8 life lessons we can learn from Disney’s animated movies

From family ties to war and peace, animated movies are big on delivering bang for buck when it comes to sharing sage advice.

Kelly Marie Tran as Raya in Disney’s newest animated film, Raya and the Last Dragon.

A gulf of almost 100 years lies between Mickey Mouse’s first adventure in the black and white hand-drawn cels of Steamboat Willie and the technology-driven remote production of Raya and the Last Dragon.

Yet for all those decades of change — which have come to life at the Disney: The Magic of Animation exhibition at ACMI in Melbourne — Disney movies can always be relied upon to deliver one classic element: important life lessons.

“It’s an honour we don’t take lightly,” says Ruth Strother, an Australian who is a senior production supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

“Everyone is aware of the weight it carries.”

So what wisdom can be found among the tales of right and wrong, good and evil, hard work and a dash of magic that make up some of the most beloved animated films in history?

THE WORLD IS BETTER TOGETHER

In this year’s prophetic Raya and the Last Dragon, a girl discovers that only forgiveness and unity can save divided tribes in a world ravaged by plague. Sound familiar?

While Raya is on a mission to bring people together, young cub Simba is cast out of his pride and into the big wide world alone in The Lion King (1994).

A scene from the original 1994 animated film The Lion King.

Along with the “no worries” philosophy of “hakuna matata”, Simba’s journey teaches us that we can’t deny our history or take the easy way out.

As a wise baboon tells him: “The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.”

BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER

Since Snow White snacked on a poison apple in 1937, Disney princesses have been looking for love in all the wrong places.

In Frozen (2013), Anna falls head over heels for the handsome Hans, until she uncovers his dastardly plans to do away with her sister Elsa.

The moral of the story? The family bond is unbreakable, no matter how different we might be. (Unless you’re a parent who has endured this smash hit on endless repeat for eight years, in which case the moral is “let it go”.)

GOOD THINGS COME TO GOOD PEOPLE

While some may consider the dancing elephants of 1940’s Fantasia a warning against psychedelic substances, the lesson of that same year’s Pinocchio is as clear as the nose on the puppet protagonist’s face: be good, tell the truth, and always be guided by your conscience.

Beauty and the Beast (1991) proved that true beauty is on the inside.

A reproduction of a frame of 1991’s Beauty and the Beast dancing scene, part of the Walt Disney Animation Research Library Collection that can been at the ACMI Disney: Magic of Animation exhibition.

YOU MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK

That’s also what Tiana is hoping to discover when she kisses an amphibian in The Princess and the Frog (2009).

Yet when her kiss backfires, we learn a very different life lesson: “It serves me right for wishing on stars,” Tiana says. “The only way to get what you want in this world is through hard work.”

COURAGE IS EVERYTHING

In Tangled (2010), Rapunzel spends her first 18 years gazing out of a tower window, terrified to leave.

When she finally steps out of her comfort zone and finds the courage to try new things, a whole new world opens up to her. So what are you waiting for? Let down your hair!

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF

The best thing you can do is to be yourself. We all know this, but sometimes we need a gentle reminder.

Disney delivers this message in spades.

Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and the whole Frozen gang were all better off when they embraced their weirdness.

Elsa, Anna and Kristoff in Frozen, which carried strong messages for its young fans.

In Dumbo (1941), a little elephant with big ears shows that what makes us different also makes us special.

In Wreck-it Ralph (2012), an outcast video game villain breaks out of his pigeonhole (or video game) to prove that he can be a hero, too. Wouldn’t we all prefer not to be judged by our covers?

IT PAYS TO BE NICE TO ANIMALS

Take it from Cinderella’s posse of dressmaking mice and Moana’s pet rooster Heihei: they’ll probably end up saving your butt one day.

GROWING UP DOESNT HAVE TO BE BORING

In Peter Pan (1953), Wendy, John and Michael are tempted to stay in Never Land, where no one ever gets old.

In the end, they face up to the hard truth that everyone has to grow up.

But because we have to face that same reality in our own lives, doesn’t mean we can’t continue to embrace the morals and magic of a Disney animation.

Disney: The Magic of Animation, will continue at ACMI, Federation Square, once Covid-19 restrictions allow. Check the ACMI website for details. Until October 17, $17-$26, family $72, under-4s free.

Originally published as 8 life lessons we can learn from Disney’s animated movies