Subliminal messages, MC Hammer’s pants, 9.4 million party balloons, and more than 75 years of Disney history.
1. 101 Dalmatians, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Mulan are the only animated Disney films where both parents are present and don't die during the course of the movie.
2. Pixar credits its success to going against Disney's standard narrative elements: No songs, no "I want" moments, no happy village, no love story, no villain.
3. The words at the begining of "The Lion King" are Zulu for "Here comes a lion, father" and "Oh yes, it's a lion."
4. When it was released, The Lion King experienced controversy when people thought the word "SEX" could be read in a puff of dust during one scene. It's claimed that the dust actually spells "SFX," and was a nod to the film's special effects team.
5. A hyena biologist sued Disney for defamation of character for portraying hyenas as villains in The Lion King.
6. ABBA was originally approached to do the music for The Lion King, but when they weren't available, Disney went with Elton John.
7. The "asante sana squash banana" song that Rafiki sings The Lion King is actually an old nursery rhyme in Swahili.
8. The creators of The Lion King have been accused of lifting elements from an anime series from the 1960s called Kimba the White Lion.
