The Secrets Behind The Success Of Frozen

There are many secrets about the plot of Disney ‘s Frozen that audiences have yet to discover, but thanks to a dedicated team of fans looking for clues in every frame, these secrets are now being brought to light. With its plot rooted in Norse mythology and its fair share of twists, it’s no surprise that this modern classic would contain some deep hidden truths. We’ve collected ten of the most shocking facts about Frozen below.

1. The opening scene tells us how Elsa was born

The first few minutes of the film take place far back in time, before Anna is even born. While baby Anna plays with her dolly on a snowy day, an older Kristoff watches over her from afar. Suddenly there is a loud commotion as the royal castle comes into view and we see the queen giving birth to a baby girl. The young Kristoff says, “I was hoping for a boy!”

2. Elsa’s powers were supposed to be revealed much sooner

According to YouTube user japanaimationart ‘s informative video, which you can watch below, there is evidence in the film that Elsa was meant to have her powers revealed much earlier than when she accidentally strikes Anna in the heart with her ice magic at the coronation party. Hints of these powers can be seen as early as her childhood years. For example: When playing out in the courtyard with baby Anna, we see that Elsa casts a flower up into the air and it lands gently on her sister’s palm. There are also clues in the form of Olaf’s happy snowmen dreams, which seem to foreshadow Elsa’s ability to create life.

3. Anna is almost 19 years old

According to sites like Teen Disney , this may actually be a plot hole in the film rather than an actual fact. Based on calculations using the time frame at the beginning of the film and later scenes where Anna is clearly much older (Olaf even comments that she has been waiting for her “boyfriend” for her entire life), it would actually make more sense if Anna was nearly 20 years old. However, since Disney wanted Frozen to take place around Christmastime, they worked backwards from there and decided Anna needed to be no more than 18 years old for certain plot points to work out.

4. Anna and Elsa’s parents could have an Irish accent

In the Frozen Holiday Special , Disney aired a nearly full-length animated short featuring Olaf, Sven, Kristoff and even Anna and Elsa getting together for a Christmas celebration at Oaken’s Trading Post. In one scene, we hear from the family matriarch that she has been “traveling up from County Boyd” for this occasion. This may be a reference to Ireland’s County Boidh which was named after a legendary man with a similar sounding name. It would make sense if their mother had an Irish accent then! The matriarch of the family is voiced by Eva Bella .

5. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side

Frozen is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen , but with a few twists to make it even better suited for Disney audiences. For instance, in the original story both sisters are asking for their own way out of their respective situations. Anna wants warmth and Kristoff wants love. But in Frozen , Anna has finally found love! If she can find her way back to Kristoff, they will live happily ever after together. However, it doesn’t work that well for Elsa because she also wants her own happy ending by staying away from everything she fears.

6. The Duke of Wesselton was originally intended as a dastardly villain

According to japanimationart ‘s research, Hans originally was not supposed to be Anna’s love interest at all. Instead, the Duke of Westleton (formerly known as the Duke of Wesselton) was meant to be a villainous character who wanted to use Anna for her royal connections and then kill her off. He is even seen in the film coming close to striking Anna with his sword! But it seems like this plot twist would have gotten old fast, so Disney went back to their original plan by reworking Hans’ motives and adding an evil comedic sidekick called Oaken. Whatever works best for your story, I guess!

7. Olaf has dreams about the future

I know what you’re thinking: Dreamworks Animation already did that idea first in 2007’s Bee Movie where Jerry Seinfeld’s character has dreams about the future. But wait! In a Frozen Holiday Special , Olaf actually does have a dream sequence where he envisions what Elsa and Anna would be like together as sisters, living happily with him in their new castle made of ice cream cones and gingerbread houses. Although it is not exactly clear whether or not these are prophetic dreams, it certainly does seem that way to us at some parts of the film!

8. Elsa has seizures just like people with Epilepsy

In his online analysis of “The Hidden Meaning Behind Disney Movies” , Alvin Hsiao from CollegeArticle .com points out that Elsa’s seizure-like behavior after she accidentally strikes Anna with her magical abilities is very similar to the way epilepsy works. Her condition is activated by an uncontrolled surge of electricity in her brain, which can be triggered by physical or emotional events. However, her magical abilities are not to blame for her problem; they’re merely extensions of it!

9. The Duke of Weselton was meant to represent Germany but then got changed into a country that doesn’t exist

According to Movieweb , Disney’s original intent during production on Frozen was for Elsa and Anna’s uncle to be a dastardly scheming German who lives practically right next door to them. However, as his designs took shape, he eventually became a Danish man with Norwegian descent named “Weselton”, who comes from a region called “Weasel Town”. But I’m sure this change must have happened long before the film reached theaters because I’ve never heard of anything called “Weasel Town”!

10. Maelstrom is based on Norwegian mythology

Disney’s animators went to Norway in order to get inspiration for Frozen . They visited various parts of Oslo including the city’s harbor, which inspired the big scenes later in the movie when Anna goes out into open water on Kristoff’s sled and Elsa builds her ice palace on top of a frozen fjord. This decision makes sense considering that Hans Christian Andersen himself was actually born in Odense, Denmark but grew up in Norway! If you pay attention, you can even hear some Norwegians making cameos during the coronation scene!

So there you have it – ten secrets about Frozen! If you’d like to find out even more, here is a good article on the subject from japanimationart. There’s certainly no shortage of little details and easter eggs in this film!