How did we never notice these Disney plot holes? Welcome to MsMojo and today we’re looking at the most glaring oversights in Disney films.
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00:00 "I have some questions for you and you are not leaving this city
00:03 until they are answered."
00:04 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking at the most
00:07 glaring oversights in Disney films.
00:09 "Excuse me? Are you looking at me? Did you rub my lamp?
00:14 Did you wake me up? Did you bring me here?"
00:17 Some of these may have been explained in sequels or reboots,
00:20 but that doesn't mean they're not plot holes in the original films,
00:23 so we're still counting them.
00:24 Number 20. What do the dwarfs do with the gems?
00:28 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
00:30 "Dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig a mine all day through.
00:33 Dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig is what we like to do."
00:38 Disney wasn't the first to depict dwarves as miners.
00:41 The connection dates back at least as far as ancient Norse mythology.
00:45 When we're first introduced to the Seven Dwarfs,
00:47 they're mining for gems in a cave not far from their home.
00:50 "It ain't no dig to get rich quick. If you dig, dig, dig with a shovel or a pick."
00:54 At the end of the workday, they stash their treasure away in a vault,
00:57 but then what?
00:58 They don't seem to be selling many of the gems,
01:01 since they're all living in a tiny, humble cottage,
01:03 and they don't appear to have any money to speak of.
01:06 Are they just hoarding the gems away?
01:08 If so, why?
01:09 The original fairy tale doesn't have the answers either.
01:12 Number 19. What do the predators eat?
01:20 Zootopia.
01:21 In this multicultural city, predators and prey animals live together in harmony.
01:25 As Officer Judy Hopps reveals late in the movie,
01:28 predators like wolves, lions, and foxes did survive by hunting thousands of years ago,
01:33 but it's never revealed how they survive now.
01:35 "You've actually got, there's a, in your neck, the foot, the, there's…"
01:41 "Oh, where you went, you little dickens?"
01:43 Although we see Officer Clawhauser eating a lot of sugary processed foods,
01:48 he doesn't seem to be the healthiest character.
01:50 What do the other predators eat?
01:52 "Sir, it may be time to consider their biology."
01:55 "What? What do you mean, biology?"
01:57 They might have overcome their drive to hunt,
01:59 but they still have the physiology of meat eaters,
02:02 who can't live on carrots and blueberries.
02:04 Where are they getting their protein?
02:06 And for that matter, where does the milk come from to make that ice cream?
02:10 "Hello? Excuse me."
02:11 "Hey, you're gonna have to wait your turn like everyone else, meat-a-mate."
02:15 Number 18. Why does Mulan stay in the army?
02:18 Mulan.
02:19 After the Huns invade China,
02:21 the Emperor orders every family to send a man for the army.
02:24 Worried that her elderly father won't survive,
02:27 Mulan steals his conscription notice and takes his place.
02:30 "Fazu. The Fazu."
02:32 "I didn't know Fazu had a son."
02:33 "He doesn't talk about me much."
02:37 At boot camp, she poses as a boy,
02:39 but is unable to keep up with the other trainees,
02:41 and eventually Captain Li Shang kicks her out.
02:44 However, instead of quitting, Mulan stays on to prove herself.
02:48 "Mulan strengthens the raging fire,
02:51 As furious as the dark side of the moon."
02:58 This decision makes no sense.
03:00 As far as the army's concerned, the Fa family has fulfilled their obligation.
03:04 There's no reason Mulan can't just go home, other than the rest of the movie.
03:08 In fact, why did she have to join in the first place?
03:11 If unfit soldiers can be sent home,
03:13 surely her father would have been discharged too.
03:15 "There are plenty of young men to fight for China."
03:18 "It is an honor to protect my country and my family."
03:22 Number 17.
03:23 Why don't the villagers know about the Beast?
03:25 Beauty and the Beast.
03:27 "What is this place? Please, please, study."
03:32 We know it was explained in the 2017 remake,
03:35 but it's still a plot hole in the original animated film.
03:38 The Beast's castle is within walking distance of Belle's poor provincial town,
03:41 yet none of the townspeople seem to know about it.
03:44 They also don't seem to have noticed that their monarch has been missing for a decade.
03:48 "He's got her locked in the dungeon."
03:50 "Who?"
03:50 "Belle. We must go."
03:52 "Not a minute to lose."
03:54 "Whoa, slow down, Maurice. Who's got Belle locked in a dungeon?"
03:58 "A beast!"
03:59 When Maurice shows up telling stories of a fearsome beast,
04:02 the villagers just assume that he's crazy,
04:04 and they're shocked when Belle proves the Beast is real.
04:06 And somehow, Gaston knows exactly how to find the castle.
04:10 None of this adds up.
04:11 [Singing]
04:17 Number 16.
04:18 No one else in the kingdom wears the same shoe size.
04:21 Cinderella.
04:22 "Ha ha! We've got it!"
04:24 [Screaming]
04:30 "But sire, this slipper may fit any number of girls."
04:33 We're with the Grand Duke on this one.
04:35 How is it possible that Cinderella's glass slipper only fits one woman in the entire kingdom?
04:41 She appears to have pretty tiny feet,
04:43 but surely she's not the only one who does.
04:45 "Oh no no! Cinderella's slipper!"
04:47 You could argue that the slipper was magically created
04:49 to be a perfect fit for Cinderella's feet.
04:51 But if it was such a perfect fit,
04:53 why did it fall off in the first place?
04:55 And while we're on the subject,
04:56 why search for the person that the shoe fits
04:58 instead of just looking for the person who has the other shoe?
05:01 That seems like a much more reliable way to make sure you've got the right girl.
05:05 "I'll have nothing to do with it."
05:07 "You'll try this on every maid in my kingdom.
05:10 And if the shoe fits, bring her in."
05:14 Number 15.
05:15 Why does Buzz freeze when people are around?
05:17 Toy Story
05:18 "Buzz Lightyear to Star Command. Come in, Star Command.
05:21 Star Command, come in. Do you read me?"
05:24 "Why don't they answer?"
05:26 Unlike the other toys in Andy's room,
05:28 Buzz Lightyear believes he's the real deal.
05:30 He thinks he's an actual space ranger with an important mission to stop Emperor Zurg.
05:35 So why does he freeze like the other toys when kids are around?
05:38 He truly seems to think the other toys are aliens on the planet where he's crash-landed.
05:43 "It looks as though I've been accepted into your culture.
05:46 Your chief, Andy, inscribed his name on me."
05:49 "Wow! With permanent ink, too!"
05:52 It doesn't make sense that he would behave like the other toys when Andy's around.
05:56 Of course, it would probably ruin the movie if Buzz walked up to Andy and started talking to him.
06:01 But the creators could have come up with some explanation as to why he doesn't.
06:05 "You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity. Farewell."
06:09 Number 14. Why doesn't Mother Gothel move farther away?
06:13 Tangled. The king and queen release floating lanterns every year on the princess's birthday,
06:18 hoping she'll find her way back to them.
06:20 From her tower deep in the forest, Rapunzel sees the lanterns and is fascinated by them.
06:25 "You mean the stars."
06:26 "That's the thing. I've charted stars and they're always constant.
06:33 But these? They appear every year on my birthday, Mother."
06:36 The fact that they only appear on her birthday makes them even more intriguing,
06:40 and she's desperate to find their source.
06:42 This turns out to be the catalyst for the entire movie.
06:45 "Tomorrow evening, they will light the night sky with these lanterns.
06:50 You will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns, and return me home safely.
06:56 Then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you."
07:00 Why didn't Mother Gothel just move further away, where Rapunzel couldn't see the lights?
07:05 Alternatively, why didn't she tell Rapunzel that she had a different birthday,
07:09 so she wouldn't feel such a connection to them?
07:11 Her curiosity about the lights inspires her to escape the tower,
07:14 but it seems like this could have been easily avoided.
07:17 "Oh, Rapunzel, Mother's feeling a little run down.
07:19 Would you sing for me, dear? Then we'll talk."
07:22 Number 13. Are Simba and Nala siblings the Lion King?
07:27 "Oh, just look at you two, little seeds of romance blossoming in the savannah."
07:32 This one's kinda awkward.
07:33 There are definitely no male lions in this Pride other than Mufasa and Scar.
07:37 "Is that a challenge?"
07:39 "Temper, temper. I wouldn't dream of challenging you."
07:44 Although no one in the Pride seems to want anything to do with Scar.
07:47 It's theoretically possible that he's Nala's father,
07:50 meaning she and Simba are at least cousins.
07:53 But it's much more likely that Mufasa's her father,
07:55 making the two cubs half-siblings.
07:58 In real life, all of the cubs in A Lion Pride are usually related to each other.
08:01 That's why the young males leave to look for mates elsewhere.
08:05 No wonder young Simba is grossed out at the thought of marrying Nala.
08:08 "I can't marry her. She's my friend."
08:10 "Yeah, it'd be so weird."
08:12 Number 12. Hercules should become a god before saving Meg.
08:16 Hercules.
08:17 "Hercules, if you can prove yourself a true hero on Earth,
08:20 your godhood will be restored."
08:22 "A true hero. Great."
08:24 "Uh, exactly how do you become a true hero?"
08:28 After working the entire movie to regain his divinity,
08:31 Hercules sacrifices himself to save Meg from the underworld
08:35 and becomes immortal again.
08:36 But just moments earlier,
08:38 Herc faced off against the Cyclops and saved the city without his godlike strength.
08:42 That was a pretty selfless thing to do.
08:44 So why didn't it make him a hero?
08:46 "I've beaten every single monster I've come up against.
08:48 I'm-I'm the most famous person in all of Greece.
08:52 I'm-I'm an action figure."
08:54 All of this happened because Hades' minions failed to kill Hercules as a baby,
08:59 which brings us to another plot hole.
09:01 Why didn't Hades know that Hercules was still alive?
09:04 "This might be a different Hercules."
09:06 "Yeah, I mean, Hercules is a very popular name nowadays."
09:10 He's surrounded by the souls of the dead all day.
09:13 Shouldn't he have checked to make sure Herc's soul was down there?
09:15 That's probably just one of the things Hades wishes he'd done differently.
09:19 "Memo to me, memo to me, maim you after my meeting."
09:22 Number 11.
09:23 Why did the fairies bring Aurora home before sunset on her birthday?
09:27 Sleeping Beauty.
09:28 Mistress of evil Maleficent isn't happy about being left out of the newborn princess's christening party.
09:34 And in revenge, she curses the baby.
09:36 "Before the sun sets on her 16th birthday,
09:39 she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die."
09:45 Fortunately, the good fairies are there to alleviate the curse.
09:48 They convince the king and queen to let them hide out with the baby in an abandoned cottage
09:52 until it's safe to return.
09:54 You would think that means until after her 16th birthday passes,
09:58 but for some inexplicable reason,
10:00 they bring her back just before sunset on the fateful day.
10:03 "This one last gift, dear child, for thee.
10:06 The symbol of thy royalty.
10:09 A crown to wear in grace and beauty, as is thy right and royal duty."
10:17 Considering how many precautions they've taken up to this point,
10:20 it seems like a serious oversight.
10:22 Of course, Maleficent's prophecy is fulfilled.
10:25 Aurora pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleep.
10:28 Why couldn't they all have waited just one more day?
10:30 "And we thought she'd be so happy."
10:33 Number 10.
10:34 Why does the gorilla troop stay at the nest?
10:37 Tarzan.
10:38 Silverback gorilla Kerchak makes it clear from the start that he doesn't trust the humans
10:42 who have just shown up on his shores.
10:43 He wants the rest of the troop to stay away from them,
10:46 and for good reason.
10:47 "Do not let them see you, and do not seek them out."
10:49 "They mean us no harm, Kerchak."
10:51 "Tarzan, I don't know them."
10:53 "But I do, I've spent time with them."
10:54 "You may be willing to risk our safety, but I'm not."
10:57 Tarzan goes behind his back and reveals the location of the gorilla's nest to Jane,
11:01 her father, and Clayton.
11:03 Kerchak is furious and immediately chases the strangers away.
11:06 "Kerchak, I didn't... I'm sorry, I..."
11:09 "I asked you to protect our family, and you betrayed us all."
11:16 To protect the troop, we would expect him to pack up and move them to a new location,
11:20 but he doesn't.
11:21 When Clayton and his men show up to kidnap the gorillas, they're caught totally off guard.
11:26 This is a bizarre lapse in judgment for the usually overcautious troop leader.
11:30 "Protect this family, and stay away from them."
11:34 Number 9.
11:35 Why doesn't Scar kill Simba, the Lion King?
11:38 Scar seems only too happy to take out his brother,
11:41 yet when it comes to Simba, is less inclined to get his paws dirty.
11:44 "Run away and never return."
11:47 "Kill him."
11:56 He knows that the hyenas are incompetent, so why trust them with such an important job?
12:01 Especially a job they've already failed at once.
12:03 Why not just kill Simba when he has the chance?
12:06 "I'm only looking out for the well-being of my favorite nephew."
12:09 "Yeah, right, I'm your only nephew."
12:12 "You're all the more reason for me to be protective."
12:15 Fans have come up with all sorts of theories to explain this one.
12:18 Some have even speculated that Scar can't risk smelling like Simba's blood
12:22 when he returns to the Pride.
12:23 But surely he could come up with some kind of explanation.
12:26 Obviously Simba has to stay alive for the movie to happen,
12:29 but it seems like Scar should at least try to kill Simba himself.
12:33 "I'm surrounded by idiots."
12:36 Number 8.
12:37 Why doesn't Charlotte turn into a frog, the princess and the frog?
12:40 Naveen needs to kiss a princess in order to change from a frog back into his human form.
12:45 Tiana is willing to help him out, but because she's not a princess,
12:49 when they kiss, she turns into a frog.
12:51 "I'm green, and I'm- and I'm slimy!"
12:53 "No, no, no, no, that is not slime!"
12:56 "What?"
12:56 "You are secreting mucus."
12:58 Later in the movie, Tiana's best friend Charlotte offers to kiss Naveen.
13:01 Since her father was crowned Mardi Gras king, she'll be a princess until midnight.
13:05 "Oh, maybe that old clock's a little fast."
13:10 Unfortunately, they don't kiss in time, but for some reason,
13:14 Charlotte doesn't turn into a frog.
13:16 Instead, her kiss simply has no effect on either of them.
13:19 Some viewers have speculated that since the evil Dr. Facilier is dead,
13:22 his magic no longer works.
13:24 But if that's true, why didn't Naveen and Tiana turn back into humans when he died?
13:28 "Ah! Y'all ain't got to say she was born weak!"
13:32 Number 7.
13:33 Why doesn't Woody remember his old owners, Toy Story franchise?
13:37 In the sequel to the beloved Pixar original,
13:39 we discover that Woody is actually a valuable antique.
13:42 "Everyone knows your name, Woody."
13:45 "Why, you don't know who you are, do you?"
13:50 He's based on a TV character from the 50s,
13:52 meaning that he's probably decades old.
13:55 This raises an interesting question.
13:57 Why doesn't he remember his life before Andy?
13:59 Jessie remembers her former owner Emily,
14:02 even though it's been years since they were separated.
14:04 "When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful.
14:09 Every hour we spent together lives within my heart."
14:17 Some fans assume that Woody was passed down to Andy by his father.
14:21 Although Andy's mom does say that Woody is an old family toy,
14:24 Woody himself never mentions any owner other than Andy.
14:28 He's also shocked to learn about his own origins.
