My top 20 Disney movies

Well, everybody, this is a long time coming. I've been thinking of doing a real and proper top list of my favourite Disney movies of all time. And so thankfully from me thinking of it a lot lately, yeah, I've decided to do an actual list of my favourite Disney movies ever. Although, like other lists I've done, there are going to be some rules here. The first one is that this is Disney only, so there won't be any Pixar movies or Marvel or Star Wars. The next is that I'll be talking about real feature length movies so this won't have TV movies on here like the Lion Guard: Return Of The Roar or anything like that. Another is that some of the movies here will be different to how I ranked them in other entries, and that's because, over time as I see a movie more and more, my opinion can change so remember that. The next is that this will be covering every kinda Disney movie like that like Disney Classics, straight to video movies, live action and all sorts of movies like that. These are also all my opinions, so if your lists are different, that's great. This is just my personal list of what my favourite Disney movies are. And also, this isn't a rule, just something I wanna say here. I think I really want to do this because, well, yes, I do want to, but also because soon I'll be going to Disneyland because my family's taking me there for my birthday present. So I think it'll be a great idea to do this and from a person like me who's one of the biggest Disney fans ever. And, come on, Disney is like family to everyone and everyone has they're own list of what their favourite Disney movies ever. And that's great. Everyone should have a list like that because Disney is maybe the only real kinda magic in the world and everyone should love it no matter what. And so, let's begin. I can't wait and I hope you all like this.
20. Tangled:

Staring off the list is Classic number 50. This might annoy some people because they'd most likely want to see it higher on the list because this is actually a pretty popular Disney movie. But, while I have said before that I think this movie's a tad bit overrated and I don't like it as much as everyone else does, this is still a great movie. They managed to make this old fairy tale into a super creative, funny, fun and exciting movie too. They really had the best animation at the time back then and it really shows. And, while I personally don't think it's one of Disney top 10 best and think the songs aren't very good, I still always a great time every time I see it and I'm happy to put it at number 20.
19. Peter Pan:

Next up is Disney's animated movie of this famous story. This is practically Disney's answer to a boy's fantasy with every kinda basic thing they'd want with this adventure, comedy, pirates, Indians, sword fights, flying and all that sorta stuff. And they manage to nail down every character really fantastically like Peter being a cocky and sure of himself while also being very likeable. And they have really amazing moments like the comedy with Captain Hook. And the animation is also incredible. Some of my favourite hand drawn animation ever. The whole journey of it is amazing and even the other side characters like Wendy, John, Michael, the Lost Boys, Smee and the Indians are all likeable and some of them are pretty cool too. I also love the who setting of Neverland. How it's this huge island that's kind of a forest with all these sorta magical things in it. And the slapstick here is the best Disney ever done, especially anything to do with Captain Hook and the crocodile.

18. Hercules:

When I look back on my childhood and what movies I watched a lot of the time, this is one of the biggest examples. Even to this day my dad and I still love to watch this movie a lot. And it's true. I think this is one of the more underrated Disney Classics out there because, while people do like it, I don't think people talk about it a lot and it doesn't get the respect I feel it deserves. For one, the characters are really great here. Hercules himself is a super likeable, funny, naïve and great hero. Phil is easily the funniest character in the movie and he's one of the funniest Disney characters ever in my opinion. Meg is a pretty good love interest with being a sneering face and good one liners every once in a while with some sympathetic scenes in there. Hades is a cool villain and a really funny one too. Pain and Panic are good servants to him and they're stupidity is some of funniest parts of the movie. The animation and action in this is also great. Some of Disney's best animated action in my opinion, especially the Hydra fight and just so many other things here are so great. The whole look to the movie is great too with doing this unique thing with the designs that makes everything look like it's really mythological, which, I do think was intentional with that being what the movie is based around. And I think it's also a great story of trying to figure out who you are and where you really belong. That whole thing I think is really engrossing and even kinda tragic at the beginning when Herc is leaving to find the temple. But besides that, this movie is mainly here from how much fun it is.
17. Tron:

