So I’m watching Moana and thinking about Disney storytelling. There’s a reason their animated movies are so successful and, as fantastic as the animation is, that’s not the reason. The fact is that Disney has always been great at telling stories. 

We all know that the majority of Disney animated films are based on pre-existing tales, fables and legends. Most have pretty straightforward plots, some describe historical events and most have a lesson to teach by the end. But on their own, those stories are not all that interesting to the majority of people. But when you add that Disney magic, it makes all the difference.

If you look at a lot of the more recent animated films, ones based on cultural legends like Mulan, Brave, Brother Bear and Moana, it may not be so obvious why they work. Sure, Disney has turned the legends into relate-able, likable characters and even added some catchy tunes. But the real magic they add is remembering that these stories were passed down for generations as oral history before they were ever put into writing. The stories were made more exciting because of the way they were told, not just the plot that was involved. There were embellishments, adventure, danger – all in the interpretation.

Disney’s animated movies are great because of the “poetic” license they take with how the stories are told. They aren’t the basic, straightforward tales, but that’s not what we want anyway. And, in the end, they still give us the legends that we may not have learned about in any other way, especially if it’s not from our own cultures. Sharing these stories with the world is Disney magic.