Top 30 Things Censored by Disney on TV & Streaming

#30: Several Scenes

Turning Red (2022)

At least one country refused to distribute this Disney coming-of-age film featuring actual puberty. While the filmmakers got away with a fair deal on streaming, several moments were censored for the movies Disney Channel debut. One scene in particular, where Meilins mother confronts Meilins crush Devon, removed a reference to substance use, replacing it with the more generic things. Another scene where Meilin and her friends talk about their favorite bands concert also removed a stripper music reference. Disney may have planned to release the film on Disney Jr., but its still much ado over a very wholesome film.

#29: Scene Disclaimer

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

This change was more the result of unfortunate timing. The Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries made its Disney+ debut on May 27, 2022. It opened with the scene of Clone Troopers opening fire on a class of Jedi youths, a continuation of Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith. As it turned out, just three days earlier, there was a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the worst in a decade. In response, Disney+ quickly placed a content warning on multiple episodes, explaining the coincidence and warning about it being potentially triggering. Understandably so.

#28: Louis C.K.

Gravity Falls (2012-16)

This wouldnt be the only time Gravity Falls got censored. More on that later. Disney also took further action on one weightier issue in 2017. Following allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of comedian Louis C.K., Disney overdubbed his minor character known as The Horrifying Sweaty One-Armed Monstrosity. Instead, series creator Alex Hirsch stepped in to dub the role in the multi-part episode. Alls well that ends well, although in hindsight this role turned out to be apropos.

#27: Gay Themes & Convicted Sex Offender

Andi Mack (2017-19)

Its hard to believe this middle school show could have anything controversial. But the series did cause a stir when one of its main characters, Cyrus Goodman, came out as gay, a historic first for a Disney Channel show. The storyline was praised for its handling of the topic, even winning a GLAAD Media Award. Unfortunately, it was also a cause for censorship, as portrayals of Cyrus sexuality were toned down. Moreover, Stoney Westmoreland, who played Andis grandfather, Ham, was accused of committing sexual offenses and was fired from the show. His episodes were subsequently banned. A very mixed legacy, indeed.

#26: Racism

DuckTales (1987-1990)

An otherwise classic Disney show, DuckTales did encounter trouble with the censors once it came onto streaming. Two whole episodes, in short, were banned: Sphinx for the Memories and Launchpads Civil War. In Sphinx, an Egyptian Civilization cult kidnaps Donald Duck, believing him to be a reincarnation of their Pharaoh. In Launchpads Civil War, Launchpad rallies old Union veterans against Civil War reenactments by an exploitative billionaire. Launchpads use of the Confederate flag no doubt led to its banning. While it isnt known why Sphinx isnt available on Disney+, the most probable reason is cultural insensitivity. Sphinx for nothing.

#25: Racial Slur

The French Connection (1971)

Even Academy Award-winning films arent exempt from the censoring eye of the Mouse. In 2023, people discovered that the version of The French Connection on Apple TV and the Criterion Channel had been altered. One key scene featuring a racial slur was awkwardly and blatantly excised. Since Disney bought Fox, it inherited its catalog of distinctly Disney-unfriendly films, including this one, so they must have been the ones behind this censorship. One wonders why they didnt just overdub the word with something else. Regardless, the cut received backlash from fans denouncing the decision on the grounds of corporate overreach, historical preservation, and simply missing the point the film was making about racism in the police force.

#24: Banned Episode

Schoolhouse Rock! (1973-2009)

What did this beloved edutainment musical skit show ever do to Disney? One episode was banned entirely from the platform, Presidential Minute / The Campaign Trail, with a song about Election Day, campaigning for president, and the electoral process in general. Its hard to know exactly why this straightforward song about the voting process got the axe. Perhaps it was the mention of controversial issues that was the problem. As it happens, the shows seventh season, focusing on climate change and energy conservation issues, is missing from Disney+ as well. We need not wonder why with this one.

#23: Centaur

Fantasia (1940)

An oldie but a goodie, the original Fantasia proved enduring enough to warrant its own sequel decades later. But not all things about this musical anthology film aged well. Set to Ludwig van Beethovens The Pastoral Symphony, this animated segment featured several creatures from Greek and Roman mythology, including a little centaur named Sunflower who looks uncomfortably close to a racial caricature. Disney wasted no time in deleting the character, even prior to the theatrical re-release in 1969. It has kept the edit ever since, both for home video and streaming, complete with a disclaimer. It was perhaps for the best.

