Top 20 Oddly Satisfying Disney Moments
#20: Cracker with ‘Crème de la Crème à la Edgar’ “The Aristocats” (1970)
A pivotal moment in this Disney film also happens to be a visually pleasing one. Edgar’s method of catnapping his boss’s pets involves making a devious alteration to their gourmet dinner. The added sleeping pills aside, Edgar seems to know what he’s doing in the kitchen. With the incorporation of nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla extract, you just know it tastes divine. It’s pretty satisfying watching the cats eat but, even more satisfying is Roquefort the mouse and his cracker. Watching him dunk it in the cream has us craving something similar. Maybe milk and cookies or tea and biscuits – just leave out the sleeping tablets, yeah?
#19: Uncurling Hill “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993)
While we love the vibe of this movie, it’s admittedly more creepy than soothing. There is one moment during “Jack’s Lament,” though, that hits just right. Standing atop a curled ledge, Jack stands silhouetted by a perfectly round full moon. As the skeleton makes his way down, the spiral of the hill unfurls as smoothly as ever, which is a pretty impressive feat in stop motion. It extends precisely to meet the terrain below and then seems to retract once Jack steps off, presumably to return to its former position. We’re not surprised it ended up being one of the most defining shots of the movie. 18: Bed of Flowers “Alice in Wonderland” (1951)
If you have allergies, go grab some tissues, because this moment has us romanticizing being enveloped by flowers. During the number, “In a World of My Own,” Alice lounges around in a field of white petaled flowers and, at one point, lays back and seems to be swallowed up by them, disappearing completely from view. In the next shot, we see just how peaceful it all looks. Perhaps the most satisfying moment of animation comes just before this, when Alice is playing with her cat, Dinah. She bends stems over her and, when she lets go, they sway back into place beautifully. Watching Alice find an escape among the flowers gives us a little escape of our own, too.
#17: Elsa Creates Her Castle “Frozen” (2013)
This stunning sequence is a visual metaphor for Elsa’s personal growth. After years of being told to hide her powers, she finally embraces them and decides to see what she can really do. The small flurries in the snow and the ice staircase up are certainly beautiful, but it’s only the beginning. Once Elsa creates that kaleidoscopic snowflake beneath her foot, things really take off. Apparently, the queen isn’t only good at magic, she’s a great architect too. Each part of the castle seems to build upon itself, and the perfect symmetry of it all is just, muah, chef’s kiss. The chandelier in particular is gratifying to watch take form. And then, of course, there’s her outfit transformation, which is just pure magic.
#16: Ursula Putting on Lipstick “The Little Mermaid” (1989)
In a single word, this makeup application is flawless. Ursula is clearly a master makeup artist. Just look at her cut crease and symmetrical brows! While applying lipstick, she fills in her lips perfectly with two single swipes – and she does it all while talking! We’re both mesmerized and taking notes. Even her shellfish lip product is fascinating. We don’t know what it is, but look at that pigment! Do you think she’d tell us where to get one without having to make a deal first? Ursula’s hair mousse is also a source of intrigue, although we’re not sure how effective it can be under water.
#15: Flawlessly Cut Ice Blocks “Frozen” (2013)
Ice is obviously a big part of this movie. Most of the oohs and ahhs are saved for Elsa, but the harvesters should be commended for their handling too. Young Kristoff and Sven accompany the crew as they split, slice, and carve ice from the frozen top of a body of water. They come apart cleanly when struck, and it’s so satisfying to see the immense, glassy blocks get harvested into manageable, smooth cubes. Not only are they all impressively symmetrical, the way they bob in the water and slide along makes for a truly pleasant watching experience. The ice also reflects light in many different ways, which is utterly spectacular animation.
#14: Belle's Ladder Slide “Beauty and the Beast” (1991)
Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” is a famed bibliophile, and we’ll never forget the scene where she first sees the jaw-dropping library in the Beast’s castle. But near the beginning of the film, during our introduction to the character, we see Belle visit the book shop in her small town while she sings about wanting a more exciting life. During this scene, she epically slides along the shelves of books using a ladder that made us all wish we had a similar design in our own houses.
#13: Perfectly Shaped Cake “Lilo & Stitch” (2002)
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When Stitch does something, he goes all in. Luckily, for our viewing pleasure, this is definitely the case when he bakes a cake for Lilo. Rather than using enough batter to fill a mere pan, he makes sure this cake rises to fill the entire stove. We especially appreciate how the confection expands slightly as Stitch pulls it out and retains the grooves left by the ridges in the oven’s interior. The attention to detail is just magnificent. And, the best part is that it actually looks appetizing, especially once it’s fully iced and decorated.
#12: Cloud Touching “Aladdin” (1992)
It’s good to know that the desire to physically hold a fluffy cloud in the sky is a universal experience. While singing “A Whole New World,” Aladdin and Jasmine get up close and personal with a couple of cumulus clouds. They hold the puffy element in their hands in a way that’s not scientifically possible but that looks incredible. As they whip around a particularly tall mass, it smoothes out and takes on the look of vanilla soft-serve. These interactions have us simultaneously craving something fluffy to cuddle with and something frozen to eat. If only this was how clouds worked in real life. Guess we’ll have to keep watching the scene to live the dream.
#11: Merida's Perfect Shot “Brave” (2012)
Merida’s incredible feat never fails to amaze us. She makes a claim for her own hand with a series of perfect shots, the last of which is especially impressive. Time slows as the princess focuses on her breathing just before sending her arrow, which brings a sense of serenity to the otherwise tense moment. The projectile bends upon release before straightening out and spinning neatly through the air. The arrow’s impact is also shown in slow motion. A perfect hit, it splits her suitor’s arrow and pierces through the target. You don’t have to like archery to appreciate Merida’s impressive aim and strength, not to mention her nerve.
