The rotating family crest display inside The Crown & Crest at EPCOT’s United Kingdom Pavilion has been refreshed with several framed pieces inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Brave.
The shop allows guests to research surnames and order personalized family histories, coats of arms, and other heraldic artwork. Sample pieces displayed around the store are frequently changed to feature Disney characters, celebrities, holidays, and jokes.
A previous collection referenced Disney Channel series and Taylor Swift, while another was themed to British and European supermarket chains.
The newest assortment places particular emphasis on the royal family at the center of Brave.
Merida and the DunBroch Family
One framed coat of arms is labeled “Merida” and “DunBroch,” referencing the film’s headstrong Scottish princess and her family’s kingdom. Its yellow shield depicts a crowned woman wearing red while riding a black bear.
The image evokes Merida’s relationship with her mother, Queen Elinor, who is transformed into a bear after eating an enchanted cake. A crowned black bear also appears above the helmet at the top of the design.
Another large piece presents matching coats of arms for “Fergus” and “Elinor.” Both are labeled DunBroch, and the date between them along the top and bottom center is June 22, 2012 — the theatrical release date of Pixar’s Brave.
King Fergus’ crest features a black-and-white shield with a lion holding a weapon. A small red-haired woman resembling Merida stands above its helmet. Queen Elinor’s shield appropriately features a black bear, with another bear appearing above the helmet.
The bear imagery references the curse at the heart of the film. After Merida attempts to change her fate through magic, Elinor becomes a bear, forcing mother and daughter to work together to “mend the bond torn by pride.”
A third DunBroch crest honors Merida’s mischievous younger brothers, Harris, Hubert, and Hamish. Three bear heads wearing gold collars appear across the shield, with another bear above the helmet. During the film, the triplets eat the remainder of the enchanted cake and temporarily become three small bears.
The brothers’ names are written together at the top of the piece. Disney’s official Brave page describes the triplets as troublemakers frequently found eating sweets — exactly the habit that leads to their transformations.
A framed family-name history for “Angus” may provide another, subtler Brave connection. The document presents the real surname as Scottish in origin, but Angus is also the name of Merida’s large black horse and loyal companion. The presence of the Angus history beside the DunBroch crests makes the connection appear intentional.
Other Disney References
The refreshed display includes several references beyond Brave. One crest is labeled “Renaldi” and “Genovia,” identifying it with the royal family from The Princess Diaries. Queen Clarisse Renaldi rules the fictional European nation, while her granddaughter, Mia Thermopolis, discovers that she is the heir to its throne. Three crowns decorate the purple shield.
Two more neighboring coats of arms include one labeled “Lovato” and another labeled “Jonas.” This is likely a reference to Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, whose Disney careers overlapped with Disney Channel’s Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.
A “Left Handers Day” crest is on display to commemorate the awareness day on August 13th. The playful custom crest design includes three red hand motifs decorating a white shield with a blue stripe.
One of the most unusual additions is presented as a “Family Name History” for “D23,” but the text underneath actually discusses the Disney surname.
The document describes Disney as a locational surname and recounts theories connecting it to Isigny in Normandy, France. It also references Norton Disney, a village in Lincolnshire, England, and the surname’s later presence in Ireland.
Using “D23” as the heading turns the genealogy display into another Disney in-joke. D23 is of course Disney’s official fan club, with the “D” standing for Disney and “23” commemorating 1923, the year Walt Disney opened his first Hollywood studio. The inclusion of the framed D23 piece is most likely inspired by this month’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event taking place from August 14 through August 16.
The new display continues The Crown & Crest’s tradition of mixing real family-history products with personalized tributes and deep-cut Disney references.
What’s your favorite design among the new family crests on display? Share your thoughts with us on social media.
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