Last year, the Netflix original series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt went viral with a protagonist that feels like she was plucked out of literally any Disney film. And while Disney doesn’t have any involvement with the creation of this comedy series, Laughing Place’s favorite company was referenced over and over and over (proof). Season two is no exception and once again, I’m here to point out every Disney reference in case you missed any of them.
Episode 2: Kimmy Goes on a Playdate!
In the second episode of the season, Titus Andromedon’s closet falls apart because it has too many clothes in it. Kimmy, offering help, asks him “Do you really need all these clothes? I mean when’s the last time you really wore red suspender shorts or puffy white gloves?” Holding up Mickey’s iconic look, Kimmy looks at Titus confused. In response, Titus admits “Yes, Mickey Mouseing hasn’t been a thing in the community for quite some time.” He clearly hasn’t heard of Disney Bounding.
Later in the episode, Kimmy and Jacqueline are talking about how to fix her problems, using Robin Hood as a metaphor. “Do you know who Robin Hood is?,” she asks Kimmy. “Uh, yeah,” she replies. “That Disney movie where Robin Hood is a fox. When you were little, did you think he was handsome? And then, like, your crotch gets a headache?” A light turns on in Jacqueline’s eyes. “Are you kidding? That voice, and how he didn’t wear pants.” The two smile over their mutual attraction to fox Robin Hood.
Episode 3: Kimmy Goes to a Play!
While helping Jacqueline move in to her new apartment, Kimmy picks up a stack of boxes with ease, tossing them over her head. Surprised, she looks at jacqueline and asks “Were those empty? Or was one of the spiders that bit me…” Jacqueline interrupts her Marvel fantasy: “They’re empty.” This gets added to the many Spider-Man references from season one, which included a sequel to the Broadway flop Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.
Episode 4: Kimmy Kidnaps Gretchen!
While on a date, Titus and his date are having a hard time connecting. Mikey asks “Have you ever seen The Lion King?” to which Titus responds “I moved to New York because of The Lion King,” a reference to his origin story from season one. To connect these two opposites, Mikey uses Timon and Pumba as an analogy for how he imagined gay relationships would be. “When I first saw those guys, I was like ‘I’m seeing something special here.’ Those two little furry dudes caring for one another, singing songs, farting without judgement. They didn’t fit in with all the other meerkats and warthogs, but they fit in with each other.” With a sparkle in his eye, Titus chimes in: “And they adopted that Simba from Africa!” Closing the circle, Mikey adds “Forget bears and otters, we should all be meerkats and warthogs.”
Episode 5: Kimmy Gives Up!
When Jaqueline decides to give her son Buckley a drug to change his mood (Dyziplen), the two of them have a great day together for the first time. When she tells Kimmy about it, Kimmy doesn’t believe her. “Wait a minute… Are you sure it was the right Buckley? Did he have a British accent? Because you may have been Parent Trapped.”
Episode 6: Kimmy Drives a Car!
When Kimmy and Jacqueline have a fight, Kimmy becomes nothing more than her employee. While driving, she angrily fumes “From now on, all I care about is gettin’ paid, yo. Like the dad from Mary Poppins before he got them kites, son.”
Episode 7: Kimmy Walks into a Bar!
Another Mary Poppins joke comes in Episode 7 when Kimmy meets a man in a bar. She appreciates that his drinks keep coming with little umbrella’s. Under her breath, she mentions that she’s going to give them to “Mousey Poppins.”
Episode 8: Kimmy Goes to a Hotel!
When Kimmy escapes to a hotel with her crush Dong, things eventually turn a little romantic. Nervous about taking their relationship to the next level, Dong suggests that they wait. “No, I want to. Why else do you think I packed this fancy nightgown?” Removing her bath robe, Kimmy reveals an Elsa blue nightie and as she spins around, an Olaf rip-off is printed on the back.
Episode 9: Kimmy Meets a Drunk Lady!
When Kimmy gets some advice from a drunk therapist played by Tina Fey, she is reluctant to believe that she needs help. The therapist had suggested to Kimmy that she work to shrink her problems. Driving away flustered, Kimmy gives herself a pep talk. “Whatever, Andrea. I don’t need to be shrunk like some Rick Moranis kid. I’m blowin’ up like a Rick Moranis baby!” This is a double reference to both Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, in which Rick Moranis’ kids become ant-sized and get lost in their own backyard, and the sequel Honey, I Blew Up the Kid in which his youngest song becomes Godzilla sized in Las Vegas.
Episode 10: Kimmy Goes to Her Happy Place!
During a therapy session, Kimmy confesses that as a kid she saw herself as a Disney Princess. Traveling inside her mind, Kimmy’s happy place is an animated kingdom where she is a singing princess. After another session, her animated world grows dark. “You broke my happy place! It used to be like Disney World, but now it’s the unhappiest place on earth. Like everywhere else in Florida.”
Episode 13: Kimmy Sees a Sunset!
In the exciting season finale, Kimmy and Titus travel to Orlando where Kimmy’s mom lives. On their road trip from New York City, Titus expresses his concerns over becoming a cruise ship performer. Among them is this gem: “What if a sea witch says I can meet Prince Eric if I give her my voice? I’d do it, right?” I think we all would, Titus.
The rest of the episode takes place at Universal Orlando and surprisingly Kimmy never expresses an interest in going to Disney World, which isn’t too hard to understand in this NBC/Universal series. However, there is one error in the writing that is an unintentional Disney reference. You see, Kimmy and her mom have bought Universal’s Express Pass, which is a paid skip the line pass where you can experience each attraction once. Universal doesn’t offer this service for free the way Disney’s Fast Pass service works. With Fast Pass, you have a reserved time for your chosen attraction, but Express Pass works anytime. Kimmy and her mom spend a long time waiting for their designated time to ride Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket, something they would only need to do with Disney’s Fast Pass. Boom!
That’s everything I noticed in season two. I didn’t think it was possible to top the volume of Disney references from season one, but the writers managed to outdo themselves. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for season 3!