Frauke Albersmeier is a research fellow at Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf. Her research focuses on animal ethics (speciesism; abolitionism in the animal rights debate; interspecies solidarity), metaethics, and philosophical methodology. In her PhD thesis, she argues that progress must culminate in a zootopian wonderland, where the fortunes of overthrown monarchs are used to finally reimburse the animals of the forest (and under the sea) – for their selfless service to animatic princesses and to build a functioning interspecies democracy based on liberty, justice, equality, and of course, catchy tunes. Lots and lots of catchy tunes.

Steve Bein is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Dayton, where he is a specialist in Asian thought. He is the author of Purifying Zen and Compassion and Moral Guidance, both from University of Hawai' i Press (2011, 2013), and numerous chapters and articles on Japanese, Buddhist, and comparative East–West philosophy. Steve is a regular contributor to the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series, including LEGO and Philosophy (Wiley, 2017), Wonder Woman and Philosophy (Wiley, 2017), and The Ultimate Star Trek and Philosophy (Wiley, 2016). He is also a sci‐fi and fantasy writer, and some of his short stories are used in college classes across the country. For his chapter in this book, his nieces Kalyn and Audrey are responsible for much of the research. A PhD in philosophy is nothing compared to their combined 24 years of expertise.

Armond Boudreaux is an Associate Professor of English at East Georgia State College. His publications include Titans: How Superheroes Can Help Us Make Sense of a Polarized World, That He May Raise, and a chapter in Doctor Strange and Philosophy (Wiley, 2018). Whenever someone mentions Pixar movies in his presence, people who know him say, “Oh, no – don't get him started on that again!”

Timothy Brown is the director of Southern Evangelical Bible College, and an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Southern Evangelical Seminary. He has for some time been trying to drink less coffee, with little to no success. Courses he has instructed include Logic, Moral Philosophy, and Philosophy of Religion. He holds degrees in both Political Science and Philosophy of Religion, which guarantees there is much he can talk about at parties. From what he has observed, he has concerns about what is being taught by the Buy n Large NAN·E bots.

Elizabeth Butterfield is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Georgia Southern University, where she teaches classes on existentialism, ethics, religion, and happiness. She is the author of Sartre and Post‐Humanist Humanism, and has also published articles on Dr. Seuss, James Bond, and Roald Dahl. Beth's true calling is to be a Jungle Cruise skipper, to share with all her guests the joys of her favorite jungle plants (the hibiscus and the low biscus), her favorite rock formations (that so many people take for granite!), and the one – the only – backside of water! O2H! O2H!

Alexander Christian is a bewitched herbivorous red fox, cursed to act as the assistant director of the Düsseldorf Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science, and Lecturer at the Westfälische Wilhelms‐Universität Münster. In his research he is particularly concerned with scientific misconduct and questionable research practices in biomedical research. During twilight, Alex can sometimes be seen hunting for vegan take‐out dishes in downtown Düsseldorf. Some people say that he is slightly snappy when it comes to students – what he considers a totally untrue defamatory statement based on speciesist stereotypes.

Louis Colombo is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bethune‐Cookman University in Daytona Beach, where he teaches courses in ethics and the history of Western philosophy. His research interests include Hegel, critical theory, and American pragmatism, although living and teaching in sunny Florida makes the call of the beach almost irresistible. He is currently attempting to recruit a trombonist for his death metal band, “ball of death.”

Kody Cooper is UC Foundation Assistant Professor of Political Science & Public Service at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is the author of Thomas Hobbes and the Natural Law (University of Notre Dame Press, 2018). His life goal is to have 15 biological children, adopt 86 more, and then write a catchy jingle that will bring home enough bacon to feed, clothe, and house them all in style.

Timothy Dale is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He teaches in the area of political philosophy, and his research interests include democratic theory, political messaging in popular culture, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. He is co‐editor of several books on popular culture and politics, including Jim Henson and Philosophy (2015), Homer Simpson Ponders Politics (2013), and Homer Simpson Marches on Washington (2010). In addition to spending time in line at Animal Kingdom for the Avatar Flight of Passage ride, he also likes roaming Epcot with a beer while his family rides on Test Track.

Richard B. Davis is Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Tyndale University in Toronto, Canada. He is the editor of Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy (Wiley, 2010), and co‐editor (with Jennifer Hart Weed and Ronald Weed) of 24 and Philosophy (Wiley, 2007). His philosophical musings have also appeared in The X‐Men and Philosophy (Wiley, 2009). Like baby Jack‐Jack, Davis has the much sought‐after super power of transporting himself to other dimensions. For some reason this takes place spontaneously during faculty meetings.

