Alice:

Alice is tired of logic and lessons and the ordinary world. She wants a world of her very own: a world of nonsense, if you please, where everything will be what it isn't, and "contrariwise," when it isn't, will be what it is. That's why she's so very eager to follow the White Rabbit, despite some sound advice to herself about not going where one hasn't been invited.

Once she's tumbled in it's too late to turn back, and Alice finds Wonderland not only as nonsensical and fantastical as she could have hoped, but frustrating and perplexing as well. "It's all so confusing!" she cries after mad tea parties and caterpillars and disappearing cats.

But it's all very well to complain now that she's gotten what she wanted. Perhaps she should have followed her own "very good advice" and stayed where she was, and left Wonderland to her dreams.

 

Ariel:

Tawny-haired mermaid Ariel was one of Disney's most immediately popular animated heroines. Ariel is a girl in the process of becoming an attractive woman. One of her attractive qualities is that she is very definite about what she is doing and very confident about her own ability to succeed. Of course, a good deal of that confidence is ill-placed, as she is just a teenager.

Although she is warned by her father, King Triton, that humans are dangerous, Ariel stubbornly believes otherwise and has an insatiable curiosity about them. She explores human artifacts (sunken ships, etc.) and is constantly going into forbidden territory: the surface. This, of course, leads her to love ... and trouble.

Film: "The Little Mermaid" (1989)

Voice Artist: Jodi Benson

Belle:

Far-off places, daring sword fights ... a prince in disguise ... Belle longs for so much more than a "normal life" in this small, provincial town -- a town where girls don't aspire to more than being the wife of a handsome lunk like Gaston. Still, adventure is the last thing on her mind when she rides her horse, Philippe, into the forest to find her beloved father, who is missing.

Thinking only of her father, she makes a terrible bargain with a pitiless monster, a beast who holds her father captive. "Take me instead ..." Though the Beast now holds the key to Belle's prison, he doesn't have the key to her heart, and her yearning spirit won't be kept prisoner. But after he risks his own life to save hers, she begins to see past his hideous appearance.

She realizes that, deep inside him, there might be something more than she -- or he -- has ever dreamed.

Cinderella:

Everyone orders Cinderella around: her cruel stepmother, her awful stepsisters -- even the big clock in the church tower tells her when to start another day of drudgery. But no matter how her family abuses and humiliates her, they can't stop her from dreaming. For dreams are the wishes of Cinderella's heart, and, despite her sadness and hardships, she has faith that someday her wishes of happiness will come true. When the invitation to the royal ball arrives, Cinderella is sure her time has come -- until the evil sisters, with the sly encouragement of Lady Tremaine, tear not only her gown to shreds, but her hopes and dreams as well. "There's nothing left to believe in,"  she cries, heartbroken and alone. However, though her own words are forgotten for the moment, they still hold the magic that will fulfill her hopes. "No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true ..."

Esmeralda:

Esmeralda lives the life of a Gypsy. When she dances, the coins of many admirers fall at her feet and the hearts of men are filled with desire. Then one day she dances into danger, and only the walls of Notre Dame can save her from certain death. Esmeralda is a bit different from the past heroines. She's a little bit physically stronger and tougher. And yet, because she herself is an outcast and has been discriminated against, she has the capacity to sympathize and relate to Quasimodo as no one ever has before.

Esmeralda and her pet goat, Djali, live by their wits on the streets of Paris.

The soldiers Judge Claude Frollo has ordered to rid the city of Gypsies are always a heartbeat away. Phoebus, the Captain of the Guard, clops down the cobblestones on his horse, Achilles. He tosses a gold coin into a beggar's hat. When he looks a second time, he sees that the beggar is actually a beautiful Gypsy girl in disguise -- Esmeralda

Jasmine:

The beautiful Jasmine, daughter of the Sultan, is only a few days short of her 16th birthday; the day on which, by law, she must choose a husband. However, she wants to marry for love, so -- to her father's great dismay -- she keeps turning away her high-born suitors.

