Top 10 Hidden Messages in Disney Movies
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Hidden Messages in Disney Films. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most eye-brow raising messages, references, or jokes that you’d have to be pretty observant to spot in Disney films. What surprising secrets have you uncovered? Let us know in the comments.
#10: Double Toy Entendre
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“Toy Story” (1995)
Since 1995, we’ve seen “Toy Story” more times than we can count. But did you notice the hidden gag under Sid’s bed? One of the most perilous moments for Buzz Lightyear and Woody is their time at the sadistic neighbor kid’s house. This young Dr. Frankenstein enjoys taking toys apart and putting them back together in monstrous ways. However, one of these creations is a subtle joke for those who are paying close attention. It’s a pair of shapely legs with a hooked crane on top. So technically this doll could then be called… a hook… something. Sure, let’s go with that.
#9: Oedipus Complexity
“Hercules” (1997)
The Disney version of “Hercules” plays fast and loose with the hero’s original Greek story. However, it does include many references to mythology. One of these is made by Hercules as he and Megara are discussing the day they’ve spent together. The muscly hero makes it clear that they saw the play, “Oedipus” and that he’s glad his problems aren’t nearly as bad as those experienced by the main character of that play. We don’t blame him! Given that Hercules is a hero of similar caliber, that would have been a very “Games of Thrones”-style story to explore in a film for kids.
#8: A Tiny What?
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“Ratatouille” (2007)
Admitting a small rat makes himself at home under your chef’s hat and puppeteers you by the hair in order to help you cook… Yeah, it’s not easy an easy thing to tell a beautiful woman, we get it. Linguini… struggles with his words, to say the least, when he confesses to Colette and, hidden in this awkward moment is a very quick physical joke. Linguini stutters out that he has something tiny and makes a measuring gesture with his fingers. Colette seems to do a quick calculation before briefly glancing down, only making the real truth of it all that much funnier for those who caught on.
#7: Pernicious Paternity
“101 Dalmatians” (1996)
The fur-loving, villainous Cruella is notorious for her insults. And, when the fabulous Glenn Close is delivering them they have even more zing. This live-action Disney film doesn’t pull any punches on the burn scale. The Dearly’s announce that they’re having a baby, something Cruella quickly implies must’ve been a mistake. As you might imagine, this doesn’t go over well with the sweet couple. When they add that they’re also having puppies, Cruella only has this to say: “You have been a busy boy!” That particular image maybe crosses the line for a kids movie. We guess that’s what happens when you try to outwit someone whose name means “cruel devil”.
#6: An Out of Date Message
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“The Jungle Book” (1967)
When this animated tale was released in 1967, it received positive reviews. However, today, we realize the messages are problematic. Kipling’s original story emphasized the idea that everyone should know their place. This point is definitely made in the animated Disney version as well. When Mowgli leaves his jungle friends and goes back to the human village, the moral of the story seems to suggests that everyone might be happier if they stick to what they know. The themes of segregation and imperialism are widely out of touch and Disney recognizes this too. If you watch the film on Disney+, it’s prefaced with a disclaimer that acknowledges the negative portrayals in the film.
#5: Words in the Sky
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“The Lion King” (1994)
Disney animators are notorious for sneaking in hidden messages and easter eggs. Not all of them are cute references to older films, though. In “The Lion King,” there is a very adult word some have been able to make out in a pivotal moment of the story. While struggling with memories of his father’s death, Simba flops down onto the edge of a cliff. Flower petals and dust float out onto the breeze. Briefly, you can almost swear there are letters formed in the night sky, ones that spell out something rather inappropriate for kids. It’s pretty difficult to deny when it’s spelled out like that… Badum tss.
#4: No Bears in San Francisco
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“Inside Out” (2015)
In this coming-of-age film, Riley is going through the rounds of emotions after her move to San Francisco. At one point, Fear is worried that a strange sound outside Riley’s bedroom could be a bear and Anger responds with a quip about seeing a big hairy guy and wondering if that counts as a bear. In the LGBTQIA community, the term “bear” can refer to a ruggedly masculine, and often hairy, man. We don’t know for sure if this was the nod the writers intended to make but, given San Francisco’s large and prominent queer community, it would be pretty awesome if it was. You might even call this an… “inside” joke!
#3: Flashing Frame
“The Rescuers” (1977)
Sneaking a scandalous frame into a kids movie might have seemed like a harmless prank in 1977. Back then, your average viewer couldn’t pause the film with a press of a button and certainly not move through it frame by frame. Jump ahead some 20 years and viewers of “The Rescuers” discovered a shocking hidden picture. The moment happens when the two orphan- rescuing mice are experiencing a perilous take-off. As they fly past a series of buildings, there is a topless woman in one of the windows. It’s in two non-consecutive frames, so it’s not surprising it wasn’t discovered until 1999. Evidently, Disney quickly recalled the copies.
#2: Topless Truckstop
“Cars” (2006)
There are plenty of hidden jokes for adults in Lightning McQueen’s journey to redemption. Early in the film, the celebrity car gets “flashed” by two fans. There’s also a more subtle innuendo that flashes right by the viewer in McQueen’s road trip to California. As he and Mack debate whether or not to stop for the night, they pass a sign for a rest stop with the name “Top Down Truckstop.” In a world of anthropomorphic cars, we’d imagine the tops coming down isn’t entirely PG. That’s a reference most parents would probably prefer not to explain to their impressionable youngsters.
#1: The Importance of Foot Size
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“Frozen” (2013)
One of the things we love about “Frozen” is the way it questions the “love at first sight” trope found in so many Disney films. Anna is convinced she and Hans are meant to be together. Everyone around her, however, is not. En route to Elsa, Anna and Kristoff discuss this love connection. Their entire conversation seems aimed at adults, from Kristoff’s relatable reaction to a pretty blatant innuendo thrown in there at the end. Kristoff asks about Hans’ foot size and Anna says it doesn’t matter. Considering what foot size is said to correlate to, it’s understandable that the pair quickly move on to the next question.
