Did you grow up watching Disney movies? With fantastic stories, evergreen characters, and 80 years of experimentation, Disney has created some marvelous movies for us. It has brought many timeless characters like Dumbo, Bambi, Simba, and more. So far, the studio has created 60 movies starting from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), out of which I have ranked the newer computer-animated movies for you. You can get a Disney+ plan to watch the majority of the movies. Whereas others are available to buy on YouTube. So, if you’re ready to explore the musical world of Disney movies, let’s begin.
Best Animated Movies from Disney (2022)
Disney has experimented with a lot of films bringing timeless characters into existence. Whether it be Simba from The Lion King or Elsa from Frozen, these characters have created a cult following among children. Disney’s acquisition of Pixar, Marvel, and other big production houses has added many new movies to the list. However, we will only look at the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ original movies in this article. So, here are the best Disney animated movies from 1990 to 2022.
1. The Lion King (1994)
IMDb: 8.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Metacritic: 88%
Directors: Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones
Release date: 24 June 1994
Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
The Lion King is the most successful Disney production to date. Everything about this movie, from characters, stories, and songs, is worth praising. I can’t recall the first time I saw this one, but the song “Circle of Life” takes me on a nostalgic trip each time. The story is about a young lion prince, Simba, who is supposed to rule one day. However, his evil uncle Scar cast him out of pride, blaming him for his father’s death. Simba runs away too far and becomes very weak. Soon, Timon and Pumba save him and raise him as their friend. They also give us the greatest motto of life; Hakuna Matata, meaning no worries for the rest of your days. The story then builds a solid plot to show Simba’s destiny and how he fulfills it. It’s a great watch for every generation and the best Disney animated movie, without a doubt. The movie was followed by two sequels, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (1998) and the prequel/parallel, The Lion King 1½ (2004). In addition, it also has two television series, Timon and Pumbaa and The Lion Guard. A photorealistic animated version of the film was released in 2013.
2. Aladdin (1992)
IMDb: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Metacritic: 86%
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Cast: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin
Release date: 25 November 1992
Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes
Aladdin is a small thief from the city of Agrabah. He usually steals food with the help of his pet, Abu the monkey. The adventure begins when Aladdin meets Jasmine, a princess who is about to marry someone by her father’s wish. Jafar, the King’s advisor, fanatic about a magic lamp, sends Aladdin to retrieve it from the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin finds the lamp in the cave and rubs it to bring out the Genie. The fun-loving blue-colored Genie only wishes to have his freedom. He grants Aladdin three wishes to use. The story builds up as Aladdin tries to woo Jasmine using his wishes. In a subplot, Jafar tries hard to get hold of the lamp. Adapted from the One Thousand and One Nights, Aladdin is another popular Disney character. The movie is full of adventure and a great story. The movie was followed by a three-season animated series in 1993, two sequels titled The Return of Jafar (1994) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), and a live-action adaptation in 2019.
3. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
IMDb: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Metacritic: 95%
Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
Cast: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Jesse Corti
Release date: 22 November 1991
Runtime: 1 hour 24 minutes
Disney created the most beautiful love story ever told when a young princess sees through a beast and breaks all preconceived notions about love. It is a story of a young, selfish prince Adam. He is cursed by a mysterious enchantress to having the appearance of a monstrous beast. The only way to break the curse is to love a young girl and make her love himself. The beast gets his chance when a young maiden named Belle offers to take the place of her ill father, Maurice as a prisoner. The whole staff of the castle is also enchanted who helps the girl appreciate the beast. She soon falls in love with the creature, and the story begins. However, back in the village, unscrupulous hunter Gaston has evil plans for Belle. A live-action version of the film was released in 2017, starring gorgeous Emma Watson.
4. Zootopia (2016)
IMDb: 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Metacritic: 78%
Directors: Rich Moore, Byron Howard
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba
Release date: 4 March 2016
Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes
Zootopia is a fun city consisting of animals of every kind. You will find every mammal from the largest elephant to the smallest shrew. We follow Judy Hopps, the first rabbit to join the police force. Surprisingly, no one takes her seriously because of her small size, and she feels incompetent. Determined to prove herself, Judy picks up a mysterious case about animals going savage and falling back into their killing instinct. The task requires her to work with Nick Wilde, a canny fox who makes her job even harder. Zootopia cleverly creates humorous situations with a colorful imagination of humanized animals. There are many jokes throughout the movie which make it fun to watch. It is one of the best-written animated films by Disney. A spin-off sequel series is scheduled for 2022 on Disney+.
