Disney movies are known for their toe-tapping, catchy tunes that live rent-free in your head long after you left the theater, but the amount of detail the musical numbers themselves is equally impressive. Over the years, fans have shared small details they noticed during their favorite Disney musical numbers. Here are a few details fans have caught over the years. Vote up your favorite musical fun facts.
From Redditor u/Unconfidence:
In Frozen, during "Let It Go," when Elsa sings the line "Here I stand, and here I'll stay", she creates the castle where she'll stay.
Also earlier in the song she uses the line "Let it go, turn away and slam the door", which is exactly what she does as the song ends.
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From Redditor u/bcdubbs382:
The Little Mermaid (1989) - The painting shown during "Part of Your World" is a painting of Mary Magdalene called "The Penitent Magdalene With the Smoking Flame" by 17th century artist Georges de la Tour.
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Scuttle Tried His Best To Set The Mood
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From Redditor u/Responsible-Sun-9361:
In Disney’s The Little Mermaid (1989), the song that Scuttle sings (very poorly and off-key) before Sebastian begins “Kiss the Girl” is actually the love theme of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture. Poor dude was trying his best to set the mood.
Strikes the right note? From Redditor u/Parco21:
In Disney's Encanto (2021), a particular character can be seen sneaking in the background of the song "We Don't Talk About Bruno."
You can see Bruno sneaking in the background of the Casita, as Dolores mentions hearing him "muttering and mumbling." Bruno is emphasized by the green aura around him and can be seen nodding his head to the beat of the song for that brief part of the scene.
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From Reddiot u/Deminc:
In Aladdin (1992), during the song, "Friend Like Me" when Genie mentions taking Aladdin's order, Disney animators had Genie write "Turkey Pilaf" in Persian to match the Middle Eastern setting.
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'For The First Time In Forever' Foreshadows Events In 'Frozen'
From Redditor u/J-Baggz:
In Frozen (2013) Anna's song "For the First Time in Forever" gets interrupted foreshadowing future events.
The line "For the first time in forever, nothings in my way." gets interrupted by Prince Hans, who is in her way.
He at first appears as a love interest, but later is revealed to be one of the main antagonists of the movie.
Strikes the right note? - 7
'Be Prepared' From 'The Lion King' Had A Subtle Switch
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From Redditor u/Numerous-Lemon:
In The Lion King (1994), Jeremy Irons sang the first verse of “Be Prepared”, while Jim Cummings sang the final verse. The reason Cummings took over was because Irons developed vocal problems while recording. In the video, Irons starts singing at 0:09, and Cummings takes over at 2:14.
Strikes the right note? - 8
'Shiny' From 'Moana' Pays Tribute To David Bowie
The song “Shiny” from Moana was inspired by David Bowie. And like the late glam rocker, Tamatoa’s pupils are also two different sizes.
Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda said in an interview with People magazine:
I’ve known of Jermaine’s gifts even before the TV show. Their Bowie tribute, which they did back at the Aspen Comedy Festival was so brilliant, I said ‘Oh, I’m writing that.’ The world had already been mourning Bowie, I’d been listening to Bowie on a loop. I was like, well I’m writing a glam rock tune for this crab, this jewel-encrusted crab.
Strikes the right note? - 9
Why 'Les Poissons' Has A Familiar Sound To It
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From Redditor u/ShawnShablinski:
"Be Our Guest" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991) shares the same tune with the song "Les Poissons", sung by the chef in Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989). Both songs were written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman.
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Rock icon and former Genesis drummer/frontman Phil Collins wrote "You'll Be In My Heart" for his youngest daughter Lily Collins as a lullaby. She was 10 when her father wrote the ballad.
The actress said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:
We grew up watching Disney shows and movies together, so that was his way of kind of being able to do it for his kids. It was so special.
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From Redditor u/darkespeon64:
After accidentally drinking champagne, Dumbo hallucinates pink elephants. "Seeing pink elephants" is an old euphemism for being drunk.
Strikes the right note?From Redditor u/finch_25:
In Frozen 2 (2019), the song "Somethings Never Change" has a subtle reference to the films climax:
Like an old stone wall that'll never fall
Some things are always true
Some things never change
Like how I'm holding on tight to youIn the final act, Anna destroys a giant stone dam wall to restore peace with the Northuldra people.
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From Redditor u/einobe13:
In Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) during the song “Out There” you can see Belle walking with her book just like in the “Belle” scene in Beauty and the Beast. Both movies take place in France
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The opening lines of the song are in Zulu:
Nants ingonyama bagithi baba
Sithi uhhmm ingonyama
Ingonyama
Siyo Nqoba
Ingonyama
Ingonyama nengw' enamabalaThis translates to:
Here comes a lion, father
Oh yes it’s a lion
A lion
We’re going to conquer.Also, the lyrics for "Circle of Life" contains a click:
Nants ingonyama bagithi baba Sithi um ingonyama
Nants ingonyama bagithi baba Sithi um ingonyama Ingonyama
Siyo !oba
Ingonyama
Ingonyama nengw enamabala
Strikes the right note?From Redditor u/ragu55:
In The Princess and the Frog (2009) during the finale of “Friends on the Other Side” the very last line after “You got what you wanted” by the voodoo spirits is “But you lost what you had” in Mama Odie’s voice.
From Redditor u/lukavwolf:
In The Princess and The Frog [2009], when Doctor Facilier is singing his theme "Friends on the Other Side," the wallpaper turns into skeletons when covered by his shadow.
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From Redditor u/Teggert:
The music from Disney's Sleeping Beauty was all based on songs by Tchaikovsky.
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From Redditor u/MCofPort:
The Muses in Hercules (1997) during "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" are depicted as busts that are arranged like the singing busts in Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction.
Strikes the right note?From Redditor u/TomatoPuri:
The carpet from the song "How Far I'll Go" in the movie Moana (2016), is a replica of Aladdin's magic carpet from Aladdin (1992).
Posted by a Redditor:
One of the rugs the island natives are carrying in Moana (2016) bears the same pattern as the flying carpet in Aladdin (1992).
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