Hidden Secrets In Disney Films That Will Have You Second Guess Your Childhood!
1 Check The Paintings
We have all seen Remy the rat try and make his way to the top of the culinary ladder in the movie Ratatouille. He moved to Paris in hopes of making it as a chef. But who would hire a rodent in the food industry? There is something about having a rat in the kitchen that is unsettling for staff and customers alike. This doesn’t stop Remy, though.
In a particular scene, Remy is running through cracks and crevices to avoid being seen. Not only does he see some very odd situations, but he also notices an artist painting what seems to be his own rendition of nude women. When, in fact, he is looking at a bowl of fruit as his inspiration instead of a woman. Remy also notices a couple engaged in a heated argument where the woman is holding a weapon toward her partner. Oh, Disney. What other odd situations have we missed throughout the years? Instead of actually paying attention to the movies, we’re probably going to be looking for these hidden scenes instead.
2 The “Arousal”
Pixar may be the best at making art out of animation, but if you think the company is above making cheap boner jokes, think again. However, with the release of Toy Story 2, Pixar took things to a whole new level by introducing cowgirl Jessie, a vibrant type of toy that’s always ready for action. In short, she’s ideal for man’s man Buzz Lightyear. And he’ll be damned if he doesn’t know it. When you are little, you sometimes play with your toys and make them “kiss.” But what if they were to do that all on their own?
Buzz’s first meeting with Jessie is awkward: he’s shy, while she’s more concerned with getting Andy’s barking dog Buster out of Andy’s room. She immediately springs into action, skateboarding up to the doorknob and unlocking the door, allowing Buster to flee. Meanwhile, Buzz can only watch, mouth open, as his wings become helplessly erect. We all know what that means. Oh, Buzz. Keep it in your pants.
3 Groupies
The Cars movie isn’t the most popular Pixar franchise. In fact, it’s nowhere near as well-liked as the studio’s other films. One criticism is that the Cars films are primarily aimed at children, rather than providing an all-around family experience like most of the other Pixar films. But that assumption just is not true. Some of the dirtiest Disney in-jokes can be found in these auto-obsessed films.
Consider the scene in which the beloved Lightning McQueen greets some of his adoring fans after a race. Mia and Tia, two sister cars, charge to the front of the crowd and flash Lightning with their headlights. Security immediately escorts the groupies away, because flashing is grounds for removal even in the world of Cars. You would never imagine seeing something like this in a Disney movie, would you? That’s because it is so subtle that many people never notice situations like these.
4 That Castle Looks Like A…
Maybe it is just us, but do The Little Mermaid‘s poster and home video cover art seem pleased to see us? The main characters are depicted in the art against the backdrop of Atlantica, which appears unusually phallic here. Was it simply just an unintentional mishap? According to a long-running rumor, a disgruntled Disney animator inserted the said drawing on purpose after being fired from Disney.
But it turns out that the rumor was just that, a rumor. The poster artist was not exactly fired from Disney, mostly because he was never employed there in the first place. The artist in question has since admitted that the artwork was created as a result of him rushing to finish it during an all-night design session. This is a good lesson to make sure that you always give yourself enough time to finish a project so that you don’t accidentally have inappropriate drawings on a child’s movie poster.
5 Watching Clouds
Remember when you were a kid and were captivated by Simba’s struggle to face his fears and confront his villainous uncle, but you were completely distracted by the sudden and unmistakable appearance of SEX? No? Tell that to the American Life League, a conservative organization that claimed in 1995 that the word “SEX” is spelled out in a dust cloud in the sky after Simba falls off a ledge.
But, according to Tom Sito, one of the film’s animators, the dust cloud actually spells out “SFX,” or “special effects,” a kind of signature inserted into one frame of animation by Disney’s effects team. And did you know? That is most likely correct. Because slipping a word as offensive as “sex” into a single frame of an animated film is ridiculous. If an animator truly wanted to mess with people’s minds, he’d include something far more obscene. Like “butt” or “winkle,” for example. Or perhaps he’d just include a picture of a topless woman.