5. Tangled (2010)
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Metacritic: 71%
Directors: Byron Howard, Nathan Greno
Cast: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy
Release date: 24 November 2010
Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
Tangled is a story of a young princess inspired by a German fairy tale of Rapunzel and her magic hair. The story begins as the queen is about to die in childbirth, but the royal guards bring a magic flower to rescue her. The flower was used by Mother Gothel for centuries to stay young. The queen births a baby princess with golden hair. When Mother Gothel discovers the princess is carrying the magic in her hair, she kidnaps her and names her Rapunzel. Locked in a tower for years, Rapunzel is curious about the flying lights in the sky which appear each year on her birthday.
Meanwhile, a bandit named Flynn Ryder climbs the tower one day to hide from royal guards. Rapunzel takes him captive to convince Gothel that she can take care of herself. However, she ends up striking a deal with Flynn to take her to the source of the floating lights. She has an epic adventure on the journey and discovers some exciting truths.
6. Big Hero 6 (2014)
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 74%
Directors: Chris Williams, Don Hall
Cast: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung
Release date: 7 November 2014
Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes
Big Hero 6 is my favorite Disney animated movie, without any doubt. We follow the life of Hiro Hamada, a robotics prodigy who has already completed school at the age of 13. The movie begins by showing off his robotics skill in an illegal gambling robot fight pit. His brother, Tadashi Hamada, asks him to use his abilities for a better cause instead of running behind money. Tadashi takes him to his college, where all his friends work on cutting-edge technology and almost sci-fi-looking concepts. Impressed by the college, Hiro creates a project to impress the judges at a science fair and enter the college. However, things go south, and after an accident at the fair, Hiro loses his will to do more. He then discovers his brother’s college project, Baymax. Trying to find what happened to his microbots, Hiro discovers some brutal truths and decides to solve the mystery behind the accident. The whole movie is a lot of fun to watch, and I bet you will fall in love with Baymax. The movie is followed by a sequel series titled Big Hero 6: The Series and a spin-off named Baymax!
7. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Metacritic: 72%
Directors: Rich Moore
Cast: John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch
Release date: 2 November 2012
Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes
After being repeatedly despised by the fellow non-playing characters from the video game, the game villain Ralph decides to be good like his game’s hero, Fix it Felix. All the gaming characters are connected via the power chords to other games. So, Ralph decides to enter a new game to win a medal to prove his worth. However, he sabotages the game and ends up taking a bug with him in a candy racing game. There he meets Vanellope, a glitchy character barred from playing. He tries to help her, and their adventure begins. Meanwhile, Fix it Felix game members are afraid that their game will be disconnected from the gaming arcade since Ralph is missing. The overall story build-up and concept of the movie are unique and appreciable.
8. Moana (I) (2016)
IMDb: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Metacritic: 81%
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House
Release date: 23 November 2016
Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes
People of the Polynesian island of Motunui worship the goddess Te Fiti. She is known to bring life to the ocean, whose power resides in a stone that works as her heart. Maui is a shapeshifting demigod who once stole the stone to give humans the power of creation. However, a volcanic demon, Te Ka, attacks him, and Te Fiti disintegrates. Maui loses his shapeshifting hook and the stone to the ocean. A millennium later, the ocean chooses Moana, daughter of Motunui’s chief Tui to return the magical stone to Te Fiti. However, her father and mother try to keep her away from the hardships of the journey and try to convince her to take the position of the island chief. Reluctant, Moana goes on the adventure with her pet cock and finds Maui. With the help of the ocean, she embarks on her adventurous journey to bring the goddess back to life. The story metaphorically shows how humans are disrupting nature, the only source of creation.
9. Mulan (1998)
IMDb: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Metacritic: 71%
Directors: Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook
Cast: Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong
Release date: 19 June 1998
Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
Coming from an honored family, Mulan is a tomboy daughter to Fa Zhou, an army veteran. When the Huns invade China, the emperor calls one man from every family. However, Mulan’s father has an old injury and can’t walk properly. Therefore, Mulan decides to take his place in the army, portraying herself as a man. A matchmaker recently rejected her for causing trouble and has a keen enthusiasm to prove herself. She starts her journey after praying to the ancestors for protection and luck. The ancestors awake and decide to send a dishonored dragon Mushu, to aid Mulan in her quest. Mulan completes her training and moves forward to stop the Huns. After falling into the enemy’s trap, Mulan comes up with a brave idea that will reveal her gender but might save China. It is a noteworthy adventure story with okayish animation from the time. The movie was followed by a sequel in 2004 and a live-action adaptation in 2020.
