Disney is the most impactful and popular media company of all time and one of the biggest companies in America. They’ve been around making movies since even the early days of 1928, and in the numerous movies that they’ve released since then, there are far more amazing ones than not. It’s incredible how great their batting average has consistently been.
Whether they’re produced by Walt Disney Animation or in partnership with Pixar, almost every movie put out under the Disney brand has been one for the ages. The company hasn’t gotten a reputation like this with simply alright movies, though. Almost every animated project they’ve made has, at the very least, been pretty dang good from the ground up. There are many that can be considered pretty much perfect from start to finish, too.
10
‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2002)
Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
With the really rough live-action remake having just come out, audiences find themselves looking back on the original Lilo & Stitch from 2002. The viewers who grew up on this movie hold it in very high regard for its gorgeous animation, love for Elvis Presley, the heartwarming story about family, and its incredibly lovable characters.
The iconic quote, “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten,” describes the message of the movie perfectly, and the message describes why this movie is so special. It is so iconic to this very day, and it is the best example of why Disney needs to stop making live-action remakes. Sure, the new one may have made a lot of money, but it acts as a total antithesis to the original, which means it’s a far better decision to watch this film instead—a movie whose quality is consistent throughout the entire runtime.
9
‘A Goofy Movie’ (1995)
Directed by Kevin Lima
A Goofy Movie is, to this day, one of the most iconic Disney flicks and is still celebrated. The movie even recently had its 30th anniversary, which Disney made a huge deal about, going as far as to ship online personalities some promo boxes. The Disney social media pages also posted about it a ton. This is because this goofy film’s heart, soul, and hilarity make it something worth watching to the very end.
When Max (Jason Marsden) is forced to go on a road trip with his “embarrassing” father, Goofy (Bill Farmer), he stresses about a girl he has a crush on, unsure if he can live up to a promise he made to her. It’s a wonderful coming-of-age tale that never loses its charm even for a second, and that makes it something truly worth remembering.
8
‘Toy Story’ (1995)
Directed by John Lasseter
With the recent announcement of Toy Story 5 earlier this year, it’s more than clear that Toy Story created a franchise that is incredibly popular. Toy Story is the very first fully computer-generated movie ever made, which makes it monumental for the film industry. That alone couldn’t have made it as popular as it is today, though. A lot of its fame comes from the quality.
Not only does it have a great reputation in media history, but it also tells one of the most emotionally compelling Disney/Pixar stories of all time. It also, in general, is a genuinely very unique and original idea that immediately hooks whoever is watching it. The character arcs between Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) are exceptionally well-written.
7
‘Up’ (2009)
Directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
It’s commonly agreed upon that no animated movie makes audiences cry as early in the runtime as Up. The opening of this movie depicts the love life of Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner) and his wife, Ellie Fredricksen (Elie Docter). While it starts happily as could be, it quickly becomes absurdly heartbreaking as Ellie unfortunately passes away from sickness, leaving Carl alone and angry.
However, when he finally accomplishes his goal of making his house fly so he can bring his house all the way to a place in South America called Paradise Falls, he finds a stowaway named Russell (Jordan Nagai). This young scout and old man go on an adventure together that gets them into all sorts of trouble and turns the heartbreak at the beginning of the movie into a beautifully heartwarming ending.
6
‘Aladdin’ (1992)
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
When asked about the greatest Disney animated films of all time, most people have Aladdin come to their minds within the group. There’s a certain charm about Aladdin that makes it unforgettable. Everyone loves an underdog story, and there are few that live up to the likes of Aladdin.
The young and down-on-his-luck Aladdin (Scott Weinger) must go on a journey with a magical Genie (Robin Williams) to put a stop to the evil Jafar’s (Jonathan Freeman) plans and protect Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin). It’s a story about how one doesn’t need to be special or powerful to make a change and be a hero, and that appealed very well to audiences, who want to see his underdog take home a win.
Aladdin
- Release Date
-
1994 – 1994
- Network
-
CBS, Syndication, Disney Channel
Cast
5
‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)
Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
There’s a very good reason why Belle (Paige O’Hara) is many people’s favorite Disney princess. Beauty and the Beast is one of the best Disney princess movies ever made. Its message is not only important to children, but to adults as well. Everyone has something to learn from Beauty and the Beast, as it teaches people not to judge a book by its cover and that true beauty lies within.
Despite coming out in 1991, the animation is still astounding to this day. The hand animation of old Disney Animation films still easily surpasses that of a lot of CGI animated movies and Beauty and the Beast is a great example. Seeing this gorgeous princess fall in love with this monster because she can see his personality within is genuinely moving.
4
‘The Princess and the Frog’ (2009)
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
With The Princess and the Frog being made by the same directors who brought Aladdin to life, everyone knew this was going to be a wonderful film from beginning to end. The movie flips the iconic plot device of kissing a prince frog to turn him human completely on its head. When Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) tries to do this, it turns her into a frog too, and now she must venture out to fix both of their conditions.
With Tiana having big dreams and wanting to be a restaurant owner, The Princess and the Frog tells audiences that hard work leads to success, but one must also appreciate the journey to get there. Of the more modern Disney Animation films, The Princess and the Frog is easily in the top three. It’s a genuinely fun idea that keeps audiences hooked the entire time.
3
‘The Incredibles’ (2004)
Directed by Brad Bird
Before the superhero genre truly exploded in popularity, Pixar and Disney decided to take their own swing at it with the renowned director of The Iron Giant, Brad Bird. Developing their own world where superheroism is pretty much outlawed, Bird tells the story of the Parr family getting sucked back into the superhero game thanks to Bob (Craig T. Nelson) dipping his toes in the water again.
Even with how much Marvel and DC reign over the superhero Hollywood space at the moment, The Incredibles continues to have one of the most unique styles, vibes, and stories of the superhero genre. It’s a great story of family, and that makes it accessible for pretty much anyone, even superhero fans that might not like kids for all ages.
2
‘The Lion King’ (1994)
Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff
Like Lilo & Stitch, The Lion King is another perfect example of why Disney simply should not be doing live-action remakes. This movie is exceptional and contains some of the best animation and songs in a Disney animated film. Tunes like “Hakuna Matata” and “Circle of Life” continue to be some of the most listened to Disney songs even in 2025.
The wonderful voice acting from the likes of Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones (rest in peace), Whoopi Goldberg, Rowan Atkinson, and more makes these characters come to life in the best way possible. Self-discovery is something that is super relatable and Simba’s journey of doing so connects audiences to him very well.
1
‘Tangled’ (2010)
Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
Of Disney’s CG-animated films, Tangled is quite easily one of, if not their best. Taking the characters from the fairy tale, Rapunzel, Tangled weaves a whole new story that brings the titular character across the land, alongside Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), to discover her true self and see the floating lanterns that occur every year.
People adore Tangled because of how cute, heartfelt, and beautiful it is. To this day, a lot of younger audiences consider this their favorite Disney animated film, and clearly it’s for very good reason. Every second of Tangled is an absolute joy to watch, and 15 years later, that has not changed one bit.