6 What Happened To His Head?
Nessus the River Guardian is one of the demigod’s lesser foes in 1997’s Hercules. Nessus, a Dwayne Johnson-like ripped centaur who towers over Hercules, comes up against Zeus’ son when the River God tries to snare Megara.
Naturally, it all ends with Hercules saving the day and freeing Meg—but not before Hercules humiliates Nessus. Nessus is rendered inoperable after some ferocious rasslin’, knocked into permanent confusion when his own horseshoes land on his head. Hercules, are you sure you’re not kidding us? You don’t give a large, protruding lump with two round lumps at the base to a big blue monster and then claim innocence. You tried to be sneaky, but we all caught onto what you were trying to show in this scene. Nice try.
7 Top Down
It doesn’t stop with flasher groupies: Cars have background gags that are simply filled with secrets. Never mind that in the film’s world, the motel is called the Cozy Cone and its logo is a towering erection. The minds of the Cars characters appear to be just as filthy as those of the Disney animators. You might have missed the truckstop sign that Lightning McQueen passes near the beginning of the film, but don’t worry, we will remind you of that sign that might be a little disturbing once you realize it.
The sign, titled “Top-Down,” promises “All convertible waitresses,” implying that this is what we would call a strip club in the real world. The racy original sign for the Top Down Truckstop, seen in film storyboards, appears to establish that the Pixar team was going for a sexy stripper car. I mean, cars have needs too, right? How are we to judge them on what they like to do in their free time?
8 Under The Sea
In The Little Mermaid, the bishop appears to enjoy officiating weddings in a different way than normal. It used to appear that the bishop in charge of the wedding ceremony had gotten a little too excited during the scene in which Prince Eric prepares to marry Vanessa. The bishop’s groin appeared to bulge and inflate as he stood before the soon-to-be-betrothed and said, “Dearly beloved.” What is it about weddings that would make him get so excited down south?
To some observers, it was a sign that this man of the cloth was enjoying his work in the wrong way. Former Disney animator Tom Sito claims the ‘bulge’ is one of the bishop’s knees, but this hasn’t stopped one viewer from attempting to sue Disney for the image. This person claimed that it was not suitable for use and viewing by young children. Disney eventually removed the scene from the film, which is probably a good thing, so children don’t start asking too many questions.
9 A Play On Words
Pixar, perhaps more than its parent company Disney, has a history of innuendos aimed solely at the adults in the room. Exhibit A: The very first Toy Story. This movie was released in 1995, and specifically one character definitely should not have a place in a children’s movie. A pun-tastic monstrosity is among Sid’s toys, all of which are nightmarish mash-ups of other toys he’s dissected.
‘Legs’ keeps company with a spider-baby, a walking car, and a GI Joe head glued to a Melody Push Chime. Legs is a pair of Barbie doll legs with a fishing rod for a body, as named by Woody. That would turn ‘Legs’ into a walking hooker, which isn’t subtle. But you have to admit, children aren’t as quick to notice things like this. As a parent, you shouldn’t worry. Until they grow up, at least.
10 The Lemon Party
First and foremost, if you have no idea what a “lemon party” is, please do not start Googling it right now. All you need to know is that the term “lemon party” refers to a widely circulated shock image of three elderly gentlemen engaged in… let’s call it lovemaking. With that hazy, cautious preamble out of the way, let’s get to one of the most outrageous Disney in-jokes of all time. The villains in Cars 2 are a group of old cars known as the Lemons who are involved in an international fuel-based conspiracy. In one scene, these elderly people are seen having a party complete with lemon hats, lemonade, and a table full of lemons.
“Isn’t this a great party?” one attendee inquires, in case anyone in the audience wasn’t aware of what was going on. We can’t figure out why these villains are called the Lemons in the first place, why they’re all older gentlemen, or why there’s a scene involving elderly characters at a ‘lemon party,’ so we’ll just jump to this conclusion: Pixar is full of perverts. Surprised? You shouldn’t be.