William J. Devlin is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bridgewater State University, offering classes in existentialism, nineteenth century philosophy, the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, and philosophy of science. His publications include chapters in Westworld and Philosophy (Wiley, 2018), Game of Thrones and Philosophy (Wiley, 2012), and The Walking Dead and Philosophy (Wiley, 2012). He finds himself closely resembling Moana's father, Chief Tui – overly confident in his family rules, which are constantly undermined as his mother encourages and instigates his daughter's existential rebellion.

George A. Dunn has taught Philosophy and Religion in both the United States and the People's Republic of China. He is the editor or co‐editor of six books on philosophy and popular culture, including The Philosophy of Christopher Nolan (Lexington Books, 2017) and Sons of Anarchy and Philosophy (Wiley, 2013), and The Hunger Games and Philosophy (Wiley, 2012). Like Mulan, he's visited the Forbidden City in Beijing, though he didn't arrive on horseback and he missed the fireworks display.

Joseph Foy is the editor of Homer Simpson Goes to Washington, and SpongeBob SquarePants and Philosophy. He is also co‐editor of Homer Simpson Marches on Washington and Homer Simpson Ponders Politics. Foy has also contributed essays in over fifteen popular culture anthologies. He is currently serving as the Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters at Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, which is, of course, the second happiest place on Earth.

Robert K. Garcia is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Texas A&M University, where he works in analytic metaphysics and philosophy of religion. He is the co‐editor of Is Goodness without God Good Enough? and is writing a book on C. S. Lewis's views about the uniqueness of persons. His dream is to cameo in a Disney film as the philosopher who solved two seemingly intractable conundrums: Pluto's Euthyphro Dilemma (Is Mickey unable to be mad at Pluto because Pluto is cheerful or is Pluto cheerful because Mickey is unable to be mad at him?) and the lesser‐known Goofy Dilemma (Is the talking dog goofy because he is “Goofy” or is he “Goofy” because he is goofy?).

J. Edward Hackett is a full‐time Lecturer at Savannah State University, where he teaches courses in the Humanities and Philosophy. He is the author of Persons and Values in Pragmatic Phenomenology, and co‐edited Phenomenology for the 21st Century. He works in ethical theory, American philosophy, and continental philosophy. Apart from his scholarly writings, he's published a novel, Flight of the Ravenhawk with Ink Smith Press. He writes public philosophy and has edited House of Cards and Philosophy (Wiley, 2015). Unlike Wall·E, Hackett would much rather find a faster‐than‐light vehicle and leave earth for adventure.

Jamey Heit's interest in cultural studies grew out of his PhD work at the University of Glasgow. In addition to his dissertation on John Donne and Emily Dickinson, he has written about a range of cultural topics: representations of evil, Calvin and Hobbes, and The Hunger Games. He taught extensively before co‐founding an educational technology company. He still teaches online at Walden University. Someday, his daughters would like to visit Arendelle with him. Disney World will probably have to suffice.

Steve Jones is Associate Professor of Humanities at Bethune‐Cookman University, where he teaches interdisciplinary humanities and Greek and other related things. Current projects include “Straight from the Dragon's Mouth,” an investigation of the “Roswell of 888,” in which Alfred the Great directed a cover‐up of frequent and devastating dragon attacks on Wessex by claiming they actually were Viking raids. Also planned is “Don't Steiff That Teddy,” a Jungian analysis of the synchronous emergence of the teddy bear archetype in early twentieth‐century Germany and America.

Dean A. Kowalski is a Professor of Philosophy and the inaugural chair of the Arts & Humanities Department in the College of General Studies at the University of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee. He is the author or editor of eight books, each exploring philosophical connections to film or television, including The Philosophy of The X‐Files (2009), The Big Bang Theory and Philosophy (Wiley, 2012), Classic Questions and Contemporary Film (Wiley, 2016), and Joss Whedon as Philosopher (2017). He would have given anything for Chef Kronk to utter: “Hey, how come people don't have dip for dinner? Why is it only a snack?”

Mark D. Linville is Senior Research Fellow and Philosophy Tutor for Faulkner University's PhD program in the Humanities. He has edited (with Dave Werther) Philosophy and the Christian Worldview (Bloomsbury) as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters on moral philosophy and philosophy of religion, including “The Moral Argument” in the Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology. He is the co‐founder (with Dave Werther) of Cody State University – a quite imaginary institution “Where Seldom is Heard a Discouraging Word” – where he also holds the Zane Grey Chair of Western (i.e. Rootin’ Tootin’) Philosophy. He is more likely to feed the birds with his tuppence than invest it and wants to be a chimney sweep when he grows up.

