Countdown - 72 Days to Go!
- Jillian Wallin
- Sep 28
- 2 min read
👑 72 Days to Go!
Day 8 of Our Eerie Countdown: The Dark Origins of Disney Princesses
Disney is known for its stunning animation and happily-ever-afters—but some of those fairytale endings were seriously sanitized. The original stories? Not so magical. Let’s dive into a few of the creepiest origins behind our favorite princesses…
🍎 Snow White: The Seven-Year-Old Target
In Walt’s version, Snow White is portrayed as a young teen. But in the original Brothers Grimm tale? She was only seven. SEVEN. Let’s break that down:
Paternal death
A stepmother who tries to assassinate her
A child living with seven strangers
And let’s not forget the prince’s kiss… shudder
Even Disney’s version has some unsettling undertones, but the original? Straight-up disturbing.
👠 Cinderella: Foot-Slicing for Love?
Surely Cinderella’s story is a little lighter, right? Not even close. The Brothers Grimm went full horror mode:
Evil stepsisters don’t just try on the slipper—they cut off parts of their feet to make it fit
Blood, deception, and a whole lot of desperation for a man they just met
OK… that’s commitment. But also, yikes.
🧜 Ariel: No Voice, No Love, No Happy Ending
Ariel’s story isn’t from the Grimms, but Hans Christian Andersen wasn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows either:
Losing her voice is agonizing
She doesn’t get the prince
She turns into sea foam at the end
So much for “Part of Your World.”
🕯️ Final Thoughts
While these origin stories are downright nasty, I think we can all be grateful for Walt’s magical rewrites. These three princesses are just the tip of the iceberg—there are plenty more with creepy backstories. But for today, let’s leave it at that.
Would you want Disney to do a darker reboot of these tales? Or are you team sparkle and song?
📚 Reference
Coppola, Randene. “20 Creepy Facts About Disney Princesses.” Facts.net, updated October 10, 2024. Accessed September 28, 2025. https://facts.net/characters/20-creepy-facts-about-disney-princesses/
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