1. When Bambi's mother dies
The melancholic music makes it so much worse when Bambi trots around in the heavily falling snow calling "Mother! Mother, where are you?" and we all know that she's been hit by one of the gunshots.
2. The boat scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka's totally manic monologue and the insane lighting of this scene cause viewers to feel really quite stressed out and panicky. I think we were all clenching our butts during this scene. It's been likened to a psychedelic trip.
3. The forest scene from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
The grotesquely huge hands with long, spindly fingers grabbing at her cape... *shudders*.
4. When the Grand High Witch reveals her true self in The Witches
She literally pulls off her face and reveals a hideous, warty, skin-flapping head beneath. And don't get me started on the rat-witches in this film later on.
5. The Pink Elephant scene in Dumbo
The body made of eyeless elephant heads marching at an alarming pace straight at you is probably the most terrifying part of this spectacularly frightening song. Tim Burton is said to be making a version that's even scarier.
6. The pig parents in Spirited Away
This film has a number of surreal and disgusting creatures (special shoutout to that rancid sludge creature). But especially scarring for children is the idea that your parents have turned into actual pigs because they were too greedy, and are now monstrously shoveling food into their snouts.
7. The Finding Nemo anglerfish scene
The death of a parent and the kidnapping of a young, crippled boy is distressing enough. But how about that awful, awful anglerfish in the deep dark ocean?! That scene caused me to actually jump out of my seat and it really gave me the heebie jeebies.
8. When Artax helplessly sinks in the swamp in The Neverending Story
It's a known fact that people get more upset when animals die than other significant human characters. So to see Atreyu lose his noble steed in the Swamp of Sadness... just heartbreaking.
9. When Widow Tweed releases Tod back to the wild in The Fox and the Hound
I blame the waterworks on the mournful harmonica and the soul-crushing look of disbelief on Tod's face in their goodbye hug.
10. The death-by-acid scene in Who Framed Roger Rabbit
This scene really opens eyes to the cruelty of the world. A poor little shoe is murdered in a bucket of acid, and it wriggles, squeaks and squeals as it is slowly dipped in.
11. The flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz
There are so many of them and they make scary cooing sounds.
12. When Hexxus rises to power in FernGully: The Last Rainforest
The dark and ancient oil spirit begins to wreak chaos and grows in strength, first an oozing, steaming voice, then a slimy snake-like blob, then a skeletal figure dancing burlesque and finally, a huge godlike figure of poisonous slime.
13. The tree scene in The Last Unicorn
The red bull is scary and all, but this loved-up tree is somehow more terrifying. The enchanted tree has enormous bosoms that nearly smother poor Schmendrick who is tied around it. It's kind of funny, but mostly scary and weird.