10. The Little Mermaid (1989)
IMDb: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Metacritic: 88%
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements
Cast: Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Rene Auberjonois
Release date: 17 November 1989
Runtime: 1 hour 23 minutes
The Little Mermaid is loosely based on a fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen. Ariel is the youngest daughter of King Triton. She is dissatisfied with her limited life in the sea and wants to visit the unexplored realm of the land. Her father, King Triton, reluctantly stops her each time, thinking about the savage fish eaters. It led to frequent arguments between Ariel and her father. In an attempt to fulfill her wish, she meets Ursula, the Sea Witch. She strikes a deal with Ursula, but it has a few limitations. Having an evil personality, Ursula has notorious plans for the young princess and the King. The story is similar to any mainstream fairytale with a young princess, a king, a charming prince, and a villain. A live-action adaptation of the film is scheduled to release in 2023.
11. Frozen (I) (2013)
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 75%
Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff
Release date: 27 November 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes
Princess Elsa from the Kingdom of Arendelle poses magic to create ice and snow. She uses magic to play with her sister, Anna. However, she accidentally injures her one day. Concerned by the act, Elsa’s parents go to trolls who save Anna and make her forget her sister’s powers. After that, Elsa keeps her distance from Anna to protect her from the unpredictable powers. One day the King and Queen die in a storm leaving the kingdom to Elsa. She is afraid of people knowing about her magic and labeling her as a monster. On the coronation day, dignitaries from nearby kingdoms come to visit; one of them is prince Hans. Anna quickly falls in love with him and seeks Elsa’s approval for marriage. However, Elsa disapproves and freezes Arendelle in the act. Scared by the incident, she goes off to the north mountain to live a hermit life. However, she freezes the whole kingdom in an attempt to create an ice castle for herself. Anna goes to find Elsa and bring her back to make everything right. Elsa from Frozen is one of the most popular characters among kids and has garnered critical praise.
12. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Metacritic: 70%
Directors: Mark Dindal
Cast: David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt
Release date: 15 December 2000
Runtime: 1 hour 18 minutes
Kuzco is a selfish, narcissistic, and spoiled emperor of the Incan. He never looks after his villagers and has a bad attitude towards peasants. One day, he fires his cunning advisor, who then tries to kill him by poisoning. However, the potion turns him into a llama. So, she orders her dimwitted but kindhearted assistant to kill him, which he doesn’t do. The duo embarks on a journey to find ways to turn the emperor back into a human. The movie is filled with humorous dialogues and shows a modern character in an ancient setting. The film was followed by a short series named The Emperor’s New School, which picks up after the movie. Another spin-off movie focusing on the kindhearted assistant was released in 2005 by the title Kronk’s New Groove.
13. Encanto (2021)
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Metacritic: 75%
Directors: Byron Howard, Jared Bush
Cast: Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo
Release date: 24 November 2021
Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes
Encanto is a tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals. They live in a magic sentient house called Casita. Every family member is presented with magical powers like super strength, healing capabilities, super-sensitive hearing, and more on their 5th birthday. However, Mirabel is the only one in the family without any magic. She often feels neglected and less important within the family. One day, she sees the Casita breaking, which no one else can see. As she discovers the magic surrounding Casita is in danger, she takes it on her shoulders to protect the magic. It is one of the latest additions to Disney animated movies.
14. Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Metacritic: 75%
Directors: Carlos López Estrada, Don Hall
Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan
Release date: 5 March 2021
Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes
About 500 years ago, humans and dragons lived peacefully together in the land of Kumandra. With the magic of dragons protecting humans, everyone was in harmony. However, a wicked evil force called Drunn entered the realm, causing havoc and turning every living being into stone. The dragons sacrificed their life and protected humans by creating a magical stone. However, humans soon forget about unity, and war among them rose for the stone. The five kingdoms each have a piece of stone that can work only when united. Raya begins her journey to find the last living dragon, Sisu, and combine all stones to protect humans once again from the evil force. The movie presents a great story and a variety of characters. However, it still feels a little low on animation quality.
15. Lilo & Stitch (2002)
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Metacritic: 73%
Directors: Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois
Cast: Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere
Release date: 21 June 2022
Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes
Lilo and Stitch is a story about family and love. Lilo lives with her sister, Nani, after their parents’ demise. She feels outcasted from her friend circle, so Nani decides to get her a pet dog. Lilo chooses a blue sentient alien who is an experiment that ran away from its creator, finding shelter on EarthEarth. Lilo names the alien Stitch without knowing its actual identity.
