Adding subplots involving characters with only minor roles in the classic versions of fairy tales is a Disney formula, Wood said. In Disney's 'Cinderella' the mice, which only function in the original versions as characters to be turned into horses so Cinderella can go to the ball, become her friends and cohorts. It also was Disney who gave the seven dwarfs in 'Snow White' their names and personalities. The anthropomorphism, along with the slapstick and cute jokes the characters display, are meant to appeal to children, Wood said, while the romance appeals to adults. It's amazing that the studio has kept that tone for more than 50 years.
Wood suggests variety when it comes to fairy tales.
Instead of watching the Disney movie or reading the Disney version, she recommends checking out other versions available at local libraries or bookstores. What I'd really like for people to know is that there's more than one way to tell a fairy tale and there's more than one way to illustrate it. There are many wonderful illustrators out there who aren't getting the recognition they should simply because everybody thinks it ought to look like Disney's.