The promo’s for the show say that an Evil Queen sent a bunch of storybook characters via a curse etc. etc.
Alice in Wonderland isn’t a fairytale, neither is Pinocchio. Or for that matter The Wizard of Oz.
King Midas is from Greek Mythology
I believe the writers of OUAT are using great literary characters, mainly children’s stories whether they be fairy tales or children’s literature. They could very well move into the realm of required school reading like Moby Dick. These are stories and characters we all know or are familiar with through some kind of media. And since Disney owns ABC (or is it vice versa) I would not be surprised to see any of the Disney, or Pixar, animated movies depicted in OUAT. Disney has taken popular fairytales (Snow White), children’s literature (Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland) and legends (Arthur & Merlin, Robin Hood), and brought them to the screen with a Disney retelling. An interview with Horowitz & Kitsis said they were using the Disney versions of these stories because that is what everyone is familiar with.
My opinion is, despite the numerous fairy tales, the general populace is only really familiar with a small percentage. But incorporating a broader spectrum of children’s literature, like Alice in Wonderland, opens up more possibilities.
Whether they will go as far as Moby Dick or Hunchback, i don’t know because those stories are more mature than what they have used up until now. Disney’s Hunchback and Hugo’s Hunchback are quite different. But my point was that Frollo’s leering and obsessiveness with Esmerelda reminded me of Dr. Whale and Ruby.