She then decides to flee the luxuries of the palace for the wild adventure of the marketplace ... where she happens to fall into the company of a young street thief, Aladdin. Headstrong and impetuous, she makes a perfect match for Aladdin, although a street thief is hardly prince material. But after saving the Sultan and the kingdom from the harmful ways of the evil Jafar, Aladdin and Jasmine have all the blessings they need to live "happily ever after."

Lady:

Lady is the coddled cocker spaniel who, despite her best efforts, falls in love with a dog from the wrong side of the tracks. Raised in the lap of luxury, Lady is thoroughly faithful to her adoring "humans," Jim Dear and Darling, and knows little of the hostile world a dog can face beyond the privilege of the "collar and leash set." 

But when her owners are on vacation, she's muzzled by their Aunt Sarah and runs away, only to be cornered by a pack of wild street dogs. Out of nowhere, Tramp leaps to her defense, scattering them. The independent charmer sets about showing her that while there's danger in the "outside world," there's also life: a world of adventure where beavers can be conned into removing muzzles and dark alleys can become the site of a romantic dinner. Although she falls head over paws for the handsome mutt, she loves her humans as much as he loves his freedom. If only their two worlds could meet ...

Meg:

A heroine with an attitude, Megara is always quick with a wisecrack. Although she begins her career as an assistant to Hades, she quickly falls for the hunky Hercules and refuses to sell him out to her evil boss. To save her new love, Megara must undo the deception she started.

Minnie Mouse:

Mickey Mouse's girlfriend made her film debut in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928. She did not have her own cartoon series, but appeared in 73 cartoons with Mickey Mouse and Pluto. She has been a popular character at the Disney theme parks, and 1986 was declared Minnie's year, giving her much-deserved recognition. The first voice of Minnie Mouse was Marcellite Garner, from the Ink and Paint Department at the Disney Studio. She was succeeded by several others from that department, and currently the voice is supplied by Russi Taylor. Minnie Mouse has two nieces, Melody and Millicent, who appeared in a few comic book stories. Favorite sayings: "Why, hello!" "Aren't you sweet!" "Yoo-hoo!" "Oh, Mickey ..."

Mulan:

Mulan doesn't seem to fit in in her world. Everything a proper young Chinese girl is supposed to be -- graceful, demure, quiet -- she is not. But when her homeland and family are threatened by an invasion of bloodthirsty Huns, Mulan runs away to join the army in her father's place.

There she learns that her courage, intelligence, and determination offer her a way to bring honor to her family and herself.

Pocahontas:

The Powhatan tribe lives in harmony with nature deep within the ancient forests. Pocahontas, the chief's daughter, is becoming an adult. She knows something wonderful is coming "just around the riverbend.":

But the waters may also bring trouble. Indeed, English settlers are sailing across the Atlantic. They see the ancient wilderness as a New World full of riches -- riches they can take. Whatever they cannot take, they want to change, and they want to change Pocahontas' world.

Pocahontas, whose name means "Little Mischief," is based on a real historical figure. She was born into a highly sophisticated Indian culture that had some knowledge of Europeans. So when she encounters lead scout John Smith, a moment of magic occurs.

John Smith finds Pocahontas. She does not run. He cannot hurt her. A friendship is born -- a small but powerful bridge between two worlds. Their friendship grows. Pocahontas shows John Smith how to live in nature, how to "paint with all the colors of the wind." He sees that this world is worth more than gold.

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty):

Betrothed at birth to Prince Phillip (the son of a neighboring king), the infant Aurora is blessed with the gifts of beauty and song by the good fairies of the kingdom. However, fate's icy hand brings an uninvited guest to the christening and the evil fairy Maleficent curses the child to die by the prick of a spinning wheel's spindle before her 16th birthday.

Struggling to prevent this catastrophe, the good fairies hide the princess in a secluded cottage in the glen. The years pass and Aurora blossoms into a lovely but lonely young woman unaware of her real name and birthright. Playacting with the forest animals at what it might be like to meet a prince, Princess Aurora, now called "Briar Rose," meets a very real "peasant boy." Although neither of them knows who the other is, the couple falls in love at first sight. When the good fairies reveal Princess Aurora's birthright to her, instead of joy, an awful sadness comes over her.