Now we get into the live action movies. And starting us off with that category is Tron. You've all most likely seen the review I did for this movie last year and so if you have, then you know what I think of it. And everything I said there I still stand by. It really holds up even after being made in the '80's and the premise, cast and C.G.I in it is extraordinary. The film's story is super interesting and  I feel like the movie itself gets better and better the more times I watch it. I especially love the journey of the movie with them trying to reach the M.C.P. And while we're on the characters, upon rewatching this movie again recently, Tron himself has actually grown to be one of my favourite characters ever. Flynn is good too and Sark is a pretty cool side villain. Ram and Yori are really good too and they're good additions for the movie too. The C.G.I in this is amazing and really impressive for 1982. The entire look to everything is really creative and really nicely designed. The cinematography is also great and I like how they sorta play with your eyes a little by sorta having you guessing where you are in the movie, especially during the beginning. Overall, I love Tron and I think it's pretty underrated. Sure it sorta loses points because of Tron: Legacy, which I still don't like and I think that movie sorta ruins this franchise, but the original is still great to me and I have even more fun every time I watch it.
16. Sleeping Beauty:

I know, it's kinda strange that I'm putting Sleeping Beauty as my sixteenth favourite Disney movie because it is the Disney Classic number 16 and because it all revolves around Aurora's sixteenth birthday, but I've gotta put it where I feel it really deserves to go. Still though, this is one of my favourite Disney movies for pretty obvious reasons. Amazing villain, side characters, animation, pace, action, style, creativity, effects, twists and just about everything in it, say for the main characters, are amazing. The main characters aren't bad, but they're not in the movie enough and they're not given enough development. Not bad though and I still love this movie. It has so many iconic moments and the end climax is one of the best Disney climaxes ever.
15. The Hunchback of Notre Dame:

Probably the darkest Disney Classic ever, the Hunchback of Notre Dame is kind of an interesting movie. And by that, I mean it's interesting how everything happens. I mean, this is Disney's adaptation of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. This super dark and adult story. But with that, they do a fantastic job with it. Quasimodo is one of the most likeable and sympathetic Disney characters ever. Frollo is a super awesome villain and probably one of, if not maybe, the darkest Disney villain of the Disney Classics. The size of this movie is also gigantic. With every frame of the movie, they try to show just how big everything is. Especially with Notre Dame itself. The comic relief are great here in my opinion with the gargoyles. I'm sorry to the people who don't like them, but I personally do, and the heart breaking moments are really effective, which is really saying something because there's a lot of them here. The climax is also really intense and even brutal at points. Speaking of which, there's a lot of moments in here that I'm surprised didn't cause this movie to get a PG rating, especially with a lot of the themes they address here. But it's really effective and I feel like it never goes over the top when touching on those. And thankfully there are fun moments that up a little so it's not super depressing. And the songs are also incredible with them actually getting a Latin choir for the choir scenes, Hellfire is one of the best ever in my opinion, Topsy Turvy is a pretty fun and funny one and all the rest are great too. Overall this is a super fun and dark Disney that never tries to go too far with it's dark tone and they still manage to make it a great watch the whole way through.
14. Beauty and the Beast:

Another movie that I feel a lot of people will want to see higher because this original is one of the most beloved Disney movies ever. But, again, even though I do love this movie, I just don't have the same love for it that everyone else does. Still though, this is a fantastic movie and I do definitely love it. The characters are fantastic here, especially Belle herself, who's so likeable and even kinda one that you can look up to. The Beast is awesome and he has one of the best Disney designs ever. Gaston is an awesome villain with being charming, funny and intense. And all the others like Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Maurice, Le Fou and Chip are all likeable and even funny at times. The animation is also some of Disney's best and some of the most creative, especially with things like the design of the castle. It was also cool to see Disney handle this really famous story that they managed to put a great twist to it. The climax is also really dark and, and given the fact that it's a Disney Classic, it can get pretty brutal like when Gaston shoots the Beast and then stabs him with the knife. It was also such a huge landmark when it managed to get a Best Picture nomination, and it totally deserved it. The songs are all great and there's never one that feels out of place or feels forced. The opening one in the village builds the characters up really well and every other one are all creative and they're all super fun. Also, I have to say, out of all the Disney romances from the Disney Classics themselves, this might be the most believable one with Belle and Beast. I wouldn't usually care about that, but they did it so excellently here and there's never a moment where you don't believe it. And yeah, just everything in it looks beautiful like the castle and the designs of the locations in every shot. And all that is why the movie really is a tale as old as time.
13. Mary Poppins:

