This is the tragic reason why the parents are almost always killed off in Disney movies

DISNEY heroes are almost always orphans, and there's a surprising reason why.

We're all still devastated by the death of Mufasa and Bambi's mum, while princesses Cinderella, Belle and Ariel were just some of the many characters who grew up without mothers.

Hunters, stampedes and even pirates have killed off many a cartoon parent, almost always at the start of the film, and there's a tragic reason behind Walt Disney's decision to do this.

In an interview with , Disney producer Don Hahn revealed a heartbreaking story about Walt's own past, which explains the almost total absence of the mother figure in his movies.

He told the mag the infamous film producer bought his parents a house in the early 1940s - and tragedy struck.

Don said: "He had the studio guys come over and fix the furnace, but when his mum and dad moved in, the furnace leaked and his mother died.

"The housekeeper came in the next morning and pulled his mother and father out on the front lawn.

"He never spoke about that time because he personally felt responsible because he had become so successful that he said, 'Let me buy you a house.'

"It's every kid's dream to buy their parents a house and just through a strange freak of nature—through no fault of his own—the studio workers didn't know what they were doing."

Don said he believes Walt was "haunted" by the death of his beloved mum.

He added of the story: "To me, it humanises Walt. He was devastated by that, as anyone would be."

A second, more practical, theory is that the parents need to be killed off to speed up the plot - as the films are normally only 80 or 90 minutes long.

Don explained: "They're about that day in your life when you have to accept responsibility.

"In shorthand, it's much quicker to have characters grow up when you bump off their parents."

In related news, Primark is now selling Disney bridal PJs for your wedding night - and they're as cute as you would imagine.

And you can also pick up £2 Minnie Mouse flip flops so mums and daughters can match in the budget shop.