10 Fun Facts About Encanto

1. Let’s Get Cozy

Disney wanted Encanto to have an intimate feel with an emphasis on family. One of the ways they decided to accomplish this was by formatting the film in a cozier aspect ratio of 1.85:1, unlike recent films like Frozen, Coco, and Moana, which were filmed in wider aspect ratios. This made the movie taller in comparison to its width, putting you in the middle of the action. The last Disney animated film with this aspect ratio prior to Encanto was Tangled.

2. Magical Realism

The creative team traveled to Colombia for inspiration, and while they were there, they met with architects, chefs, and artisans to immerse themselves in the country’s culture. An important element of the film was the tradition of magical realism (a realistic view of the world that incorporates magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality). Close collaboration with their team of advisors ensured that the appropriate types of flowers, plants, decorations, paint colors, and authentic dances were used to create magical realism. This allowed the audience to see themselves as part of the family without letting fictional magic distract them.

3. A Little Help From Elsa and Anna

To create the curly hair worn by many of the film’s characters, animators used a computer animation program designed for Frozen called Tonic. The software is so advanced that it can create a hierarchy of sections of hair and assign properties to each section, defining rules for movement and dictating how the hair reacts to the environment. For Encanto, animators ensured that the curly hair moved naturally, especially during dance numbers and musical fantasy sequences.

4. Eye to Eye

New software was also used to give the characters more beautifully colored eyes with speckled highlights. Eyes are always an essential method of conveying emotion, and the new technology allowed the animators to communicate it much more effectively.

5. Mirabel’s Glasses

Mirabel is the first main Disney character to have glasses. This symbolizes that even though Mirabel doesn’t possess a magical ability, she can see her family and the magical house with an insight the others do not have. This is also inferred by her name. In Spanish, “mira” means “to look.”

6. Color Stylings

Different color pallets are used to differentiate each branch of the Madrigal family. Mirabel’s side of the family wears cooler colors like blues and purples, while her cousins, Pepa and Félix, wear warmer tones like yellows, oranges, and browns. Each member of the Madrigal family also has symbols representing their magical gift on their clothing. Mirabel is the only family member to have clothing that represents everyone else in the family – another example of how well she can see her family. Her dress features flowers (Isabela), animals (Antonio), a candle (Abuela), weights (Luisa), and a chameleon (Camilo).

7. We Don’t Talk About…Well, You Know

Bruno, who spends much of the film off-screen, shrouded in the shadows, is distinguished by green tones and sinister lighting typically used for villains like Maleficent or Scar. Bruno’s coloring suggests a subtle connection to Mirabel because of her green glasses, both of whom are seen as outcasts.

8. What Does It Mean?

The word “Encanto” means joy, charm, or glamor in Spanish.

9. Rats

Encanto is primarily computer animated, but it does feature a tiny amount of hand-drawn 2D animation. In the “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” sequence, animator Mark Henn drew the rat shadows by hand!

10. A Magic Number

Three is a special number in the film. Abuela raised three children, and each daughter has three children of their own. There are also three town children featured in the musical numbers. Now there’s a certain mouse that we all know and love that is represented by three circles, and while that may be coincidental, several Hidden Mickeys are featured in the film. One can be found in the glitter seen as Mirabel passes her parents while singing “Waiting on a Miracle.” Another can be spotted at the beginning of Isabela’s song “What Else Can I Do?” when she creates a Mickey-shaped cactus. Finally, see if you can spot the small image of Sorcerer Mickey on the wall in Bruno’s room.