Now we come to the movie that practically made Disney into what it is in my opinion, Mary Poppins. This is a movie that was kind of a huge monster of a production when it was being made because of the author of the books, P.L Travers. She wanted it done her way but Walt himself wanted it done his way. And eventually we manage to get it his way. And I'm so glad we did because this is a truly magical movie. Julie Andrews wasn't that big when this was being made, but when it did come out, she was praised everywhere and by everyone. And yeah, it's just as amazing as you'd hope. This is easily one of the best Disney performances ever in my opinion. Everyone else is great too. Dick Van Dyke as Bert, who's actually one of the most underrated Disney characters in my opinion, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber, Ed Wynn, everyone all around does a great job. The movie's sets and costumes are really cool. The animated scene is super creative and really life like. The directing is fantastic, so is the music and songs. The cinematography and wire work are also amazing and there's never a moment in this where you're bored. And, when people say that this is Walt Disney's crowning achievement, yeah, they're not messing around. It's very easy to see why and this is pretty much all you need to know when people tell you that Disney is magic because, this is a super magical movie and it's, without a doubt, one of, if not, Walt Disney's greatest work ever.
12. Big Hero 6:

This actually could come off as kinda funny because at the start I said there wouldn't be any Marvel heroes on this list, but thankfully Disney managed to make it their own with this really emotional and action-packed movie. Firstly, Baymax is still one of my favourite Disney characters ever and he's easily the best part in my opinion. And the entire look to it all like the design of San Fransokyo is super creative and so is the animation designs of the characters and action are awesome to watch. And whenever they do a scene like when Hiro and Baymax are flying around, they do show how big everything is and how amazing it is too. And the comedy is great too, especially with Baymax himself and how seriously and literally he takes a lot of things. If you've seen the movie, than you know what I'm talking about. And the action is also great. With this being animated, they did so many amazing things in the action like the climax and that scene on the island. And the bond that forms between Hiro and Baymax is super believable and even sad in certain moments too. And speaking of sad, the opening when Tadashi dies in the building is also really tragic, especially since they made him so likeable and we only knew him for a few minutes. And it was especially awesome to get a Stan Lee cameo in there because this is also kind of a Marvel movie.

11. Wreck-It Ralph:

This actually might be a sort of a fan pick for me because this is a video game centred movie and I love video games. But this is also just a really phenomenal movie that I absolutely love. This is sort of a Roger Rabbit movie of video games because there's a ton of famous video game characters at once. Sure, there isn't a lot and I do wish there was more, but the story and characters are so amazing that I really don't care if they're in there a lot or not. Ralph himself is a really sympathetic character and one of my favourite Disney characters ever. The rest are all great too like Vanellope, Felix, Calhoun and King Candy, who's a pretty cool villain even if his motivation isn't perfect. And the animation is so creative and used really cleverly. The only problem I do kinda have with it is that I wish Felix and Calhoun were in the movie more because they don't have a lot of screen time and they are such great characters. Besides that, I don't have a problem with it. This is just such a truly amazing Disney movie and it even kinda surprises me how they managed to do a movie like this in the sense that they did so many of these video game references and so many other things like that. There's also never a boring scene in this and it's really well paced every single second. I just love this movie and I can't wait for the sequel next year.
10. Frozen:

Now we come a kinda controversial Disney movie for really dumb reasons in my opinion. When this first came out, people loved it. But then as they started to see merchandise for it everywhere, they started to get sick of it and some people are saying they hate it and think it's bad. That is so undeniably stupid. Okay, yes, merchandise for it is everywhere and it is kinda weird, but that's not the movie's fault. The movie itself is still a really fantastic movie and really fantastically put together movie too. Everything in it is amazing. The story, adventure, characters, message, animation, songs and twists as well. And like another movie you're going to see on this list soon, I like how they poke fun of a lot of Disney clichés and makes it a lot more entertaining from that. And the whole message of family and love are really well shown. And, like I said, a lot of the characters are so well realised and so loveable. Anna and Olaf being two of my favourite Disney characters ever. It also has a great twist villain with Hans and I do think that that's a great twist for the movie. And songs are amazing here. They're all songs that people are even still singing to this day, especially little kids. And that should happen because these songs are so well thought out and they help describe the story as well as explain how the characters are feeling and that's exactly what Disney songs should do. And the comedy is really hilarious like everything that comes from Olaf and Anna. Just everything in this I think is flawless and Frozen is easily one of my favourite Disney movies ever.
9. Bambi 2:

This may be the most notable when I said earlier that this is an opinionated list. And for me personally, Bambi 2 is one of my favourite Disney movies ever. It's really well told, animated, acted, shown and I think what makes it stand out to me as one of my favourites is how fun it is. I've seen this movie over a dozen times ever since I first saw it and it keeps making me happy from the feeling I had when I first watched it. And this movie is the movie that helped make Bambi one of my favourite Disney characters as I said in my top 20 other favourite Disney character. Something else this movie does so well is that it takes those scenes that you expect to be kinda childish like that groundhog scene and makes it fun and funny for all ages to me. Really, if you wanna know my full thoughts on why I love this movie so much, go read my review of it that I made in June. But overall, I do really love this movie and it is one of my favourites.
8. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl:

Finishing the live action movies on this list is the first and only Pirates movie on the list, the Curse of the Black Pearl. Like I said in my ranking of these movies the other day, a lot of people weren't too keen on this film, but when it was released, everyone who saw it loved it. And so do I. The adventure in this so much fun and every time I see it, I love it more and more. This is one of Johnny Depp's best performances with Jack. And everything else in this like the directing, choreography, cinematography, other performances, costumes, C.G.I and just everything is so perfect and the movie's also really quotable. There's great jokes here and great lines. And having this movie be based on an actual ride and it turning out this amazing is really something to be praised. And the thing that separates this from the Pirates movies is the story is easy to follow and it's not complicated. Just everything in this I love and I don't think it coulda been done in any better way.
7. The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride:

With Bambi 2 already being on this list, you probably expected this to be somewhere and here it is at number 7, the Lion King 2: Simba's Pride. And yeah, this is another one that I love. It really does a fantastic job at being a great movie and being a super entertaining movie as well. The animation is super impressive for this being a straight to video Disney movie. All the characters are so likeable and Zira is an awesome villain. Kiara and Kovu are amazing characters and their chemistry is really believable and comedy is really funny when it lands. I also love the scale to the movie too with it appearing that the movie is really big. This movie also does a great job at making you feel like you're really watching a movie that's a sequel unlike some of the other straight to video Disney sequels. Again, like what I said with Bambi 2, go read my review I made in June to know my full and real thoughts on it if you haven't already. But, overall I absolutely adore this movie and it is one of my favourites.
6. The Little Mermaid:

