From generation to generation, Walt Disney and the films of his multibillion-dollar animation studio have been an integral part of our collective childhoods. Through Disney’s imagination and ruthless business acumen, he created an empire that revolutionized the concept of family entertainment, starting from the moment he released the first full-length animated film to American audiences with 1937′s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” solidifying his place in the lexicon of popular culture.
Disney’s movies and subsequent franchises have built legions of fervent fans who spent their formative years growing up with them—and many never stopped loving Disney movies, no matter their age. There are plenty of moments throughout Disney’s filmdom that have made a lasting impression, from iconic songs that live rent-free in our heads forever (looking at you, “The Lion King” and “Frozen” soundtracks) to characters whose classic lines still make us laugh (such as Dory’s “I wish I could speak whale” line from “Finding Nemo”) no matter how glum we may be.
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In fact, when it comes to having a sense of humor, Disney as a whole seems to embrace it wholeheartedly—and nothing proves that more than the hidden jokes and Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the studio’s 100 years of movie magic. As far back as “Fantasia,” there has been no shortage of salaciousness snuck in between Disney’s two-dimensional characters. (Of course, some of Disney’s questionable and provocative inclusions were entirely racist, like 1946′s “Song of the South,” which has long been criticized and was eventually discontinued in both film and ride form from Disney history—but that’s a story for another time.)
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Using various sources like WDW Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and more, Stacker created a comprehensive list of 22 hidden jokes, moments, and Easter eggs that are more for adults than kids in Disney’s canon. Whether their inherent naughtiness went over your head as a child or you caught it during the first watch, be warned: You won’t look at your childhood favorites the same way again.
Walt Disney Productions
#1. Sexy spirits abound in 'Fantasia' (1940)
With "Snow White" breaking the door open for Disney films, the so-called "Golden Age" of Disney, from 1937 to 1942, was full of fantastic films with iconic imagery and amazing music. But perhaps none were as memorable as 1940's "Fantasia," which did not feature any dialogue between characters. But that wasn't the only reason the movie was memorable.
During a scene that sends specters and skeletons soaring through the sky, while the skeletons and male-presenting spirits appear dressed in cloaks, hats, and other accessories, the female-presenting spirits wore nothing—at least, that's what their ghostly silhouettes indicated. While it may not be considered too naughty in modern times, by the standards of the '40s, it was certainly a shock.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
#2. The child trafficking parallels in 'Pinocchio' (1940)
There weren't any hidden messages in 1940's "Pinocchio," per se; the movie hid the dark and dirty secrets in plain sight, at least if you were old enough to get them. There appear to be obvious hints that the story, in some way, is about child trafficking. The most glaring example comes when the ominous character of "The Coachman" appears in the tavern, attempting to trade money for boys to come to his "pleasure island." While as a child it seemed the story was warning you how to watch out for strangers, it definitely comes across as a lot darker to adults.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
#3. Seeing pink elephants in 'Dumbo' (1941)
Few movies produced as many tears as 1941's pachyderm-packed classic "Dumbo," which told the tale of a sweet little elephant whose mother is incarcerated after she tries to keep children from making fun of her son's big ears. While that in and of itself already sounds a bit dark, it's the "Pink Elephants on Parade" sequence that really takes on the role of this movie's adult breadcrumb. The phrase "seeing pink elephants" refers to someone who gets so drunk that they start to hallucinate. Dumbo and his friend Timothy Q. Mouse start seeing pink elephants after they take a dip in water that has been accidentally spiked with champagne.
Walt Disney Studios
#4. A topless woman in 'The Rescuers' (1977)
Rodents obviously rule the Disney kingdom—and while Mickey and Minnie are clearly the most famous, 1977's "The Rescuers" introduced viewers to some more lovable mice. What might have contributed to its popularity, however, was a very risqué slip-up that came to light after a 1999 rerelease on VHS.
During the scene where Bernard and Miss Bianca are careening through the city's landscape on the back of a bird, you can briefly see a fully topless human woman in one of the building's windows. Disney swiftly took action when the scandalous scene came to light, recalling the VHS tapes in an effort "to keep our promise to families that we can trust and rely on the Disney brand to provide the finest in family entertainment."
Another fun fact? The movie was originally completed in 1962 but was shelved by Disney himself. The animator deemed the original story—with the mice helping an imprisoned poet in Cuba escape to the U.S.—"too political."
Walt Disney Studios
#5. Betty Boop's low-cut dress in 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' (1988)
One of the unique things about "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was the way it brought a ton of cartoons from across time and space together, from Bugs Bunny to Fred Flintstone to the legendary bombshell Betty Boop. During a single frame of the original film released in theaters, Betty Boop's dress was drawn far too low, revealing her breasts. Unlike the Jessica Rabbit conspiracy, this one was proven. However, the frame was edited out before the movie came to home video.
Walt Disney Studios
#6. Baby Herman's pervy moment in 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' (1988)
Rounding out our trio of naughty "Roger Rabbit" moments is the brashness of Baby Herman, the adult man who never grew past the size of an adorable baby. Baby Herman's personality seemed to be heavily influenced by the mafia-goon trope—rude, foul-mouthed, and apparently not a big fan of asking for consent. In an often-talked-about scene, Baby Herman walks under a woman's skirt, and as he does, his finger flips up as if to indicate … well, you get it. She yelps, and he says, "'Scuse me, toots." It's hard to believe this movie was only rated PG.
Walt Disney Studios
#7. Hidden phalluses in the poster for 'The Little Mermaid' (1989)
While most of the adult moments included on this list were in Disney films themselves, there are a couple of instances where even the movie posters caused alarm. Such was the case with "The Little Mermaid," the 1989 classic that ushered in the "Disney Renaissance" and catapulted the studio back into the top spot at the box office. People began to immediately notice what appeared to be hidden phalluses in the golden castle that featured prominently in the movie poster. While the artist, who didn't actually work for Disney, claimed it was an accident and rejected rumors that he did it because he was disgruntled, it's hard to unsee it once you do.
Walt Disney Studios
#8. An arousing moment in 'The Little Mermaid' (1989)
Another alleged phallic rumor in "The Little Mermaid" was that the officiant overseeing Prince Eric and Ursula's nuptials was perhaps too happy to get the job. After Ursula shape-shifts into a beautiful woman in hopes of luring the prince away from Ariel, she hypnotizes him into marrying her. According to a fan theory, however, as the bride and groom step toward the officiant to say, "I do," a bulge appears in the priest's pants. The situation was so noticeable that someone even filed a lawsuit against Disney, though it was eventually dropped.
Walt Disney Pictures
#9. Making babies in 'Hocus Pocus' (1993)
The live-action Halloween classic "Hocus Pocus" follows the Sanderson sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) as they look for children to absorb to maintain their good looks. But when they say, "We desire children," to a bus driver as they attempt to hitch a ride, he takes it a very different way. Deep in the double-entendre, he replies, "Well, it could take me a couple of tries, but I don't think that'd be a problem. Hop on up." In the next scene, we find Parker sitting in his lap, bouncing over speed bumps. Needless to say, that one was for the grown-ups in the theater.
Disney Enterprises
#10. A lion nose or a thong in the poster for 'The Lion King' (1994)
By the time the mid-'90s rolled around, Disney was rolling in theatrical hits, with each movie the studio released seemingly more successful than the next—which meant the anticipation for "The Lion King" was at a fever pitch in 1994. Things only got hotter when a film poster was released that left little to the imagination, even if you had to have a pretty great one to spot it. Many thought that hidden in the shadows and lines of Mufasa's nose was the sneaky silhouette of a woman's backside. This one feels like a bit of a stretch and most likely was unintentional, but it definitely made the rounds.
Disney Enterprises
#11. What's written in the stars in 'The Lion King' (1994)
As children, many of us would look up at the clouds for hidden figures to form as they slid across the sky. In "The Lion King," Timon, Pumbaa, and Simba do a similar activity with the stars during a particularly emotional scene where Simba is reminded of the death of his father. In a few frames, after Simba exasperatedly falls into the grasses below him, the pollen from the flowers blows into the wind and, according to legend, appears to spell out the word "sex" in the sky in the VHS release of the film. The scene has since been cut short in subsequent rereleases. But Tom Sito, an animator who worked on this movie in addition to "Aladdin," said that's not what the letters spell. "It says special effects. It's SFX," he told HuffPost.
Disney/Pixar
#12. A true horror in 'Toy Story' (1995)
As if Disney wasn't having enough success with its traditional animated films, it took it a step further with its computer animation branch, Pixar, which burst onto the scene with its first feature: 1995's "Toy Story." Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and comedic legend Don Rickles all lent their voices to this movie about toys that come to life when their human owners are not around. It was also a film that was very obvious about throwing in Easter eggs targeted to the adults in the audience.
For example, when the misfit band of toys attempts to save their friend from vicious neighbor kid Sid, they are forced to face the horrors outside Andy's room. To drive home the horror, if you happen to pay close enough attention, you can see that Sid's carpet is the same pattern as the one in the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining."
Walt Disney Pictures
#13. The narcissism reference in 'Hercules' (1997)
Another Disney hit with a killer cast—and arguably even better music—was "Hercules," the 1997 mythology-based movie that followed Hercules, a struggling demigod, and Hades, the nemesis of the gods attempting to thwart Hercules at every turn. Since the film was steeped in Greek myth, all the gods showed up during one particular party scene, where Hermes made a hilarious double-meaning dig about Narcissus. As he stares around the room, he proclaims, "I haven't seen this much love in a room since Narcissus discovered himself," after which the film cuts to Narcissus gazing fondly at himself in a mirror.
Walt Disney Pictures
#14. The Oedipal joke in 'Hercules' (1997)
In the same film, Hercules is on a romantic stroll with his love interest, the beautiful (and delightfully sarcastic) Megara. As they walk under the stars at the end of their date, Hercules takes the opportunity to make a well-placed joke about Oedipus. "And that play, that Oedipus thing? Man, I thought I had problems," he says with a chuckle while referring to the classic Greek tragedy. For children watching, Oedipus—who famously killed his father and married his mother—probably sounded like just another Greek god character from the film. But for adults in the room, the awareness of the kind of problems Oedipus had was what made the one-liner so funny.
