Disney Characters

• Aside from creating new characters like Goofy and Donald Duck from scratch, Disney has been especially adept at spinning children's stories into legendary films. For instance, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney's first full-length feature, was an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm story while Pinocchio was adapted from an Italian children's book.

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The Disney Princess Phenomenon

• Any discussion of Disney characters would be incomplete without acknowledging the unique and special princesses that literally define the fairy tale ending. In feature films alone, the Disney Princess line-up now includes:

  • Snow White
  • Cinderella
  • Aurora from Sleeping Beauty
  • Ariel from The Little Mermaid
  • Jasmine from Aladdin
  • Belle from Beauty & the Beast
  • Mulan
  • Pocahontas

  Thanks to this line-up, when today's little girls ask for a "princess birthday party," you can be pretty sure what they really mean is a Disney Princess party.

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Winnie the Pooh & Tigger Too!

• Second only to Mickey Mouse in popularity, Winnie the Pooh actually got his start outside the Disney empire as a series of books by author A.A. Milne. Disney acquired the rights to the character in the 1960's, and in 1977, "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" was released. Whether it's his love of honey or his tao, Pooh bear remains a favorite of kids at any age, and Winnie the Pooh eCards are among the most popular selections at AmericanGreetings.com.

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The Muppets Join the Disney Family

• Frogs & mice living together!? Indeed, 2004 brought the union few believed would ever happen-the acquisition of Jim Henson's Muppets by Disney. A word concocted through the merger of "marionette" and "puppet," the Muppets emerged from Jim Henson's imagination in 1955. Over the years, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and friends grew in popularity thanks to television shows such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show as well as movies such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper. And what Christmas would be complete without John Denver & The Muppets singing as only they could. While it's not easy being green, it's not so bad either.

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Pixar-Plain Incredibles

• In the 1990's digital animation took off, and Disney found itself with competition in this awesome revolution. At the head of the pack was Pixar, an upstart company headed by Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computers. With great characters like Buzz Lightyear and Mr. Incredible powering eye-popping digital films such as Toy Story and The Incredibles, Pixar quickly became to many the "new Disney". Accordingly, it came as no surprise when, in January 2006, Disney acquired Pixar, bringing yet another batch of beloved characters into the Disney world. It may be a small world after all, but it continues to be one filled with a growing family of Disney characters!

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