Megan S. Lloyd is the Manus Cooney Distinguished Professor of English at King's College in Wilkes‐Barre, Pennsylvania, and the author of The Valiant Welshman, the Scottish James, and the Formation of Great Britain and “Speak it in Welsh”: Wales and the Welsh Language in Shakespeare. She would like to thank her research assistants, Daniel and Kate, who encouraged her to watch hundreds of hours of Disney videos, especially Disney's Sing‐Along‐Songs and The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.

Tuomas W. Manninen is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Arizona State University, West Campus, where he teaches courses in critical thinking, philosophy of mind, political philosophy, and other related topics. A lifelong enthusiast of most things Disney, he taught himself to read with the help of Donald Duck comics. Although it is probably for this reason he believes that the Mouse is overrated. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife, Bertha (with whom he fell in love on a trip to Disney World), and two daughters, Michelle and Julia.

C. A. McIntosh is a PhD candidate in Philosophy at Cornell University. He uses his initials not because he's a pretentious Brit, but because he hates his first name (Chad). McIntosh has written extensively on a wide range of topics in philosophy including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, philosophy of religion, and political philosophy, most of which sit stillborn on his computer's hard drive. His goal in life is to cultivate his masculinity to be at least as toxic as that of Prince Phillips’.

Robert M. Mentyka is an Independent Scholar who squeezes in philosophical writing after spending the day working in retail and watching reruns of The Disney Afternoon over his lunch break. A life‐long Disney fan, he received his MA in Philosophy from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, and considers vacationing in Disney World a prerequisite for a truly well‐rounded education in the humanities. His previous contributions to the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series include articles for Bioshock and Philosophy (Wiley, 2015), Alien and Philosophy (Wiley, 2017), and most recently, LEGO and Philosophy (Wiley, 2017).

Ellen Miller is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. Her book, Releasing Philosophy, Thinking Art: A Phenomenological Study of Sylvia Plath's Poetry (Davies Group Publishers), is the first full‐length philosophical examination of Sylvia Plath's poetry. Her other publications and presentations focus on topics in ethics, philosophy of art, and feminist philosophy. She is actively involved in pre‐college philosophy programming and research. In her article (in press) for Volume 10 of Plath Profiles: An Interdisciplinary Journal for Sylvia Plath Studies, she examines how Plath's writings can help us better understand mental health care and case studies in ethics. Unlike Riley, she is not disgusted by broccoli on pizza; like Riley, she tries to preserve her childhood memories and emotions as long as possible.

Jessica Miller is Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at the University of Maine. She has previously contributed to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy and The Hunger Games and Philosophy (Wiley, 2012). When she is not working on a project in bioethics or pop culture, she can be found in her doom buggy, trying to count all 999 ghosts in the Haunted Mansion ride at Walt Disney World.

Kevin Mintz is a PhD candidate at Stanford University. A disability scholar and lifelong, die‐hard Disney fan, he grew up going to Disney World with his brothers regularly. His research interests include sexuality politics and the philosophy of disability. His not‐so‐secret hedonistic fantasy is to eventually make enough money to buy a Disney Premier Passport and move into a room at the Hollywood Tower Hotel. His more realistic goal is to help make Disney magic accessible to all dreamers with disabilities.

Leilani Mueller teaches competitive drama and British literature to high‐school students. Her philosophy comes via osmosis both from her philosopher husband and lots of attention to Plato and Aquinas. Her expertise in fairy‐tales in general and Disney stories in particular was gained through countless visits to Disneyland and memorizing the soundtracks to many Disney films. She strives to avoid being spellbound by loving beauty wherever she finds it.

Nathan Mueller is a doctoral student in philosophy at Baylor University. His research interests center on issues in social epistemology and philosophy of education. Pursuant to the former interest he wonders what beliefs were had by the mob which set out to kill the Beast, and how that collective belief was formed. He was reminded by his co‐author, however, of the role of the true, the good, and, specifically, the beautiful and now he is pondering the spell‐breaking power of beauty and its powerful role in the process of education.

