Few animated features have had the kind of cultural significance and impact as The Lion King.
It's one of Disney's crowning achievements and it helped redefine the standards for animated storytelling.
Below are 10+ hidden details about The Lion King that fans didn't notice. They help give some much-needed context to certain scenes and provide us with an even greater overall appreciation of the film.
Even people who haven't seen the movie at least know what it is! It's just that known.
People love the story, the music, and the animation.
Between facts and behind the scenes secrets, there are tons of things about this movie that fans didn't bother to learn for themselves.
Luckily, you have us to help you.
There are tons of little details that completely escape viewers!
From Mickey Mouse heads, to subliminal messaging, there are tons of things to see!
So let's jump in.
If you're a student of history then you likely have noticed this right away. It's an unmistakable allusion to Adolf Hitler and the German Nazi army.
The imagery is both powerful and unsettling.
It's been all over the internet for decades: claims that the dust from the flowers spelled out "SEX."
Disney claims that there are in fact letters in the sky, but that audiences got the word wrong.
That seems like the lamest of cover-up excuses. Kind of like saying, "It was like that when I found it!"
I'm not buying it, Disney.
Remember Pumba's lament? You know, how he used to "get downhearted every time that he..." well, you know what I mean.
Pumba holds a very special record for being the first Disney character to fart on-screen!
If you want a really easy way to spot the bad guy in the majority of Disney films, look for the color green.
Disney has historically associated lime green with evil characters: Everyone from Maleficent and Ursula to, of course, Scar, share this trait.
What's even better is that it actually means "no worries." The word comes from the Swahili language, which is mainly spoken in countries like Tanzania and Kenya.
Who knew? I certainly didn't!
As I'm sure the majority of people are already aware, whiskers are a physical trait shared by both male and female lions.
However, in an effort to save time, animators only drew whiskers on the male lions in the film.
So for this one, we need to take a close look at how lion prides work. There's only ever one male in the group and the rest are female lionesses.
This means that, while Simba and Nala have different mothers, Mufasa is their father, making them half-siblings.
If you notice the scene where Scar points up toward the hyenas, you'll see the silhouette of someone (or something) that is definitely NOT a hyena.
It turns out this is actually the lovable terrier Jock from Lady and the Tramp.
Animators did everything in their power to recreate the Pride Lands as true to form as they could.
Not only did they spend time studying the behaviors and habits of real lions, they even took a trip to Africa!
If you've visited either Disneyland or Disneyworld theme parks, then you're likely already well-versed with this incredibly annoying song.
It's an allusion to the "It's a Small World" ride, one of the oldest and most revered rides in the park.
Don Hahn, a producer who worked on the original film, offered this explanation:
"Yeah because it was early days of computer animation and so the wildebeests themselves were computer generated and so that was one wrinkle into it."
His hands are posed in a position known as Gyan Mudra. This is a Sanskrit word that translates to knowledge or wisdom.
It's a subtle and minor detail that really amplifies Rafiki's entire persona.
The next time you're watching The Lion King, try to take note of all of the bugs that emerge from the log during the "Hakuna Matata" scene.
There are at least five hidden Mickey Mouse heads on the insects' backs.
It's no secret that The Lion King is a modern retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet. What you might not have known is that Scar playing with the skull is a reference to one of the most famous scenes in the play.
It's a call to when Hamlet discovers the skull of Yorick, the court jester.
Throughout the entire movie, Ed is seen as the dumb one of the hyenas, as he is simply always giggling, cross-eyed, and never in tune with what is going on around him.
But when it is time for Scar to meet his demise, suddenly Ed's eyes uncross and his laugh becomes very sinister. Does he fake his personality?
There are so many theories about the subliminal messages in Disney movies.
But for The Lion King, it extends even to their poster. I'm sure you can see exactly what I'm talking about here.
Everyone mostly knows that The Lion King is loosely based on Hamlet, as we previously pointed out.
Besides the obvious moments that people call out, even the exile is part of the play!
In Hamlet, Claudius convinces Hamlet to travel to England, where he narrowly escapes an attack by pirates (as Simba escapes the hyenas).
Or, were you in here because you had no idea about any of these? Which ones surprised you the most?
Let us know down below in the comments!