#22: Bulge

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Remember the moral panics over Disney films and subliminal messaging? We do, unfortunately. A moment that gave the pearl-clutchers much ammunition was in this scene during Vanessas and Erics wedding. A shot of the priests knee was mistaken for an erection. This misunderstanding even led to a lawsuit in 1995 by an indignant Arkansas woman, claiming the movie contained an explicit sexual message. The lawsuit was dropped two months later, but Disney played it safe instead of sorry and edited out the knee anyway. This edit was retained when the film entered Disney+.

#21: Naked Woman

The Rescuers (1977)

This is a strange case where peoples dirty imaginations were actually right for once. This charming film about mice rescuers did have a hidden Easter egg. In the scene where Bernard and Bianca take off, one of the windows of the city shows a topless woman, appearing twice in non-consecutive frames. It is only visible if you slow down the film, but it was enough for Disney to recall all 3.4 million home video copies and re-release it without the offending image. It isnt known how or who included this saucy Easter egg, but the edit was retained in all versions of the film.

#20: Accidental Adult Content

The Santa Clause (1994)

Intentional or not, this line from "The Santa Clause" was the reason for a lot of concern from parents back in the nineties. Why, you ask? Well, a seemingly harmless joke about an adult entertainment phone line accidentally used a real number in the script, leading curious kids to call the number andwell, you get the idea. Parents were not happy, and the scene was edited on both home video and Disney+. It's still there, but the characters don't reference the number at all anymore, and the scene goes on as if the joke never existed.

#19: Isis

Hannah Montana (2006-11)

Serving as a parody of Madonna, Isis appears in the second season Hannah Montana episode Yet Another Side of Me. She is a singer known for frequently reinventing her look, and by the end of the episode, she steals Hannah Montanas. While this character was named Isis in the original airing, she was subsequently renamed Ice in later repeats, and this censored version of the episode is the one found on Disney+. Its very likely that Disney wanted to disassociate from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, an organization that has been accused of various crimes against humanity.

#18: Bust Reduction

Knick Knack (1989)

A crudely animated short film from 1989, Knick Knack was produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter, who would later direct the first two Toy Story films. Found within the short are various knick knacks with rather large busts. But when the short film was re-released alongside Finding Nemo in 2003, the animation was altered to reduce their bust size. A mermaid knick knack was also seen with starfish pasties, but this was later changed into a seashell bra. It is this altered version that can be found on Disney+. However, Lasseter was quick to place the blame on himself rather than Disney, as he personally made the changes after becoming a father.

#17: The King of Disney Easter Eggs

The Lion King (1994)

It has long been suggested that The Lion King contains a rather cheeky Easter egg. The legend goes that when Simba flops to the ground and kicks up a cloud of dust, the word sex forms in the individual dust motes. An animator for the film named Tom Sito acknowledged the inclusion of the Easter egg, although he claims that it spells SFX as a nod to the effects animators. But it doesnt really matter now, because modern viewers cant see it anyway. This scene was altered for the 2002 IMAX re-release, and all further home and streaming releases have retained the censored scene.

#16: The Fez Symbol

Gravity Falls (2012-16)

In the original run of Gravity Falls, the character of Grunkle Stan wears a fez adorned with a fish-shaped figure. Within the canon of the show, this is the symbol of the Royal Order of the Holy Mackerel, to which Grunkle Stan belongs. However, the symbol bears a slight resemblance to that of the Floridian Masonic society, The Shriners. As a result, the symbol was removed for the shows streaming on Disney+, much to the frustration of series creator Alex Hirsch. He penned a rather harsh tweet after learning of the change, stating that it was removed for no reason and that Disney cant keep track of what theyre pretending to be concerned about this week.

#15: Max Gets a Little Too Close to Roxanne

A Goofy Movie (1995)

Those watching A Goofy Movie on Disney+ will quickly notice a bit of censorship, as it occurs within the first thirty seconds. The movies opening dream sequence sees Roxanne flying towards Max and landing in his outstretched arms. In the original version, Maxs nose is squished into Roxannes falling chest, but this was supposedly deemed problematic by Disney and altered for both the streaming and recent Blu-ray releases. In the Disney+ version, the distance between Maxs nose and Roxannes bust was increased, meaning Roxanne lands further away from Maxs face and his nose doesnt bump into her chest.

