Did You Know Your Favorite Disney Cartoons Were Inspired By REAL Things?

COSTA RICA EXTRA – No matter how old you are, Disney has probably been a staple of your life at some point. Maybe you first felt the spark of romance while watching Sleeping Beauty, or you just couldn’t quite tear your kids (or yourself) away from a Lion King VHS tape… either way, Disney has the world hooked. (No wonder they make about $40 billion a year.)

Did you know that some of the most iconic and beloved Disney cartoons were based on real things? Characters, castles and stories all have real-life inspirations that you probably weren’t aware of. Buckle in, your nostalgic memories are about to be turned upside down.

Pocahontas was based on Irene Bedard (who was also her voice in the film).