A young peasant girl and a dashing huntsman, they meet in the forest “once upon a dream�? and it is love at first sight. What they don’t know is that they were destined from birth to a royal wedding. When the princess succumbs to the evil spells of Maleficent, it is up to the prince to defeat the witch and, with a kiss, awaken the maiden from her eternal rest, proving that true love really does conquer all.

A young mermaid princess, tired of life “under the sea�?, yearns to be “where the people are�?, a desire made even more so once she sees the handsome prince. She’ll do whatever it takes to be a “part of his world�?, even if it means defying her father and seeking the help of a sea witch, who takes the mermaid’s voice as the price for her aid. Without being able to speak (or, more importantly, sing), can Ariel win the heart of Eric in time?

From the moment they first saw each other in Steamboat Willie, Mickey knew that Minnie was the gal for him. Through the years, their love has survived the likes of Pegleg Pete, Mortimer Mouse and Julius, and their best romantic moments have been captured in such classic cartoons as Brave Little Taylor (1938), The Nifty Nineties (1941) and Mickey’s Delayed Date (1947), proving them the perennial Disney sweethearts.

Its beginning certainly wasn’t ripe for romance: he, a prince who has been turned into a monstrous animal by an enchantress’ magic, has imprisoned her in his castle for the sins of her father. Yet he knows that it is only she that can break the spell and make him human again. With the help of his loyal servants, he slowly learns to love another … and be loved in return, for this beauty has seen beyond the beast and fallen in love with the soul inside.

A lady in every sense of the word, our cocker spaniel heroine stumbles into adventure with a devil-may-care junkyard dog, and, in one of the most romantic scenes in all movie history, they find love under the stars … and in a plate of spaghetti. “This is the night, and the heaven’s are right, on this lovely belle notte�?. Oh, that we are all so lucky to find someone so special to share our spaghetti with.

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We hoped you enjoyed our romantic trip down Disney movie memory lane … be sure to Toon in next time for the latest Toon Talk.

-- Kirby C. Holt
-- Logos by William C Searcy, [email protected]