At number 6 is the movie that started the original Disney Renaissance and the movie that saved Disney in the late '80's, the Little Mermaid. This is another movie that everyone has seen by now and knows everything in it from top to bottom. And it's also a super famous one too and it's very easy to see why. This animation is some of my favourite Disney animation ever with amazing designs, colours, expressions on the characters and the slapstick is amazing. The characters are all really great and Ursula is one of the best Disney villains ever. And the whole scene when Ariel is a human and she can't talk is really hilarious. But on top of that, this movie is this fantastic take on a popular story and they did it tremendously. The side characters are also great like Sebastian, Scuttle and Flounder. All of them are super likeable and Sebastian is a hilarious character. I actually do also like Ariel as a character. I know a lot of people don't like her, but I personally really, really do. I think she's great. Eric is also a very likeable guy too. King Triton is another great example of doing the same kinda character we've seen before and making him really well developed and likeable. What also really amazes me in this is the water animation and how they managed to draw a lot of these characters like they're swimming for a large majority of the movie. The songs are also some of the best Disney's ever put out there, especially Under the Sea and Part of Your World as I said before in my top 10 Disney songs. Just about everyone else has already said exactly what I'm saying and that's for a great reason because this is a great movie and it's definitely one of Disney's best of all time in my opinion.
5. Aladdin:

Next on the list is one of the most fun and beloved of all time, Aladdin. This has topped people's lists of their favourite Disney movies ever and it's very obvious why. It's super funny, fun, awesome, fantastically animated with really great characters and a fast pace that never gets boring no matter how many times you watch it. There's always a reason for a scene in this movie and there's never one scene that drags too long. The songs are all awesome do another great job of expressing the characters and who they are. The Genie himself is also one of the best show stealers in probably any movie ever with hilarious improvisation from Robin Williams. And everyone else like Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu, the Sultan, the Carpet and Iago are great too and Jafar is an awesome villain. The colours and lighting are also all utilised fantastically here, the movie looks phenomenal. The movie's also hilarious, one of the funniest Disney Classics ever. And the comedy doesn't all just come from the Genie. All the characters get some really hilarious scenes and it feels like every character gets the perfect amount of screen time, there's not one who you feel gets a little overshadowed. And all that is why Aladdin is my fifth favourite Disney movie and it's in this spot.
4. The Princess and the Frog:

Now we've come to a movie that I've been saying that I've loved for a long time. While I don't think I love it as much as I originally said years ago, I do still love it and everything in it. And there's something that this movie does so amazingly that I don't think a lot of the other Disney movies do and that's make you really appreciate the atmosphere around you. And by that I mean the locations and look to the bayou when they're there is so incredible to me. I love it when a movie can make me really, really love the scenery of it all and have you want to stay in it more. But, besides that, everything else is just as good, if not better, than that. The characters are all amazing like Tiana, Naveen, Louis, Ray, Mama Odie and Charlotte. The Shadow-Man is also one of the coolest Disney villains ever to me. And all the effects they use are cool too like when the Shadow-Man is using his powers and all sorta things like that. This is also one of the more heart-warming Disney movies ever in my opinion. I think I mainly say that because I saw this a few years ago for the first time and I remember being touched by the end of the film. Like a lot of the other movies I've mentioned, there's never a boring scene in this and the voice cast in this is all perfect. That's something the Disney almost always get right. The songs are also all fantastic and there's not one that I dislike or think is unmemorable. They all stick with me and love listening to all of them. The plot is also really creative and they throw in some great twists and turns along the way. And, yeah, just everything in this I absolutely love and I'm happy to put it as number 4 on this list.
3. Moana:

This might surprise some people with how high it is on the list. But, as I've said a ton of times already, all of this is my opinion and I personally adore this movie and think it's one of Disney's best. The animation in this, I think is Disney's best animation they've ever done and the characters are some of their best too. This is also a really quotable movie too. For me ever since I got it on DVD, it's becoming one of my most quotable movies. Especially the scenes between Moana and Maui. And the humour is top notch, it's one of the funniest in a while to me, especially the Tamatoa scene. And really, ever since I first saw it less than a year ago, this movie has had a really special place in my heart, (no pun intended.) But this is a really fantastic movie to me and it's pretty interesting the way they explore the whole Polynesian culture, especially if you take a look at the behind the scenes video and you can see what they did to make this movie. Everything in this I absolutely love. I also like how they poked fun of a lot of Disney clichés and they didn't have to follow a lot of the same tropes as much as other Disney movies. Don't get me wrong, they do follow some and that's to be expected because it is a Disney movie. But they managed to find the right limit so it didn't come off as too clichéd. And, in my opinion, this is John Musker and Ron Clements's best Disney work to date and it's kinda funny because the last four I've mentioned have been four movies the two of them have made and it shows just how far they've gone. Get it? What else can I say? I love it. I've seen it a ton of times before and I'll definitely see it a billion more times.
2. Zootropolis

