2023 marked a pretty huge event for one of the most recognised brands in the world – the 100th anniversary of the founding of Disney Brothers studio, now known as the Walt Disney Company.

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that the company has left its mark on generations of children; as a result, adult tattoo enthusiasts and casual collectors have made that mark a literal one.

Enjoy our selection of the best Disney tattoos, inked by our sponsored artists and friends, from the wholesome to the wholly bizarre!

Rachel Honeywell & Cloto - Disney Castle Tattoo

Cinderella’s Castle isn’t make believe – it’s a real building which exists in both the United States and in Tokyo! Based on a few real palaces throughout the world – but mostly on the fictional one in the 1950s animated film Cinderella – these impressive structures bring back great memories of visiting the most magical place on earth! Rachel Honeywell’s detailed piece obscures the edges of the castle in roses, with colourful circles providing contrast to the ornate turret gilding, while Cloto goes big and bold with the colours, adding in one of Cinderella’s helpful bluebirds and wrapping the whole thing in a bold, watercolour-edged heart.

Keely Glitters & Rob Blythin - Small Disney Tattoos

In contrast to the large thigh spaces needed for an entire castle tattoo, these itty-bitty tattoos are a great way to pay tribute to your favourite Disney movie. Keely Glitters inked this bunny in a heart, finishing off the Alice in Wonderland phrase “follow the white rabbit” – the reference is subtle, but the tattoo is bold and bright. Rob Blythin’s tiny piece with Rafiki’s drawing of Simba in The Lion King is an important reminder to never give up hope.

Mauro de la Fuente & Q Tattoo - Disney Quotes For Tattoos

While a picture can say a thousand words, there are just so many iconic quotes from Disney movies that are worth getting tattooed! Mauro de la Fuente’s bold composition shows an adult Simba looking forward above an image of Mufasa explaining to Simba who he is – the image is framed by the line “remember who you are” in an instantly recognisable Disney font. Q Tattoo went a bit weird with his Toy Story themed piece, placing Woody and Jesse in an anachronistic photoshoot with the caption “you’ve got a friend in me”.

Davinia Do Santo & Michael Taguet - Disney Sleeve Tattoo

Sometimes, people who love Disney REALLY love Disney, and want to dedicate an entire limb to their favourite characters. Here are two such examples – Davinia Do Santo’s black and grey sleeve features some of the earliest Disney characters like Mickey and Minnie, Donald Duck, Tinker Bell and Dumbo. However, you will see a few more modern additions lurking, such as Timone, Pumba, Simba and Rafiki from The Lion King. Michael Taguet’s Disney sleeve is a vibrant collection of princesses and their tormentors, including Ariel and Ursula, Aurora and Maleficent, and Snow White eating the poison apple with her Evil Queen below.

Gaby Castel & Samanta Annie - Disney Princess Tattoos

The vast majority of Disney films are based on the exploits of some princess or other, and we can grow to feel connected to these characters and their struggle. Gaby Castel’s gorgeous Pocahontas piece shows the chief’s daughter – technically not a princess, but Disney adopted her as one anyway – in the artist’s usual geisha style, with blue accents limited to her necklace, aura and the bear paw mark which symbolises strength. Samanta Annie’s colour realism version of Ariel from the original The Little Mermaid is joined by Flounder and some of his baby Guppies as seen in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.

Tiggy & Ange Pele - Outline Disney Tattoo Designs

While full colour is usually order of the day for Disney tattoos, sometimes your client will want a sketch-style tattoo made up of mostly outlines. Tiggy’s clean Toy Story piece shows blackwork illustrative versions of Woody and Buzz, framed by the phrase “to infinity and beyond”, while Ange’s piece appears to be a rough sketch of Mickey Mouse from his very first appearance in Steamboat Willie.

Jean Mognon & Silvano Fiato - Disney Leg Tattoo

If you thought those arm sleeves were great, just check out these legs! Two interpretations of Alice in Wonderland can be seen here – Jean Mognon’s rich colourwork uses imagery from the 1951 animated movie with Alice, the Cheshire Cat, a Playing Card, a pocket watch, and just a hint of that sneaky Cheshire Cat. Silvano Fiato’s black and grey piece - inspired by the later 2010 Alice in Wonderland - even goes up over the hip and buttocks, showing accurate portraits of all the major players.

Anrijs Straume & Debora Cherrys - Disney Villains Tattoo

Disney villains – we love to hate them, and sometimes just love to love them! Usually boasting the best lines in the movie, these two antagonists make life hell for our favourite heroes. Anrijs Straume used his dark trash realism style to create this huge chest piece of the moment Scar lets Mufasa fall to his death, featuring a large gothic font with the chilling line “long live the king”. Debora Cherrys took a neo-traditional approach to the much-maligned Maleficent, surrounded by crows and with ominous green smoke pouring forth.

