While you could usually remove it by simply removing cloud from your config, it’s not quite so simple if you have a newer config that uses default_config. In that case, you’d have to remove default_config and go about adding all of these back (except cloud, obviously).
Update: The list for default_config is now in the dependencies of the manifest.json.
The only lines in my configuration with cloud refer to weather conditions.
Where is this documented especially for new users? This is likely my issue since cloud: is not in my configuration.
here :
https://github.com/home-assistant/home-assistant/blob/dev/homeassistant/components/default_config/init.py
I think there should be a customization doc for semi-new users listing all these “secret handshakes” 
Yes. I searched with configurator I do have default_config: though.
then you need to disable or remove that line, and add all stuff manually what you want
Maybe come over to discord where there is better back and forth. https://discord.gg/u3x9z6d
Edit: expired link now not expired
I see what I need to do now. I just would like to make it easier for others in the future.
Thanks for your assistance. I will make those changes this evening.
I will likely eventually join but the invite is invalid. 
UPDATE:
Thanks, all I found several “default_config” entries already in my config.yaml. After deleting them & commenting out the cloud component I was able to remove that item.
A bit off topic but not totally:
On a good day the clouds will disappear and the sun shine with a nice blue sky…
And that is the reason I like Home Assistant, nothing needs to be done in the cloud, you can do (almost) everything local. And if this (not so) good day comes that the clouds (providers) disappears, Home Assistant will still work!
As already mentioned, one way to remove the Home Assistant Cloud menu is to manually prescribe the necessary Default Config components via ‘config:’ in configuration.yaml, the second is to edit the manifest.json file of the default_config component.
Here I’m talking about the second option. This is not the laziest way, surely knowledgeable people will do it better and faster. And, unfortunately, this has to be repeated every time you update HA. Also, this method is only suitable for those who use ha in docker by default with a standard installation.
On the ssh command line:
sudo docker exec -it $(sudo docker ps -aqf "name=^homeassistant$" |awk '{print $1}') bash
// we are already in the right container and can execute the commands we need
cd /usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/default_config
vi manifest.json
// VI specific text editor…
// PRESS ‘i’
// Edit the file removing the line with ’ “cloud”, ’
// PRESS ‘esc’
// PRESS ‘Page Down’ and PRESS ‘end’
// WRITE (without quotes) ‘:wq’
// PRESS ‘inter’
// Check the result of changes in the file (optional)
vi manifest.json
// Restart core HA
Until you update home assistant.
Here is the current list of default_config: components from manifest.json:
application_credentials:
automation:
cloud:
counter:
dhcp:
energy:
frontend:
history:
input_boolean:
input_button:
input_datetime:
input_number:
input_select:
input_text:
logbook:
map:
media_source:
mobile_app:
my:
network:
person:
scene:
script:
ssdp:
sun:
system_health:
tag:
timer:
usb:
webhook:
zeroconf:
zone:
My configuration.yaml now looks like this:
####################################################################
# Configure a default setup of Home Assistant (frontend, api, etc) #
####################################################################
#default_config:
application_credentials:
#automation:
#cloud:
counter:
dhcp:
energy:
#frontend:
history:
input_boolean:
input_button:
input_datetime:
input_number:
input_select:
#input_text:
#logbook:
map:
media_source:
mobile_app:
my:
network:
person:
#scene:
#script:
ssdp:
sun:
system_health:
tag:
timer:
usb:
#webhook:
zeroconf:
#zone:
homeassistant:
customize: !include customize.yaml
alexa: !include alexa.yaml
api:
automation: !include automations.yaml
(etc.)
Except for cloud:, the other commented items were due to duplicate keys as they were defined later in my config.
In my opinion it’s a pitty that cloud is in the default_config.
It’s okay when cloud: is in the standard configuration.yaml, but i don’t think many ha users want to use the cloud feature…
There’s a lot of stuff in default_config that shouldn’t be in there, as far as I see it. At least for advanced users.
I’m dealing with this by modifying the manifest.json, as @Aldaran mentioned. But instead of doing it manually, I run a custom post-install / post-update script that removes entries i don’t like from the json (and the script modifies the HA source code in various other ways too, to patch/remove things I don’t like). Pretty automated and hands off, unless the component json structure changes someday (unlikely but not impossible, seeing how trivially breaking changes are thrown around left and right in this project).
It would be nice if something like disable could be set:
default_config:
exceptions:
- cloud
discussed already to death. short answer: devs refuse to accept that (someone did that but it has been rejected from the release). If you want to exclude single integration you have to maintain the whole list on your own. This is devs stance
“exceptions” as suggested, should be the right way to do it. Basically this is a Nag Item and it’s right on top of all items.