it a little less easy."
– loCAtek
These specific interactions have a left lasting impressions.
Enchanted By A Child
"Saw a recent video on youtube of a Rey talking to this little girl and her dad had just started filming. Apparently the story the little girl was telling got Rey laughing so hard, she had to turn her face away and eventually got up and ran away because she couldn't stop laughing at whatever the little girls story was."
"Super adorable."
– zeusmeister
Damage Control
"I was at Disneyland once and the Sheriff of Nottingham was fake-menacing a child. He reached out to touch the kid’s balloon and for some reason it popped. The character actor was clearly stunned. A new balloon appeared less than 30 seconds later."
– leftside72
Claiming Simba
"I remember being in Disneyland Paris when I was 9 and had just gotten a baby Simba plush which I brought to dinner in one of those character meeting restaurants where the characters come to your table. Most characters pretended to coo at and tickle Simba. Sheriff of Nottingham kidnapped Simba. I of course got him back. It just took a dramatic (fake) tug of war between Mr Incredible and Sheriff of Nottingham to do it. (Seriously, these guys were good)."
– marshmeeelo
Here's Looking At Peter
"On a disney cruise I met a guy who looked EXACTLY like Peter pan. When we asked him he said 'nope peter pan has brown eyes' (or something like that) the next day when we went to get a picture with peter he got super close and whispered 'see? Peter has brown eyes.'"
"Hands down best Disney employee I've ever met (he was also Pluto)"
– newtoreddit573
The One Exception
"When I was 6 or so, I went to Disney World with my mom and aunt and cousins. I really wanted Capt Hooks autograph, but per his character, he wasn't supposed to give it. I started crying over it, and my mom went and asked him again (nicely, I hope) and told him that I was very upset over it. He signed my book, even though he wasn't supposed to, and I always thought that was neat."
"So, to Capt Hook from 1989 or so, if you're out there - Thanks, and I hope you didn't get in trouble for that."
– PTech_J
There are unfortunately scenarios that can result in pain or wet messes.
No Spatial Awareness
"Ex cast member here. While not a character myself, I did have to work the parade route from time to time, making sure kids didn't dart out in front of floats and such. 'Friends of characters' would often be playful with CMs along the parade route. Winking, making silly faces, etc. There was one day where Baloo came up to me mid-dance, and proceeded to bow to me. Baloo also happened to be wearing some sort of crown/hat thing with a star on the top. Baloo probably wasn't aware of how tall that actually made them.. Baloo managed to smack me right in the mouth with that star, cutting it open and giving me a fat lip. Fairly certain I heard Baloo audibly gasp when they stood upright again. Paws to mouth. Immediately stopped dancing. Just stared at me as I bled. They tried to grab my hands and pull me to them, but their handler came and ushered them along. Oops."
– kaytbug86
The Commentator
"I watched Jack Sparrow talking to a kid when the kid started puking everywhere. He said 'too much of the ol' apple juice eh? been there myself! even ran out once!'. All the while, the kid is just projectile vomiting everywhere."
– Goyteamsix
Queasy Characters
"A bit late, but I did the College Program at WDW. Never saw a character break when I worked audience control for parades. Definitely saw a a few fully costumed characters puke in their heads, and Prince Naveen once got heat exhaustion and managed to leave the parade route fully in character. Once the parade was over, we saw him in the back almost completely passed out. Typically the parade will just speed up to double time if a character actor is in distress."
– anon
Pooh's Reaction To A Collision
"I wasn't a character but was a cast member. I was walking from backstage into the park. If you've seen the transitions, they are S shaped to keep people from peaking in."
"I was pushing a dolly/hand cart. The ones we used had 2 long supports sticking out from the end. As I was going though Winnie the Pooh was walking in from the other side. I hit him/her square in the leg with it. Hearing Winnie the Pooh say 'F'k!' was a pretty damn funny."
– Joker0091
Personally having worked as a Disneyland entertainment cast member, I have to say, that my colleagues have maintained what's called, "good show," by staying dedicated to their characters.
