The China Plate, from the very early days of Disney animation, is a black-and-white Silly Symphony cartoon that features one of the first Disney dragons.
“The head of a camel, the neck of a crocodile…” Just as Pete describes Elliott to Nora in the song “It’s Not Easy” from Pete’s Dragon, Disney artists have envisioned wild interpretations of dragons for more than 80 years. They’ve appeared as hand-drawn, computer-animated, and Audio-Animatronics® creations, and in every shape and size.
On January 23, the Lunar New Year kicked off around the world with firework displays, cultural celebrations, and festivities marking the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Dragon. As the only mythological animal in the Chinese calendar’s 12-year cycle, the “dragon” is said to be a very prosperous and lucky year. And with so many dragon celebrations going on in 2012, D23 couldn’t help but compile a list of our own favorite Disney dragons—from friendly to fire breathing—that have soared in Disney films, parks, television, and more.
Walt Disney wanted to show the world the ins and outs of his new movie studio in Burbank, so the film The Reluctant Dragon was made to showcase the animation process on the Walt Disney Studios Lot.
Chinese Dragon—The China Plate (1931)
One of the earliest Disney dragons pays tribute to China’s mythology. The China Plate, from the very early days of Disney animation, is a black-and-white Silly Symphony cartoon. It’s very simple looking, compared to the Disney dragons of today, but this grey guy has just as much personality. In the short, a scene on a decorative plate comes to life and culminates with a battle with the fire-breathing dragon.
The Reluctant Dragon—The Reluctant Dragon (1941)
Walt Disney wanted to show the world the ins and outs of his new movie studio in Burbank, so the film The Reluctant Dragon was made to showcase the animation process on the Walt Disney Studios Lot. It features comedian Robert Benchley, who is trying to sell Walt Disney a story idea about a dragon. And in doing so, he gets a tour of the Walt Disney animation process. At the end of the film, you hear the story of the Reluctant Dragon, who is a both a dragon and a bashful poet.
Steam Shovel—Dragon Around (1954)
In this classic Chip and Dale short, the dragon comes in the form of tractor equipment! Donald’s excavator moves around like a medieval dragon—smoking nostrils and all!
In the film, the dragon only makes a snapping noise when it bites down, but when the animatronic version was added to Disneyland's Fantasmic! the team who scored the show added a few deep roars, too.
Maleficent as a Dragon—Sleeping Beauty (1959)
This black-and-purple dragon is about as mean and vicious as Disney dragons come. The talented Eleanor Audley voiced the character Maleficent. She also voiced Lady Tremaine in Disney’s Cinderella, and Madame Leota, the disembodied head in the crystal ball at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. In the film, the dragon only makes a snapping noise when it bites down, but when the Audio-Animatronics version was added to Disneyland’s Fantasmic! the team who scored the show added a few deep roars, too.
Sea Serpent—Submarine Voyage Through Liquid Space, Disneyland (1959)
One of the most memorable parts of visiting the classic Disneyland attraction was pointing out the sea serpent in the lagoon. Even after the attraction was modified to become Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, you can still spot the dragon of the deep. The serpent makes a comeback as a hidden rock formation at the end of the attraction.
The most famous dragon from Disney history is Pete's dragon Elliott, who in addition to the live-action film was give a role in the Main Street Electrical Parade.
Madame Mim as a Dragon—The Sword in the Stone (1963)
For a Wizard’s Duel, a wizard is allowed to transform into just about anything he or she wants. Madame Mim lays the ground rules in the film upon entering a duel with Merlin. “Rule One: No mineral or vegetable, only animals,” she says. “Rule Two: No make-believe things like, ooh, pink dragons and stuff. Now, Rule Three: No disappearing.” But she breaks her own rule when she turns herself into a purple dragon. Well, almost. It wasn’t pink!
Elliott—Pete’s Dragon (1977)
The most famous dragon from Disney history has to be Pete’s dragon, Elliott, who in addition to the live-action film was given a role in the Main Street Electrical Parade. There, the mumbling dragon is made out of hundreds of green and pink lights. You can watch him disappear right before your eyes when they shut off the lights in the parade.
Vermithrax Pejorative—Dragonslayer (1981)
“The origins of Dragonslayer are in the [Fantasia's] Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Hal Barwood, writer and producer, said at the time of the film’s release. “We (he and co-writer Matthew Robbins) were both raised on Disney films and never got over them. Eventually we got curious about St. George and the Dragon. Everybody had heard about the legendary pair—pubs all over England are named after them—but few know the actual story. When we completed our deep-think research in the children’s library, we had our story.”
"The origins of Dragonslayer are in the Sorcerer's Apprentice," Hal Barwood, writer and producer, said at the time of the film's release. "We (he and co-writer Matthew Robbins) were both raised on Disney films and never got over them."
Dragon Slayer Statue—Germany Pavilion, Epcot, Walt Disney World (1982)
The statue in the courtyard is of St. George slaying a dragon. German legend says that St. George killed a dragon to which a king’s daughter was being sacrificed—slaying it with his magical sword, Ascalon. The statue is modeled after another from Rothenburg, Germany. Almost all German villages have a statue of St. George.