For she believes she must sacrifice her true love to the "right and royal duty" of marrying Prince Phillip, a stranger. Just as she's about to discover that the two are one and the same, she's stricken by Maleficent's terrible curse. All seems lost but for one glimmer of hope ... only true love's kiss can wake this sleeping beauty from an eternal slumber.

Snow white:

Princess of noble birth, Snow White is forced into rags as a scullery maid by her jealous stepmother, the Queen. Blessed with an innocent's indomitable spirit, the fair maiden never loses faith that one day the wishing well will grant her wish for a true love to come and take her away.

When her dream is answered by a serenading young prince, the evil Queen orders Snow White killed. Faced with the girl's innocence, the huntsman assassin can't kill her, and begs her to flee deep into the forest, never to return. Once again her innocence saves her as the forest animals lead her to the Seven Dwarfs' cottage, where she takes the role of their adopted mother (even the woman-wary Grumpy can't help but warm to her eventually). The Queen, however, will use the girl's naiveté against her as she dons the guise of a helpless peddler hag to lure Snow White into taking a bite from a poisoned apple.

Falling into a sleeping death, Snow White can only be awakened by love's first kiss...

Tinkerbell:

Tinker Bell is the jealous pixie who glows brightest for Peter Pan. Her voice sings like a tinkling bell and a sprinkle of her pixie dust can make you fly. But this sprite can turn spiteful if she suspects that Peter's attentions are diverted to anyone but herself.

It's bad enough that she has to compete with Never Land's other adoring females (the mermaids and Princess Tiger Lily), but now Peter's brought back this Wendy person from London.

Tink would lay down her life for Peter, but he's too busy playing Wendy's hero to care. Somehow she'll find a way to settle the score, even if it takes eliminating the competition...

 

The Villains...

	AUNT SARAH Though matronly Aunt Sarah is a pushover for cats, she just won't give a dog an even break. When she takes over the household to baby-sit in Jim Dear and Darling's absence, she shunts Lady from the nursery. When the baby cries from the biddy's over-attentiveness, Lady gets the blame. Soon after, the coddled Siamese cats secretly demolish the living room and again she figures it to be that dog's fault. Not unlike a cat, she is obstinate, self-centered, and set in her ways. Indeed, her answer to the "Lady problem" is to have her muzzled. But like so many narrow-minded types, her own misconceptions finally become her undoing. For the muzzling touches off a course of events that leaves the baby unprotected when the home will need Lady the most.
	Besides Aunt Sarah, veteran actress Verna Felton also voiced a variety of other famous characters: the matriarch elephant in "Dumbo" (1941), the Fairy Godmother in "Cinderella" (1950), the Queen of Hearts in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951), Flora in "Sleeping Beauty" (1959), and Winifred in "The Jungle Book" (1967). Voice Artist: Verna Felton
	SI AND AM: Twin Siamese cats, Si and Am prowl in harmony, wreaking havoc all around them. Cunning and spiteful, they display the worst traits of their species. When Aunt Sarah arrives in Lady's peaceful home to baby-sit the newborn, Si and Am pop out of her basket to slink by Lady, singing a warning of sorts: "We are Siamese if you please. We are Siamese if you don't please. Now we looking over our new domicile. If we like, we stay for maybe quite a while." As they vandalize the place, terrorizing the pet goldfish and canary, Lady is helpless to stop the chaos. As they proceed upstairs to steal the baby's milk, Lady takes the offensive, barring their way with a fearsome growl. But, too devious for the innocent Lady, they end up framing her for all of their destruction. As much their "patsy" as Lady herself, Aunt Sarah carries them off exclaiming, "Oh, that wicked animal -- attacking my poor innocent little angels."
	Only heard singing, Si and Am were both voiced by famous singer/songwriter Peggy Lee, singing her own harmonies with herself. Ms. Lee not only wrote all the film's songs with Sonny Burke, but also voiced and performed the songs for the characters of Peg (the former star of the Dog and Pony Follies) and Darling (Lady's owner). Film: "Lady and the Tramp" (1955) Voice Artist: Peggy Lee