Everyone in the Disney character department takes pride in their work and it shows onstage.
That being said, the backstage scene is a whole other story. As characters prepare to go out onstage, fully dressed in their respective costumes, I've seen some hilarious, but harmless, behavior.
But I won't share those here as many of them are NSFW.
Gotta maintain the magic, you know?
People Break Down Which Animated Films Everyone Should See At Least Once
Some people insist that animated movies are for children, but those people are missing out on some amazing examples of cinema. Whether it's feel-good family friendlies, musical masterpieces, or filmmakers using animation as a medium to tackle some tough issues like war and loss, here are some films you totally shouldn't miss.
Redditor CevicheCabbage asked:
"What is one animated film everyone must see at least once?"
The Iron Giant
"The Iron Giant."
- BonbonMacoute
"This continues to be one of my favorite movies ever."
"The story, the pacing, the beautiful animation, it’s an underrated gem of a movie!"
"Brad Bird’s finest work!"
- robo-dragon
"I wasn't trying to cry at work today, but here we are."
-PostmodernPriapism
feels love it GIFGiphyAnything By Miyazaki, Really
"Spirited Away"
- tiedyedkrasi
"Howls Moving Castle while you're at it"
- Sopixil
"If you need some wholesome throw in some my neighbour totoro"
- auseronthissite
"The entire Ghibli set but most important being My neighbor Totoro, because catbus"
- Dragosal
Llama Face
"The Emperor's New Groove"
- MabezJK
"The most underrated Disney film of all time in my opinion. It's hilarious, the story is great, and there's minimal singing for a Disney film. They cast the voice actors perfectly."
- mountain_rivers34
"Yay I'm a llama again!! Wait.."
- slugfaery
How To Train Your Dragon
"How to train your dragon 1 and 2. I fell in love with Toothless and his sarcastic attitude on the first one."
- vishnubakthisaran
"How to Train Your Dragon 2 got me through a significant depression period. There were days that I would get off work and have it on repeat until bedtime."
- darkjedi39
"I think 3 should be included as well. I feel a lot of people bash on it, but it formed a solid end of the trilogy IMO."
- jayforwork21
Get That Gold
"Road to El Dorado."
- Famous-Amphibian2296
"The scene when the giant stone jaguar breaks out of the temple - Tulio and Miguel's quizzical glance and then screaming always makes me laugh"
- goforpoppapalpatine
Both Is Good The Road To El Dorado GIFGiphyTreasure Planet
"Treasure Planet"
- DurzoStormblessed
"Had to scroll way too far for this one. Treasure Planet is one of the greatest movies and it's a shame it got buried by Disney (by releasing it very close to Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets - some say on purpose to prove a point to the movies directors)"
- Lloyd_AI
"Dude I literally just remembered this morning that this movie existed, and now I plan to watch it when I get off of work! I'm wayyyy too excited to watch it again lol."
- Mordecai_Wenderman
Definitely Not Happy, But Absolutely Worth It
"grave of the fireflies"
- nislija01
"Once, and only once."
- jim45804
"Those are the exact words I had in mind."
- jennybella
"This one. I was taught Japanese as my second language as a kid. The teachers put it on for us grade schoolers ( think 7-8 year olds). Messed me up and also gave me vast amounts of empathy at the same time. I don't like war, the people/civilians lose every time. I want to rewatch it but I just can't muster up the emotional strength."
- Slufflepuff
"Definitely agree that it’s a must watch but it’s also one of the few shows I’ve watch that would make this grown man cry every time."
-koueihou
"Grave of the Fireflies left me with a feeling of 'I'm not going to be okay for a while' and I feel like everyone should experience that at least once."
- obaterista93
A Goofy Movie
"A Goofy Movie"
- hvan1989
"I would go to a Powerline concert no questions asked"
- ekm8642
"'You ever notice how we're all, just like, wearing gloves all the time?'"
- 1spicytunaroll
Ohana Means Family
"Lilo & Stitch. Ohana means family."