Figment—Journey into Imagination, Epcot, Walt Disney World (1983)
Figment is a little purple dragon that has become a favorite character of Disney theme park fans. He represented the idea of imagination in the Epcot attraction Journey into Imagination. And during a 2002 rehab of the attraction, Figment’s name was added to the title: Journey Into Imagination with Figment.
Nine Dragons Restaurant, Epcot, Walt Disney World (1985)
When the China pavilion opened in 1982, it did not contain a restaurant. Three years later, Nine Dragons restaurant opened and let guests enjoy a taste of China with menu items from all of the country’s regions. Decor throughout the restaurant features traditional Chinese dragons.
Beneath the castle at Disneyland Paris is a dragon, which, as the story goes, has been raised by Merlin. While he is sleeping, the dragon snores, moans, and sighs. The dragon recently had a bit of a makeover and is a little livelier now.
Gwythaints—The Black Cauldron (1985)
The Horned King has a brood of vicious dragons known as the Gwythaints in The Black Cauldron.
La Tanière du Dragon— Le château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, Disneyland Paris (1992)
Beneath the castle at Disneyland Paris is a dragon, which, as the story goes, has been raised by Merlin. While he is sleeping, the dragon snores, moans, and sighs. The dragon recently had a bit of a makeover and is a little livelier now.
Mushu—Mulan (1998)
There’s a big difference between Chinese dragons and European dragons.” Tom Bancroft, animator, said shortly after the completion of the film. “The latter are usually very large, thick, and lizard-like. Mushu is skinnier and more snakelike. I found this great description of what an Oriental dragon should look like. It had the body of a snake, the claws of an eagle, or bird, the ears of a cow, the fins of a fish, and the face of a camel. Those were the elements I really wanted to keep in, and in an extremely simplified form, they’re still here.”
"I found this great description of what an Oriental dragon should look like," Tom Bancroft, animator, said shortly after the completion of the film. "It had the body of a snake, the claws of an eagle, or bird, the ears of a cow, the fins of a fish, and the face of a camel. Those were the elements I really wanted to keep in, and in an extremely simplified form, they"re still here."
Haku—Spirited Away (2001)
Haku, who is really a dragon, takes the shape of a boy to help Chihiro Ogino, a 10-year-old girl, in the film. The white dragon form of Haku was inspired by Japanese art and folklore and is animated in the style of Japanese Anime.
Dragons—Touchstone’s Reign of Fire (2002)
“The first reaction I had when I finished reading the screenplay was, ‘Wow, what do the dragons look like?’” recalled Rob Bowman, director, during the release of the film. “And the answer was, we wanted to make them as vicious, as organic, and as scary as we could. We designed it to move on the ground like a leopard, with the sound of a cobra about to strike; the skin of an alligator, but the spine of a serpent.”
Jake Long—Disney Channel’s American Dragon: Jake Long (2005)
Chris Roman, executive producer and director, described American Dragon as “…a hybrid of both new and traditional Disney animation and storytelling techniques,” he said during the Disney Channel show’s development. “Oh, and having a 13-year-old boy who turns into a dragon as your lead character—from a story standpoint—well, that’s just very, very cool.”
Queen Narissa as a dragon—Enchanted (2007)
Played by Susan Sarandon, Queen Narissa transforms into giant blue dragon at the end of the film.
Jabberwocky—Alice in Wonderland (2010)
The story of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky and the character were cut from the animated version of Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (1951). There, it was to wear a purple sweater and have a large and plump body (as seen in concept art for the film). But in Tim Burton’s live-action version of the story, a much scarier version of the Jabberwocky reigns over the skies and wonderland.
The Ballad of Nessie begins with bagpipes, a thick Scottish narration in rhyme, voiced by Scottish comedian Billy Connolly, and a storybook opening, a hallmark of classic Disney animation.
Sun Lok—The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010)
Sun Lok is an ancient, but perpetually young, Chinese sorcerer and Morganian. When he’s unlocked from his Grimhold by the villain Horvath, Sun Lok wreaks havoc in Chinatown during a lively festival by materializing a fearsome fire-breathing dragon. “Sun Lok has been in a little container for thousands and thousands of years, and when he’s let out, he’s really, really angry,” says Gregory Woo, who plays the mad Morganian.
Nessie—The Ballad of Nessie (2011)
Nessie’s got a bit of Elliott, a touch of Figment, and a hint of Mushu. But what she has that is unique to all the other Disney dragons is her feminine appeal. “Animator Dale Baer did most of the character art and we asked him to look back at some of Ward’s [Kimball] designs,” says Kevin Deters, who, with Stevie [Wermers-Skelton], co-directed The Ballad of Nessie. And with big, beautiful, batting eyelashes like Nessie’s, she certainly stole our hearts.
By D23′s Billy Stanek