On the other hand, Stitch plans to use Lilo as a human shield to protect itself from the captors. However, without any purpose or friends in life, Stitch starts to feel the warmth of family love he gets from Lilo and Nani. The movie has a great character arc, an enjoyable environment with Hawaiian music, laid-back feels, and a fantastic story. The film was followed by sequels, starting with Stitch! The Movie, a direct sequel series titled Lilo & Stitch: The Series, and two spin-offs, Stitch! and Stitch & Ai.
16. Tarzan (1999)
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Metacritic: 79%
Directors: Kevin Lima, Chris Buck
Cast: Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Brian Blessed
Release date: 18 June 1999
Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
We all have heard of this story at least once in our life. Whether it be Tarzan, the Jungle Book, or George of the Jungle, our main protagonist is always a boy raised by animals. Disney saw this opportunity and created an epic story for kids. Tarzan is a boy who is raised by apes in a jungle. He has never seen another human in his life and considers himself an ape. However, things change when he first interacts with other human beings. Some sinister people look at him as an opportunity to make money. Whereas some fall in love with his innocence. Now, Tarzan must decide whether to protect his home or choose his new life in England. The movie was followed by two sequel movies titled Tarzan & Jane (2002) and Tarzan II (2005) and a spin-off series named The Legend of Tarzan.
17. Treasure Planet (2002)
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
Metacritic: 60%
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Thompson, Martin Short
Release date: 27 November 2002
Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
This movie is Disney’s futuristic attempt on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. We follow a restless teen Jim Hawkins abandoned by his father and left with his lone mother. They run an inn together to survive, but it doesn’t satisfy Jim. One day he meets a dying captain who provides him with a holographic map of a treasure planet. Excited about the treasure hoping to use it to repair their inn, Jim embarks on the space adventure with a majestic crew. Jim grows close with the ship’s cook and forms a father-son relationship with him. The alien crew fights dangerous battles like a supernova, a black hole, and a ferocious space storm. When Jim thinks he is having the time of his life, he realizes that the crew members are pirates planning on a mutiny. The rest of the story shows a fantastic character arc, some breathtaking twists, and great animation.
18. Winnie the Pooh (2011)
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 74%
Directors: Stephen John Anderson, Don Hall
Cast: Jim Cummings, Craig Ferguson, John Cleese
Release date: 15 July 2011
Runtime: 1 hour 3 minutes
Winnie the Pooh is one of the oldest Disney characters with animated series and few movies. This short movie was launched in 2011 with a specific story. The plot explores the gang’s attempt to replace Eeyore’s lost tail. Christopher Robin decides to hold a competition where everyone will bring their replacement tail, and the winner will get a jar full of honey. After various attempts and confusion, the gang finally decides on the winner. However, Pooh is yet to come back with the prize. He is on an entirely different adventure, trying to collect the honey. In the end, Pooh finds the lost tail and selflessly gives it back to Eeyore. Everyone happy with Pooh’s act decided to present him with a grand prize. The movie contains all the recurring characters from Winnie the Pooh stories like Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Tigger, Owl, and more. Pooh is one of the best Disney characters popular among the children of all generations.
19. The Princess and the Frog (2009)
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Metacritic: 73%
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements
Cast: Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Oprah Winfrey
Release date: 11 December 2009
Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes
Loosely based on the German folk tale “The Frog Prince,” this movie reimagines the story of a prince trapped in a frog’s body. You might have read or listened to this story in your childhood. The frog turns back into the prince after a princess kisses him. However, in this movie, the plot is slightly different. We follow the life of a waitress, Tiana, devoted to opening her restaurant. She meets the talking frog, who convinces her of the story and promises to make her princess. Instead of turning the frog into the prince, the kiss turns Tiana into a frog. Then begins the journey to find the root of the curse and how to turn both the characters into their original form. This movie is special because even released in 2009, it uses Disney’s classic animation style.
20. Fantasia 2000 (1999)
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Metacritic: 59%
Directors: Eric Goldberg, James Algar
Cast: James Levine, Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman
Release date: 16 June 2000
Runtime: 1 hour 15 minutes
Fantasia is an experimental project by Disney which is nothing like an ordinary film. It consists of a series of short animations showing Disney’s range and great musical pieces. Fantasia went through a series of failed attempts as a sequel, the original being launched in 1940. The live concert-style presentation is supposed to show the idea behind Disney’s animation styles and vision. This movie came into being shortly after Michael Eisner became the chief executive officer in 1984. The scope for a sequel emerged after the commercial success of the original Fantasia’s home video release. The movie has eight segments, out of which six are performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Levine. It includes The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from the 1940 original. Moreover, each new segment is produced by combining traditional animation along with computer-generated imagery.
21. Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
IMDb: 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Metacritic: 71%
Directors: Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
Cast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot
Release date: 21 November 2018
Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes
Ralph Breaks the Internet takes place six years after saving the arcade from the Cy-Bugs attack in Wreck-it Ralph. We leave Litwak’s video arcade behind and dive into the expansive and thrilling world of the internet in an attempt to find a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, Sugar Rush. The adventurous journey brings our lead characters on the world wide web, which may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking. Both of the leads are unaware of how the internet works and rely on the internet’s citizens, the netizens, to find their way. We saw some recurring and famous characters from Disney, like all the princesses, including Ariel, Cinderella, Elsa from Frozen, and more. The inclusion of numerous characters from various movies and the unique concept of the movie make it one of the best-animated movies by Disney.
22. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
IMDb: 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Metacritic: 74%
Directors: Kirk Wise, Gary Trousdale
Cast: Demi Moore, Jason Alexander, Mary Kay Bergman
Release date: 21 June 1996
Runtime: 1 hour 31 minutes
Based on the 1831 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame explores the life of Quasimodo, a hunchback living an isolated life. His master and Minister of Justice, Claude Frollo, has assigned him the task of ringing the bells of Notre Dame cathedral and won’t allow him to go out. However, one day he sneaks out to go to a festival in the town where he meets an enchanting gypsy, Esmeralda. She develops a soft spot for Quasimodo and rescues him from the soldiers making fun of him. However, the incident makes her an enemy of Frollo. Similar to Esmeralda, the captain of the soldiers, Phoebus, also presents a helping hand. It is one of the darkest additions to Disney’s movie. The animated film has cut off some darker aspects of the novel. Still, it shed light on taboo topics for kids’ movies like infanticide, lust, antiziganism, damnation, genocide, and sin. The movie is followed by a direct-to-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002.)
23. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
IMDb: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 49%
Metacritic: 52%
Directors: Kirk Wise, Gary Trousdale
Cast: Michael J. Fox, Jim Varney, Corey Burton
Release date: 15 June 2001
Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
You might have heard about Atlantis; it’s an urban myth about an advanced city lost in the ocean. The movie reimagines the story in a 1914 setting. A young linguist orphan named Milo Thatch devotes himself to finding the secret of Atlantis’ destruction. However, his colleagues repeatedly ridiculed his ideas and enthusiasm for finding the lost island. He finds some hope when his late grandfather’s friend sponsors him for an expedition to find the island. Excitedly following The Shepherd Journal, a book supposedly having the directions to Atlantis, he successfully finds an entrance. A few Atlantic guardians welcome the crew by throwing them in danger on every step. He finds help from the princess of Atlantis, Kida, who is keen to bring Atlantis to its previous glory. However, some of the crew members are ill-intentioned trying to sell the powerful artifacts from the island to the highest bidder in the world. The movie is followed by a direct-to-video sequel, Atlantis: Milo’s Return(2003).
24. Bolt (2008)
IMDb: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Metacritic: 67%
Directors: Byron Howard, Chris Williams
Cast: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman
Release date: 21 November 2008
Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes
Bolt tells the story of a heroic dog who plays in a TV show but can’t recognize that he doesn’t even have superpowers. The plot of the show follows Bolt on his superhero journey of saving his owner, Penny, from the evil Dr. Calico. In one particular episode, Penny gets kidnapped, and Bolt is accidentally transferred to New York from Hollywood. Now, he must go back to Hollywood and find his owner with the help of a manky old cat, Mittens, and an overweight hamster in a plastic ball, Rhino. The movie explores philosophical concepts like self-discovery, love, and care.
25. Frozen II (2019)
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Metacritic: 64%
Directors: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck
Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad
Release date: 22 November 2019
Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes
Frozen 2 is a direct sequel to Frozen 1(2013). The movie takes place three years after the first film. Elsa has controlled her power and rules the peaceful kingdom of Arendelle. One day, a magical voice calls Elsa to the enchanted forest. We follow Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and the snowman Olaf on their adventure. A musical journey unravels the truth behind Elsa’s family, kingdom, and the origins of her magical powers. It is one of the few original sequels produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Overall, the movie has an excellent animation with a fine story.
