5 Disney Movie Jokes We Can’t Believe They Got Away With

Disney has always aimed at kids, but it’s also fair to say that their movies are made for the whole family. The thing is, we don’t really get what this exactly means until we’re older. Watching some classic animations again gives you a whole new perspective and you start picking up on certain jokes and double meanings that are meant for more adult topics. It’s pretty subtle and goes over the heads of the younger audience, but it covers everything from darker, sadder stuff to themes about relationships, responsibilities, and even social criticism. Sometimes, they’re even a bit rude.

In this way, it’s safe to say that Disney productions can be revisited and reinterpreted at different stages of life, always offering something new to the viewer. As funny as it is to think about, it’s one of the things that makes Disney so magical, making the stories memorable and enjoyable for people of all ages. Below you’ll find the Disney projects that snuck in jokes aimed at adults that we’re still shocked they pulled off organically.

Lilo & Stitch

A lot of times, the jokes aren’t so easy to catch, but they end up fitting into the story in a really interesting way. Lilo & Stitch is getting its live-action adaptation this year, but its original animation delivered a meaning in one of its scenes that only adults would understand. Right after Lilo adopts Stitch and is about to go to sleep, Stitch goes to check out her room and ends up focusing on the girl’s paintings after practically destroying everything. In one of these paintings, Lilo complains about the torn paper, saying that the now-damaged artwork was from her “blue period.”

This is a subtle nod to Pablo Picasso, who had a phase where he only painted in blue and blue-green tones due to a deep depression. The movie hints that Lilo might have gone through a similar, difficult time herself – which makes sense given her loneliness and grieving over the loss of her parents.

Frozen

Frozen is set to get two more sequels, but in its first film, there’s a scene with a double-meaning joke between Anna and Kristoff shortly after they meet. In the story, she and Prince Hans decide to get engaged, but the wedding plans are completely put on hold when she sets off to find her sister Elsa. During this adventure, Kristoff starts asking Anna some questions, and the conversation eventually turns to Hans. That’s when Kristoff asks her about the size of the prince’s foot, and Anna quickly responds that it doesn’t matter. To kids, it seems like just a harmless comment, but to adults, the line is a clear reference to the joke and belief that the size of a man’s feet is linked to the size of other body parts.

The Little Mermaid

Ariel is a mermaid who is fascinated by all human beings and their worldly artifacts. In The Little Mermaid, after searching for some objects, she brings them to her friend Scuttle, who claims to be an expert on everything about the human world. However, he’s always wrong, like when he says a fork is a hair comb.

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When the seagull comes across a pipe, he tells Ariel that he hasn’t seen one in years and claims it used to be a kind of musical instrument. According to him, back in the day, when people gathered and got bored, they would take out their pipe and make sound. Then, when Scuttle blows into it, a plant comes out, which is a reference to smoking weed.

Inside Out

Inside Out is one of Disney’s audience leaders, with its sequel setting records last year. In a certain scene from the first film, Anger delivers the punchline. When Riley’s emotions go haywire after they see the girl’s new house right after her move to San Francisco, Fear asks if there are any bears in the city, and Disgust responds that there aren’t. However, Anger quickly claims to have seen one – or at least a large, hairy man who looked like one. The dialogue is innocent enough on the surface, but it subtly references more robust and masculine men within the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the “bear” subculture.

Aladdin

In Aladdin and the King of Thieves, since the Genie is the character known for comedy, you can expect all sorts of quick and unexpected jokes from him. During Aladdin and Jasmine’s wedding, he delivers one of these when the Forty Thieves crash the event and cause the ground to shake. The Genie comments that he thought the earth wouldn’t move until the honeymoon – a line that would go over the heads of a child audience. However, for older viewers, it’s funny as it subtly hints at what the couple might experience on their honeymoon.