14 Of The Most Heart-Wrenching Moments In Disney Cinematic History

    "As Chandler Bing said, when they stopped drawing the deer in Bambi."

    Kristen Harris
    by Kristen Harris

    BuzzFeed Staff

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    The Disney brand is usually associated with happy things, like fireworks shows and happily-ever-afters. However, as any Disney fan knows, there are also plenty of moments in our favorite movies that stick out for being, frankly, the exact opposite.

    Disney / Via giphy.com

    Recently, we asked the BuzzFeed Community to share which Disney scenes they think are the saddest.

    Disney / Via giphy.com

    Here are some of their most heart-wrenching answers:

    Note: Some responses have been edited for length/clarity.

    1. "Mufasa's death in The Lion King."

    Simba finds Mufasa's lifeless body after the stampede
    Disney / Via Disney+

    "I loved that movie as a kid. My dad died unexpectedly when I was a teenager, and since then, I've been unable to watch the movie. I can't even be in the room when that scene comes on. Disney has so many sad moments, but that one is freaking traumatic."

    —winterwednesday9

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    2. "In Coco, when Miguel plays 'Remember Me' for his grandmother after running home from the cemetery, my family and I couldn’t stop crying."

    Pixar / Via giphy.com

    "Grandma Coco reminded me so much of my great grandma who passed away a few years ago in her 90s. She was old and slow and little and gassy and the strongest person you would ever meet. I don’t think I can watch that movie a second time. It made us miss my great grandma so much more. Once was enough, and once was all I needed."

    —desi_dukes

    3. "I was four years old when I watched The Fox and the Hound for the first time, and the scene where Widow Tweed leaves Tod the fox in the woods absolutely broke me. "

    the old lady hugs Tod goodbye and takes off his collar
    Disney / Via Disney+

    "The pain in her eyes and the hopeful confusion in his...I still cry every time I see it 23 years later. It was the first movie to ever make me cry."

    —nishameladyfriend

    4. "In Inside Out, when Riley goes home and tells her parents how sad and homesick for Minnesota she is."

    Riley tells her parents that, even though she knows they don't want her to, she misses home
    Pixar / Via Disney+

    —ameliakt

    5. "In Inside Out, when Bing Bong disappeared, I couldn’t stop crying."

    Bing Bongs asks Joy to take Riley to the moon since he won't be able to
    Pixar / Via Disney

    "There are so many stuffed animals I keep in my closet from when I moved away from my childhood home because I knew that I would never be able to go back. It made me miss my childhood and wish that I could be as happy as I used to be when I would play with them as a kid."

    —desi_dukes

    6. "The first ten minutes of Up."

    Pixar / Via giphy.com

    "End of discussion."

    —josephaloysiusc

    7. "As Chandler Bing said, when they stopped drawing the deer in Bambi (aka the scene where Bambi loses his mother)."

    Disney / Via Disney+

    —umrawk85

    8. "How about the walrus, the carpenter, and those cute little oysters from Alice in Wonderland? That scene was sad and twisted at the same time."

    the baby oysters realize the walrus plans to eat them
    Disney / Via Disney+

    "Not something you would expect to see when you were watching as a little kid..."

    —elise1617

    9. "When Olaf died in Frozen II!"

    Olaf melts in Anna's arms
    Disney / Via Disney+

    "Of course, he eventually came back to life, but still..."

    —zaraf33

    10. "The last 10 minutes of Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast are sadder than any movie ever deserves to be."

    the fairies realize that, because of Gruff's 1,000 year hibernation, they'll never see him again
    Disney / Via Disney+

    —leah007

    11. "It has to be the scene in Dumbo when he can’t see his mom."

    Jumbo cradles Dumbo in her trunk
    Disney / Via Disney+

    "I remember watching that movie after I moved away from home and bawling my eyes out at the realisation of how much I missed my mom and how much I needed her. I was having a hard time adjusting to my new life and just wanted my mom to hug me. 

    Interestingly, I remember I told my dad about me crying to that scene, and he commented that that movie is the only movie that’s ever made him cry. It gets everyone eventually!"

    —gecd13

    12. "Tadashi’s death in Big Hero 6. "

    Tadashi runs into the burning building to save people right before it explodes
    Disney / Via Disney+

    "He was so young, and his parents already died. So tragic."

    —cherylr42b3111e1

    13. "When Baymax says, 'Tadashi is here' to Hiro toward the end of Big Hero 6."

    Baymax shows Hiro a video Tadashi left for him
    Disney / Via Disney+

    —panda_13

    14. And finally: "The saddest moment of all time is when Cameron Boyce passed away, and they made a tribute to him at the end of Descendants 3. Then, in the animated special Descendants: Royal Wedding, the other VKs acknowledged their loss of Carlos, and it was so touching."

    Disney Channel / Via Disney+ / youtube.com

    "I cried when I saw the ending."

    —nmareb4xmas

    Now that I've gone through an entire box of tissues, I want to know — what's the saddest moment from a Disney Channel show you can remember? Tell me in the comments!

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