Disney Animated Films Ranked
Over the years, Disney has made some fantastic movies. They impact culture significantly every time one comes out. I’m going to rank them all worst to best using my dumbass opinions. This ranking is all wrong and very much affected by bias and nostalgia. So in the words of the great Super Mario: “Let’s a go!”
Number 55: Dinosaur
This is an all around awful movie. All the animation is off-putting and bland, the characters are somehow annoying and forgettable at the same time, and the story has been done hundreds times before better.
Number 54: Home on the Range
This was a very un-Disney feeling Disney film. I bet lots of people don’t know what it is. The songs are country which I rarely am a fan of and the celebrity voice actors really phone it in.
Number 53: Make Mine Music
This is the first of the many short compilations that spanned the 40’s. It’s inoffensive, but very forgettable.
Number 52: The Fox and the Hound
This is a well made movie that many adore. I personally despise it. I see it as mean spirited and bland. The storytelling is very well done (although the rough animation doesn’t do it any favors) and the characters are nice enough. I just really didn’t enjoy watching it.
Number 51: Oliver and Company
Whew! I can stop saying bad things about Disney! The following twenty or so entries are fun to watch and nice enough, but are just kind of forgettable. Oliver and Company is the most forgettable of the bunch.
Number 50: Brother Bear
I do not like the moose. I do not like them one bit. They are not okay. I do not like them. These moose will greet you at the gates of hell. They serve no purpose and are just kind of annoying and bring it down a bit. The rest is pretty okay.
Number 46: The Three Caballeros
Here is another one of those short compilations. I just liked these shorts a bit better. Mostly because of Donald.
Number 48: The Aristocats
Meh. The cats are cute.
Number 47: Fun and Fancy Free
This is another short compilation. This is hightened by the Mickey and the Beanstalk segment and the inclusion of the giant that has since become a recurring character in other media.
Number 46: 101 Dalmatians
Meh. The dogs are cute. Cruella De Vil is amazing!
Number 45: The Black Cauldron
This one is hard to remember other than the kick ass villain. This film’s box office nearly killed Disney though.
Number 44: The Rescuers
Meh. The mice are cute. The villain is pretty good and the interaction between characters is spot on.
Number 43: Atlantis: the Last Empire
Points for being ballsy! This movie has guns and swearing and sexual innuendo. It’s all very good. Michael J Fox’s character is a lot of fun as well. Too bad the story isn’t as memorable and the twist was easy to spot.
Number 42: The Sword in the Stone
I pains me to put this this low. This is a lot of fun. The Madam Mim scenes
are some of the best of Disney. The story however, is non existent.
Number 41: Bambi
I like this movie a lot. Bambi’s Mom’s death is one of the most impactful scenes in movie history. It’s a very charming movie overall. The storyline in this one is also very weak.
Number 41: Lady and the Tramp
Awww! Look at them with the spaghetti and the kissing and the Bella Note! It’s all so cute. The majority of it is a little boring though. And the Siamese Cats are so very racist.
Number 40: Peter Pan
This one is also very racist. If it didn’t have an entire musical sequence entitled “What Makes the Rec Man Red” smack dab in the middle of it, it would be much higher.
Number 39: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Awww! Look at the Pooh and the Piglet and the Eyore! It’s so freakin cute!
Number 38: Fantasia 2000
Some amazing sequences and images that ingrain themselves into your brain are halted to give you awkward cameos every 10 minutes.
Number 37: The Adventures of Icabod and Mr. Toad
The two poignant and fun segments are very memorable and leave you wondering what will happen to these rad characters.
Number 36: Fantasia
I mean, come on! It’s got Sorcerer Mickey and Chernabog! Bro! Some of the other songs aren’t as dark or fun though.
Number 35: Pocahontas
The songs are amazing. The scenes that are just Pocahontas and nature are captivating. Everything else is not.
Number 34: Winnie the Pooh (2011)
I put this one over the 1966 version for the charming plot and the super creative things that they do with the book setting. This is also the last hand drawn movie for Disney.
Number 33: Chicken Little
Disney fans almost always put this at dead last in these lists. Why am I putting this way up here above things like Fantasia and Bambi? Nostalgia that’s why.
Number 32: The Rescuers Down Under
This movie is so much fun. The Australian setting and the far superior villain is what puts this 14 slots ahead of the original. This also marks the beginning of the Disney Renaissance.
Number 31: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
This is about where my list goes downhill. This should be in the top 5! Why is it at 31? The answer is simple: this list is awful. MOVING ON!!!
Number 30: The Great Mouse Detective
This was the start of the Disney Renaissance in my opinion. It weaves a mystery that’s just fun to follow. The characters are endearing and memorable. It is also the first Disney film to use CGI. (The gear battle near the end.)
