12 Best Disney Animated Movies of All Time

Disney stands for wholesome entertainment but it got a name as children’s fantasy story book movie maker from its inception. As a studio, it grew by first investing in Animation and it still tries to keep that form of art alive by incorporating innovation and imagination at every step. Here are 12 Best Disney Animated Movies of All–Time for you and your children, family to enjoy sans any regrets.

The all–time highest grosser for Disney Animated movies and even for live adaptations, The Lion King stands tall on the life rock like Simba and Mufasa. The story of this animation classic is simple but the emotional connect it had with audiences in 1990’s resurrected Disney Animation company too. The movie just ran for weeks in theatres giving Hans Zimmer a tag of music legend and Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers etched their names in history books of cinema forever. Movie gives its characters ample time to grow on audiences while narrating the story. That is the magic.

The live-action version of this fairy tale should have released by now in theatres but due to Covid-19, the film release has been postponed. Animation movie and music are still regarded as best princess story and best album for any animated film from Disney behind The Lion King. Tony Croft and Barry Cook directed the film and it released in 1998. Songs are so popular that people could identify them from teaser OST of latest Mulan live action film. What is the story all about? Well, spoilers, so can’t reveal now.

It is hard to believe in a day and age when Pixar started dominating the “Good Animation” films category that Disney the original company of animated stories and classics, strike back with Zootopia. With animals acting as humans, the story of Zootopia attracts and stays with us. Somehow the story of this movie is more popular than the characters, but they have their own charm.

Next place should go to Aladdin. The movie transforms you into a world of its own. We all know Alauddin and his magic lamp story. Disney adapted it as Aladdin and created a movie with the help of comic chops of legend Robin Williams as Genie that the original still holds a great place in young viewers of today and then, hearts. The movie started a comeback for Disney animation movies at the box office and The Lion King just took it to another level. The songs from this film are so popular that for live version, the new team went with re-creation than new songs.

If the list seems to have more 90’s movies then remember Disney had to resurrect itself after losing most of its market share in 80’s and they started crafting a story of big comeback with 90’s animated movies. They delivered classic after classic that made them the top market sharing studio in film production and distribution. Today, they own every big independent production company like Marvel Studios, Pixar, Lucas Film and more. Beauty & The Beast is a classic for ages with best music score and story.  Hence, the live action film with Emma Watson became such a huge hit.

Even though the animation in this movie doesn’t hold today as well as others, the story element is the best among the bests. It was made in 2002 and on a very low budget. But the movie became a huge success due to its characters. You have to watch it to enjoy it fully.  Chris Sanders directed and acted in the film. Dean DeBlois co-directed the film with Chris Sanders. Movie has an extra terrestrial story but doesn’t take us back to E.T at all.

Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise came up with an engaging tale of human emotions in this film. Being deformed doesn’t mean that you have a cursed life for no fault of yours’. When you can accept yourself as you, nothing can and will stop you. Hunchback of Notre Dame tells this story in such simple way that we enjoy it to the core as emotions touch big time.

Most of the animation movies of Disney couldn’t stand in comparison to Pixar for long in 2000’s and 2010’s until Big Hero 6 came along. The movie became such a huge success that it gave Disney, a hope to continue with their own animation production. Don Hall and Chris Williams came up with such a humane story with a wellness robot as friend of a kid who is going through adolescence that we forget we are watching a film and enjoy it as our own story.

We still hear about how lying grows the nose of Pinocchio and the toy boy/puppet learnt hard way to lead a truthful and self less life to become a human kid. The 1940 classic is still breathtakingly fun to watch. It just holds your interest so well that you can’t resist yourself from reacting to it as a kid, even though you’re not.

101 Dalmatians the original animation movie is still a classic. The movie talked against animal cruelty in 1961 and we still haven’t learnt our lessons. Story of human compassion and friendly nature of dogs, in fact any pets, stay with us so well that we try to kill any kind of Cruella within us to make ourselves better human beings. Watch the original but not the live screen adaptation to know the strength of the source material.

This is an obvious choice. It is one of the best movies by Disney Animation just because of the soundtrack it could come up with. It just feels like a classic tale from the first frame and sister love being projected as the best form of love, gives the movie a lasting beautiful twist as well. Many had obsession over Let It Go that people had to say “Let it Go!”

Well, can we discount the original Disney classic that made Walt Disney what he is and the company, what it is. Mickey Mouse’s blend with music just proved to be a masterstroke of a genius to the entertainment industry. The tale of Mickey Mouse and the music are so enchanted that we fall in love with it, instantaneously. Even today, we are unable to cast ourselves out of the spell this 1940 classic. Imagination met with innovation in so well realised manner that it gave an option for many other classic tales to be told without any fear.