#10: The “Be Our Guest” Number “Beauty and the Beast” (1991)
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This festive musical number is strong overall, and one of its best qualities is the visuals. After being captured by the Beast, Belle is treated to dinner and a show by the castle’s enchanted objects. Throughout their production, the colorful and patterned dinnerware perform perfectly coordinated choreography, creating hypnotic images. A synchronized swimming routine and kickline add a touch of realism to the movement without compromising its delightfully magical energy. The whole thing is mesmerizing and there are far too many excellent moments to name. Hats off to the animators - simplement merveilleux!
#9: Half a Cup of Tea “Alice in Wonderland” (1951)
Nearly everything that takes place in “Alice in Wonderland” is a little bit off kilter, and the scene where Alice finds herself at a mad tea party, there are a lot of odd things taking place. First of all, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare are celebrating their “unbirthdays,” but when they offer her some tea, they serve it in quite an unconventional manner. A regular tea cup gets cut in half and she is handed a perfect half of a cup of tea. The fact that the liquid stays in the cup obviously defies all logic, but that’s why it’s such a delightful sight. However, Alice plucking pieces from the giant mushroom comes in as a close second as the most satisfying moment in this movie.
#8: Pocahontas' Braid “Pocahontas” (1995)
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Meeko is one of the best Disney sidekicks of all time, and his antics throughout “Pocahontas” made us laugh even in tense moments, especially when he interacts with Percy. The film’s titular character usually lets her glossy black hair blow with the colors of the wind, but in one scene we see her racoon buddy giving her some quick hair styling. Meeko’s little paws work quickly to create a flawless braid, and to be honest we probably couldn’t do such a good job even after watching hours of YouTube tutorials.
#7: Magically Making the Dress & Cake “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)
When the fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather decide to make both a cake and dress for Aurora without using magic, they’re discouraged by the results. But when they finally use their wands to accomplish their tasks, things take a turn for the better. The way the cake forms all on its own and the dress comes together makes us wish we could use spells for our everyday tasks. Magic is also used to create a supremely gratifying moment in “The Sword in the Stone” when the dishes stack up perfectly.
#6: Rafiki's Painting “The Lion King” (1994)
For many people, “The Lion King” tops their list of favorite Disney movies and for good reason. Perhaps something contributing to that is the sheer number of satisfying moments in this film. First, there’s the moment when Rafiki cracks open the gourd at the beginning of the story to mark Simba’s head. Then he does it again later while he realizes Simba is still alive. But the moment where Rafiki paints a mane on the drawing of Simba just a few seconds later, signifying how much he has grown, has to top them all. No matter how hard we’ve tried, we’ve never found a vegetable that this works with.
#5: The Shoe Fits “Cinderella” (1950)
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The number one pick on our list has to go to one of the most iconic Disney moments of all time. When Cinderella proves that the glass slipper belongs to her by fitting her foot, not only is it a moment of triumph but it’s also gratifying to see her how flawless the fit is. High heels made of glass probably aren’t very comfortable, but she makes it seem effortless. Of course, nothing can top this moment, but we also love when the mice are working together to sew Cinderella’s dress and one of them threads a needle in a way that absolutely never works when we try it ourselves.
#4: Making Ratatouille “Ratatouille” (2007)
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Speaking of health code violations… who could ever have imagined that watching a rat cook would be so soothing? Throughout “Ratatouille”, nearly everything Remy creates is a delight to bear witness to. From the soup that he fixes, to the ratatouille dish that earns him praise as "nothing less than the finest chef in France,” this rodent is one helluva chef! The perfect layers of vegetables look great in the baking dish, but they’re even better when they end up arranged artfully on a plate. Why doesn’t it look like that when we try it out?
#3: Applying & Removing Makeup “Mulan” (1998)
Mulan may not like getting all made up, but damn is it satisfying when she does it. The expertly applied lipstick and eyeliner, which go on in one effortless swipe each, strike envy in us all. “Reflection” is one of the best Disney songs of all time, and the moment where Mulan removes her makeup using her sleeve, leaving half of a perfectly done up face, definitely contributes to the scene’s impact. And when Mulan makes the decision to cut off her hair and begin her transformation, there’s nothing more satisfying than the way her sword easily slices it in one fell swoop.
#2: Snow White's Pie Crust “Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
We have to admit, after watching this scene as kids we definitely had unrealistic ideas about how easy it was to make a pie. Snow White sings “Someday My Prince Will Come” while rolling out pie crust and then deftly trims the edges to perfection - with the help of her woodland friends of course. We doubt that any sanitation board would approve of letting birds use their feet to crimp the pie crust, but we’re not complaining. The piece de resistance is when they add Grumpy’s name onto the top and it falls into place flawlessly. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Fake Eyelash Removal, “The Rescuers” (1977) We Think This Moment Qualifies as A-Peeling-Ing The Perfect Shave, “Peter Pan” (1953) …Except for the Fact It’s Performed on the Wrong Sailor Tiana's Honey Drizzle, “The Princess and the Frog” (2009) Can We Have Some?
#1: Woody’s Cleaning “Toy Story 2” (1999)
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In “Toy Story 2” when Woody needs to have his arm reattached, a specialized toy cleaner shows up to do the job. He has a dizzying array of tools in his kit to refresh the color on Woody’s cheeks, fix his fading hair and even clean his eyeballs. Not to mention sewing his arm back on so that it’s as good as new. The entire sequence is a pleasure to witness, but the best part is undoubtedly when he masterfully paints the bottom of Woody’s boot. It’s bittersweet however, because in one swipe of a paintbrush, Andy’s name is erased.