Disney/Pixar
#15. Buzz's sign of approval in 'Toy Story 2' (1999)
By 1999, the "Toy Story" gang was back at it again, only this time they had new friends, including cowgirl Jessie. The new girl in town seemed to capture a certain someone's attention even more during a particular scene where she shows off her action skills to a very impressed Buzz Lightyear. In a sneaky but subtle moment that only viewers above a certain age would understand, as Buzz watches Jessie show her stuff, both of his wings simultaneously pop out, indicating his, shall we say, approval.
Walt Disney Productions
#16. Yzma's secret weapon in 'The Emperor's New Groove' (2000)
"The Emperor's New Groove" centers on Kuzco, the bratty head of an empire (voiced by David Spade) who's transformed from leader to llama courtesy of a two-timing sorceress named Yzma (voiced by the legendary Eartha Kitt). In one scene, Yzma is attempting to show off her secret weapon. "I bet you weren't expecting this," she says as she lifts up her skirt. Kuzco screams in horror—until it's revealed that "this" is a dagger in a thigh holster and nothing more, leaving him breathing a sigh of relief.
Walt Disney Productions
#17. Kronk pitches a tent in 'The Emperor's New Groove' (2000)
In the same film, Yzma and her muscle-bound right-hand man Kronk (voiced by Patrick Warburton) are forced to spend a night under the stars while they make their way to the next stop on their journey. Both of them put their tents up for the night, but there seems to be something strangely amiss about Kronk's. While Izma's is large and covers her, Kronk's is minuscule. In fact, it only fits directly above an area that gives "pitching a tent" an entirely different meaning.
Disney/Pixar
#18. Flashing high beams in 'Cars' (2006)
Lightning McQueen is the premier race car driver in the Pixar film "Cars," and he has tons of press and adoring fans to prove it. But none so adoring as twin motor cars Mia and Tia. They make no qualms about letting McQueen know they're his "biggest fans" by simultaneously flashing their headlights at him as he stares on with googly eyes, giving the adults in the audience a quick second of hilarity while their kids looked on, unphased.
Disney Enterprises
#19. A hairy situation in the poster for 'Tangled' (2010)
In 2010, "Tangled" reintroduced audiences to a new spin on the fable of Rapunzel, the golden-locked maiden trapped in the tower with hair long enough for her prince to climb and rescue her. In the movie's poster, however, it looked like it was the prince, Flynn Rider, who needed rescuing. The promotional image shows Rapunzel with her hair wrapped around Flynn and, according to fans, her tresses spell out the word "sex." Seems like a little less Rapunzel, a little more "Fifty Shades of Grey," perhaps? Disney hasn't commented on this one, so it's likely another coincidence; nevertheless, it's an oft-cited example of an alleged adult-themed message from the House of Mouse.
Disney/Pixar
#20. Mouthing off in 'Toy Story 3' (2010)
It wasn't until "Toy Story 3" that the late Don Rickles, known for his acerbic quips and dirty mouth, really had his chance to shine. In a scene between the toys and their nemesis, Lotso, Mr. Potato Head (voiced by Rickles) watches as the evil bear takes away Mrs. Potato Head's ability to speak by removing her mouth. In true Rickles form, the comedian immediately yells, "Hey, no one takes my wife's mouth—except me!" Any adult in the theater was sure to have laughed at the line's double meaning.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
#21. Foot size doesn't matter in 'Frozen' (2013)
Fans haven't let go of how much they love Disney's 2013 hit "Frozen," in which reindeer, talking snowmen, and ice queens collided to create box-office gold. Children loved the songs and the two sisters at the film's center, Elsa and Anna. Adults, on the other hand, fell in love with Anna for another reason: her sense of humor that leaned on more grown-up themes. In one infamous scene, she rides through the snow with Kristoff as he quizzes her on her future husband, whom she just met. When he gets to the question of her fiance's foot size, she remarks with a dreamy look, "Foot size doesn't matter," which left very little to the imagination for anyone old enough to understand it.
Disney/Pixar
#22. Bears roam around San Francisco in 'Inside Out' (2015)
The later we moved into the 2000s, the more we saw Pixar begin to tackle more adult concepts in their films, from the highly political "Wall-E" and its scathing commentary on pollution and waste to "Inside Out," which focused on mental health and processing emotions. Inside the mind of the movie's main character, Riley, each major emotion is represented as a character—Anger, Fear, Disgust, Sadness, and Joy—who helps her navigate her childhood trauma, including a big move from Minnesota to San Francisco.
Like many of us, they did so with a sense of humor, including a subtle nod to queer culture in San Francisco as they discuss the topic of "bears" in the city. "What was that? Was it a bear? It's a bear!" Fear says in the scene. "There are no bears in San Francisco," Disgust responds. "I saw a really hairy guy. He looked like a bear," Anger says, driving the point home.
Data reporting by Eliza Siegel. Story editing by Jaimie Etkin. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Elizabeth Ciano.