11 Now In Theaters
In some cases where viewers have exclaimed, ‘Disney smut!’, it may appear that the beholders are reading too much into things. Consider the poster for the 2002 theatrical re-release of 1994’s The Lion King, which has served as a kind of Rorschach test for weirdos over the years. The poster’s design is straightforward: as Simba stands in front of the African sunset, his father Mufasa looks down from the clouds at his son.
Some people see what appears to be the outline of a lion’s face as something entirely different. Whereas most people see the noble Mufasa, others see a woman in a thong from behind. So, what do you think it is? If you immediately notice the backside of a woman, you probably have some issues of your own that you should reflect on.
12 Your What?
The list of double entendres in Ratatouille is surprisingly long for one of Pixar’s sweetest films. You’re familiar with the joke about vegetables being used as sex toys. Anton Ego even says in the film, “If I don’t love it, I don’t swallow it.” You also get a brief glimpse of a man painting a naked female companion, which is less surprising given the film’s setting in Paris, but still shocking to see in a kid’s movie.
There are also a few references to hero Linguini’s manhood, one of which isn’t so subtle. Linguini stutters as he tries to tell Colette his secret: “It’s kind of disturbing… I have this tiny, tiny, tiny…” Colette, unsure of Linguini’s intentions, looks down at her romantic interest’s crotch, concerned. Could he really be talking about you know what? Who approved this scene?
13 Who Are Those Ladies?
When we were kids, we all wondered, “Who are those sexy women who despise Aladdin in his introduction scene?” Now that we’re all adults, let’s not beat around the bush any longer. Those women are prostitutes, and our boy Aladdin is in a brothel. Which begs the question, how do these prostitutes know Aladdin so well, and why do they throw him out a window?
Evidently, Aladdin has been to this house of vice before, and he has gotten to know the girls quite well. That’s why they want him gone. The girls know that he can’t afford to pay for their services, and they’ve probably already been burned by him. He is a man, and we do know that men frequently think with what’s in their pants instead of their heads. But why give children the idea that this act is okay?
14 Pitching A Tent
The Emperor’s New Groove may not be one of the most well-known Disney animated films, but it certainly ranks high in terms of innuendo. Emperor Kuzco, an arrogant young prince transformed into a llama, is the protagonist of New Groove. Kronk, the Emperor’s scheming advisor, Yzma’s henchman, is also featured in the adventure.
Kronk falls asleep under the stars, covered by a tent, in one bizarre scene from the film. This ‘tent,’ on the other hand, only covers one part of Kronk’s body, and it’s not his head. Can anyone explain why the animators thought it was amusing that Kronk might have wanted to keep that particular part of his anatomy hidden while he slept? I mean, we definitely know why. We all went to a sex-ed class. We learned about what might happen to boys when they are asleep. But we don’t think this film should have the right to introduce children to that world quite yet.
15 Clean Up
Cinderella, first released in 1950, was one of the films that helped Walt Disney become the world’s most popular film studio. It’s also a picture that, in the age of the internet, has been widely mocked. Naturally, given the filth-mongers that we are as a society today, the mockery is directed at a scene that appears distractingly hardcore when taken out of context. And believe us when we say, once you see this, you won’t be able to unsee it. We’re sorry. (Not really.)
It all starts when the film’s rodent heroes, Jaq and Gus, decide to steal a bunch of beads. The guys don’t have many options for carrying because they’re mice, but Jaq has an idea: thread the beads onto Gus’ tail and walk them out. And there you have it! It’s a scene that you’ll never see again without being reminded of something decidedly un-Disney-like. What are they really planning on doing with those beads?
16 Mr. Potato Head
There are more disturbing things in Toy Story 3 than the gang almost being melted to death in a massive furnace, in case you missed it. Not long into the film, the toys discover that Sunnyside Daycare isn’t the paradise they were promised. You even see Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear revealing his villainy for the first time when the toys confront the strawberry-scented teddy about leaving Sunnyside. Who could blame him?