26. Meet the Robinsons (2007)
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Metacritic: 61%
Directors: Stephen John Anderson
Cast: Daniel Hansen, Wesley Singerman, Angela Bassett
Release date: 30 March 2007
Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
Meet the Robinsons follows Lewis, a 12-year-old inventor boy left in an orphanage. Keen to find his biological mother, he invents a machine to look through his memories. Meanwhile, a weird kid named Wilbur Robinson says he’s from the future and warns Lewis about a guy in a bowler hat. Wilbur takes Lewis to spend a day in the future with Wilbur’s crazy family. While on the journey, Lewis discovers an amazing secret. The story is intense as they must stop the guy with the bowler hat from altering the future.
27. Brother Bear (2003)
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 37%
Metacritic: 48%
Directors: Aaron Blaise, Robert Walker
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis
Release date: 1 November 2003
Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes
Brother Bear takes place in a distant past. The story begins with three brothers as the EarthEarth emerges from the Ice Age. The tribal people believe everyone should fulfill an achievement to call themselves men. As their journey begins, we follow Kenai, the youngest brother turned into a bear in another body. Denahi, the middle brother, thinks a bear has killed Kenai. So, he vows revenge to kill the bear and unknowingly follows Kenai. Now, Kenai’s only hope for survival is befriending a grizzly cub named Koda. Kenai feels reluctant as he always had hatred towards bears. He finds love as Koda shows Kenai the real meaning of brotherhood. Thus, fulfilling his achievement. The story is beautifully written with great character arcs. The film is followed by a direct-to-video sequel, Brother Bear 2 (2006).
28. The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Metacritic: 70%
Directors: Mike Gabriel
Cast: Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, John Candy
Release date: 16 November 1990
Runtime: 1 hour 17 minutes
We follow Cody, a 9-year-old boy from Mugwomp. After receiving a distress call, he goes on a rescue mission about a trapped giant Golden Eagle called Marahute. He quickly gains a close friendship with the eagle after saving it. However, Cody and Marahute are soon abducted by the poacher, Percival McLeach. He wants to sell the highly endangered bird for a profit. Knowing about the incident, a mouse Cody has freed from one of McLeach’s traps sends a call for help to the Rescue Aid Society in New York City. The committee assigns their top agents, Miss Bianca and Bernard, to the task. The agents must save Cody and Marahute in time and stop McLeach from his evil plan.
29. Pocahontas (I) (1995)
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 55%
Metacritic: 58%
Directors: Eric Goldberg, Mike Gabriel
Cast: Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, Christian Bale
Release date: 23 June 1995
Runtime: 1 hour 21 minutes
It is a love story of a young Native American woman named Pocahontas and Captain John Smith who came to plunder the New World of its riches for England. He develops a romantic relationship with Pocahontas and wishes to marry her. However, Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas’ father, has pledged to marry his daughter to the village’s greatest warrior. So, he disapproves of their relationship. Meanwhile, Smith’s companion Ratcliffe believes the Native Americans are hiding the gold he expected to be plentiful. While he plans to rob them, the tribe believes the newcomers will destroy their land. Both must save the people from the war while standing true to their love.
30. Dinosaur (2000)
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
Metacritic: 56%
Directors: Ralph Zondag
Cast: D.B. Sweeney, Julianna Margulies, Samuel E. Wright
Release date: 19 May 2000
Runtime: 1 hour 22 minutes
It’s an era when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. After an attack on a pack of Iguanodon, an egg ends up in possession of some lemurs. The egg hatches and delivers a baby Dragon. Since there are no parents, the lemurs decide to take care of the newborn and name him Aldar. After several years, a meteorite falls to the island forcing its inhabitants to flee to the continent. There, Aladar meets other dinosaurs for the first time.
Meanwhile, he faces some real-life dangers which change his understanding of the world. The destruction also forces a herd of different herbivores to move to another place for food and protection against carnivorous predators. Aladar tends to help others first, which isn’t accepted among the herd. However, soon his methods prove useful as he saves the Lemurs and sees his species being destroyed.
Watch the Best Disney Animated Movies
We saw the best-animated movies by Disney, ranked by IMDb rating. The rating depends upon the user reviews and popularity of the film. Therefore, it is surely possible that you might prefer a lower rating movie for you. That said, each Disney movie is worth watching if you find the story interesting. You can also read our guide on the Best animated movies on Netflix. Which Disney movie would you like me to add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.
Aparna Ukil
