Disney and Pixar’s movies are beloved by audiences of all ages. From kids to adults, the storylines and animation are eye-catching and heart-grasping for everyone. Deadline recently announced that Disney has a new movie in the works that’s based on the famous Disneyland ride, Big Thunder Mountain.
The ride opened in the late '70s and has since become a Disney favorite, and joins the forces of other rides that became movies, like Jungle Cruise and The Haunted Mansion. The opening scenes are some of the more special moments in these movies (plus all the Pixar additions). While endings are important to any movie, some opening scenes stuck with audiences more than others.
Up (2009)
In 2009, Disney released the emotional tale of an older man named Carl Fredricksen and his new friend Kevin. Carl and Kevin quickly became some of Pixar’s best characters. The two go on an adventure to Paradise Falls to fulfill a promise Carl made to his late wife, Ellie.
Up started by showing Carl and Ellie’s childhood together and their love for adventure. As the two grew, a musical montage ensued with no words. With just actions and a sweet melody, fans saw Carl and Ellie’s friendship grow into a marriage where they tried to have kids and create the home of their dreams. In the first couple of minutes, viewers were brought on a roller coaster of emotions as they saw Carl’s life flash before his eyes without his wife by his side when he eventually loses her after a long life together. It was deep, emotional, and incredibly impactful.
The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King is one of Disney’s most inspirational movies. The coming-of-age tale of Simba and his transformation from a young cub to the leader of his pride was a long time coming. Tears were shed and laughs were had — The Lion King had it all.
The opening scene of the movie had the iconic song “Circle of Life” playing in the background as viewers saw different views of the pride lands with a stunning sunrise in the background. The scene wrapped up with all the animals going to Pride Rock to get a glimpse of their future king, Simba, for the first time. With just a song and animation, viewers were shown what a big deal Simba’s birth was while seeing incredible shots of Africa.
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Lilo & Stitch had one of the best Disney friendships. When an alien named Stitch landed on one of the Hawaiian islands, he was mistaken as a dog and adopted by a young girl named Lilo. Unbeknownst to Stitch, Lilo and her older sister Nani were going through a hard time after the death of their parents and were hanging on by a string. Stitch’s alien antics only made things harder for them.
While dramatic, Lilo & Stitch had an amazing opening scene. After seeing how Stitch came to be in an alien galaxy, viewers were then shown the islands of Hawaii and what life was like for Lilo as she hurried to Hula lessons. Between the hilarity of Stitch and the beauty of the Hawaiian culture, it was a great start to a film.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was one of Disney’s darker movies, but it had an important tale about trials and triumphs. Because of the movie’s trailer in the late ‘90s, viewers knew it was about a young bell ringer who hid from society because of his severe kyphosis. But the opening scene showed how Quasimodo came to be.
With the song “The Bells of Notre Dame” playing in the background, the opening sequence was quite dramatic. It showed Quasimodo’s mother being killed at the hands of the villainous Frollo while he tried to kill her young child because of how he looked. It was a thrilling start that had viewers’ hearts racing.
Aladdin (1992)
Aladdin is one of Disney’s best films and became a successful live-action remake in 2019. When a poor man named Aladdin dreamed of a bigger life and lived off the streets for survival, things changed when he met a magical Genie and Princess Jasmine. His new desire was to marry her and start a new life.
Like many other Disney films in the ‘90s, an entertaining song (“Arabian Nights”) played in the background as the premise was told by a street merchant in a bout of dramatic scenes. The merchant (who was a Genie) told viewers about the magical lamp and how the lives of those who found the lamp were changed forever.
Inside Out (2015)
Inside Out was a Pixar creation that dealt with serious issues, like happiness, depression, and anger. With the main characters being a young girl named Riley’s emotions, the opening scene showed the creation of those emotions, memories, and feelings.
Starting with Riley’s birth, viewers are shown the creation of Riley’s first emotion: joy. After that, more of Riley's memories and thoughts were formed and she began to experience different emotions. It was a unique concept for a movie and an amazing visual interpretation of the human mind.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Fans weren’t afraid to say that Toy Story 3 made them emotional. Many assumed the third installment would be the franchise’s last and were sentimental from the start.
The opening scene showed Andy’s toys in a theatrical performance during playtime, with Woody and Buzz saving the day against the villain, Mr. Potato Head. Playtime quickly ended and viewers realized they were watching memories of a young Andy playing. A montage of Andy growing up and playing with his toys was shown, making viewers emotional seeing how much changed over the years now that Andy was going off to college.
WALL-E (2008)
WALL-E was a groundbreaking and culturally important movie that brought an emotional response with little words said throughout. Since the main characters were robots, minimal dialogue was had and the story was told visually through the glances of a robot named WALL-E.
The opening scene had “Put Your Sunday Clothes” playing in the background as viewers were shown a futuristic Earth. With smog, garbage, and towers spread throughout, it’s clear that humans ruined Earth and left it for ruin. For an opening scene, it was eye-opening and gutting all at once because it’s a future that could potentially happen
Monsters University (2013)
Monsters University was the sequel to Pixar’s beloved Monster’s Inc. Since the original wrapped up beautifully, the sequel was actually the prequel. Fans got the chance to see how Mike and Sully met at college — Monsters University.
Unlike many other Pixar movies, Monsters University’s opening scene wasn’t gut-wrenching, but it was an adorable beginning to Mike and Sully’s friendship and their love of scaring. It’s also a Pixar movie that connected with adults due to the college aspect.
Cars (2006)
Cars didn’t just have a great ending, it had a phenomenal opening scene too. Cars followed the exciting life of a racer named Lightning McQueen. Lightning went on an unexpected adventure when he fell out of his trailer on a way to a race. He then had to find his way to the championship, but not without a little help from new friends in Radiator Springs.
The opening scene was filled with excitement as Lightning gave himself a pep talk during a big race. Between the close-ups of Lightning’s car, the lights and sounds of the audience, and the excitement of a racing atmosphere, Cars opening scene was a rush.