Tinker Bell

Tinker Bell (or Tinkerbell) is a character in the 1953 Walt Disney animated movie adaptation of Peter Pan. She is described as a common fairy who mends pots and kettles and, though sometimes ill-behaved and vindictive, at other times she is helpful and kind to Peter, for whom she apparently has romantic feelings. The extremes in her personality are explained by the fact that a fairy’s size prevents her from holding more than one feeling at a time. An urban legend arose around the allegation that Disney modeled the character in the Disney film after then-budding starlet Marilyn Monroe; however, actress Margaret Kerry actually served as animator Marc Davis’ original reference, and also was aided by Ward Kimball's wife, Betty..

Tink, for short, is also among the numerous Disney characters to appear in 1988 animated/live action hybrid movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the television series House of Mouse and in the Kingdom Hearts video game series. She also serves as one of the company’s mascots, representing “The Magic of Disney,” and serves as the lead character in many of Disney’s anthology television series (Disneyland, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, The Magical World of Disney, etc.) opening each show with pixie dust. According to her bio on the Disney Fairies website, she is “feisty, fun loving and fearless; gets easily upset but is quick to apologize and a true friend once you get to know her.”

The Disney Fairies

 * Main: Disney Fairies

In 2005, Tinker Bell became the lead character for her own line of licensed products called Disney Fairies. This program, a spin off of the popular Disney Princess line of which she was a part of before this new franchise started, includes toys, accessories, clothing, Halloween costumes as well as books and a direct-to-video movie series. The first book in the series, titled  Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg , was written by  Ella Enchanted  author Gail Carson Levine. In it, Tinker Bell, who lives in a secret place within Never Land called Pixie Hollow and three of her fairy friends are faced with the task of protecting the egg responsible for keeping Neverland’s inhabitants young.

Tinker Bell never had a voice in Disney films and television series in her fifty-five years, always having been mute and using pantomime to communicate with humans. However, that all changed on October 28th, 2008 with the release of her self-titled direct-to-video movie, which takes place before the events of the 1953 Peter Pan movie. The late actress Britnay Murphy was first chosen to provide Tink’s voice on the film; however, due to scheduling conflicts, she was replaced by Mae Whitman, who said in an interview with USA Today :

'“Kids will like [Tink’s] energy and festiness because it never comes from a malicious place. It’s always out of the goodness of her heart.”'

Other voices in this film include Anjelica Huston as Queen Clarion, Raven-Synome (of Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven) as Iridessa, Kristin Chenoweth as Rosetta, America Ferrera (star of the ABC series, Ugly Betty) as Fawn, British actress Jane Horrocks as Fairy Mary, Loreena McKennitt as the narrator, Jesse McCartney and Kathy Najimy. Three sequels are in the works to be annually released on DVD and Blu-Ray. A preview clip of the movie aired on ABC during a telecast of the Peter Pan movie on July 26th, 2008. In the clip, Tink tries to teach a baby bird to take flight, with embarrassing results. The television debut of the film aired on November 30, 2008 on Disney Channel. The second movie in the series, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, was released October 27th, 2009, and made its' TV debut on Disney Channel November 29th of that year.

Theme Parks
Prior to 2005, the only appearences for the Tinker Bell at Disney theme parks worldwide have been in the nightly fireworks shows as she flies from one side of the park to the other through the fireworks, started by Walt Disney himself.



The character has also made appearances in the “Parade of Dreams” spectacular at Disneyland, as part of the Enchanted Adventures Parade at “Mickey’s Pirates and Princess Party” at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom hard ticket event, as well as in the Fantillusion nighttime parade at Disneyland Paris, and as of 2009, she now appears as the lead character in the Electrical Parade at California Adventure, replacing the Blue Fairy. She has also appeared in the Walt Disney Cinema Parade at Walt Disney Studios Paris before that event ended in 2008. This all changed following the video's release, as Disneyland converted Ariel’s Grotto to a representation of Pixie Hollow with the character scheduled to have meet-and-greets, and yes, she actually does speak at Pixie Hollow. In addition, there is an additional meet-and-greet with the fairies in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom at Mickey’s Toontown Fair in Florida.

Peter Pan's Flight
Tink also has a central place in the attraction “Peter Pan’s Flight” at all Disney Theme Parks (with the exception of Hong Kong Disneyland), all of which are located within Fantasyland. The original version at Disneyland was one of the first rides when the park opened in 1955.

For the direct-to-DVD video movie Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, which was released on October 28th, 2009 in North America, Tinker Bell was given her first new outfit in over fifty years, which reflects the autumn setting of the movie. According to Klay Hill, the director of the movie, the tomboyish look of the outfit still reveals the curves she has had since her first appearance in 1953. Her outfit is consisting of a hat, cape, long sleeve top, leggings and boots with her familiar pompons.

Disney on Ice
Tinker Bell has appeared on and off in the Disney on Ice productions produced by Feld Entertainment.