Disney has created some of the most memorable and beloved movies. Their films have played a massive part in everyone’s childhood and upbringing, even into adulthood. It’s gotten to a point where everyone knows certain characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck by heart. They would also have many iconic Disney movie moments, so let’s look at some of them!
1. THE CIRCLE OF LIFE IN THE LION KING
One of the most majestic and iconic Disney movie moments would have to be the circle of life sequence in The Lion King. This works for both the live-action and animated versions of the film. Either one will leave you feeling awed.
We start with sunrise as every creature, big and small, in the kingdom makes its way to gather at Pride Rock. Rafiki performs a blessing ritual on Simba and lifts him to the sky as every animal goes wild. As the sun shines through the clouds on him, every animal starts bowing in reverence and acknowledgment.
Pair this beautiful scene with a unique and memorable soundtrack, and you get an iconic scene of a prince being showcased to his subjects. This iconic Circle of Life scene has been replicated countlessly in various forms of media throughout the years, and rightfully so.
2. THE FLOATING LANTERNS IN TANGLED
This scene in Tangled marks the moment everyone falls in love. The floating lanterns scene in the movie brings more awareness to the floating lanterns festival celebrated throughout the world. It also makes for a great date or proposal idea.
Back to the scene, we start with the royal pair letting go of a lantern, followed by thousands of lanterns lighting up the streets. We switch to Rapunzel and Flynn in a boat, where she catches a glimpse of the first lantern, followed by thousands more lighting up the sky as ‘I See The Light’ starts playing.
As Rapunzel gets mesmerized by the lanterns (which are technically for her), she turns back. She shares a sweet conversation with Flynn, followed by him singing next. He watches her with much affection in his eyes, and the two start singing together. It culminates their feelings and always leaves a warm sensation in everyone’s hearts.
3. GISELLE SINGING TO ROBERT IN ENCHANTED
Enchanted may be a live film rather than an animated one, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any singing. This movie has many funny and exciting scenes, but the one where Giselle starts singing to Robert at the park takes the cake. Especially when he keeps telling her to stop singing, and she won’t.
As she runs around the park, she gathers everyone to dance and sing along to her cause. The gist is Giselle asking Robert how he knows he is in love with Nancy and vice versa. She proceeds to list all the ways love could be shown through a person’s actions every day.
Even if the song is intended to be a parody, as the entire movie seems to be a parody, it’s still a catchy and iconic song.
4. MULAN CUTTING HER HAIR
First off, Mulan is already an iconic character for wanting to take her father’s place at war in China. She knows what awaits her as a woman impersonating a soldier, and it will not end as well as it did. However, that only makes her soldier transformation sequence even more powerful.
Amidst a stormy background, Mulan makes her decision as she watches the silhouettes of her parents quietly argue. She is resolute, offering one last prayer to her ancestors to bless her decision and leaving her comb while taking the military scroll as she looks at her parents one last time. Mulan cuts her hair, puts on her father’s armor, and sheathes his sword.
As she calms and walks the horse out of the stable into the rain, we get a sad last look at the house. She is long gone when the household abruptly awakens to her disappearance.
5. ARIEL’S HAIR FLIP
This iconic Little Mermaid swirly hair flip is one of the hardest things to pull off in live-action, but they managed to nail it in the end. It is one of the many iconic scenes from the 1989 animated version, so we’re glad they kept it in live-action. Somehow, it seems even better in real life than in animation.
Ursula grants Ariel her wish to have legs, which takes away her ability to breathe underwater. Hence, she scrambles to the surface for air, and this iconic scene of her hair flipping as she emerges from the water is born. It is a tense scene but a majestic and beautiful one nonetheless.
Whichever version of the movie you decide to watch, both will include one of the most iconic Disney movie moments ever – Ariel’s hair flip.
6. THE POKER SCENE IN THE PARENT TRAP
Lindsay Lohan was a staple actor in Disney movies in the early Disney days, and The Parent Trap is one of her more memorable movies. She plays twins, and their accents are the only thing distinguishing them from one another. The two meet at a summer camp and immediately turn into rivals.
Annie clears out the poker table, winning in every game, when Hallie walks in with a sock filled with quarters, taking up the challenge to defeat her. They up the stakes from their array of nail polish, hair clips, and lip gloss to having the loser go skinny dipping in the lake instead. In a tense moment, Annie showcases her straight flush, but Hallie beats her with a royal flush.
It should be noted that, realistically, there’s no way you could get a royal flush and a straight flush both in the same game. However, this movie has many logical flaws, so we’ll look past it for the drama.
7. POCAHONTAS’ WATERFALL DIVE
Pocahontas’s death-defying jump off a waterfall is an excellent showcase of her personality, confidence, and bravery. People have even researched and calculated this waterfall jump, stating that she would have been dead in real life if she attempted it.
It’s a simple yet iconic scene where Pocahontas listens to the wind on top of a waterfall when Nakoma appears on a boat to let her know that her father has returned. At first, Pocahontas rushes away from the waterfall cliff, but then she changes her mind and runs off the cliff instead. As she falls, she looks as though she is at peace.
She hits the water and gracefully swims up to meet Nakoma, calm about the whole drop as though it were nothing. Even Nakoma looks a little shocked and resigned at her actions.