#14: Duck You

Clock Cleaners (1937)

Often regarded as one of Disneys greatest shorts, Clock Cleaners runs a swift eight minutes and was released in the fall of 1937, featuring Walt Disney himself as the voice of Mickey Mouse. One scene sees Donald Duck fighting with a mainspring, asking the question says who? and calling it a snake in the grass. However, Donalds goofy voice makes the words hard to discern, and some people believed he was swearing. Both instances were altered for a 2001 DVD release, and the Disney+ release has retained the changes. The says who has been significantly cleaned up to be more discernible, and the snake in the grass line has been completely replaced by a slew of angry shouts.

#13: Throwing An...Acorn?

The Emperors New Groove (2000)

While it wasnt a major commercial success, The Emperors New Groove has found a new generation of fans thanks primarily to the funny internet memes. However, new fans arent getting the movie in its full, intended glory. In the original version of the film, an irritated Kuzco throws a small rock at Pachas head. In future Blu-ray releases and the Disney+ streaming release, this small rock was changed into an acorn. Its not really a big deal, and it still has the same comedic effect. But if Disney is that concerned with violence, why didnt they just make it an acorn in the first place?

#12: A Whole New Movie

Aladdin (1992)

The Disney+ version of Aladdin opens with a content warning acknowledg[ing] its harmful impact. And while they claim that nothing has been altered, that doesnt seem to be the case. The opening song has retained changes that were made for the DVD, swapping out the lyrics Where they cut off your ear if they dont like your face to Where its flat and immense and the heat is intense. Those changes were made after the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee criticized Disney for cultural insensitivity. Furthermore, Aladdins whispered line Good tiger. Take off and go was removed as well because people thought he was saying something much worse.

#11: Messed up Censorship

Free Solo (2018)

Found on Disney+ is the Academy Award-winning documentary Free Solo, which details Alex Honnolds attempt to climb Yosemites El Capitan without the help of ropes or harnesses. In the original version, Honnold utters the line this is f-ed (only, you know, the actual word). This line was completely re-dubbed for the Disney+ release, changing f-ed up to messed up. Later in the documentary, the word goddamn has been removed when Honnold states, This is the goddamn warrior spirit, changing it to just This is the warrior spirit. Free Solo was originally given a PG-13 rating for brief strong language, and it seems like it was just a little too strong for Disneys liking.

#10: A Musical for the Whole Family

Hamilton (2020)

In the summer of 2020, the cultural phenomenon that is Hamilton came exclusively to Disney+. Only, fans were quick to notice that some things were a little different. Primarily, two f-words that were removed from the musical in order to avoid an R rating. The first comes in Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down), when an utterance of the f-word from Hercules Mulligan was muted. The second is in Washington on Your Side, when a reversing record sound has been placed over a nasty word harmonized by Jefferson, Madison, and Burr. It may come as quite a shock to Hamilton purists who have listened to the soundtrack 10,000 times, but hey, its for the kids.

#9: Horse Play

Bluey (2018-)

We open this entry with a question: what could a program geared towards toddlers possibly have content-wise that could warrant censoring? Would you believepoop? Yup. There's a scene in the first seasons episode "Markets" that features a horse doing his business after being pet by a group of kids. On Disney+, the scene now only shows the horse wagging his tail. Elsewhere, there was also the temporary removal of two episodes titled "Teasing" and Flat Pack. Parental pressure and complaints led to it being excluded in the series run on Disney+.

#8: Dont Try This at Home

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Ask any child of the eighties which episode of "Punky Brewster" they remember, and the odds are pretty good that they'll reference that one time Cherie Johnson got locked in an old refrigerator. Maybe this explains the inspiration for 2002's "Lilo and Stitch," where Lilo originally chooses a dryer for her hiding place. The version on Disney+ has since been changed in quite possibly the weirdest way. The dryer was turned into a cupboard of sorts, with the top of a pizza box acting as the dryers door. This was presumably changed so that kids wouldn't get the idea to try this stunt themselves. Or, you know, they could just go back and watch some "Punky" instead!

