Top 10 Disney Movies That Feel Like a Fever Dream

It was always a weird concept to have live-action and animated characters interacting on screen, but Disney audiences embraced the art form. Think classics like “Mary Poppins”, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” or “Pete’s Dragon.” However, unlike its predecessors, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” acknowledges that half of the cast are cartoons and actually builds the plot around it. Set in an alternative version of the Golden age of Hollywood, the movie depicts humans and toons as coexisting factions, with adult problems and prejudices. It’s all a bit of sensory overload and the bad guy is the stuff of nightmares.

“The Wind in the Willows” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. Nevertheless, back in the ‘40s someone thought to pair them up and make a kids movie. It’s not a crossover, just a double feature, but still an unusual combo. The Mr. Toad segment comes first, narrated by the classic British actor, Basil Rathbone. It definitely has its moments, but it doesn’t prepare you for what comes next. In “Sleepy Hollow”, scares and silliness abound, as the headless horseman rides out. The specter’s high pitched laugh is especially unnerving, but never fear, there are songs from Bing Crosby to lighten the mood.

Like “Fantasia”, “Make Mine Music” is a collection of unconnected short films set to music. Disney did a lot of this kind of thing in the 1940s, as most of the studio’s staff had been drafted into the war effort. The individual stories in the anthology are a bizarre selection. From classical ballet, to teenagers at the malt shop, to a high stakes baseball game, to two hats who fall in love, there doesn’t seem to be any underlying point. It’s fun, though, and the animation is clever and colorful. The final story is the piece de resistance - a tragic tale of an operatic whale. It’s as surreal as it sounds, but also genuinely heartbreaking.

This collection of charming tales isn’t too strange at first glance. We say hello again to our favorite cuddly characters as three featurettes come together in one grand narrative. The movie features several weird meta moments like Gopher’s. Or when the narrator gets involved to help out a character in trouble. And who could forget the Heffalumps and Woozles sequence? (That wasn’t meta so much as it was just insane.) These smiling, psychedelic creatures are Pooh’s biggest fear - and they terrified us too, although it’s hard to say why. The accompanying song was written by the Sherman Brothers, who are also responsible for the “It's A Small World” theme song, so things are making sense.

Disney’s 1959 movie “The Shaggy Dog” tells the story of a boy who is cursed by an ancient ring which causes him to transform into an Old English Sheepdog. Weird though it was, the audience rolled with it and the film’s success spawned a sequel - seventeen years later. In “The Shaggy D.A”, the protagonist, Wilby, is all grown up. He’s also practicing law and taking on corruption in the government. The special effects are memorable, to say the least - especially the dog transformations, which are a joy to behold. This mad-cap adventure is delightfully random and filled with hilarious set pieces that will make you question your sanity. It’s loads of fun though.

Based on “The Chronicles of Prydain” novels and steeped in Welsh mythology, “The Black Cauldron” is one of Disney’s darkest animated films. It’s also totally bizarre. For one thing, the entire plot revolves around a pig who has visions. Then there’s the terrifying Horned King, who plans to take over the world by capturing said pig and harnessing her powers. There’s something about the ‘80s style of animation, combined with the medieval fantasy setting that creates a real sense of unease. The characters and the storyline are unpredictable - and what is Gurgi actually supposed to be?

In which Disney film can you find mushrooms, hippos, broomsticks and evil spirits, all dancing to a soundtrack of classical music? It’s “Fantasia” of course. The 1940 anthology film has dazzled and terrified children for decades and we couldn’t omit it from this list. Segments featuring fairies and centaurs are an explosion of color and creativity but sometimes, the epic scale of the music takes the animation to a darker place. The most famous sequence, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, features everyone’s favorite mouse, but has a real sense of threat and the “Night on Bald Mountain” is nothing short of horrifying. Then there’s “Fantasia 2000” - a fitting homage to the original with equal fever dream potential.

A toaster, a radio, a lamp stand, an electric blanket and a vacuum cleaner set out on an adventure to find their missing owner. Does this sound like the plot of a Disney movie or a nonsensical dream you once had? If that wasn’t strange enough, there’s also “The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars.” In the sequel, all our favorite appliances travel into space, after their “little master”, as they refer to him, is accidentally transported to the red planet. There the gang meet an army of discarded items under the command of a giant fridge…who is planning to blow up the earth. It all made sense when you were a kid.

Whatever possessed Disney to take the 1930s classic “The Wizard of Oz” and twist it into something dark and disturbing, we’ll never know. It’s not exactly their brand. However, the vibe is arguably closer to the original books and the movie has become a cult classic. After her aunt and uncle dump Dorothy in a psychiatric hospital, she narrowly avoids electric shock treatment and escapes to an Oz that has fallen to evil forces. Anyone who was exposed to “Return to Oz” as a child will know the terror of the wheelers and the head-swapping Princess Mombi. Even Dorothy’s friends have nightmare potential.

Lewis Carroll’s “Alice” novels have enchanted readers throughout the years and it’s their weirdness that makes them wonderful. There have been multiple adaptations of the story, each strange, surreal and nonsensical. Disney’s 1951 version is no exception. From the caterpillar to the Queen of Hearts, the mad hatter to the Cheshire Cat, we know what to expect from Carroll’s quirky characters. Yet every scene still has a strange dreamlike quality that turns reality on its head. “Alice in Wonderland” is a brightly colored onslaught to the senses, but don’t try to make it make sense. You have to embrace the madness.

What was the weirdest Disney film you watched as a kid? Tell us your favorites in the comments!