Instead of listening to their sob story, Lotso chooses to silence them—literally, in the case of Mrs. Potato Head. Lotso snatches Mrs. Potato Head’s plastic mouth away as she argues for the toys’ release, causing her husband to scream. “No one takes my wife’s mouth except me,” Mr. Potato Head responds. The viewer is left to wonder what Mr. Potato Head might do with his wife’s lips in his own time. Does he get tired of her talking as well? Or does he have a different need for her lips?
17 Hello There
The movie known as A Goofy Movie is a classic that played a huge role in many of our childhoods. Everyone can relate to having their parents embarrass them while they were teenagers, so it’s the perfect film for children to understand the importance of a relationship with their parents. In the film, Goofy and his son Max take a road trip to go fishing, but Max isn’t too excited about it. He had the opportunity to impress his crush at school and was prepared to spend the weekend with her. Instead, he learned what it meant to appreciate your parents.
One thing to mention, while watching the movie, you may notice one character that doesn’t quite belong. We all know that Goofy’s best friend is Mickey Mouse, right? So it’s not completely out of the blue for Mickey Mouse to make an appearance in this movie. Except, they don’t interact with each other. Mickey Mouse is found standing in the crowd amongst many others.
18 Wait, Who Is That?
Disney characters probably all know each other. I mean, for all we know, they probably hang out together on the weekends. So, why wouldn’t they be seen in a movie together? We don’t know what they do in their free time. Maybe they didn’t know that their friends were filming a movie at the time, and they just wanted to say hi to them. It’s not like they are trying to take over the scene; you see them go in and out of the frame pretty quickly.
But you do see them. In Frozen, you see the back of Flynn Rider and Rapunzel, who had obviously already cut her hair by this point. In the scene, Anna is outside singing and dancing to the song “For the First Time in Forever” before Elsa’s coronation. She interacts with many people outside of the castle but does not interact with Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.
19 I Know Him!
As you may know, Disney likes to include Easter Eggs in their films to pay homage to previous and upcoming films. One notable Easter Egg in the film Big Hero 6 can be seen in the trailer. It’s a wanted poster for Prince Hans, who appeared in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ most recent film, Frozen.
Even though Big Hero 6 has nothing to do with princesses, it is a fairytale of some sort. The characters live in a futuristic city and are trying to uncover a mystery. Hiro and Baymax round up all of their friends to turn them into high-tech heroes to save the city. Interestingly enough, you can see many other Disney characters up on the board at the police station. But, obviously, Hans is the most notable “wanted” character. Did you know that you can see Baymax in the opening of the Frozen movie? Disney loves to throw in characters that have nothing to do with the actual movie. You’ll definitely be looking for someone out of the blue the next time you watch a Disney movie.
20 Mrs. Rabbit
Jessica Rabbit has become one of the most iconic symbols of female sensuality in the worlds of animation and real-life since the release of Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988. Jessica was purposefully drawn with one of the world’s most unrealistically desirable bodies, all curves, and slinky physicality. Even the animators who created Mrs. Rabbit couldn’t help but fantasize about her, or so we think.
Jessica crashes out of the cab she’s been riding in with Bob Hoskins’ Eddie Valiant at one point in the film. Jessica’s legs open as she’s thrown from the car, revealing more than she probably wants the public to see. But what kind of movie doesn’t have a woman accidentally revealing herself to everyone around her? It is a man’s world, after all.
21 Tarzan
The Disney film Tarzan was released in 1999 and tells the story of the famous man who grew up in the jungle, raised by the Mangani great apes. Later, he will meet the woman of his life while she’s visiting the jungle with her father. The whole story is very cute, but one scene in particular makes us wonder.
At one point, Tarzan is riding a vine with Professor Porter and Jane, whom he is carrying in his arms. If you look closely at this picture, however, Tarzan is using both hands to carry Jane. So how does he hold on to the vine? Well, the drawing just below offers a very interesting and hilarious theory on the subject!