#7: No Joking Matter

Thats So Raven (2003-07)

Some of the edits in this list have been pretty silly or funny, but there's nothing humorous about the implications behind this joke. There's a reference to R. Kelly made during the episode "There Goes the Bride," when Raven says shes fifteen to a crowd who believes shes getting married to an older man. The joke was taken out when "That's So Raven" migrated to Disney+. The episode "Driving Miss Lazy" also features a loud conversation where some viewers claim to have heard Raven drop a disparaging racial remark. The episode has since been edited with the conversation mixed so that no real dialogue can be discerned.

#6: Smoking

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

The removal and censoring of tobacco imagery is something comparatively recent in the world of movies and television. It was never a big deal for protagonists to be seen smoking in the past, but today's entertainment requires a warning advisory if that sort of content is included. "The Muppet Christmas Carol," available on Disney+, no longer includes the street choir conductor smoking a cigarette, with the offending nicotine stick having since been digitally removed. Any Jim Henson fans wishing to see the unedited image as part of the film as a whole should either check the recent Blu-Ray version of the film, or dig out their old VHS!

#5: Pick a Change, Any Change

The Simpsons (1989-)

There have actually been a bunch of changes made to "The Simpsons" on Disney+, with some episodes having gone missing altogether. Specifically, the famous episode that featured The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, as a guest star is gone, perhaps due to the controversy behind the documentary "Leaving Neverland." A joke at the Catholic Church's expense in the episode "Sunday Cruddy Sunday" now omits the word "Catholic" altogether, opting for the use of just the word church. Also, the episode "Gorgeous Grampa" leaves out the Harlem Shake parody during the opening couch gag. Were not too sure what thats about, though... Maybe they figured we wouldn't remember what it was? Leave your theories in the comments!

#4: No Butts Allowed

Splash (1984)

Disney is a family friendly company. We all know this. We also know, however, that the company experimented with some awesome, more PG-rated fare back in the seventies and eighties, such as The Black Hole, Midnight Madness and The Black Cauldron. However, this doesn't mean that Disney+ is about to allow nudity on their watch, however brief. If youre thinking of the movie Splash, youd be right on. The version on the streaming service has added a mound of what we can assume is CGI hair--or fur, as one Twitter user puts it--to Daryl Hannahs nude behind. Is this computer-generated coverup distracting? Why yes, yes it is. In fact, it seems to draw more attention to Hannah's body than if itd just been left unedited.

#3: PG-13

Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

The eighties were...a different time. We've already made mention of changing social norms, how they affect censorship, and what's considered acceptable with regards to film ratings. The eighties classic "Adventures in Babysitting" was rated PG-13, which means that it was technically allowed one F-bomb. But don't go looking for that iconic line on the Disney+ cut. Instead, Elisabeth Shue says something about not "fooling" with the babysitter, which is just lame if you ask us. Incidentally, a homophobic remark early on in the film was changed to the word "weirdo," but this edit goes way back to when the film was originally shown on television. Obviously, it's also been kept that way for the streaming platform.

#2: Casting Couch Credits

Toy Story 2 (1999)

If you were a parent who stayed for the credits of Toy Story 2 when it was first released in theatres, you may have been surprised by the crassness of a particular end-credit scene. It made an implicit reference to the endemic Hollywood practice of aspiring actors and actresses being pressured into doing favors in exchange for a role. There's nothing funny about it, which perhaps explains why this joke was cut on later versions of "Toy Story 2." During the original credits, Sneaky Pete insinuates that he can get a pair of Barbie dolls roles in "Toy Story 3," presumably for something in return. We get dark humor, but this is definitely pretty skeezy, especially for a movie aimed at kids.

#1: A History of Edits

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

A WHOLE lot has been edited from the original run of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" For starters, Baby Herman raising his middle finger has been removed. And, by this, we mean it was digitally painted over. Remember animated icon Betty Boop and her revealing dress slip over at The Ink and Paint Club? Thankfully, saved from prying eyes. Then, there's that infamous reveal when Jessica Rabbit takes a tumble out of Benny the Cab. Thats also been made more kid-friendly on Disney+. In actuality, all of these changes were from before streaming platforms, meaning that you're gonna have to treasure those old LaserDiscs, VHS tapes, or simply your memories, if youre on the hunt for an unedited version of this classic.

Which other instance of retroactive censorship by Disney do you know of? Let us know in the comments down below!