Originally the eighth dwarf, Edwardo Pérez spent his childhood toiling away in the mines with Sneezy and Dopey. After an ill‐fated romance with Tinkerbell (and a trip to Vegas with Mushu and Genie that cannot be put into words), Edwardo earned his PhD in English while doing odd jobs in Beast's castle as a feather quill, and while working summers lifeguarding in Motunui with Tamatoa (before he went glam). Eventually settling down as an Associate Professor of English at Tarrant County College in Hurst, TX (though never forgetting his time spent hitting the slopes in Arendelle with Olaf), Edwardo writes blogs for AndPhilosophy.com, manages the website lightsabertoss.com, and contributes essays to magical texts like the one you're holding in your hand.

Timothy Pickavance is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Talbot Department of Philosophy at Biola University. His philosophical interests are all over the map. But his published work is mostly in metaphysics, and include Metaphysics: The Fundamentals and The Atlas of Reality: A Comprehensive Guide to Metaphysics (both Wiley Blackwell, and both co‐authored with Robert Koons). Fun fact: an anagram of “Tim Pickavance” is “pancake victim.” So if Tim were a character in a Disney film, he assumes it would be a bit part that involves being assaulted with breakfast food.

Read Mercer Schuchardt is the great‐nephew of Johnny Mercer, who wrote “Zip‐A‐Dee‐Doo‐Da” and other Disney tunes, as well as the soundtrack for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and the Breakfast At Tiffany's hit song, “Moon River.” He is Associate Professor of Communication at Wheaton College, and hopes to become the world's leading scholar of the Star Wars Y‐Wing Fighter.

Shawn White has an MA in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and is currently pursuing a PhD at Faulkner University studying Philosophy of Humanities. His academic interests include G.K. Chesterton and Chesterton's writings on gratitude, wonder, and humility. His non‐academic interests include having a wife, having a dog, playing board games, and having a wooden leg named Smith. He is grateful for being practically imperfect in every way.

Sincere thanks are due to Marissa Koors at Wiley Blackwell who, while waiting for this book to finally arrive, was no doubt consoled by the magical words of Cinderella's fairy godmother: “Even miracles take a little time.” And to Megan S. Lloyd whose generosity of spirit and contributions to this volume truly went “to infinity and beyond.” And finally to Mr. Incredible, Bill Irwin: author, editor, and colleague extraordinaire. Bill has an inexplicable knowledge of pop culture's (and this book's) inner workings, exploiting every loophole, dodging every obstacle. In my books, he's a Super – with or without the Supersuit.

The book you are holding is fondly dedicated to the memory of Walt Disney, who if he were reading these words would promptly decree, “The way to get [a book] started is to quit talking and begin doing.” So off we go; enjoy the ride!

“First, think. Second, believe. Third, dream. And finally, dare”

—Walt Disney

If you've ever experienced the feeling of wonder – if you've ever asked who you are, what your purpose is, or how you might function freely, happily, and creatively in the circle of life – this book is for you. You don't have to take my word for it. For the greatest of all philosophers, Socrates (470–399 BCE) himself, declared once and for all time: “wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.” There is no better place to start the philosophical journey than with the often animated, indisputably wonder‐ful world created for us by Walt Disney – through television, motion pictures, theme parks, and much else. Without a doubt, Disney has made the world (parts of it at least) a “Magic Kingdom,” where time stands still and we can escape, dream, and (for one tiny moment) be special.

The 27 chapters in this book explore issues that affect each one of us: freedom, fatalism, friends, family, ethics, identity, disabilities, and ultimately death. In these pages the great sages of the ages meet Disney at its cinematic best: from the early days of Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Sleeping Beauty, to recent blockbusters such as The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, Mulan, The Incredibles, Frozen, and more. It's all here. All the uncommon wisdom spun out of these wonderful tales – plus, a few unexpected insights into the philosophy of Disney, its media impact, and theme parks – is illuminated and explained by 32 of the world's most Disney‐loving philosophers. You'll consider the feminist evolution of Disney princesses from passive, shy, and petite to passionate, outspoken, and proud. You'll confront the question of whether those “Hidden Mickeys” at Walt Disney World tell us anything about God. And you'll journey through Inside Out's complex inner world of emotions into Finding Dory's equally challenging outer world of the social stigmas facing those for whom disability is “part of their world.”

So whether you grew up with The Wonderful World of Disney in the 1970s, raised your kids in front of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King in the 1990s, or (like philosopher Elizabeth Butterfield) are just getting home from yet another Disney vacation, you'll want Disney and Philosophy to help chart your course through the philosophical world of Disney. All it takes is truth, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust.