Top 10 Most Paused Disney Movie Moments
#10: Mickey, Donald & Goofy Visit Atlantica “The Little Mermaid” (1989)
“The Little Mermaid” kicked off Disney’s Renaissance period while paying tribute to the classic era with a few old school House of Mouse cameos. We suggest hovering over that pause button during King Triton’s grand entrance as you may just spot Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy among the crowd. You can also see Kermit the Frog in this scene despite the Muppets not joining the Disney family until 2004. Another moment worth looking out for is during “Under the Sea” where Mr. Limpet from “The Incredible Mr. Limpet”, joins the rest of the sea life for the grand finale.
#9: A Lady in the Window “The Rescuers” (1977)
Top 10 Most Paused Movie Moments
While rumors of Disney movies having hidden messages or images have always been rife, this one turned out to be true. In a prank that perhaps went a step too far, there are two non-consecutive shots of a topless woman in the background of certain copies of this animated adventure during the scene where Bernard and Bianca hitch a ride from Orville. Following a January 1999 re-release, Disney became aware that this racy image could be seen while watching the film at a slower speed. The objectionable content was reportedly part of the 1977 theatrical cut of “The Rescuers,” but again, could only be viewed at a slowed down pace. Despite this, 3.4 million VHS copies were quickly recalled and an edited version was reissued in March of 1999. We imagine a lot of people paused this scene way before Disney caught on though.
#8: The Sultan’s Toy Collection “Aladdin” (1992)
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“Aladdin” took the concept of easter eggs to “A Whole New World,” treating us to countless references, Disney and otherwise. While the Sultan’s toy collection would be the envy of any kid, if you take a moment to examine it closely, you will notice one very familiar looking Beast among the pile. The animators also chuck in a throwback to their previous work when Genie conjures up Sebastian from his royal recipe book, while the tune of “Under the Sea” plays in the background. We guess they just wanted us to be “Part of [Their] World”.
#7: Wanted: Hans, Prince of the Southern Isles “Big Hero 6” (2014)
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After his evil plan is thwarted, Hans gets punched by Anna before being exiled from Arendelle and sent home to receive punishment there. In the short sequel “Frozen Fever,” we see him serving time but an easter egg in another Disney flick suggests that perhaps he went on the run. Next time you watch “Big Hero 6”, be sure to pause during the police station scene: if you time it right, you’ll spot a “Wanted” poster featuring the villain pinned to the wall. Could this possibly prove the theory that all Disney movies take place in the same universe?
#6: Belle, Pumbaa & Magic Carpet Visit Paris “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
In “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”, Quasimodo dreams of a world beyond the towers of the Cathedral, where he’s hidden away by the cruel Judge Frollo. As he sings “Out There,” we pan to the street below where - if you’re quick - you may notice someone shaking out a very familiar-looking carpet. Also, is it just us or doesn’t that warthog look.... familiar? And remember when Belle sang about wanting adventure in the great, wide somewhere? Well, it seems that maybe the “somewhere” on her mind was Paris.
#5: Pirated DVDs “Zootopia” (2016)
“Zootopia” is another Disney flick that provides us with several marvelously meta moments. When Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde approach Duke the Weasel during their investigation, we strongly recommend pausing and checking out his DVD collection. They are all animal spoofs of other Disney movies including “Wrangled”, “Wreck-It Rhino” and “Pig Hero 6”. They also slyly drum up excitement for future releases, including “Giraffic” inferring the since scrapped “Gigantic”, “Meowana”, based on the 2016 movie, “Moana” and “Floatzen 2” referring to the 2019 “Frozen” sequel. If these were real movies, we’d totally be first in line to see them.
#4: What Does That Say? “The Lion King” (1994)
Top 20 Most Paused Movie Moments
This is probably one of the most widely-circulated “pause” moments in the Disney universe. When Simba collapses in exasperation onto the grass, some viewers thought they spotted the letters S-E-X form in the sky. This is one of best-known myths about supposed subliminal messaging in Disney movies. It’s actually untrue, although we can see why someone might make that error. It actually spells out S-F-X, a now slightly ironic nod to the special effects team. Even if it’s not subliminally leaving us suggestive messages, we still recommend hitting pause on this one.
#3: Traffic at Game Central Station “Wreck-It Ralph” (2012)
It would probably take you a good few rewatches to catch all the Easter Eggs in this movie, so we’ll help you get started. As Ralph crosses from one game to another through the busy Game Central Station, you can see multiple other gaming characters wandering around as well as Tangled”’s Maximus and Vlad and “Meet the Robinsons’” Tiny the T-Rex. Another fun egg for movie buffs: you can also see a memo that looks like it’s from “Paperman” in the background of the Bad Guy support group meeting. The Oscar winning short accompanied “Wreck-It Ralph” when the movie was released in theaters.
#2: Visitors in Arendelle “Frozen” (2013)
While Anna is excited about opening the castle gates, it’s certainly not “The First Time in Forever” that we’ve met a couple of their guests. Without Rapunzel’s magical golden locks, you’d be forgiven for missing her and Flynn as they arrive for Elsa’s coronation. Although, it is this cameo that sparked a fan theory that the princesses could be connected. Another mid-song moment to pause, if you can bring yourself to do so, is during “Let It Go” when some viewers spotted an animation glitch as Elsa lets her hair down. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Maui Transforms Into Sven “Moana” (2016) Jack Skellington Buds Up with Dr. Facilier “The Princess and the Frog” (2009) A Princess-Eating Troll “Enchanted” (2007) Pinocchio Stops for a Drink “Tangled” (2010) Cartoon Going Commando? “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988)
#1: A113 Various
In practically every Pixar movie you watch, you’ll likely find “A113” referenced in a plethora of clever and original ways. It refers to the classroom at the California Institute of the Arts where many creators who went on to work for Disney got their start, including Brad Bird, John Lasseter and Tim Burton. Lasseter started the trend in 1995 with “Toy Story” and ever since, it has become a staple of almost every Pixar movie. In 2020, “Onward” became the first movie where it’s spoken rather than seen. We don’t know about you, but we have a lot of Pixar movies to go and rewatch now.