8. ALADDIN AND JASMINE’S MAGIC CARPET RIDE
A romantic, magical carpet ride through a dreamy kingdom with a star-filled night is a surefire way to win the heart of a princess. Pair this with some heartfelt singing about discovering a new world without the restrictions of being a royal. You’ve got a breathtaking scene filled with excitement for what’s to come.
This scene showcases Aladdin’s charmingly rebellious ways as he coaxes the princess to join him on a ride and serenades her through the winding streets and fluffy clouds. Princess Jasmine joins in halfway through the song, and her excitement at the possibilities is palpable.
Plus, they fly over different locations from Agarabah itself, like the pyramids in Egypt, the Greek Pantheon, and the temple in China. The live-action doesn’t include this or does this scene justice, but it’s a comparable alternate version nonetheless.
9. SPELL CASTING SONG IN HOCUS POCUS
When she sings, ‘I put a spell on you,’ it worked, eh? This spell-casting song is a catchy bop that makes you want to dance and sing to every word. The three witches have such an effect on everyone in the town as they continue their spell-casting song.
The scene starts with the kids warning the adults about the witches at a Halloween party. Still, the trio manages to steal the show by putting on a riveting performance of ‘I Put A Spell On You.’ This makes them brush off the children’s warnings and effectively puts a curse on the adults to dance until they die.
We have Winifred leading, singing the main vocals, with the other two sisters as background singers. They put on a concert-worthy performance with dancing and strobing lights. Say what you will; they have a solid command of the stage.
10. CINDERELLA’S MAGICAL TRANSFORMATION
Cinderella has made her mark worldwide for years as the second Disney princess to be released. The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo transformation sequence, where she goes from rags to riches, is a wondrously beautiful scene. It makes us appreciate the classic Disney animators who brought it to life.
The scene begins with the Fairy Godmother appearing to a weeping Cinderella, weeping over her torn dress. She transforms some mice into horses, a pumpkin into a coach, and the dog and horse into her human attendants. Lastly, she transforms Cinderella’s torn dress into a beautiful shimmering ball gown and gives her sparkly glass slippers.
As the Fairy Godmother performs these spells, she sings her Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo spell to make it work. This iconic song completes the sequence and makes it a highly memorable one.
11. THE DANCE IN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Another romantic and one of the most iconic Disney movie moments is the dance between Belle and the Beast. Sure, when it was first announced, everyone had mixed reactions. The Beast himself is a far cry from the typical handsome, dashing prince everyone is accustomed to. Plus, the original story is a rather dark and gruesome one. Thankfully, Disney put a charming spin on it.
This scene showcases the pair decked out in finery as they have a short dinner and a ballroom for a fantastic night. As they dance gracefully throughout the ballroom, they fall deeper in love. We even have Mrs.Potts in the background, serenading them, with enchanted servants playing instruments to accompany their dancing.
It is a wholesome and enchanting sight, especially since the ballroom is rather ornate and has an open sky dome that showcases the night sky in the background.
12. THE ROYAL MAKEOVER IN PRINCESS DIARIES
A fan-favorite movie, The Princess Diaries has many iconic moments. However, Princess Mia’s transformation from an awkward teen with untameable hair into a regal princess is as iconic as it gets.
Mia gets a glamorous makeover by a world-famous stylist, Paolo, with his two assistants. The comedicly exaggerated acting of Larry Miller is what makes this scene a memorable one. He screams fright when he sees Mia and easily breaks her glasses to ensure she wears contact lenses.
The best part is the reveal, as they use giant printouts of Mia’s face before the transformation, where she looks perplexed and comes to reveal a glamorous-looking Mia.
13. LADY AND THE TRAMP’S SPAGHETTI
We all know of the famous scene in Lady and the Tramp where the two are chomping down spaghetti during a makeshift candlelight dinner date outside Tony’s. In the background, Tony plays the accordion while singing ‘Bella Notte,’ which adds to the romantic atmosphere.
As they continuously slurp up the pasta, they’re connected by the same long pasta strand until they accidentally kiss each other. As Lady shyly pulls away, Tramp noses the last meatball to her. It’s an adorable puppy love moment between the two star-crossed lovers.
If you ever go on a pasta date with someone, this adorable moment might have popped into your head.
14. THE CONCERT IN THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE
One of the most iconic lines from a Disney movie came from this movie, and it’s a simple one – ‘Sing to me Paolo.’ The film’s climax is when Lizzie and Isabella expose Paolo as a fraud who cannot sing in front of a crowd of hundreds.
It’s also one of those movies where the actress plays two characters, just like in The Parent Trap. Hillary Duff plays Lizzie and Isabella, who team together and sing the iconic ‘What Dreams Are Made Of,’ a certified bop. With their glamorous outfits, they are joined by backup dancers and shining lights as they take the stage by storm.
Say what you want about the movie; it’s predictable, but the song and performance are as iconic as it gets. You’ll be singing along in no time.
15. HERCULES EMERGING AS A GOD
Truthfully, we all probably gasped a little when Hercules decided to jump into the cursed and deadly waters of the River Styx as a human to save Meg. It showcases his bravery and deep love for Meg, showing he would die to save her.
As he rapidly shrivels and gets drained of life, the three witches get ready to snip his lifeline. It’s a tense moment that interchanges between him reaching out to Meg and the witches. As they cut his lifeline, it immediately changes to gold, signifying that he is now an immortal who has achieved godhood.
We watch his shriveled hand return to normal as he climbs back up the cliff with Meg in his arms: the rush, the drama, the excitement of it all.
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