Aside from their usual wholesome and rib-tickling scenes,
Disney movies aren't short of tear-jerking moments either. Of course, sad moments are supposed to be depressing, but somehow the studios of the House of the Mouse always find a way to add a bit of extra oomph to those sequences, to make them ten times more heartbreaking than usual. For Disney, true sadness doesn't need to be a scenario when your favorite characters tragically pass away. It can be when a group of close friends bid each other farewell, a character realizes their mistakes, or sometimes just a single sentence in the movie can make us teary-eyed. Disney portrays this matter very well.
Therefore, let's hop on the feel train and return briefly to our childhood, to once again take a look at these 10 emotional moments in previous Disney titles, and don't forget to bring along some snacks to eat along the way, and tissues to fight against the onion-cutting ninjas.
#1 Incinerator Scene - Toy Story 3
Source: Pixar Animation Studios
In Toy Story 3, Woody's group got betrayed by Lotso and was sent down the incinerator. After multiple attempts to try to escape, they started gathering courage by holding each other hand to face the blazing flame. The group was eventually rescued, but this particular scene surely got us good.
#2 "So long, partner" - Toy Story 3
Source: Pixar Animation Studios
After the incinerator scene, we viewers got hit right in the feel again when Andy gave up his toys for Bonnie to go to college. The part when Andy and Woody said goodbye, with the latter said: "So long, partner" jerked the tears out of many viewers' eyes.
#3 Up's prologue - Up
Source: Pixar Animation Studios
Overall the movie is an Up-bringing and fun adventure, but the first 15 minutes prologue was simply carved into our minds. Carl and Ellie's relationship was an emotional roller coaster ride, which makes Ellie's passing even more devastated not only to Carl but to the audience as well.
#4 Sully says goodbye to Boo - Monster Inc
Source: Pixar Animation Studios
Boo and Sully's relationship was straight-up wholesome from start to end, which is why their departure at the end makes us all teary-eyed, especially the parts when they hugged each other, and when Boo opened her closet, just to find Sully wasn't there anymore. The ending was a happy one tho, as I'm sure we all breathed a sigh of relief when the word "Kitty!" was heard again after Sully opened the door.
#5 Bye Bing Bong - Inside Out
Source: Pixar Animation Studios
It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but surely we all had an imaginary friend when we were little. Such cases also apply to Riley and her childhood fictional buddy, Bing Bong. His screen time wasn't long, but enough to make us feel depressed for days when he sacrificed himself to help Joy get out of the memory pit. The scene when Bong Bong said "Take her to the moon for me," then slowly faded away had my vision all blurry again.
#6 Mufasa's death - The Lion King
Source: Walt Disney Studios
Personally, Mufasa's death scene is too heartbreaking for me, so here I'll use this picture instead. When trying to save his son Simba, Mufasa was ruthlessly pushed into a pit with a stampeding horde of wildebeest by Scar, his own brother. The part when Simab tried to find his father again, only to find him laying lifelessly in the pit will traumatize me for the rest of my life.
#7 Tod and Copper's Relationship - The Fox And The Hound
Source: Walt Disney Studios
Foxes and hounds are sworn enemies since mankind knows how to tame a dog, so we all know what would happen when Tod and Copper became childhood friends in the past. Obeying his master's command, Copper became an expert hound, and he had to hunt down Todd at the end of the movie. After Tod saved his life, it's Copper's turn to do the same to help his friend from getting shot by Amos. The two managed to reconcile at the end, sharing one last smile before...No I'm not crying, why do you ask?
#8 "Do you wanna build a snowman?" - Frozen
Source: Walt Disney Studios
"Do you wanna build a snowman?" was a great yet bittersweet song that was sung by Anna, when she came to Elsa's room to play. Because of Elsa's power, the two got separated from each other when they were young, and barely met again until they both grew up. The scene where Anna stood alone at the door. waiting for her sister to come out and play one day is just pure depressing for us viewers.
#9 "You were my new dream" - Tangled
Source: Walt Disney Studios
When trying to protect Rapunzel, Flynn Raider (later known as Eugene) was fatally wounded by Mother Gothel. His last words to his love: "You were my new dream" never fails to make us cry like babies whenever we watch the movie. Fortunately, Disney decided to pull a twist and turn Flynn back to life before the theaters were flooded with the audience's flowing tears.
#10 Quasimodo's public humiliation - The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Source: Walt Disney Studios
Arguably the darkest Disney film ever, The Hunchback of Notre Dame successfully lives up to its expectation by portraying the miserable life of Quasimodo. And the part when he was nominated as King of the Festival of Fools is the cherry on top. Quasimodo was tied up, tortured, and publicly humiliated in the most gruesome way possible. The scene not only filled us with sadness but also made our blood boil because of Frollo's ruthlessness.