Scariest Disney moments

[MagicMirror]

One of my favourite things about the Disney films, at least the older ones, is that they had the power to be very frightening at times.
The moment when the Queen drinks the potion was voted into Channel 4's 'Hundred Greatest Scary Moments', reaching a higher point of the countdown than Darth Vader, Dracula and, I believe, the Daleks. But there have been many other scary moments in Disney films.

Originally I planned to have each moment as an option on the poll. But it was ludicrously long, so I instead made the films themselves the options, with the scary moments listed next to them. It was STILL ludicrously long, so I limited it to the most referred to creepy moments. The list is in chronological order. I've also added an 'Other' option, as many great scary moments had to be left off the list (such as moments in 'The Little Mermaid', 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and 'The Great Mouse Detective').

Most of us were only scared by a handful of moments, but each viewer is scared by a slightly different handful. And some are frightened by the wierdest things: I personally didn't find Si and Am scary, but many have told me that their design is inherently scary. I have specified the 'first viewing' because, while something like Lampwick's transformation stays disturbing no matter how many times you see it, the likes of Cruella and Maleficent may only be scary for younger viewers, or at least people watching for the first time.

[MagicMirror]

One of my favourite things about the Disney films, at least the older ones, is that they had the power to be very frightening at times.
The moment when the Queen drinks the potion was voted into Channel 4's 'Hundred Greatest Scary Moments', reaching a higher point of the countdown than Darth Vader, Dracula and, I believe, the Daleks. But there have been many other scary moments in Disney films.

Originally I planned to have each moment as an option on the poll. But it was ludicrously long, so I instead made the films themselves the options, with the scary moments listed next to them. It was STILL ludicrously long, so I limited it to the most referred to creepy moments. The list is in chronological order. I've also added an 'Other' option, as many great scary moments had to be left off the list (such as moments in 'The Little Mermaid', 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and 'The Great Mouse Detective').

Most of us were only scared by a handful moments, but each viewer is scared by a slightly different handful. And some are frightened by the wierdest things: I personally didn't find Si and Am scary, but many have told me that their design is inherently scary. I have specified the 'first viewing' because, while something like Lampwick's transformation stays disturbing no matter how many times you see it, the likes of Cruella and Maleficent may only be scary for younger viewers, or at least people watching for the first time.

[Disney's Divinity]

I picked Pinocchio. I don't know what it is about Monstro that was so terrifying, but that part of the movie made me not want to watch it very often.

As for the other option, I personally know a guy who can't stand to watch The Little Mermaid because of Ursula. Anything that reminds him of her voice, her laugh or just her look freaks him out. Which is kind of inconvenient, since she's my favorite character of all time.

[MagicMirror]

I remember being scared when Ursula grew to enormous size. But I was only five at the time, I think. Nowadays she's one of my favourite characters, because she could be scary but also very entertaining. I love the fact that she thinks she thin.

For me it was a combination of the roar, speed, and those teeth and eyes that made Monstro scary. I think it is also the first (and perhaps best) time Disney was able to convey such weight and scale; I suppose that's all down to timing in the animation.

(I've just noticed that for some reason I've made an extra post below the first one - would a moderator mind deleting it?)

[Flanger-Hanger]

Is it just for animation, because I didn't find any of those really scary but if we are allowed to include Live Action than "Return to Oz" would be at the top of my list. "Which scene?" ANY that film was just creepy!

[memnv]

I think it's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Snow White flees through the forest; The Queen drinks the potion; Snow White bites from the apple; The Dwarfs chase the Witch
At Disney land the scenes still scared my son a little

[QueenRahel]

the headless horseman chasing ichabod is the scariest to me...it seems so real with the characters and the build up to that moment is very intense...

[dalmation134]

when I was younger, my twin sister and I watched dumbo a lot. The pink elephant scene gave me nightmares. Now, I would have to say the Black Cauldron has the scariest moments.

[blackcauldron85]

I chose "The Black Cauldron"- the Horned King is so creepy! And those Cauldron-Born...yech. I would not want to be in Prydain at that time.

#2 would be "Fantasia", & #3 would be tied with "Snow White" & "Pinocchio"

[rs_milo_whatever]

i voted other.
i was always scared by the fantsaia section where all those soirits come out, uhh i'm getting chills

[castleinthesky]

I really don't know how the Black Cauldron scene isn't winning.

[skyler888]

I really don't know how the Black Cauldron scene isn't winning.

because no ones seen the Black Cauldron

hahaha

[blackcauldron85]

I really don't know how the Black Cauldron scene isn't winning.

because no ones seen the Black Cauldron

hahaha

Maybe you haven't seen it, but a bunch of us have. ( )
You really should- it's a wonderful movie!

[Caballero Girl]

I voted for Pinnochio. Though it's odd, thinking about it, that I could sit through the film at the age of 6 and not bat an eyelid at most of the moments you listed (Alexander's being the only one that sort of got to me...hmm, I wonder what eventually happened to Alexander?). I grew up remembering it, more or less, as "that funny movie with the cute talking cricket". It was only later, when I saw the film at 10, that I was able to take most of it in and appreciate just how intense and disturbing this movie actually was.

There was also a moment in the Hunchback of Notre Dame which TERRIFIED me when I saw it on the big screen - namely, the climactic moment when that gargoyle appears to come to life and threaten Frollo. I think it was on the basis of that moment that I put off revisiting the film for so long. When I finally saw it again, last summer, I felt more at ease about that scene, looking at it with a fresh interpretation. Based on some of Frollo's previous scenes, I no longer believe that the gargoyle came to life at all...rather, it was all in his twisted and psychotic mind.

[MagicMirror]

I recently watched Hunchback again and remember the scene you're referring to (not that it's a hard scene for anyone to forget!). The only thing which let me down in that scene was the way Frollo fell - the angle and staging of his death always reminded me of Wile E Coyote (who I love as well, but who isn't really appropriate in a film like Hunchback).

Pinocchio is, I think, the film which is appreciated more and more as the viewer gets older. It is a pity it doesn't get as much publicity as films like t
The Little Mermaid, as it is a perfect example of Disney being very dark and intense. As such it annoys me when some people make sweeping general statements about Disney being cute and childish.

[UmbrellaFish]

When I was younger I was deathly afraid of Scar and the stampede scene in The Lion King.

[lord-of-sith]

I was never really afraid of any of these scenes when I was little (go figure) I really wasn't scared of any movie scenes (except that small Miss Gulch scene, of all scenes!). So well, I voted for the one that all my friends were scared of, but that I made the watch endlessly, Sleeping Beauty.

[Sindacco]

The Beauty and the Beast. In the begining when we hear the story why the beast became a beast. And when Belles father was attacked by wolfs.

[DisneyFanatic]

I chose other because it was the part where all the ghosts/spirits come out, not the part when Chernabog emerged was not the height or terror for me (but I probably should have picked Fantasia on the poll I guess...

[Super Aurora]

before I state mine, one question, who's Alexdander in Pinnochio? I been long time since I saw the movie so I can't recall.

As for me? this may sound weird, although it is from Pinnochio, but the scariest or rather most creepiest to me was around the beginining of the film when the clocks start ticking and Jiminey Cricket pop up suddenly and his eyes starts moves back and forth . It was creepy to me cause the way the eyes and his face were drawn, how it was dark, and how you only heard the clock's noise gave it an eerie feeling.

But funny thing or rather ironic is that I like Jiminey throughout the rest of the movie and made me love the movie as a whole. but that one scene was the only one that gets me...