Top 30 Disney Moments That Made Us Ugly Cry

After fighting with her mother, Meilin realizes that she also has to learn from her. The heroine meets her mom in the astral plane. This scene provides a breakthrough for both characters, with Ming’s daughter realizing that her troubles aren’t anything new. The profound conversation finds a way to create empathy for the mother. We don’t always understand our parents, but this scene manages to encapsulate that problem better than ever. Pixar films always find a way to take an important theme and boil it down to an intimate moment. In “Turning Red,” the filmmakers pool their resources in order to make the most of this touching connection.

This song perfectly illustrates the sisterly bond between Anna and Elsa. It’s especially heartbreaking to see Anna trying over and over, unable to convince her sibling to come out. The battle between optimism and pessimism never seems to stop. Through it all, you can see how kind-hearted one sister is to the other. She can’t fix all of Elsa’s problems, but she does hope to provide a little sunshine. It’s gestures like these that mean the most during hard times and this series definitely has its fair share of that. For that reason alone, this sequence really gets the tears flowing. This connection between characters also pays off as the snow queen is saved by her closest ally.

When you become a teenager, it’s often harder to communicate with your family. This scene perfectly captures that breakdown you can experience with your loved ones. Goofy and Max are driven apart by age, a terrible road trip, and resentment. The one thing that gives their relationship hope is a can of soup. In a distant memory of spelling words with noodles, the father remembers happier times. His son sees this as a chance to reconnect and break the tension. In doing so, he gives his dad a heartfelt message. It’s at that moment that “A Goofy Movie” becomes something more than a chaotic travelog.

Realizing that she might lose Lilo to foster care, Nani shares a quiet moment with her sister. The two spend time together on a hammock in a meaningful scene. This includes the older sibling’s powerful rendition of “Aloha ‘Oe.” Even though the two characters stay together, this sad sequence shows the duo’s unbreakable bond. You don’t have to have any brothers or sisters to get emotional during this scene. The siblings might fight sometimes, but this ceremony with the flower petals gives them one more memory to share. It’s that simple idea that makes this part of “Lilo & Stitch” so unforgettable.

“Encanto” helps to tell the generational tale of a family, with this flashback giving viewers insight into the matriarch’s backstory. Alma’s love story with Pedro plays out from bright beginnings to a tragic end. The younger Alma watches as her partner dies, stretching out her arm in one of many poignant details. This entire sequence helps Mirabel understand both her family’s origins and their place in the world. Opening a dialog between grandmother and granddaughter, this scene shows that two people can reconcile if they better understand each other. For anyone who’s gone through similar troubles, this part is both eye-opening and eye-watering.

Why does Disney do this to us? The company loves stories about orphans that make us confront our deepest fears. In the beginning of “Oliver & Company,” the main cat watches as all of his fellow felines are chosen. He then has to face loneliness head on in the middle of a rain storm. It’s a shocking start to a joyful musical, but one that sets up the character’s problems in a clear way. There’s no beating around the bush either. We know that he’s alone, he’s desperate, and he’s looking for support. The movie tugs at the heartstrings within minutes and never lets you go.

Caught between being a hero and a villain, Ralph is faced with a difficult choice. He must crush Vanellope’s dreams in order to save her. This powerful scene pits the characters against each other, with the protagonist unable to explain his actions. He then destroys her kart in a horrifying moment. We feel the immense sadness of both, sympathizing with each of them at their lowest points. This might just be the film’s most earth-shattering part, but that doesn’t discount other sequences like Ralph’s sacrifice. Tough love really hurts and this particular dose doesn’t go down easy.

At the heart of this story, the title character is torn between two worlds. He finally decides to head back to civilization and leave his ape family behind. After putting on clothes, Tarzan comforts his foster mother before leaving. He even wipes away her tears in a touching moment. Kala doesn’t want him to go, but realizes that it’s best to let her son explore the world. We can all relate to this scene in some way, realizing that we all have to leave the nest at some point. The incredible and moving dialog between these two only makes it harder to watch. This loving scene between family gets us crying the most, even with the opening tragedy and Kerchak’s climactic death.

At the end of this adventure, the former thief has one more choice to make. He could easily be selfish with his final wish, but he instead chooses to free Genie. The moment showcases just how much Aladdin has grown as a character. Producing happy tears, the decision gives the mystical being a chance to live his own life. Robin Williams’ charismatic performance only enhances the emotional finale. While some might call this overly sentimental — not us — it doesn’t make things any less impactful. The hero and his closest ally give us yet another reminder that friendship matters.

While the bears sit around and tell stories, Koda talks about a time his mother fought with humans. Kenai listens, only to realize that he killed her. Shocked at the realization, the main character becomes overwhelmed. He later chooses to tell his young friend the truth in a devastating moment. Just when things are going well in “Brother Bear,” this twist gives you a sudden jolt of reality. This combination of grief, regret, and sadness is a whirlwind of emotions that is simply overwhelming. It’s difficult to watch this duo break apart as the news washes over the hero’s face.

