With Tax Day just around the corner, we thought we’d take a moment to put down the abacus (people still use those, right?) and reflect on some of our most admired Disney “financial planners”… You know, those Disney characters who work their own special kind of magic on money. Pinch a few pennies with us—and see if your favorite made the list!
He’s probably the first Disney character we all associate with money… a savvy and shrewd businessman who accumulated his incredible wealth by being “tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties and making it square.” Donald’s rich uncle made his first appearance in a comic book in 1947!
Poor Angus was tasked with putting affairs in order for wealthy, if foolhardy, Mr. Toad. Seems our carefree amphibian friend found himself in a lot of debt, and it was up to Angus to save the monetary day!
We don’t hear very much from little Hamm about money in the Toy Story films—but we have to imagine he’s pretty good at saving it. Every little kid should have a genuine piggy bank; there’s no better way to start accruing those quarters for a rainy day (or maybe to use for a special night out at Pizza Planet).
This is one person you might not want looking after your money. The sheriff is charged with collecting taxes for nasty Prince John, who’s determined to stop Robin Hood’s plan to “steal from the rich and give to the poor.”
By all accounts, Mr. Banks is a money maven of the highest caliber; he works at a large London financial institution, and has made it his life’s work to accumulate and manage wealth. But his need of “precision and order” gets between him and the love of his family… Luckily, everyone’s favorite nanny comes to the rescue!
He may be a tad eccentric, but he’s a self-made millionaire—so he must know a thing or two about money. Just steer clear of his 12 pet alligators! (Maybe they keep an eye on his money for him?)
Mr. Gold is Storybrooke’s wealthiest resident—a pawnshop owner who became rich through (primarily underhanded) bargains with the town’s magical residents. But frankly, he’s easier to deal with than his alter ego Rumpelstiltskin, a sorcerer who can spin gold from straw. A nice retirement plan, sure, but one that comes with a price!