- GA Sam
"Lilo and Stitch is one of my all time favorite Disney movies, I absolutely agree with this"
- Arksurvivor120
"Seriously one of the movies of my childhood that has left a big, big impression on me. This scene where Nani sits with Lilo for the last time before they’re supposed to say their good byes, the authenticity of Nani singing a Hawaiian song softly. Or the way Lilo as an outsider copes with the loss of her parents. It’s all too real. It really broke my heart as a kid and does so even more now."
"It’s one of those movies that makes you truly understand complex emotions and how universal they are. It’s a wonderfully crafted movie. And hell, Stitch as cool af."
- beep-boop-im-a-robot
touching lilo and stitch GIFGiphyPrince Of Egypt
"Prince of Egypt"
- tossaway1959
"Yes! This movie was so good from the elite voice acting to Han Zimmer scoring it. Jeffery Katzenberg left Disney when they didn’t want to listen to him so he went and found Dreamworks and made the perfect film just to give Disney the middle finger"
- Wildcat_twister12
"Yes. So much yes to this. I get chills watching that movie."
- OK_Comparison_2451
"Scrolled so far down just to see this. I love many animated films, but a must-see is definitely this masterpiece regardless of your religious affiliation."
- KKAPetring
Make sure you don't miss out on any of these absolute masterpieces!
Disney and Pixar villains wreak havoc on our favorite protagonists and justice ends up being served by severe punishment–ultimately resulting in their demise.
But in the land of not make-believe–where real-life people are litigious without hesitation–what would happen if these evildoers had a proper day in court?
That is something Redditor Lukegamer2 explored by asking strangers online:
"Lawyers of Reddit, what Disney or Pixar villain would you have the easiest time defending?"
Were these villains guilty of just being unpopular?
Ratatouille's Hot-Tempered Sous Chef
"Chef Skinner."
"I'd almost feel guilty charging money defending this case."
– ksozay
Secondary Pirates Antagonist
"I think Cutler Beckett never technically broke the law since he had the governor writing loopholes for him when hunting down the pirates in Pirates 2 and 3 so Cutler Beckett. I wouldn't even need to do anything."
– User Deleted
Brat Story
"Sid. No one is going to charge a kid destroying toys with a crime."
– theassassintherapist
"Sid was genuinely horrified to learn that toys were alive. The boy legitimately did nothing wrong."
– Slant_Juicy
Placement On The Food Chain
"Kaa, Finding Nemo's barracuda, the Lion King's Hyenas, and similar 'villains.' They're just trying to eat. Sorry nature put the protagonist on the menu."
– ccReptilelord
These characters were definitely wicked, but would the judge grant leniency for their indiscretions?
The Master Of Deceit
"Jafar. Separate from the law of Agrabah being super interesting to learn about, his actions tend to be more deceitful than outright illegal, except where he became sultan, and therefore may have had immunity. Magic seems to be not super common, so there may not be any laws regarding coercion by magic. Separate from assaulting Aladdin, who he never actually managed to hit outside the Cave of Wonders, I’m not sure there are a lot of outright laws he broke."
– begoniann
The Super Jealous Uncle
"Scar, the only evidence was a coerced confession while a deadly weapon was held to his throat."
– Anonymous4mysake
The Case For Gaston
"In Beauty and the Beast, Gaston ate four dozen eggs daily when he was a child. That’s fourty-eight eggs a day. As an adult he adds another dozen, tallying up to sixty eggs a day. This is nothing short of genocide."
"My theory for why Gaston is beloved by the townsfolk is that some time prior to the start of the movie, France was overrun with poultry. Helpless at the claws of the chickens, the people of France were preparing to abandon their country, when a lone child stepped forward. 'I’ll eat the eggs,' a young Gaston bellowed, 'And I will save our homeland.' And so it was, Gaston ate and ate until he was roughly the size of a barge. How the cholesterol didn’t kill him can only be attributed to his inhuman fortitude. This is where the story turns tragic."
"What Gaston hadn’t accounted for was developing an addiction to the eggs. As he aged, he ate more and more, and with the chicken-crisis over, his addiction began costing him financially. There’s a scene during Gaston’s song where he motions to a wall full of his hunting trophies. But why are they there? Does he own the bar? No, he sold them for egg money. The fact he never brings up his egg addiction or his prior heroism can be attributed to another one of Gaston’s defining character traits: his struggle to be emotionally open, and his modesty. It’s not easy being the man who saved France."
"I think the saddest scene is when Belle shows Gaston the book, and he holds it upside down. See, Gaston seems brutish, but remember - his entire childhood was spent eating eggs. He didn’t have time for an education; he sacrificed his upbringing for his countrymen. He can’t even hold a book correctly. What Gaston wants to say, what he’s struggling to articulate, is 'Belle, I’m dying. A life long diet of a quite frankly insane number of eggs has left my body bloated with tumors. Before I shove off this mortal coil, I want children, who might experience a world without the oppression I have suffered.' Belle cruelly mocks him, which goes to make you wonder who the real beast is."
"When Gaston sees the Beast in the mirror, two thoughts run through his head. First, he sees his countrymen in danger once more, and despite being riddled with egg-tumors, wants to lead the masses to one last charge of glory since fighting for France is all he knows. Second, he realizes Beast’s head is about a month’s worth of egg-money. So he sieges the castle, and in one of Disney’s most tragic moments, plummets to his death."
"Another reason Gaston wants to marry Belle is because, as mentioned above, all he knows how to do is to fight for France and its people. Gaston saw Maurice as a genuine danger, and he’s not wrong; consider the hellish contraption Maurice created. One look at that war machine and Gaston hatched a plan; marry Belle, and get close enough to Maurice to talk him down. Mind you, he did love Belle, and wanted to be the father of her children, but the danger presented by Maurice forced his plan into action immediately. When that fell through, he had no choice but to throw Maurice in the asylum (something marrying Belle would have fixed, since he would once again be close enough to Maurice to influence him). All in all, the failure was one of articulation."
"Gaston is the protagonist of Beauty and the Beast."
– The_Gutgrinder
It's all about the accomplices here.
Reduced Sentence For Mr. Snoops
"Mr Snoops, from The Rescuers. Definitely guilty of being an accomplice to the kidnapping of a child, but I could get a reduced sentence based on the fact he wanted to end the scheme earlier and cut their losses on other precious gems that Penny had recovered. He also looked out for Penny's safety and prevented her from dying before Medusa came to the scene to force her to recover the Devil's Eye on pain of death."
– res30stupid
Court Comedy
"Yzma if only because that means Kronk would have to testify under oath. And you know he would be a blast to watch in court."
– inksmudgedhands
Time For The Hunt
"What about Clayton from Tarzan? I think at the time it wasn't illegal to catch wild animals in foreign (colonialized) countries. Morally reprehensive, but not illegal."
– raxeira-etterath
Oh, Deer
"Similarly, the hunter from Bambi. Assuming it was deer season, he did nothing illegal."
– Rhania506
Can't Touch Him
"Hades Dudes a god what's a.judge gonna a do."
– Sea_Mechanic5745
It Does Beg The Question
"Do human laws punish non-humans?"
– Pharah_is_my_waIfu
The Answer Is...
"Yes."
"There's actually a couple famous stories of animals - mostly elephants - being put on trial for murdering their abusive handlers. There's also how old laws considered the act of bestiality, with the animal being considered a 'Guilty Party' and executed alongside the human who committed the act. I also think there's a case where a human was exonerated for the crime because he was raped by a bear (he didn't survive, BTW)."
"Also, this has come up in at least one episode of Murder, She Wrote where a dog was going to be put down and disinherited for killing his master after being made the heir to his will, when it appeared the dog had intentionally closed the remote-controlled gates to the estate and killed his owner."– res30stupid
We don't know how lawyers would actually approach the case if they represented these characters.