Moana’s relationship with her grandmother is a close one. But considering Tala’s advanced age, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise when Moana loses her during the story. Moana isn’t present for the bitter end, and watching her light go out from afar is almost sadder. Luckily, Grandmother Tala is reincarnated as a manta ray who helps our heroine begin her journey. Surprisingly enough Moana’s grandmother wasn’t a character in the first iterations of the movie’s storyboard. The figure was later added by one of the writers, giving the film an extra emotional punch.

Rapunzel’s parents, aka the King and Queen of Corona, were understandably crushed after the evil Mother Gothel kidnapped their infant daughter; and you’d need to be pretty evil yourself to not appreciate their pain. The crux of this heart-wrenching scene is when the Queen gently wipes away a tear from the King’s crestfallen face. A sense of hopelessness lingers throughout the scene, as the emotionally distraught parents mourn yet another year without their daughter. Thankfully, this is a Disney movie, so in the end Rapunzel is reunited with her family and everyone lives happily ever after.

After having been swallowed by a blue whale, attacked by an anglerfish, and chased by sharks in the search for his lost son Nemo, Marlin was ready to throw in the towel; something that absolutely destroys Dory, his friend and search partner. As she desperately pleads with him not to give up, it’s a fool’s errand to try and keep one’s composure. It’s Dory’s stammered yet earnest monologue that gets us all wet and blubbery, particularly when she throws up that last Hail Mary “I look at you, and I…and I'm home." Gets us every time.

When Boo enters the world of Monstropolis the audience knows that she’ll eventually have to return home, but no one could anticipate just how heartbreaking it would be when she finally does. The relationship she forms with Sulley and Mike is a sweet one, so their farewell is inevitably poignant. When “Kitty” tucks her into bed and says his goodbyes, we tear up just as much as he does. It’s made all the sadder by the fact that Boo doesn’t understand what’s going on. Seeing her run to open the closet once he’s gone is probably the saddest moment of all.

“Mulan” is set during China’s Han Dynasty and tells the story of a young woman who impersonates a man in order to help fight an army of invading Huns. While there are plenty of tear-inducing scenes to choose from, we’re going with the one where Mulan and the rest of her military cohorts come upon the remains of a burnt-out village. The scene features a myriad of shots guaranteed to make you shed a tear or two, but the one that really hits home is when Mulan finds a child’s doll laying amongst the rubble. No dialogue is needed as her face says it all.

After seeing their relationship unfold with humanlike tenderness, watching WALL-E and EVE say goodbye is almost too much to handle. For a scene with almost no dialogue and no real people involved, it’s surprising how touching the moment is. Thankfully, this isn’t the end for our favorite little robot, as WALL-E is brought back to life. However the moment that follows is possibly even sadder, as WALL-E appears to have lost his memory and can’t remember EVE or anything else from his past. Fortunately, it doesn’t take more than a kiss to spark his memory.

Try watching this scene without getting choked up; go ahead, we dare you. “The Good Dinosaur” may not be the most popular Disney flick, but it’s not without its effective scenes. The moment that hit us hardest was when Arlo, freshly separated from his family and still mourning the death of his father, tries sharing his feelings with Spot, a young caveboy. At first it seems like they can’t understand each other, but Spot quickly demonstrates that he comprehends Arlo and that he too has suffered a tremendous personal loss. When they lay their heads in the sand together, it’s too much for us to handle.

If we were ranking the overall saddest Disney movies, this one would easily be a contender. There are countless moments that left us with tears in our eyes, but this one stands out as the most heartbreaking. After their encounters with Amos and Chief, Widow feels like she has to let Tod free in order to keep him safe. His lack of understanding as she drives him into the forest and eventually leaves him there is tough to watch. What’s possibly even more devastating is the knowledge that Tod is never able to go back to live with her, and spends the rest of his life in the woods.

With over a billion in box office sales and an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, we think it’s safe to say that “Zootopia” hit home with viewers. Part of the reason for the film’s success was scenes like this one, which despite being a total tearjerker, is well-acted and incredibly moving. It involves Nick revealing a painful childhood memory to Judy, one where he was betrayed and humiliated by a group of scouts who force him to wear a muzzle and berate him for being a fox. The scene is simply gut-wrenching and one can’t help but sympathize with Nick as he shamefully recounts the harrowing tale. Poor guy.

There are several tear-jerking moments in this classic 1941 animated film, but by far the saddest is when Dumbo goes to visit his mother in her cell and she rocks him to sleep with a mournful lullaby. Her imprisonment begins when she is defending her baby from being bullied by a bunch of boys who are making fun of his comically large ears. Dumbo is so distraught after this emotional reunion and viewers feel his sadness just as much. No matter how old you are, this Oscar-nominated song is sure to get the waterworks going.