14:30 This leaves us wondering,
14:32 what happened to Woody between the time he was manufactured
14:34 and when he became Andy's toy?
14:36 "Two words, Sputnik. Once the astronauts went up,
14:40 children only wanted to play with space toys. I know how that feels."
14:45 Number 6.
14:46 Where do Elsa's powers come from? Frozen.
14:49 We know it was explained in the sequel,
14:51 but that movie didn't come out until six years later,
14:54 and it doesn't get the original movie off the hook.
14:56 "Born with the powers or cursed?"
14:58 "Born. And they're getting stronger."
15:00 The entire story hinges around Elsa's powers
15:03 and her inability to fully control them.
15:05 The fact that she's the only person who has these ice powers
15:08 is also important.
15:09 It's weird that the movie doesn't even hint at where they come from.
15:12 "Are you alright?"
15:13 "No."
15:13 "Did you know?"
15:15 "No."
15:17 Yes, lots of people in Disney movies have magic powers,
15:20 but they're usually witches or sorcerers with a range of magical talents.
15:24 Elsa's more like X-Men, who was born with one random magical ability,
15:28 and the movie has no interest in explaining it.
15:31 "I'm just trying to protect you."
15:33 "You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid."
15:35 Number 5.
15:36 Why isn't Aladdin a prince? Aladdin.
15:39 When they first meet, the genie lays out some rules
15:41 about what kinds of wishes he can grant.
15:43 "Rule number one, I can't kill anybody."
15:45 "Yeah, so don't ask."
15:47 "Or rule number two, I can't make anybody fall in love with anybody else."
15:52 "Mwah!"
15:53 "You little punim there."
15:55 Aladdin's first wish is to be a prince,
15:57 and genie turns him into Prince Ali-Ababwa.
16:00 Yet for the rest of the movie,
16:01 everyone acts like Aladdin is only pretending to be a prince.
16:05 He refuses to free the genie because he believes he's not really a prince,
16:08 and the genie doesn't contradict him.
16:10 "After all, you've lied to everyone else."
16:12 "Hey, I was beginning to feel left out.
16:13 Now if you'll excuse me, master."
16:17 So is Aladdin a prince or not?
16:19 And if he's not a real prince, why not?
16:22 If the genie can turn Jafar into a sultan,
16:24 we don't get why he can't turn Aladdin into an actual prince.
16:27 "Well, I feel sheepish."
16:31 Number 4.
16:32 How can Pocahontas speak English?
16:34 Pocahontas.
16:34 "Listen with your heart, you will understand."
16:41 When John Smith first meets the daughter of the Powhatan chief,
16:44 there's a bit of a communication barrier.
16:46 He speaks English and she speaks an Algonquin language.
16:49 Somehow, by "listening with her heart,"
16:52 she's magically able to understand John and speak English with him.
16:56 "Pocahontas."
16:57 "What? What did you say?"
17:00 "My name is Pocahontas."
17:03 We get it.
17:06 You want to create a historically inaccurate romance between your two main characters,
17:11 so they have to be able to talk to each other.
17:13 The movie doesn't have time to show the long,
17:16 difficult process of learning a new language,
17:18 so the filmmakers hand-wave it away with magic.
17:21 But it's not a real explanation,
17:22 and it's also rather lazy writing.
17:24 "You think that only because you don't know any better.
17:27 Wait a minute, don't take it that way.
17:31 Hey, hey, wait!"
17:33 Number 3.
17:34 Why can't Ariel write notes to Eric, the little mermaid?
17:37 "You've got it, sweet cakes.
17:39 No more talking, singing, zip."
17:42 "But without my voice, how can I?"
17:45 "You'll have your looks, your pretty face.
17:49 And don't underestimate the importance of body language."
17:54 We know she can write because she signs a legally binding contract
17:58 that even King Triton can't break.
18:00 And we know that Ariel and Eric speak the same language,
18:03 because she understands him and they talk to each other at the end.
18:06 So why is he relying on guessing games and a talking crab to learn her name?
