"The Legend of Johnny Appleseed" is one of the rare Disney animated works based on a historical figure. Johnny Appleseed is the nickname of John Chapman (1774-1845), a frontiersman credited with introducing the apple tree to the areas of modern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

"The Legend of Johnny Appleseed" is one of the rare Disney animated works to feature religious content. The mentor of Johnny Appleseed is featured as an angel. After Johnny dies, the angel is there to receive his soul and lead him to the afterlife. Johnny also sings about God several times in the segment in his theme song "The Lord is Good to Me".

As the real John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman strictly followed his church's dietary doctrine, he could not use techniques like grafting to improve his apples, and had to grow them from the seeds; hence, they were useless as food due to the small size and bitter taste and could only be used for making cider. They could never have been used for making pies as the apple song claims. The cider was far more nutritious and safe to drink than the water available in the areas Johnny visited, so by selling his apple seeds to the locals, Johnny in fact saved hundreds of lives.