Zootropolis, as said by many people is easily one of the best movies to ever come from Disney with it touching on so many mature themes. And it's also just another fun adventure with fantastic and hilarious characters. There's also really great jokes with the things around the characters too like how they use the different environments with who the characters are. But, on top of that, the whole mystery aspect to it is the most interesting part of the movie to me also the very adult things it does like prejudice and discrimination that a lot of people can really relate to. The animation is also fantastic. There's not one thing in this that looks weird. It all looks so incredible like the backgrounds, character designs, textures of everything and the colours. The comedy is fantastic, some of the best comedy to come out of a Disney Classic in my opinion. And the characters are all either funny, charming, relatable and some can even be considered a role model like Judy. They also explore how deep the story can really go because it's all well thought out and they make the story extremely well layered and told. And if you were ever watching this for the first time, than you'd be surprised with how deep it really does go. It also does a fantastic job of exploring this world and showing us how everything works. With fantastic characters, fantastic animation, a fantastic message and a fantastic feeling of family entertainment for everyone, Zootropolis is easily one of Disney best of all time and some of their best writing that will ever happen in my opinion and that's all why it's at number 2.
Honourable mentions:
Pinocchio,
Fantasia,
Lilo & Stitch,
Bolt,
The Jungle Book (1967),
Sky High,
The Nightmare Before Christmas,
The Emperor's New Groove
And my number 1 favourite Disney movie is... The Lion King:

And finally at number 1 is the biggest one of them all, the Lion King. I've thought a lot about this and I am absolutely positive that the Lion King is my favourite Disney movie of all time, for pretty obvious reasons. But still, I'm going to go more into it. Like I just said, I thought about this a lot and really carefully to be absolutely sure that I was happy putting this here and in the end, I did and I'm really glad to put it here. I mean, for one thing, it's the Lion King so that should be self explanatory, but I think I also put it here from my huge nostalgia of it and how much of a gigantic influence it was to me in my childhood with the best hand-drawn animation ever done ever in my opinion, well realised characters, fantastic twists and turns, how adult it can sometimes be like how they actually showed a dead body for the first time in a Disney movie, amazing locations all over the Pride Lands, brilliant backstory on the Pride Lands too, hilarious jokes and a fantastic message of finding out who you are and another message of coming forward with your mistakes and taking responsibility for it. And, I'm not gonna lie, it has literally the most epic Disney moment of all time with the ending with Simba walking up Pride Rock and roaring, which actually might be my favourite Disney moment ever.

And there's of course the songs that everyone has been singing ever since it came out and yeah, they have fantastic reasons to do that. All the songs here are fun, catchy and incredible to listen to. Even during the scenes of the movie where there isn't a lot happening, there's never a moment where you're bored. And really, I think that just about everything in this is another great example of a Disney movie where everything is done absolutely perfect and nothing could have been done better. The cast is also perfect as well and I love how this is the movie that kicked off this humongous franchise with sequels and spin-offs, especially one in particular that I'm pretty sure you all know what I mean. Again, what else can I say, this is just "the" Disney movie and it's one everyone's seen at least once in their lives and it's one that should be beloved by everyone. And all that is why the Lion King is my absolute number 1 favourite Disney movie of all time. Thank you all so much for reading, I had a great time writing about my favourite Disney movies and please comment down below and tell me what your favourites are.