Number 29: Bolt
This is one of the few instances where celebrity voice actors work. (With the exception of Miley Cyrus as a preteen.) The characters all are very fun to watch interact with each other. While the plot of Bolt believing that he is an all powerful being despite being useless and coming to terms with the fact that he is not a fictional character is very similar to Buzz Lightear’s character arc in Toy Story, they do enough things differently that makes it feel original.
Number 28: The Princess and the Frog
I adore this films music and overall aura. It basically soaks up all the best parts (even if those parts are stereotypical) of New Orleans culture in a sponge and squeezes it out all over the tried and true Disney formula. It’s not original, but it is so much fun.
Number 27: Zootopia
This film shows city life in an amazing way, it represents cultures in an accurate metaphor, it lovingly crafts an engaging mystery, and it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. So I’m really not sure why I don’t want to watch this one again and again. I think it’s just a personal preference.
Number 26: Frozen
This is a fun twist on the aforementioned Disney Formula. It has one of the greatest sidekicks in Disney history, a rocking soundtrack, astounding visuals, and memorable characters. Too bad Disney squeezed money out of this franchise until it went dry.
Number 25: The Jungle Book
This is not a great film. The 2016 version was a huge improvement. The animation is pretty awful, a few songs are very forgettable, and it has little to no story. Why is it so high? Baloo man. He is one of the most likable characters ever. The majority of the songs are jamming and it has a hell of a villain. Also nostalgia.
Number 24: Pinnochio
I enjoy Disney’s second film much more than Snow White. The story is interesting and super dark, has THE best Disney sidekick, and created Disney’s theme song. Not too shabby.
Number 23: Alice in Wonderland
This one is just super fun. The overall feel of the film is full of fun, mystery, and a surprising amount of dredd.
Number 22: Tarzan
I think I’m the only one that likes this soundtrack. Phill Collins has become pretty much a joke, but he done good this time. This is a beautiful film to look at.
Number 21: Moana
Nearly squeezing into the top twenty is Disney’s most recent animated movie. The main reasons for it's success is the pretty great songs by my boi Lin Manuel Miranda and Moana herself. The character of Moana has taken the world by storm, deservedly so. She is the best role model of any princess in my opinion. This movie captivated me in the theater. I wasn't aware of the world around me. I was just experiencing the movie. It's not a complete package though. The villain is pretty bad and a few songs are lackluster.
Number 20: Lion King
Don't get me wrong, this is an amazing movie. The voice casting is brilliant and it has one of the best scenes in all of Disney with the Mufasa death scene. It also boasts one of the best, if not the best, openings for any movie ever. So why do I prefer the next 18 more? Well, while the overall story is powerful and emotional, the stuff in between the major story beats are not my favorite. I LOVE half of the soundtrack to this movie. The other half lands in mediocre Disney music to me.
Number 19: The Little Mermaid
This film needs to be high up on this list for the fact that it single-handedly saved Disney. With that aside, it still is a great movie. It has some of the best songs in Disney history and an amazing villain. It's a little sexist though.
Number 18: Mulan
This movie is so pretty! The shots of the armies marching down humungous hills covered in snow are still one of the most staggering shots in all of cinema. It has the best "I Wish" song in all of Disney, (Reflection) one of the best sidekicks, and an overall atmosphere that is just fun to be in for a few hours. Also it gave us THAT SEZCHWAN SAAAAUUUCCEEE!!!!
Number 17: Beauty and the Beast
This is what a lot of people think of when they think Disney. The ballroom scene, true love's kiss, Be My Guest, Gaston! Those are iconic names that most everyone associates with Disney. From the opening scene of the movie to the last it draws you in with it's spooky but hopeful atmosphere. I really don't know why this is this low. I need help.
Number 16: Hunchback of Notre Dame
This movie starts with the villain kicking a woman to the stairs, instantly killing her, and nearly drowning a baby. Yup. Shit's going down. I have this movie this high for the risks it took and the genuine emotion you feel throughout the movie. It isn't higher because of those damn gargoyles.
Number 15: Sleeping Beauty
Maleficent is the best. No argument. The fairies are amazing. No argument. The songs are some of the best in a movie. No question. The princess that the film is named after has more than 20 minutes of screen time. Well...
Number 14: Tangled
Flynn Rider and Repunzel is the best couple in Disney. I'll fight anyone who disagrees. This was the first CGI princess movie and they still haven't beaten it according to me. The rest of the movies I really don't have a problem with. It is just my preference from now on.
Number 13: Dumbo
I lied. This one has racist birds. The rest is lots of good though.
