From slasher flicks to the next MCU installment, filmmaking unites people of all ages. The Disney animated film is unique in its own right, though. From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Up!, Walle-E, and so on, Disney is an instrumental part of society, providing children and young adults valuable lessons about life, and some of these lessons are harder to digest than others. Here are the harshest lessons learned in Disney's animated movies.

9 Inside Out - Sadness

2015's Inside Out is filled with several important messages regarding adolescence. Its titular character, Joy, is constantly coordinating to regulate Riley's feelings to ensure the preteen's happiness. After a mishap within Riley's mind, Joy goes on a journey to retrieve Riley's core memories and prevent the girl from experiencing any ill feelings. Ultimately, Joy learns that sadness is a normal human feeling, and there is nothing she can do to prevent Riley from experiencing it.

8 The Lion King - Consequences

While Simba himself is an innocent cub at the beginning of The Lion King, he is dealt a harsh lesson early on: actions have consequences. Mufasa warns Simba about not trespassing into hyena territory. When Simba disobeys Mufasa's orders lured by Scar, the consequences result in Mufasa's death. Simba isn't directly responsible for his father's death, but his response leads to disastrous consequences for his friends and family. The Pride Lands are overtaken by Scar and the hyenas; his mother is relegated to servitude, and the lionesses are on the verge of starvation. Simba eventually returns and assumes his responsibility over Mufasa's demise, accepting that every action has consequences, and no one individual can avoid repercussions forever.

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7 Toy Story 3 - Maturity

The Toy Story franchise centers on Woody and Buzz Lightyear being on a journey back home to their beloved owner, Andy. Nevertheless, Toy Story 3 presents audiences with an interesting twist: Andy is no longer a kid. About to head off to college, Andy is forced to make the decision of which of his lifelong toy companions he's going to take with him, and which will be left behind to sit in an attic indefinitely. This leads to a series of events that have Woody and the rest of the crew almost incinerated, but luckily, they make it back to Andy's home right before he's about to depart for college. Andy then reads a letter written by Woody and decides to donate his toys to Bonnie, a little girl who takes a liking to Woody early on in the movie. In one last moment of hesitation, Andy donates Woody to Bonnie, learning that maturity isn't only letting go of childhood attachments, but putting others needs before his own.

6 Coco - Mortality

Miguel has never felt like he belongs in his family, notably due to his fascination with music, which is deemed taboo by his grandmother. This doesn't stop Miguel from dabbling into music, teaching himself to play the guitar while idolizing the town legend, Ernesto de la Cruz. A heated debate with his grandmother leads Miguel to runaway from home, and accidentally stumbles into the afterlife during El Dia de los Muertos/The Day of the Dead. Miguel's journey back to the living world has him spending time with his great-great grandfather, Hector, while unraveling his family's secrets. Miguel manages to return to his family and finally breaks the stigma music holds over them, in the process learning that mortality is an unfortunate, but unavoidable part of life, bidding farewell to Hector and his great-grandmother, Coco, soon after.

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5 Frozen - Trust

Frozen makes an important commentary on the effects of parental loss at a young age. While Elsa resigns herself to seclusion to protect Anna from her powers, Anna longs to have a deep connection with anyone, a desire that increases when her parents unexpectedly perish. During Elsa's coronation, Anna meets and instantly falls in love with Hans, a prince from a neighboring kingdom who takes a quick interest in her. After a perilous journey to bring Elsa back to Arendelle and undo her sister's unintentional damage, Hans reveals himself to be nothing more than a conniving, power-hungry liar manipulating Anna to achieve his goals. While Ana's need for affection is a normal part of the human condition, she learns that not everyone can be trusted at first sight.

4 Hunchback of Notre Dame - Hypocrisy

Claude Frollo is one of the most vile villains introduced by Disney. He is murdererous, salacious, and hypocritical, hiding behind religion to justify his atrocities. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is namely a tale of true beauty versus superficiality, but its underlying message hits home harshly: the world's greatest hypocrites tend to hide behind a facade of self-righteousness.

3 Aladdin - Discrimination

Aladdin delivers several important lessons to audiences, having its hero go through a series of trial and error to achieve happiness alongside princess Jasmine. At its core, though, Aladdin delivers a tough message to digest: discrimination. Aladdin spends a good portion of the film being discriminated against for his social status: a penniless orphan struggling to survive. While Jasmine falls in love with Aladdin regardless of his economic standing, Aladdin suffers great mistreatment by everyone around him for simply being born into poverty.

2 Tangled - Sacrifice

Tangled presents a Disney princess like no other: Rapunzel. Spunky, brave, and adventorous, Rapunzel shows audiences that not every princess is a damsel in distress, often saving herself and Flynn from many grave situations. Yet, Flynn offers something important for anyone going through significant, inner growth: sacrifice. Even on the verge of death, Flynn decides to sacrifice his well-being to free Repunzel from the evil Mother Gothel, reiterating that love is often accompanied by forgoing one's own needs.

1 Mulan - Acceptance

Mulan undergoes one of the most impressive character arcs in Disney, starting her journey as a young woman looking to satisfy a regimented society to saving said society from an impending invasion. In the process, Mulan learns her value beyond marriage or societal norms; she learns self-acceptance. This lesson extends to the men surrounding Mulan; Shang learns that women hold equal value to men, both during times of war and in society; Mulan's army companions change their misogynistic beliefs over women in general; Mulan's father learns to accept Mulan as more than just the person responsible for upholding their family's honor; he accepts his daughter for being just that, his daughter, worthy of love at all times.