Nick Limpens & Eliot Kohek - Dark Disney Tattoos

While Disney does delve into the creepy from time to time, it’s usually the tattoo artists who are putting their own dark spin on these tales. Nick Limpens really let loose on this utterly terrifying image of Alice – the hair bow and cute collar do nothing to soften the creepiness of her eyes, that painted on grin, the forked tongue, and the huge “snicker snack” tattoo on her forehead, which is a reference to the poem “Jabberwocky” in Through the Looking-Glass. Meanwhile Eliot Kohek only had to faithfully represent the White Rabbit from 2010’s Alice in Wonderland in his dark realism style to make something truly terrifying.

Rossie de Medici & Fernando Bisceglia - Disney Hand Tattoos

For some Disney fans, they know their favourite movie like the back of their hand. Rossie de Medici worked Jack Skellington’s grinning face into this negative space handbanger that uses the signature swirls from The Nightmare Before Christmas as decorations, while Fernando Bisceglia put the unsettlingly smiling face of the Cheshire Cat (the 2010 version voiced by Stephen Fry) on his customer’s hand as the start of a sleeve.

Craig Measures & Leah Moule - Cute Disney Tattoos

Okay we’rve done with dark and creepy, how about cute and light? Craig Measures’ adorable tattoo of Marie from The Aristocats keeps in some of the sketched lines, adds a flower, and works watercolour splotches into the background behind the grinning feline. Leah Moule’s contribution to the cute agenda comes in the form of this stack of teacups, each representing a pivotal character in the 1951 Alice in Wonderland animated movie – the question is, which would you drink from?

Joanne Baker & Mara Lemmert - Disney Watercolour Tattoo

We’ve already seen a few splashes of watercolour, but here are some brilliant examples of using watercolour to great effect. Mara Lemmert’s simple fine line Mickey Mouse is made infinitely more interesting with the watercolour splatters on his distinctive red shorts and black ears. Joanne Baker’s watercolour Brave piece brings together the heroine Merida with her bow and arrow, the Kingdom’s crest of three bears in a circle, and an illustration from the family tapestry as it looks at the end of the film.

Luke Sayer & Matt Daniels - Disney Animal Tattoos

Disney films are full of animal characters, whether they’re the main feature or just a goofy sidekick! Luke Sayer created this incredibly softly shaded Bambi with Thumper tattoo from the 1942 animated movie for his client, while Matt Daniels embraced the vibrant weirdness of Moana with this Heihei piece, using the koru (swirl) symbol from the Heart of Te Fiti as a background.

Isobel Morton & Michelle Maddison - Disney Halloween Tattoos

While Disney does get occasionally spooky, sometimes tattoo artists need to give it a push in the right direction. Isobel Morton took this image of Stitch wearing his vampire costume and put it into a Halloween heart scene, complete with pumpkins, bats, and a little leaking watercolour that almost looks like blood! Michelle Maddison actually made her Disney movie even cuter with a Halloween piece, taking the smiling face of Jack Skellington and adding it as a decoration to this adorable cupcake – it even has Zero wrapped around, and Jack’s signature bowtie!

Igor Mitrenga & Ben Dunning - Mickey Mouse Tattoos

Of course, there’s no Disney character more iconic than Mickey Mouse himself! From his first full appearance in 1928’s Steamboat Willie to the Mickey Mouse Funhouse that’s airing 95 years later, this fictional rodent even has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Igor Mitrenga often works cartoon elements into his avant-garde graffitirealism pieces, and he’s used Mickey more than a few times, but we love this faithful reproduction of the character that bridges the gap between black and grey and colour work. Ben Dunning’s surreal black and grey piece is such a wild idea – a metallic balloon of Mickey Mouse, holding his own head as a balloon – but you can’t argue with that result!

Duda Lozano & Jairo Carmona - Mickey and Minnie Mouse Tattoos

Finally, we had to include Mickey’s long-term girlfriend, Minnie! She debuted at the same time as her beau in Steamboat Willie, although her coming was foretold in the very earliest of Mickey Mouse sketches. Duda Lozano made these sweethearts the focus of this patch-style tattoo, with Mickey and Minnie Mouse embroidered patches surrounded by sketches of their early iterations. Jairo Carmona made this vibrant mashup of one of Disney’s oldest characters with one of its newest acquisitions for a Star Wars/Mickey Mouse crossover featuring Minnie as Princess Leia and Mickey as Luke Skywalker – let’s all hope that, after all this time, we don’t find out Mickey and Minnie are related!

And there we go! 32 tattoos to celebrate 100 years of Disney; from theme park memories to important life lessons, there are so many ways to bring a little bit of the Disney magic into your every day life.

Share your Disney tattoos with us over on Facebook and Instagram, or let us know which one you liked the most!