22 year-old Margaret Kerry (who measured 35-25-36) was the real-life model for Tinker Bell.
Although original author J.M. Barrie is credited, this is the only major film version of "Peter Pan" which uses little of his original dialogue. (Even the live-action musical versions, as well as the 1924 silent film version, use much of Barrie's original dialogue.)
Kathryn Beaumont, who provided the voice for Wendy, also performed the live action references. In an interview, she said she had to hold out her arms and pretend to fly for all the scenes requiring it.
In compliance with the tradition of the stage version, the same actor, Hans Conried, performed the roles of both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook.
The melody for "The Second Star to the Right" was originally written for Alice in Wonderland (1951) for a song that was to be called "Beyond the Laughing Sky".
Bobby Driscoll (as a voice actor) was the first male to play the title role on film.
The phrase "second to the right and straight on till morning" was changed into "second star to the right..." for the Disney version. Also, since this movie came out, non-Disney versions have used the term "Never Never Land" as opposed to "Neverland."
In the original play, Hook loses his right hand, but the Disney artists felt that would limit his actions too much, and switched the hook to the left hand.
Though the film was extremely successful, Walt Disney himself was dissatisfied with the finished product. He felt that the character of Peter Pan was cold and unlikable.
This film marked two "lasts" for Disney: - 1) This was the final Disney film in which all nine members of the Nine Old Men worked together on it as directing animators. - 2) It was the last full-length Disney animated film distributed by RKO. All of Disney's films after early 1954 would be distributed by Buena Vista, as well as all of the post-1954 re-releases of his earlier films.
Henry Brandon was the live action reference model for Captain Hook.
When Walt Disney was a child, he played Peter Pan in a school function.
(Goofy Holler): Heard during Captain Hook's fight with the crocodile inside the cave at Skull Rock, when Smee accidentally hits Hook on the head with his rowboat oar. The "Goofy holler" is partially obscured by gargling noises as Hook goes underwater after taking the hit.