But one thing is certain. It would make for a great spin-off of Law & Order–Fairytale Crimes.
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People Describe The First Thing They'd Do If They Suddenly Owned Disney
In case you were living under a rock, the Walt Disney Company is an entertainment industry behemoth and is globally recognized.
Basically, a singing and dancing rat dominates the world and he brings smiles to children and to the young at heart.
But unlike the beloved British witch who repairs broken families in London, Disney, the company, is not practically perfect.
Curious to hear from Disney fans online, Redditor Calm-Internet6926 asked:
"You now own disney, what is the first thing you do?"
Let's Get This Straight
"Disney the company or the frozen body?"
– federicoaa
"The company."
– Calm-Internet6926
These Redditors would meet these oft-requested demands if they held a high position.
Park Operations
"Lower cost of admission, bring back free parking at Disney resorts for guest staying on property, bring back free fast passes, raise cast members wages and get to work on deal to bring all Marvel characters to Disney World."
– Shrfleen
Righting A Wrong
"Pay all the authors they owe money to."
– blackcatmog
Addressing The Economic Impact
"After paying all the authors, let’s also stop Disney from being the biggest supporter of California’s Proposition 13, which freezes Disney’s property taxes at their 1975 levels, forcing new home owners to subsidize the taxes that Disney and other corporations would have to pay."
"Disney is one of the major reasons housing is unaffordable for young families in California."
– Ghost_Portal
Make Walt Disney World More Enjoyable
"Reduce park prices, reinstate extra magic hours for park hotel guests."
– Shepherdude
"Definitely lower price of admission. There is a very large number of families who can not afford to take their children to experience the magic and that's really sad. Also agree with bringing back the extended hours."
– Jazzlike-Process-382
A Most Magical List
- "Bring back Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as part of the core Mickey Mouse crew."
- "Bring Kingdom Hearts to the Disney parks"
- "Pull our licenses from all the video game companies and license them out to studios with good track records with stipulations that as long as they continue making high reviewing games, they can continue using the license"
- "Revive ToonTown Online"
– Podunk_Boy89
These creative endeavors may elevate the company's popularity.
Movie Attraction
"Make a Emperor’s New Groove ride. I have no idea where I’d even put it, but we’re doing it."
– missnikkibabyyy
Popular Gaming Experience
"Bring back Club Penguin."
– Rocket-kun
"It’s already back. It’s called Club Penguin rewritten and you can access it on browser."
"I would argue it’s better than before, because you don’t need a membership to buy clothes now. So you don’t have to be a naked penguin for being poor in real life."
"They even have a cool pirate event going on now."
– UndeadCollegeStudent
The Live-Action Treatment
"I've no ideas and just remake every classic they've produced. Ohh wait."
– CasualScrolls
Imagine This
"I’d let imagineering create original rides as well. Not everything has to be based off an existing property, their job description literally has the word 'imagine' in it."
– DrewCrew62
The studios could benefit from these requests.
Passing The Torch
"Sell it to someone else. I have no idea what I'm doing and some extra money wouldn't hurt."
– dado950
Return To An Art Form
"Hand drawn animation."
– shevmc
"YES. 2D animation holds up so well. Disney animation from 20 years ago still looks incredible. But now all 3D animated movies will look outdated in a couple of years with how hyper realistic everything is. Even more stylistic 3D styles just don’t do it for me. Personal opinion of course, 3D artists are exceptional. I just wish hyperealism wasn’t the goal."
– bing-no
An Old Favorite
"Release Star Wars Christmas Special on Disney Plus."
– VR-052
If I owned Disney, I would focus on improving the guest experience at the theme parks.
First, I would increase the minimum wage of cast members, who have faced many challenges in running a safe and smooth operation at the parks throughout the pandemic–the main challenge being dissatisfied guests.
I would also have the Disneyland resort bring back the highly-missed Peoplemover scenic attraction that was destroyed by a poor replacement in the late 90s that left their Tomorrowland looking like a sad shell of its former self.
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