Disney quiz questions for every generation of fans

Disney is one of the few quiz topics that works for almost any crowd. Grandparents remember Snow White in the cinema, parents grew up on the Lion King and Aladdin, and their kids know Frozen and Encanto by heart. That spread makes it a brilliant round to run, but also a tricky one to write well, because "Disney" covers ninety years of films, dozens of theme parks, and a music catalogue that's picked up more Oscars than almost any studio in history.

These 35 questions pull from the classic animated era, Pixar, the songs everyone can hum along to, and the business and park history behind the mouse ears. They're organised roughly easy to hard, so you can run the whole thing as one long round or pick sections to suit your audience.

Classic Disney Questions

Start here if your crowd skews toward casual fans. These lean on the films most people have seen at least once.

1What was Disney's first full-length animated feature film, released in 1937?

Answer:Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It cost around $1.5 million to make, a huge sum during the Great Depression, and Walt Disney had to mortgage his house to finish it.(click to reveal)

2In The Lion King, what is the name of Simba's father, the king of Pride Rock?

Answer:Mufasa(click to reveal)

3In Aladdin, who is the wish-granting spirit that lives inside a magic lamp, voiced in the 1992 original by Robin Williams?

Answer:The Genie(click to reveal)

4In 101 Dalmatians, what is the name of the fur-obsessed villain who wants to turn a litter of puppies into a coat?

Answer:Cruella de Vil(click to reveal)

5What is the name of the fish who is Ariel's best friend in The Little Mermaid?

Answer:Flounder(click to reveal)

6In Pinocchio, what kind of creature acts as the wooden puppet's conscience?

Answer:A cricket (Jiminy Cricket)(click to reveal)

7What is the name of Bambi's shy rabbit friend, best known for the line "if you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all"?

Answer:Thumper(click to reveal)

8In Beauty and the Beast, what is the name of the candlestick who leads the "Be Our Guest" number?

Answer:Lumiere(click to reveal)

Disney Villains and Characters

A good villain makes the film. See how well your team knows the ones causing all the trouble.

9Who is Simba's uncle and the main villain of The Lion King?

Answer:Scar(click to reveal)

10What is the name of the sea witch who trades Ariel her voice for a pair of legs?

Answer:Ursula(click to reveal)

11In Frozen, what is the name of Elsa's younger sister, who sets off to find her after she flees to the mountains?

Answer:Anna(click to reveal)

12What is the name of Aladdin's mischievous pet monkey?

Answer:Abu(click to reveal)

13In Sleeping Beauty, the villain Maleficent transforms into which creature for the final battle?

Answer:A dragon(click to reveal)

14Who is the power-hungry royal vizier and main villain of Aladdin?

Answer:Jafar(click to reveal)

15What is the name of the living snowman brought to life by Elsa's magic in Frozen?

Answer:Olaf(click to reveal)

Pixar Questions

Pixar has its own identity within the wider Disney family. These cover the studio's best-known hits.

16What was Pixar's first feature film, released in 1995?

Answer:Toy Story. It was also the first full-length feature film made entirely with computer animation.(click to reveal)

17In Toy Story, what kind of toy is Woody?

Answer:A pull-string cowboy doll(click to reveal)

18In Finding Nemo, what type of fish is Nemo?

Answer:A clownfish(click to reveal)

19In Up, what is the name of the elderly widower who ties thousands of balloons to his house?

Answer:Carl Fredricksen(click to reveal)

20In Ratatouille, what is the name of the rat who dreams of becoming a chef in Paris?

Answer:Remy(click to reveal)

21Name any two of the five emotions who work inside the mind of the young girl at the centre of Inside Out.

Answer:Any two of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust(click to reveal)

22Which Mexican holiday, honouring family members who have died, is central to the plot of Coco?

Answer:Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)(click to reveal)

Disney Songs and Music

Disney's back catalogue is one of the deepest in film music. These questions cover some of the best-known numbers.

23Which song, performed by Elsa as she embraces her powers, won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2014?

Answer:Let It Go. It beat competition from Pharrell's "Happy" at that year's ceremony.(click to reveal)

24What is the title of the song that plays over the sunrise opening scene of The Lion King?

Answer:Circle of Life(click to reveal)

25Which Oscar-winning song from Aladdin has since been covered by artists from Peabo Bryson to Ariana Grande?

Answer:A Whole New World. It won Best Original Song at the 65th Academy Awards in 1993.(click to reveal)

26In The Lion King, what two-word Swahili phrase meaning "no worries" gives a song its title?

Answer:Hakuna Matata(click to reveal)

27Which songwriter composed the music for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, and has won more competitive Oscars than any other living person?

Answer:Alan Menken(click to reveal)

28What is the title of the song that opens Pinocchio and became Disney's signature theme tune, still used before its films today?

Answer:When You Wish Upon a Star(click to reveal)

Disney Theme Parks and History

This is the section for the person at the table who knows a bit too much Disney trivia.

29In which California city did the original Disneyland open in July 1955?

Answer:Anaheim. Opening day famously didn't go to plan: fake tickets got thousands of extra guests in, and the asphalt was still wet enough to grab a woman's high heel.(click to reveal)

30What is the title of Mickey Mouse's debut cartoon, released in 1928?

Answer:Steamboat Willie. It was one of the first cartoons to use synchronised sound, which is a big part of why it made such an impact.(click to reveal)

31Which classic ride, found in Disney parks around the world, was originally built for the 1964 New York World's Fair?

Answer:It's a Small World. It was created in support of UNICEF, with Walt Disney personally overseeing its design.(click to reveal)

32In what year did Disneyland Paris, originally named Euro Disney, open its gates?

Answer:1992. It opened on 12 April that year, becoming Disney's first resort in Europe.(click to reveal)

33In 2016, Disney opened its first theme park on mainland China. Which city is it in?

Answer:Shanghai(click to reveal)

34In 1991, Beauty and the Beast made Oscar history by becoming the first animated film ever nominated in which major category?

Answer:Best Picture. It didn't win, losing to The Silence of the Lambs, but the nomination changed how the Academy viewed animation.(click to reveal)

35Disney acquired both Marvel Entertainment and Lucasfilm within a few years of each other. Which one did it buy first?

Answer:Marvel. It was bought in 2009, with Lucasfilm following in 2012.(click to reveal)

Tips for Running a Disney Quiz Round

Split it by generation. Disney spans nearly a century, so a mixed-age crowd will have very different blind spots. Older guests might sail through the classic section and stumble on Pixar; younger guests could be the reverse. Running both gives everyone a fair shot.

Watch the Pixar and Disney overlap. Pixar is owned by Disney but has its own distinct style and fanbase. If your quiz leans heavily on one or the other, say so in advance so teams know what to expect.

Songs work well as a bonus round. Playing a short clip of a Disney song and asking teams to name the film is an easy way to break up a straight question-and-answer format, and it tests a different kind of memory.

Don't lean too hard on new releases. Disney puts out new films constantly, and a question about something released in the last year or two will only reward the people who happened to watch it recently. Stick to films with staying power for the fairest round.

If you want more ready-made rounds to pair with this one, our Harry Potter quiz questions cover another franchise with huge crossover appeal, and our film and movie quiz questions are a good option if you want to widen things out beyond Disney. Or head to our quiz creator to build a custom round around exactly the topics your group knows best.