Disney's portrayal of women is divided into distinct eras.

• First came the domestic era, where characters were portrayed as homemakers, often cleaning and in need of rescue by a man, like Snow White or Cinderella.
• Then came the rebellious, new-age phase of Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Princess Jasmine in Aladdin. Disney's women strove to free themselves from the bonds of society. The female characters in the five subsequent films started to speak less, and the male characters in the same films tended to boss the female characters around.

• Disney received criticism over its portrayal of mental illness that is aimed to denigrate or set characters apart. Some psychology researchers warned it could lead to learning prejudicial attitudes among child viewers.
• The team also warned that the many references to evil in Disney's films could lead children to demonize people who engage in perceived 'bad' behaviors.

Disney films are rich in behavior such as sharing, helping, and encouraging others. One study showed watching Disney characters help one another inspired children to help their friends.

Early films used to portray work as horrible and nasty. Disney's response was to 'whistle while you work' as you wait for a prince to rescue you. This is a dangerous view in a modern workplace - if you allow yourself to be exploited and think it will all work out.

More recent Disney films have a marked change. Female characters in Frozen and Brave represent a new independent and free-spirited era. They are strong and in control and don't need male characters to save the day.