Top 10 Disney Moments Only Adults Notice

“Frozen” (2013)
For all their shared sandwiches, Anna doesn’t know much about her beloved, Hans. Kristoff calls her out on it by asking about him, like what's the size of his feet? But, as Anna says herself, “foot size doesn’t matter.” While it could play as a normal gag, it could also be a pointed reference to the popular “size doesn’t matter” sentiment about genitalia. Either way, it’s hard to ignore, especially considering it isn’t the only slip-up in “Frozen.” When Anna confronts Elsa about the damage to Arendelle, she claims that the place is “in deep, deep, deep, deep…. snow”. It really sounded like she was going to say another word that starts with S, that’s all we’re saying.

“Aladdin” (1992)
If this song is any indication, even street urchins need some pleasure every now and then. During “One Jump Ahead,” Aladdin’s exploits as a petty thief land him in the middle of a high-stakes chase sequence. He runs all across Agrabah, eventually landing inside a woman’s bedroom. At least, that’s what we thought as kids. In hindsight, this place was more likely a brothel. What’s more, the Harem girls seem to recognize Aladdin, too. Take from that what you will. Since the scene appeared in the live-action remake, too, it’s obvious that Arabian nights are hotter than hot in more ways than one.

“Ratatouille” (2007)
For the record, Linguini gets full points for at least trying to come clean to Colette. However, his execution leaves a lot to be desired. While there’s no easy way to say that you’re a puppet for a cooking rat, Linguini’s describes it as having a [“tiny, little little….”] and trails off. At that confession, Colette’s eyes flick down for nothing more than a split-second. It’s incredibly easy to miss even if you’re looking for it. But, if you catch the glimpse, it’s clear what Colette thinks Linguini’s “tiny” thing is. And it’s not Remy. Hey, in the words of Anna from “Frozen,” size doesn’t matter.

“The Emperor's New Groove” (2000)
After a long day chasing Kuzco, Kronk stretches out under his tent for a well-deserved night's sleep. The issue? His tent is clearly not meant for humans, and definitely not for ones of Kronk’s size. Seeing him stretched out under a tiny canopy is an innocent visual gag for all-audiences. But, there’s another joke buried in the tent’s placement. The covering is right above Kronk’s privates, meaning that he’s figuratively and literally “pitching a tent.” If you need more convincing, remember that he’s sleeping right next to Yzma’s. Naughty or not, it’s a testament to Disney’s clever writing that this joke still works even if you don’t quite get the euphemism.

“A Bug's Life” (1998)
When terrifying ruffians threaten to invade his home, a brave underdog recruits several quirky heroes to defend his village. Sounds like a pretty exciting Disney film, right? The thing is, we aren’t talking about “A Bug’s Life.” That summary also applies to the influential Japanese film “Seven Samurai.” While it's clear that the Disney classic borrowed story elements from the epic feature, the similarities go way beyond that. “A Bug’s Life” is full of characters and scenes that pay homage to “Seven Samurai.” Unless your kid is an expert on Japanese cinema, they probably won’t pick up on the references. But, it’s totally worth a revisit once you point out the connection.

“Alice in Wonderland” (1951)
Let’s break down the facts here. A small girl drinks an ominous vial, takes a bite of a random cookie, and suddenly starts exploring a world of strange creatures and psychedelic imagery. Is this a Disney movie, or a PSA on substance use? The entirety of Wonderland could easily be interpreted as an acid trip. In fact, the movie doesn’t even try to hide its drug-induced undertones. A caterpillar literally puffs colored smoke, and that’s still just scratching the surface of all the substance references in this so-called children’s film. “Alice in Wonderland” had a massively popular re-release in the seventies, and given the movie’s contents, we can see why.

“Inside Out” (2015)
As Disgust learns firsthand, there are, in fact, bears in San Francisco. Just not the kind she’s thinking of. See, when Fear becomes, well, fearful about grizzlies, Disgust claims there aren’t any in the city. In response, Anger says he saw someone with a lot of hair who could pass as a bear. Now, he could’ve just meant the man was so furry, he literally looked like a grizzly bear. But, as anyone who keeps up with slang knows, a “bear” is also a label given to certain hairy gay men. Since San Francisco is often seen as the epicenter of the gay rights movement, it’s hard not to interpret this joke in an LGBTQIA+ context.

“Hercules” (1997)
What can we say? Herc really knows how to sweet talk a woman. On his date with Megara, he decides to bring up the show they just saw. And, wouldn’t you know, it was about Oedipus. It’s not exactly light, get-to-know-you chit-chat, but it definitely makes Hercules look like a better bachelor, that’s for sure. Although, for their sake, we hope most kids don’t understand what he’s referring to. “Hercules” has a few other jabs to Greek mythology, and luckily, they’re significantly less crude. Like when the disguised Pain and Panic are trapped under a boulder, and they jokingly ask for someone to call I-X-I-I, the roman numerals for 9-1-1. It’s clever, and kid-friendly, to boot.

“Toy Story” (1995)
No one expected the mischievous Sid to play nice with his toys. But, Woody and Buzz soon discovered that he didn’t actually play with them at all. Rather, he disfigured the toys into new, horrifying creations - one of which is incredibly out of place in a children's film. It’s a fishing pole with two, voluptuous doll legs attached that appears to be symbolizing another term for a sex worker. It’s never called as such, but the visual play-on-words is hard to miss. If you think that’s scandalous, wait till “Toy Story 2.” After Buzz meets Jessie, the film conveys his affection by having his wings fly up stiffly at his side. Clearly, this is Buzz’s version of having some friction in the jeans.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Zootopia” (2016)

“Cars” (2006)

“Monsters University” (2013)

“The Lion King” (1994)
Sure, as a kid, it’s easy to understand that Scar is the baddie. But, there’s no way to Hakuna Matata your way out of this reference. For most of his solo number, “Be Prepared,” Scar is standing over his battalion as they mindlessly march to his orders. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that this is basically the spitting image of a Nazi regime, with Scar taking the place of Adolf Hitler. The uncanny parallels are no coincidence. Reportedly, the filmmakers intentionally based this scene on a Nazi propaganda film, making it abundantly clear what Scar is a metaphor of. You’ll never be able to look at marching hyenas the same way.