The magic of Disney doesn’t just stay on-screen—it often spills into real life! From iconic Disney stars to behind-the-scenes romances, real-life Disney couples have captured our hearts for years. See which Disney stars found love both on and off-screen!
The love story of Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor: voices of Mickey and Minnie
Did you know the voices behind iconic Disney characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse fell in love behind the scenes? Wayne Allwine, who voiced Mickey from 1977 to 2009, and Russi Taylor, who voiced Minnie from 1986 to 2019, took their on-screen romance off-screen.
Although Allwine was voicing Mickey Mouse for nine years before Taylor joined the picture, there was no stopping their love — even though both were married at the time.
“We met in the hallway when I was going in to do Totally Minnie,” Taylor shared. “He was married, and I was married at the time. He said, ‘I’m so glad I’m going to have a Minnie now.’ I said, ‘Yes, it’s pretty exciting,’ and off he went. I didn’t know that he was unhappy, and he didn’t know that I was unhappy.”
The sweet couple eventually began to date and tied the knot in 1991. Although Taylor and Allwine never had children together, Allwine did have four of his own — Peter, Christopher, Erin and Joshua — who became Taylor’s stepchildren.
Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens: ‘High School Musical’ Real-Life Couple
They became one of the most famous Disney Channel couples of all time and remain a fan-favorite to this day. Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens starred alongside each other in the High School Musical franchise as Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez. While their romance was clear on-screen, something was brewing off-screen as well.
The stars first met while auditioning for their High School Musical roles, continually finding themselves testing with each other.
“For some reason, we kept sticking around [for callbacks],” Efron shared. “I don’t know what it was with Vanessa, but we kind of clicked from the very beginning.”
It wasn’t long before they started dating during the filming of the first movie in 2005. Although they had no idea that High School Musical would be as successful as it was, the two were grateful to have each other for the wild ride. Efron and Hudgens later began to wear matching silver rings on their right index finger, which were supposedly engraved with each other’s initials. (Kind of like the “T as in Troy” necklace from the film).
Over the years of their relationship, Efron and Hudgens attended dozens of events as a couple, including the 2009 Golden Globes and Oscars, as well as a surprise party thrown by Efron for Hudgens’ 21st birthday.
Unfortunately for fans of the couple, they split up in December 2010 after five years of dating. Hudgens addressed the breakup, saying, “We’re still friends. Who knows what the future will bring? We’re figuring things out.”
Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas: Disney Channel’s teen power couple
Often considered the Disney Channel queen, Miley Cyrus, and one-third of the Jonas Brothers, Nick Jonas, was an iconic Disney couple. The two met at a charity event in 2006 when they were about 14 years old and, according to Cyrus, “became boyfriend and girlfriend the day we met.” They went on to become two of the biggest stars on the Disney Channel, with much of their work overlapping.
In 2007, the Jonas Brothers opened for Cyrus’ Best of Both Worlds Tour, and they even appeared in an episode of her series, Hannah Montana. Cyrus and Jonas were often paired up, along with a few other Disney stars, for big Disney projects.
The duo split up before the end of 2007, resulting in breakup songs from both stars: Cyrus with the anthem “7 Things I Hate About You” and Jonas with “Wedding Bells.”
“Nick and I loved each other,” Cyrus said after their breakup. “We still do. For two years he was basically my 24/7, but it was really hard to keep it from people. We were arguing a lot, and it really wasn’t fun. Maybe he’ll be my best friend for the rest of my life or maybe I’ll end up marrying Nick Jonas!”
Selena Gomez and Nick Jonas: a Disney couple that kept it private
In 2008, rumors of a romance between Selena Gomez and Nick Jonas began swirling after they were spotted hanging out together and especially after Gomez starred in the Jonas Brothers music video for “Burnin’ Up.”
Although they split for the first time in 2009, the flame was reignited in 2010 when they started spending time together again. Neither star confirmed their romance being back on, explaining they just wanted some privacy.
“I think when it comes to that, I try to keep it a bit to myself and keep it a bit private,” Jonas shared. “We always try to find time to go out and hang out with people we enjoy spending time with. And as far as the future of that relationship goes, I will keep that to myself for right now.”
Jonas and Gomez split up not too long after, which may have had something to do with their wanting to stay private. Jonas even took that as far as avoiding Gomez while on a date in Central Park, which he shared about in 2018.
“We were in Central Park, and we were very private about our relationship,” Jonas said. “I walked about 20 feet away from her. Even though they were taking pictures of us and obviously we were there together, it was, like, ‘It would be better if we stand about 25 feet apart.’ It ruined her Central Park experience, so her and Taylor Swift, who was dating my brother Joe, walked 25 feet behind us as we walked through the park by ourselves.”
Though they were split up, the two remained friends, even reconnecting in 2015 that way.