“The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” revolves around the struggles of Quasimodo, a disfigured bell-ringer who longs for acceptance. In order to help him overcome his self-imposed isolation, his friends, a trio of stone gargoyles, persuade him to attend the annual Festival of Fools. At first it goes well, with Quasimodo’s strange appearance celebrated by the citizens of Paris. But things take a dark turn when people start to pelt him with food, and within moments, he is being tied up and ridiculed. The worst comes when Quasimodo’s own master refuses to help him. It’s pretty hard to watch, especially for a film that was marketed towards children.

If you’re surprised that “Big Hero 6” landed so high on our list, then you obviously have not seen “Big Hero 6.” The film has not one but two incredibly moving moments. The first is when Hiro’s older brother Tadashi tragically dies in an explosion after going into a burning building to try to save someone. The second is when Baymax sacrifices himself in order to save Hiro and Abigail near the end of the film. As the music swells and Hiro says goodbye to his giant robotic friend, a lump will almost certainly begin to form in your throat. Thankfully, Hiro is able to re-create Baymax, so everyone walks away happy!

By now we’ve come to know that the death of a main character’s parents is a mainstay for Disney’s animated movies, but back in 1942, children were probably shocked by the brutal demise of Bambi’s mother. Even today it’s hard to watch, despite the fact that it happens off-screen. Since this is a movie that’s shown to children at a young age, it’s often one of the first films they see where a character doesn’t come back to life. It’s a scene that doesn't pull punches, forcing us to accept the cruelty of life and death.

Like many other Disney films, “Inside Out” largely revolves around childhood nostalgia. The movie is all about emotions, so there are plenty of opportunities for heartache, but the story of Bing Bong outdoes the rest. Bing Bong is Riley’s imaginary friend from when she was younger, and throughout the film we see him beginning to fade from her memory and struggling to stay with her. Finally, though, he accepts his fate and lets go so Riley can grow up, leaving audiences remembering their own youthful imaginary pals.

A hopeless romantic and a loyal friend, Ray was literally one of this film’s most illuminating characters. So it was with great sadness and a whole lot of Kleenex that we bid him adieu at the end. Watching his tiny little belly light slowly go out as Tiana, Naveen, and Louis solemnly watch is almost too much to handle. Disney has dealt with death on numerous occasions and oftentimes characters find a way to make a miraculous recovery; but when they don’t, it can weigh quite heavily on the conscience. This is one of those times. We’ll miss you, Ray!

There are many emotional moments in this movie, like when it seems that the toys are going to be incinerated. However, it’s the grand finale that really gets the tears going. After all the adventures they’ve had together, Andy has to say goodbye to his toys. If you’re someone who gets especially nostalgic, this scene will turn you into a wreck. Seeing Andy play with Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang one final time is bittersweet, and there isn’t a dry eye in the room when he finally drives off. This wasn’t even the last farewell we’d have to witness though, as Woody’s heartfelt goodbye to Jessie and the rest of his friends at the end of “Toy Story 4” also had us tearing up.

No one went into “Up” knowing they would be bawling their eyes out in the first ten minutes, but that’s what happened to theatregoers everywhere. Before getting into the movie’s main story, we’re shown how Carl ended up living alone in his little house surrounded by high rises. The love story that’s told in the movie’s intro is so simple, and so tragic. The feelings are only compounded by the fact that we’re totally blindsided by Ellie’s death.

“Coco,” the story of a young boy who is transported to the land of the dead, took home two Academy Awards, including one for Best Original Song. The song in question was “Remember Me” and it played a prominent role in the film, especially in this scene where Miguel sings it for his great-grandmother Coco. The scene is especially moving when you consider the fact that earlier in the film, Miguel met his great-great-grandfather and discovered that “Remember Me” was written just for Coco, so that she would never forget him. Put it all together and you have an instantly iconic Disney moment best served with a tissue.

We’ll be blunt; if you don’t tear up while watching this scene you might just be a robot. Jessie, the plucky cowgirl aching to be sent to a Japanese toy museum, has one of the most heartbreaking backstories in Disney history, as this scene poignantly reveals. Watching Jessie transition from beloved toy to abandoned childhood trinket is almost too much to bear. The scene hits on multiple levels and demonstrates the all-encompassing pain of being discarded by someone we believed to have loved us. The montage culminates with Jessie being left in a box on the side of the road... and yeah, we’re balling our eyes out. Why did we make this video again?

There’s no debate that our number one moment has to be the death of Simba’s father in “The Lion King.” Every part of this scene is horrific, as Simba watches his dad get trampled by wildebeest. Although Mufasa tries clawing his way to safety, the villainous Scar ultimately throws him into the gorge. Discovering his father’s body, Simba is unable to understand why Mufasa won’t wake up at first. However, it doesn’t take long for him to accept the tragedy he’s witnessed. No matter how familiar you are with this scene, watching Simba snuggle his way under Mufasa’s paw will get you choked up every time.

Did we forget another Disney moment that made you cry? Let us know in the comments below.