Production history

Does anyone know when exactly production began? IMDB says that it began in August 1986, which would make sense, because this would be right after The Great Mouse Detective, and Disney was probably to encouraged to make this movie as a result of TGMD's success.

But, I heard other sources say that it was 2 and 1/2 years in the making, which means that production began in May 1986. I also heard another version say that production began as early as 1984, the year Jeffrey Katzenberg left Paramount for Disney.

And if I'm not mistaken, I believe the dialogue tracks were recorded from 1986-1987 (which are usually the first things recorded in an animated feature-length movie). It makes sense, because Bette Midler signed a a three-year-picture contract with The Walt Disney Company in 1987. I even heard that her song for the movie, "Perfect Isn't Easy', was also recorded in 1987. And finally, not counting Touchstone, this was the first of three Disney films she starred in (the other two were Hocus Pocus and Fantasia 2000).