	Ask Cruella how she's feeling and she'll reply with extravagant glee, "Miserable, darling, as usual. Perfectly wretched." And that's the way she likes it. Fur coats are her only love in life. She adores fur, "absolutely lives for it," and the fur she lives for today is the spotted variety -- dalmatian, that is. Roger and Anita's dalmatians. "Such perfectly beautiful coats," she purrs as she plots, thinking how much better those spots would look on her. Who cares if Pongo and Perdita's tiny pups are rather attached to that fur -- or that they're not for sale at any price? She'll do whatever she has to do to get those beasts and their coveted coats. And once in her evil hands, those puppies must never leave "Hell Hall" alive. Cruella may live for fur -- but the pups, well, she doesn't give much thought to them.
	Created by Marc Davis, talented animator of both Maleficent and Cinderella, Cruella is considered a masterpiece of animation art and design. Voiced by Betty Lou Gerson (who also voiced Mrs. Birdwell of the "What's My Crime" gameshow panel), she performed a manic take-off on famous actress Tallulah Bankhead. Character actress Mary Wickes (recently seen in "Sister Act" and "Little Women") performed the live-action reference that helped bring to life one of the most wicked of Disney villains. Film: "101 Dalmatians" (1961) Voice: Betty Lou Gerson Live action reference: Mary Wickes

	LADY TREMAINE A woman of good family and stately elegance, Lady Tremaine lives by the maxims "Above all -- self control" and "You must always keep your word." Therefore, Cinderella's wicked stepmother cunningly chooses her words with care and -- unlike her awkward daughters -- never lets her temper get the best of her. She simply smiles an icy smile and handles matters in her own way ... behind the scenes. Certainly Cinderella may go to the prince's ball if she gets her work done. Then she reminds her ducklings, "Of course, I said if.." As cunning as she is cold-blooded, she realizes very soon the identity of the mysterious beauty who has so smitten the prince. True to her nature, she will not reveal her knowledge. Instead, she'll mercilessly lock Cinderella in her garret room, away from her one chance of happiness. Only then will Lady Tremaine allow herself a gloating smile of victory.
	Eleanor Audley, who performs the voice for Lady Tremaine, also voiced another truly wicked woman -- the beautiful Maleficent of "Sleeping Beauty" (1959). Animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, in their book "The Disney Villain," describe the experience of animating to Audley's voice as "a difficult assignment but a thrilling one, working to that voice track with so much innuendo mixed in with the fierce power." Lady Tremaine was drawn with a sinister and lifelike subtlety that contrasted with the broader treatment given to many of the other characters. Film: "Cinderella" (1950) Voice Artist: Eleanor Audley
	ANASTASIA AND DRIZELLA Spoiled, awkward, and ungainly, Lady Tremaine's unattractive daughters have a high opinion of themselves. Carried away by jealously and power, the two sisters bicker between each other and blame it all on poor Cinderella. Spitefully, they work their beautiful stepsister to the bone at chores they're "too good" to perform themselves, while they idle their time away in bed or fuss with their hair. Not entirely blind to their shortcomings, Lady Tremaine does her best to instill in her daughters a sense of elegance and style, but even with instruction in music and decorum, the sisters hardly sing like nightingales or look like swans. Still, each firmly believes that she's a bride fit for a prince -- a role nothing less than she deserves.
	"Cinderella" was the first Disney animated feature to be completely shot and then edited in a live-action reference version before being committed to cel and ink. The studio was in a state of financial difficulty following World War II and wanted to be sure that the proposed feature had a solid story and script before committing to animation. This new style of pre-production added a more "live-action" feel to the way the film was drawn, probably reflected most clearly in the quick-cutting scene where the evil sisters rip Cinderella's made-over gown to rags.
	Voice actress Lucille Bliss, who voiced stepsister Anastasia, gained later fame as the voice of "Smurfette" on the animated TV hit "The Smurfs." Rhoda Williams, who voiced Drizella, could be heard as the mother in the Walt Disney World® attraction "Carousel of Progress." Film: " Cinderella" (1950) Voice Artists: Lucille Bliss (Anastasia), Rhoda Williams (Drizella)