18:09 "Ariel?
18:10 That's kind of pretty.
18:13 Okay.
18:14 Ariel."
18:16 We suppose it's possible that Eric can't read,
18:18 but the movie never establishes that one way or another.
18:21 If the creators don't want us nitpicking this plot hole,
18:24 then don't make it a point to explicitly show us that Ariel can write.
18:28 "I just don't know what we're going to do with you, young lady."
18:31 "Daddy, I'm sorry, I just forgot."
18:33 Number 2.
18:34 How old is the Beast?
18:35 Beauty and the Beast.
18:37 "The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose,
18:42 which would bloom until his 21st year."
18:44 Let's do the math.
18:46 When the prince is cursed and turns into a beast,
18:48 the enchantress tells him he must find true love by the time the last rose petal falls.
18:53 Later, during Be Our Guest, Lumiere reveals exactly how long the curse has been in effect.
18:57 "Ten years we've been rusting,
18:59 needing so much more than dusting,
19:02 needing exercise, a chance to use our skill."
19:06 That means the prince wasn't even 11 years old when he was cursed.
19:09 In fact, the sequel Beauty and the Beast, The Enchanted Christmas confirms it.
19:13 The prince was a young boy when he was put under the spell.
19:16 That seems like a pretty harsh punishment for a kid
19:19 who is arguably making a responsible decision by not letting a stranger into his house.
19:23 "Yes, awful, isn't it?"
19:26 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
19:30 Why does Rapunzel's hair lose its power when it's cut?
19:33 Tangled.
19:34 The flower retains its magic after it's cut, so why doesn't her hair?
19:37 "The magic of the golden flower healed the queen."
19:41 Why doesn't Tarzan speak with a British accent?
19:44 Tarzan.
19:44 Jane is British and Tarzan learns English from her,
19:47 so he should have the same accent.
19:49 "Go see England today, come home tomorrow."
19:52 "Oh, no. Well, you see, it would be very difficult to come back. Ever."
19:58 Why was Quasimodo put in Frollo's care, the hunchback of Notre Dame?
20:02 He was ready to kill this baby about 30 seconds earlier.
20:05 "Care for the child and raise it as your own."
20:08 "What? I'm to be saddled with this misshapen? Very well."
20:14 Why was Stitch in the kennel?
20:15 Lilo and Stitch.
20:17 Does anyone actually think this creature's a dog?
20:19 "We thought it was dead. It was hit by a truck."
20:21 "I don't like 'em. Come here, boy."
20:24 Is Ariel cool with eating seafood?
20:26 The Little Mermaid.
20:28 When your best friend is a fish, you probably won't want to snack on them.
20:32 "Quel dommage, what a loss. Here we go, in ze sauce. Now some flour, I think just la dame."
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20:54 Number 1. Why do the glass slippers remain unchanged?
20:58 Cinderella.
20:58 After her evil stepsisters destroy her dress, Cinderella's fairy godmother turns the scraps
21:03 into a gorgeous ball gown. She also changes Cinderella's plain shoes into magical glass
21:08 slippers, but warns that the enchantment will end at midnight.
21:11 "Oh, I understand, but it's more than I ever hoped for."
21:16 As Cinderella flees the castle, the clock strikes 12, and her coach,
21:20 horses, and dress all change back. But not the shoes. This is never explained.
21:25 "Thank you. Thank you so much for everything."
21:30 Cinderella seems to think the slipper is a gift from her fairy godmother,
21:33 but if she's capable of casting a permanent spell, why not gift Cinderella something more useful?
21:38 Like a way to escape her terrible living situation. Maybe the entire thing was a
21:42 plot to get Cinderella together with the prince, but there must be less convoluted
21:46 ways to accomplish that. "I don't even know your name, how will I find you?"
21:50 "Wait! Please wait!"
21:52 Which plot hole has been bugging you since you first saw the movie? Let us know in the comments.
21:56 "Goodbye now. Goodbye. Goodbye. Thank you. Goodbye."
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