10 Horrible Disney MISTAKES They Wish You'd Forget
10 Worst Decisions Disney Ever Made
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we’re taking a look at 10 of the worst decisions ever made by Disney.
Poor Casting Choices
Over the last decade or so, the House of Mouse has made some very questionable casting decisions. Don’t get us wrong - there have been some great choices such as Stephanie Beatriz voicing Mirabel in “Encanto” and Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. But these smart moves are too few and far between. Gal Gadot did not pan out as a decent Evil Queen. The Rock’s sheer presence and one-note delivery overshadowed the entirety of “Jungle Cruise.” And honestly, we’d be surprised if anyone even remembers Yifei Liu’s performance in the “Mulan” remake. Can we get some newer talent in here and give our cast some direction, please?
Putting Films Out to Die
One of the weirdest decisions that Disney and many other entertainment companies make is investing in a project when they have no intention to get behind it. In Disney’s case, you had plenty of gems slip through the cracks like “The Emperor’s New Groove,” “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” “Treasure Planet,” and most famously, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” They’ll shovel these movies out, sometimes under different labels, and give them no attention. It’s not until long after the film’s release that they notice people actually like great movies and want merchandise. But… Mickey, where were you when the movie needed you most? Why fund the product if you aren’t going to advertise, get excited, and show it to people? Have some confidence in your original works, guys.
The 2025 Data Collection Scandal
In September 2025, the United States Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against two branches of The Walt Disney Company: Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. and Disney Entertainment Operations, LLC. The FTC claimed that Disney had been collecting and selling data from underage users across a multitude of YouTube videos. In their case, the FTC stated that Disney’s data collection was a major violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, as neither minors nor their parents had given the corporation their consent for data collection. Disney ended up settling the lawsuit days later for a measly $10 million.
Investing in “Mars Needs Moms”
Okay, we know we just spent an entire minute talking about how Disney should get behind the products they invest in. And they do sometimes, but “Mars Needs Moms” was one of those where everyone was like… what are you doing? Disney really tried going all-in with this movie in particular, between the heavy investment in motion capture animation and the excessive advertising that followed upon release. Imagine their surprise when we all wound up hating the movie for its boring plot, dumb concept, and creepy character designs. While Disney would rebound, ImageMovers Digital, the studio responsible for the film’s motion capture, wouldn’t.
Franchise Mismanagement
Disney has so many IPs with its tendrils in so many areas that it is actually starting to bite them in the tuckus. Whereas “Star Wars” can’t get a straightforward and engaging plot because too many people are working on the same thing, Marvel movies and shows are becoming convoluted because too many people are working on different things. There’s no focus anywhere. To understand anything means you have to watch this show for this movie to make sense, but this one detail is going to be ironed out when that new show drops next year, which will then lead into Part Two of the fourth movie that explains the villain’s origins. Let’s not forget “Arbitrary Crossover Episode 5 - Rising Dawn of the Shadow Multiverse!”
The Use of Realistic CGI
CGI has become more impressive over time, but Disney has become completely reliant on it. Look at any behind-the-scenes clips, and you’ll find that almost every Disney, Marvel, and “Star Wars” movie is shot against green screens, around blue rooms, or even “virtual sets.” It’s a real shame because the use of practical effects has seen its own evolution over the years as well. Sure, practical effects are more expensive and difficult, but when you hear a visual effects artist mention they barely made minimum wage from working on the next Marvel movie, well, it begs the question “why exactly is CGI so cheap?” It’s even worse when you choose to CG characters like the Seven Dwarves instead of hiring real actors.
“The Black Cauldron’s” Dark Tone
Before 1985, Disney movies were known to be magical, fantastical, and somewhat cheery. However, “The Black Cauldron” showed audiences that there was another side of fantasy that Disney could explore. Though a cult classic today, folks at the time weren’t super keen on Disney going down the path of dark fantasy stories with disturbing and intense imagery. This brief pivot in tone would cost the company tens of millions of dollars as “The Black Cauldron” failed to earn even half of its budget back at the box office. Had it been released today, perhaps it would have stood a chance among Disney’s more generic flicks?
Ditching 2D Animation
Just when it looked like “The Princess and the Frog” and 2011’s “Winnie the Pooh” might bring 2D animation back, Disney went all-in on CGI. Some films still evoke the look and feel of classic Disney movies like “Tangled,” while others are slowly plaguing the scene with the typical CalArts style. This transition has caused the brand to lose a major part of its magic, though. Between the environments and even some of the cel work, many classic Disney movies come across as if they truly are paintings come to life. With CG animation, you just don’t get that feeling. It comes up every now and again with some establishing shots, but man, we truly miss the days of paint, ink, and watercolors.
Racist Depictions
Believe it or not, this is one stain that Disney will never be able to scrub off of their squeaky-clean image. For as much as we cherish the classics, there are some Disney movies that we cannot look at the same way due to some of the racist characters depicted. The crows in “Dumbo,” the Native Americans of “Peter Pan,” the Siamese cats of “Lady and the Tramp,” and, well, just about most of “Song of the South” are just a few examples of the racial stereotypes featured in some of these movies.
The Live-Action Remakes
Of course, we’d be remiss to cap off this video without talking about the latest issue with Disney. The live-action remakes have gotten out of control ever since the 2010’s “Alice in Wonderland.” We wouldn’t have such a huge problem with it if Disney hadn’t been botching the stories that made it a prominent brand in the first place. Why sacrifice the spectacle of “The Lion King” in favor of realistic visuals? Why erase the message of family from “Lilo & Stitch’s” ending? Why give Cruella de Vil a sympathetic backstory to justify her desire for a fur coat made of dogs? None of these decisions make any sense, and it gets even more egregious when you see which movies are getting unnecessary sequels and spin-offs.
What do you think is the worst decision Disney ever made? Did it make our list? Let us know down in the comments!