Hands up those of you who cried when you watched Disney’s ‘Bambi’ the first time. For many, it was our introduction to grief. What ‘Bambi’ didn’t show us was how to sit with those feelings.
Even as adults, the magic of a classic Disney movie stirs up all sorts of emotions. One second you’re sobbing; the next you’re smiling ear to ear. We’re told that if we’re good, we’ll get our “happily ever after” or meet our “Prince Charming.” As kids, we fell into the illusion of the Disney Effect.
Now that we’re older and maybe not as wiser, the cracks start to show when we rewatch those classics.
When it comes to emotions, Disney doesn’t always get it right. While films like ‘Inside Out’ have taken huge steps in emotional storytelling, Disney still oversimplifies them.
Let’s talk about six important emotional lessons Disney movies often gloss over or sugarcoat.
1. You Don’t Have to Be Happy All the Time
Disney movies love a happy ending. Great for storytelling, but it can create unrealistic expectations.
Emotions like sadness, anger, and fear often get side-eye despite being normal and necessary.
Psychologist Tamara Cavenett writes that ‘Encanto’ and ‘Turning Red’ stand out because they allow space for characters to experience and process difficult emotions.
Still, the overall Disney message tends to advocate for “happily ever after,” leaving out the reality that being human means feeling a full range of emotions.
2. Emotional Growth Isn’t Linear
If you’re in college, Disney movies might feel like a distant childhood memory. However, the emotional messages still linger.
You might believe that emotions are distractions, or that “figuring it all out” means fixing your feelings.
Campus culture is one of the most mentally intense times of your life. Freedom, academic pressure, and identity shifts all at once.
Unlike Disney montages, personal growth isn’t linear. Some days you’ll feel on top of the world; others you want to feel heard. To be honest, both are valid.
This is where a mental health platform can help. Viranda suggests joining an online chat space that aids students in navigating their learning environment with clarity, creativity, and support.
Find an app that makes emotional exploration feel less like a chore and more like self-discovery.
3. Not All Emotions Have to Be Solved
In many Disney plots, negative emotions are treated like problems to fix. Angry? You must tame it. Sad? Let’s find the solution fast.
Feelings aren’t math equations. Sometimes, you just need to sit with them. Time says the hit movie ‘Inside Out 2’ made waves by showing that sadness has a place. But it stopped short of embracing emotional complexity, focusing mainly on five “core” emotions.
The reality is that we feel countless nuanced emotional states like guilt, shame, awe, or loneliness that aren’t easily defined.
4. Families Can Be a Source of Pain
Disney families are either overly perfect (‘The Incredibles’) or missing entirely (‘Frozen’, ‘The Little Mermaid’).
What often gets skipped is the mess in the middle – families who love you but also hurt you, sometimes unknowingly.
‘Encanto’ begins to challenge this narrative, showing how family pressure can shape (and suppress) emotional expression.
The Conversation points out that the story still leans toward resolution through harmony. The movie doesn’t fully address the damage caused by those wrought dynamics.
5. Romance Doesn’t Cure All
Disney’s early movies sold us the idea that finding “the one” would fix everything. (‘Cinderella’, ‘Snow White’, ‘Aladdin’, we’re looking at you.)
Modern Disney has tried to rewrite that script. ‘Frozen’ changed the pace by focusing on sisterly love rather than romantic love. Yet, Aeon highlights that the new narratives center around personal fulfillment through others.
The truth is much easier to digest. Emotional well-being doesn’t come from another person. It comes from self-awareness, boundaries, and therapy.
6. Grief Doesn’t Magically Disappear
Disney is no stranger to loss. Characters like Simba (‘The Lion King’) and Bambi experience profound grief, but the emotional fallout is rarely explored.
In ‘The Lion King’, Simba avoids grief until it haunts him as a ghost (hi, Mufasa). The film frames healing as “remembering who you are,” bypassing the long, messy mourning process.
In real life, grief takes time. It changes us. And no amount of ‘Hakuna Matata’ can skip over that.
Realistic Narratives
To be fair, Disney has come a long way. ‘Inside Out 2’, ‘Encanto’, and ‘Turning Red’ push the emotional envelope, offering kids more realistic and empathetic narratives.
There’s still room to grow. Real life doesn’t come with a catchy theme song or magical resolution. Emotions are messy, painful, and unresolved. Let’s show all sides to them.
