Disneyhas produced many, many movies. In fact, the company has been making feature films since the 1930s, so by this point it has built an impressive catalog. Most of them are animated titles or remakes of animated titles. But there are some Disney live-action movies out there, too.
Moana
The Lion King
With all of these choices, it’s difficult to decide which of them you should invest your time and money in. Perhaps you need some recommendations. Well, the following collection includes the greatest films in Disney’s history. Some are contemporary movies, while others are old-time classics. All of them, however, are worth watching.
Updated June 19, 2025 By Ben Jessey:Disney makes many movies, and plenty of them are great. So, narrowing them down to create a small collection of the best is tricky, and you’re guaranteed to have to leave some great ones out.This update allows us to add some of those to the piece, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. So, here are a few more Disney movies we recommend, including some more classics.
A Unique Spin-Off
Cast
Cruella is a spin-off prequel of 101 Dalmatians. But it’s more about crime and fashion than adorable puppies. It serves as an origin story for Cruella De Vil, as it shows her rise in the fashion world and how she became the stylish villain we all know.
When making a spin-off or prequel, you generally want it to be similar in style or tone to the original movie. That is not the case with Cruella. It’s nothing like 101 Dalmatians. So, if you love that movie, you may not necessarily appreciate this one.
However, this is an excellent movie in its own right. Emma Stone’s Cruella is an engaging lead character, and even though you know who she is going to become, her development is still compelling. Plus, her fashion-based rivalry with the Baroness is great, as it’s always interesting to see how Cruella is going to one-up her nemesis.
An Underrated Disney Princess Story
Tangled is Disney’s version of the Rapunzel fairytale. A young princess is taken away as a baby and forced to live inside a secluded tower. She doesn’t realize she’s a kidnap victim, but she still wants to leave her tower anyway to see the annual sky lanterns that get released on her birthday.
Movies based on fairytales are Disney’s bread and butter. But it took the company many years until it told its version of Rapunzel. Tangled was worth the wait, though, as it’s among the greatest Disney movies in recent times, even if it doesn’t get the same attention as Frozen or Moana.
The movie follows the classic Disney blueprint of being an animated musical involving comedy and romance. Yet, it does both of those things better than most others. For starters, It’s a very funny movie, primarily due to the antics of Flynn Ryder and the horse, Maximus. Plus, Rapunzel’s romantic relationship with Flynn is interesting and feels more natural than most romances featuring Disney princesses.
The Redemption Of A Llama
Few movies involve a man getting turned into a Llama, but most movies aren’t The Emperor’s New Groove. And this isn’t just any man. It’s a self-obsessed Emperor who is desperate to find a way to become human again. So, he acquires the help of a humble villager named Pacha.
Redemption stories are common in Hollywood, so it’s hard to make them unique. Yet, Disney manages to do it with Emperor’s New Groove by having the road to redemption start with the main character being turned into a Llama. It makes sense because if you suddenly got transformed into an animal, you would probably re-think your life, too.
The main character, Kuzco, is entertaining both when he’s an emperor or a Llama. But the villainous duo of Yzma and Kronk are the main source of joy in this film. They’re a hilarious double act and have to be considered amongthe best villains Disney has ever created, at least from an entertainment standpoint.
A bad guy that is not so bad
Wreck-It-Ralph follows a video game bad guy who is sick of being a villain. So, he makes it his mission to be the victorious hero and win a medal. This pursuit ends up having a significant impact on the entire arcade.
Wreck-It-Ralph joins a long list ofmovies about video games. In fact, it’s one of the best of its type and among the greatest animated features Disney has produced in some time.
It has all the hallmarks of a Disney classic, meaning it has good animation, a strong emotional story, and appeals to people of all ages. Plus, the story is very original and creative, as not many tales are set within a network of arcade games.
Disney’s best live-action movie
In this swashbuckling pirate adventure, Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner form an uneasy alliance as they go after the Black Pearl ship and its crew. Jack wants the ship, while Will wants to save the kidnapped Elizabeth.
As Disney is so well-known for its animated movies, some people forget its live-action efforts. Nobody should overlook the original Pirates of the Caribbean, though. It’s an exceptional pirate movie filled with exciting scenes and interesting characters.
Even with a good selection of heroes and villains, Jack Sparrow stands out as he is both hilarious and compelling. And it’s worth watching this film for his antics alone. But there’s also a fascinating plot about cursed treasure, which also adds to the movie’s appeal.