Number 10: Wreck it Ralph
As I am writing this, Wreck it Ralph 2 has not come out. I am so freaking excited! The original sets up so many things that can easily be expanded on while still being a fantastic movie on it's own rights. This is the best world building in any Disney movie by far.
Number 9: Treasure Planet
Dude, I love this movie. I mean, I adore this movie. Maybe I love it because it bombed. (I always root for the underdog) Maybe I love it because of its fantastic visuals. Maybe it's that one shot where the camera zooms into the moon off in the horizon and it is revealed that it is a gigantic space station shaped in a crescent moon AND ITS JUST THE COOLEST THING IN THE FREAKIN WORLD!!!!!! Or maybe it's because of the touching relationship between Long John Silver and Jim. I don't know. I just love it.
Number 8: Robin Hood
I could probably use the same arguments against this as some films near the bottom of this list. It has next to no story and one good song. I don't care. This is my list and I will watch Prince John suck his thumb all freakin day. Fight me.
Number 7: Big Hero 6
"Whaaaa? Disney made an animated Marvel movie? That's rad! Is it the Avengers?" "No." "Spider man?" "No." "Hulk?" "No." "Who?" "Big Hero 6." (Uncomfortable silence) Nobody heard of Big Hero 6 before Disney announced this movie. Even the most hardcore of fans had to Google it. Now Baymax is a household name. This movie is just so very endearing. It shows how someone would realistically deal with the death of a brother. You could even take the rest of the movie as a metaphor for dealing with his depression by finding friends and literally fighting his past. I love this movie.
Number 6: The Emperors New Groove
This is pure quotable goodness. There are countless amazing lines wizzing at you with such force. It never stops! It is so clever and gets serious and emotional when it needs to. Also Kronk is played by Patrick Warburton. Come on.
Number 5: Hercules
It surprised me to hear that some consider this movie a Zero when I consider so much of a Hero! The gospel music and stylized visuals really make this one very unique. I said that Malefecent is the best villain, but Hades is my favorite villain. This also has the best action in any Disney movie. Also my dog is named after this movie. So there’s that.
Number 4: Meet the Robinsons
In most lists, I see Meet the Robinsons always in the bottom 20. I don’t get it. Actually, I do. It’s weird and out there and no one gave a crap about Disney movies after Dinosaur and Home on the Range. I don’t know why I love it. Actually, I do. It’s weird and out there and really creative but it’s willing to stop for a moment and just play that beautiful soundtrack and listen to the characters. There isn’t a moment of boredom and I think this movie really helped create me as a person. There are jokes that are just so very clever, multiple brilliant twists, and you can tell that this movie was not afraid to be surprisingly dark.
Number 3: Aladdin
I think this is one of the only two in the top ten of my list that is also in most of the other rankings that I see. (This and the number 1 pick.) I’m not gonna lie. This movie is here because of Robin Williams as the genie. Never has there been better casting. The folks at Disney let him improvise the majority of his lines and the movie is greatly improved because of it. The rest of the film is also very strong with it’s memorable soundtrack and characters, but the Genie really puts it above the rest.
Number 2: Lilo and Stitch
Treasure Planet was a box office bomb and is on my top ten. Lilo and Stitch was a hit and is on my top ten. I consider Lilo and Stitch to be the most underrated Disney film. “But I see Stitch dolls everywhere! He’s on shirts and dresses and backpacks! How could it be underrated?” No one talks about the other half of the name. The Lilo side. Lilo and Nani’s story is so very well done. The act like sisters really would. They scream at each other and blame each other one moment and hugging and eating pizza the next. The little quirks that Lilo has are endearing and likable and her conversation on the hammock with Nani really cuts the onions. The movie’s backgrounds are all watercolor, which really gives off a calming atmosphere that is then disrupted by Stitch. Stitch. Every plush and toy and clothing item is deserved. He gives some genuinely funny scenes that are well choreographed, and he complements the emotional center of the movie. The sweeping soundtrack and well placed Elvis tunes help with both emotional scenes and the ruckus and action. I also love how realistic the body models are. They aren't barbie shaped like most other Disney characters. They are realistic and still fit in with the Disney art style. This movie is pretty great.
Number 1: Cinderella
When I think Disney, I think Bippity Boppity Boo. I think of the slipper on the stairs. I think of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." I think Lucifer the cat and Gus Gus the mouse. I think of the step-sisters and the Evil Stepmother. But most of all, I think of Cinderella. Cinderella is the perfect Disney Princess. She is sweet and she actually does things for herself. This movie is also the best looking Disney film. The soft but visually striking visuals really calms you while still being engaging. This was Walt’s favorite of his films, and it’s mine as well.