There’s also the point that women often died in childbirth in medieval times, as many of the fairytales on which Disney films were based are set. The dead mother and/or stepmother arrangement was much more common. As Disney’s later films have moved beyond medieval European fairytales into other times and cultures, we see more living mothers, from Moana and Brave to Tangled and the Lion King (where mom leads the lionesses). In fact, of the 73 Disney/Pixar animated features, only seven have dead moms: Snow White, Bambi, Cinderella, Little Mermaid (presumed), Beauty and the Beast (presumed), Pocahontas and Hunchback. There are just as many single moms, living parents, and orphans in the various stories.