Lilo & Stitch
Even a little girl and an alien can be a family
Lilo and Stitch follows a little girl who is still reeling from her parents' passing and is struggling to fit in with her peers. To fight the loneliness, she attempts to adopt a dog, but she ends up with a genetically engineered alien who’s also trying to find his place in the world.
Lilo and Stitch is easily one ofDisney’s most underrated gems, perhaps due to the fact it was released during a down period for the studio. But if you skipped it back then, you should rectify that mistake, as this is a fantastic movie.
It provides an equal amount of laughs and tears. You may chuckle at some of Stitch’s antics. Yet, seeing Lilo long for a family or her older sister struggle to keep them together might break your heart. On top of that, the movie is a visual delight due to the use of vibrant colors and original animation.
Disney’s original animated movie
In this Disney princess story, Snow White has to escape into the woods to avoid the wrath of the evil queen. While there, she meets seven dwarf miners who take her in.
Snow and the Seven Dwarfs was the first animated feature film Disney ever made. It was released back in 1937, so it is very old. That being said, it holds up a lot better than you would expect.
Naturally, animation has come a long way, and Snow White doesn’t look as shiny and smooth as more recent movies. Yet, it looks good for a 1937 film. And it remains an entertaining flick due to some fun characters and a few catchy songs. Plus, it’s worth viewing just for historical purposes and to see how animated movies have changed over the years.
Classic rags to riches story
Aladdin tells the story of a street beggar who acquires a magic lamp containing a genie. This genie is capable of granting him several wishes. What the protagonist really wants is to be with the enchanting Princess Jasmine.
Aladdin is a true Disney classic. Much of it is because of Robin Williams’s Genie, who is the star of the show. He brings incredible energy and humor to the movie. Without him, it wouldn’t nearly be as good.
That’s not to say he’s the only good part of the film. All the main characters are interesting in their own right. And the love story between Aladdin and Jasmine remains compelling throughout. The music is good, too, as the film boasts some ofthe best songs Disney has ever produced.
Can predators and prey live in harmony?
This buddy cop comedy movie is set in a city filled with anthropomorphic animals. The predators of the city are going missing and it’s up to a police bunny and a con-artist fox to figure out why.
Disney movies containing talking animals are very common. Yet, Zootopia manages to feel different from all those other films. One reason is that despite being anthropomorphic, the characters still share characteristics with the animals they’re based on. In fact, this is a significant part of the narrative, particularly when it comes to their individual places on the food chain.
The movie uses the natural divide between predators and prey to deliver a message about prejudice. But it does it in a subtle enough way that it doesn’t feel too forced. On top of that, the movie is just really funny and engaging.
An epic musical adventure
In this animated musical, the titular character must save her struggling village. She can’t do that by sitting on the beach, though. The young woman must set sail on a voyage to reunite the goddess Te Fiti with a precious relic.
Even the best Disney movies are sometimes culpable of feeling similar to titles the company has already produced. This criticism can’t be aimed at Moana. There has never been another Disney movie quite like this one.
It’s both visually and thematically different from the usual Disney affair. Also, it stars a female protagonist whose goals have nothing to do with love and romance. In fact, she doesn’t even have a love interest, which isn’t typically the case for female-led Disney movies. This allows Moana to provide a unique and fascinating story.
A coming-of-age story about lions
The Lion King is set in an animal kingdom run by lions. The protagonist is a young cub in line for the throne, but after tragedy strikes, he flees. In his years away, he lives a very different life from the one he used to know.
The Lion King tells a classic coming-of-age story. However, it stands out from the many other tales of this type because it revolves around lions instead of human teenagers. Getting the chance to watch a lion cub grow up isn’t the only reason why this movie is worth viewing, though.
The Lion King also includes some of the best songs and jokes in Disney history. A lot of the gags come from the hilarious duo of Timon and Pumbaa, but the Hyneas provide some laughs, too. And almost every character is responsible for the good music. Overall, it’s an almost perfect Disney movie.
FAQ
Who was the first Disney movie villain?
The first Disney villain to appear in a movie was the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She is jealous of Snow White’s beauty, so she makes multiple attempts to kill her. Her most famous attempt includes a poisoned apple.
Which Disney animated movie made the most money?
The highest-grossing traditional animated movie from Disney is Frozen 2, which made just under $1.5 billion, according toBoxOfficeMojo. However, the 2019 remake of The Lion King, which uses a lot of photorealistic computer-generated animation, made a little bit more. It brought in $1.7 billion, but it isn’t a traditional animated movie.