	Tacky and tawdry, Medusa has a heart blacker than the murky waters of the Devil's Bayou. Owner of "Madame Medusa's Pawnshop Boutique," she must have the Devil's Eye! She won't rest until she clutches that glittery diamond in her greedy palms. What she needs is a child, a skinny, homely child that no one will miss to drop into the watery cave where the diamond resides. An orphan is just the thing. It should be easy; she knows how to control a child -- with a mixture of sickly-sweet cajoling and evil threats. And, of course, she's got her beloved "petsy-poos," her crocodiles, to help. Once the diamond is hers, she's got no compunction about abandoning Penny to whatever fate has in store and double-crossing her partner to make her own triumphant getaway.
	Famous film actress Geraldine Page voiced the slimy Madame Medusa, but the live-action reference was based on animator Milt Kahl's ex-wife -- whom he didn't particularly care for. Kahl was so exacting a perfectionist during his animation of Medusa that his assistants had a hard time living up to his standards. As a consequence, Kahl ended up doing almost all the animation for his evil creation himself. Madame Medusa was Mr. Kahl's last great character for Disney. Shortly after "The Rescuers," the talented animator retired. Film: "The Rescuers" (1977) Voice Artist: Geraldine Page

	The evil fairy Maleficent is responsible for all misfortune that befalls Stefan's kingdom; even the merest killing frost bears her mark. So when only the good fairies are invited to bestow gifts upon the newborn princess Aurora, the slighted sorceress arrives in a thunderclap to bestow her own "gift." "Before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die." For 16 years, the Forbidden Mountains thunder with wrath and frustration as the meddling good fairies keep Aurora hidden from Maleficent's searching minions. Beyond a matter of honor, this has become a matter of ego. Her pride, her evil will not be denied. So Maleficent sends her beloved raven to search for Aurora. Just as the curse is about to expire, Maleficent finds her quarry and strikes. Savoring her victory over the weeping good fairies, she gloats, "You poor simple fools, thinking you could defeat me, me! The mistress of all evil." But Maleficent had best not underestimate her virtuous adversaries. Before the day is done, she'll have to assume her most fearsome guise, as a fire-breathing dragon, to defend all she's won.
	Maleficent's fearfully caustic persona was voiced by Eleanor Audley, who had previously performed Lady Tremaine, the wicked stepmother in "Cinderella" (1950). She also provided filmed inspiration for both of these infamous characters. Dancer Jane Fowler shared live-action reference duties for Maleficent.
	In search of the sound of a dragon's fiery breath, sound effects man Jim Macdonald asked the U.S. Army to send the studio some training films on flame throwing and found just the blazing wrath he was listening for. Film: "Sleeping Beauty" (1959) Voice Artist: Eleanor Audley

	The marvelous villainess Ursula is one of Disney's classics. She has the gross unsubtlety of Ratigan from "The Great Mouse Detective" but substantially more brio. Although facially somewhat similar to "The Rescuers'" Madame Medusa, Ursula's screen impact dwarfs that of her predecessor. Bejewelled and lip-pouting like an overweight, over-rich, over-pampered, over-the-top society hostess gone mad, she is all flair, flamboyance, and theatricality mixed with a touch of con-artistry. Except when her wrath -- the only genuine emotion she seems capable of expressing -- bursts through, her every movement is a deceitful artifice, as if she's performing for an audience. Her vile hobby of collecting souls so that they can suffer humiliation in her morbid garden is utterly in keeping with her society-hostess-from-hell persona.
	When anger does bring out her true emotion, the effects are staggering. Her look of stark hatred, even while her face is still human, must certainly have brought nightmares to young children. And when she finally changes into a giant, towering up through the waves and over puny mortals, the embodiment of fury is quite breathtaking. Earlier we may have chuckled at her villainy; at this moment, there is no laughter ... only genuine fear. Film: "The Little Mermaid" (1989) Voice Artist: Pat Carroll