Top 10 Best Animated Disney Movies, Ranked

Year of release: 1989
Directed by: Ron Clements, John Musker
Starring: Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Samuel E. Wright, Buddy Hackett

Awards/Accolades: The Little Mermaid won 2 Academy Awards and 2 Golden Globes for "Best Original Song" and "Best Original Score", and was nominated for a Golden Globe in the "Best Picture - Comedy or Musical" category.

Prevalence: The movie's popularity led to a sequel ("Return to the Sea"), a prequel ("Ariel's Beginning"), a television series and a Broadway musical. A live-action version of the movie was released in 2023.

Box-office: The Little Mermaid was a great success at the box-office, earning over 200 million U.S. dollars worldwide.

What the critics say: Rottentomatoes gives it a score of 92%. In its critical concensus, the website states that it "ushered in a new golden era for Disney animation with warm and charming hand-drawn characters and catchy musical sequences".

Year of release: 1992
Directed by: Ron Clements, John Musker
Starring: Scott Weinger, Linda Larkin, Robin Williams, Gilbert Gottfried, Jonathan Freeman

Awards/Accolades: Aladdin won 2 Academy Awards and 2 Golden Globes for "Best Original Song" and "Best Original Score" and was nominated for a Golden Globe in the "Best Picture - Comedy or Musical" category. It also took home the Annie Award for "Best Animated Feature".

Prevalence: Aladdin was followed by two sequels - "The Return of Jafar" and "The King of Thieves" - and a television series. In 2014 the Aladdin musical premiered on Broadway. A live-action version of the movie was released in 2019, and a sequel is in the works.

Box-office: A bona fide hit, Aladdin made over 500 million U.S. dollars worldwide.

What the critics say: Rottentomatoes gives it a score of 95%. In its critical concensus, the website calls it "highly entertaining and beautifully drawn...with near-classic songs and a cast of scene-stealing characters".

Year of release: 1950
Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
Starring: Ilene Woods, Eleanor, Verna Felton, Rhoda Williams, James MacDonald

Awards/Accolades: Although it received several nominations, Cinderella did not win any Academy Awards. It did, however, win two major awards at the 1st annual Berlin Film Festival. The American Film Institute placed it at #9 on their "10 Top 10" list in the "Animation" category.

Prevalence: The story of Cinderella continued in two sequels: "Dreams Come True" and "A Twist in Time". A live-action version made its theatrical debut in 2015.

Box-office: Cinderella performed very well at the North American box-office over the years. Counting its theatrical re-releases, it has grossed over 90 million U.S. dollars.

What the critics say: Rottentomatoes gives it a score of 97%. In its critical concensus, the website describes it as "a nostalgically lovely charmer".

Year of release: 2013
Directed by: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk

Awards/Accolades: Frozen won two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA (British Academy of Film Award), 5 Annie Awards and 2 Critics' Choice Movie Awards.

Prevalence: Frozen rapidly became a cultural phenomenon and one of Disney's top franchises. The Frozen musical premiered on Broadway in March 2018. A sequel was released in 2019, and a third movie is in development.

Box-office: The Snow Queen unthroned The Lion King as Disney's top-grossing animated movie, and was crowned the #1 animated movie of all time, earning over 1.2 billion U.S. dollars worldwide.

What the critics say: Rottentomatoes gives it a score of 90%. In its critical concensus, the website calls it "beautifully animated, smartly written, and stocked with singalong songs".

Year of release: 1940
Directed by: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., Norman Ferguson, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen
Starring: Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor

Awards/Accolades: Fantasia received two Academy Honorary Awards. The American Film Institute ranked it fifth on their "10 Top 10" list in the "Animation" category. In 1990 it was inducted into the US National Film Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

Prevalence: Fantasia 2000, a sequel of sorts, was released in 2000. A live-action version of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment was released under the same name in 2010.

Box-office: Fantasia enjoyed great success at the North American box-office over the years. Counting its theatrical re-releases, it has grossed over 76 million U.S. dollars.

What the critics say: Rottentomatoes gives it a score of 95%. In its critical concensus, the website calls it "a landmark in animation, relentlessly inventive"

Year of release: 1937
Directed by: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, David Hand, Graham Heid, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Norman Wright
Starring: Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Peter Behn, Tim Davis, Donnie Dunagan, Sam Edwards, Ann Gillis

Awards/Accolades: Bambi was nominated for 3 Academy Awards. The American Film Institute placed it at #3 on its "10 Top 10" list in the "Animation" category. In 2011, it was inducted into the US National Film Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". It was called "one of Walt Disney's timeless classics (and his own personal favorite)" ... that "has come to be recognized for its eloquent message of nature conservation".

Prevalence: Bambi II, a sequel set in the middle of Bambi, was released in 2006.

Box-office: Counting its theatrical re-releases, Bambi has grossed over 265 million U.S. dollars worldwide.

What the critics say: Rottentomatoes gives it a score of 91%. In its critical concensus, the website describes it as "an enduring, endearing, and moving Disney classic".

Year of release: 1991
Directed by: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
Starring: Robby Benson, Angela Lansbury, Paige O'Hara, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers

Awards/Accolades: Beauty and the Beast was nominated for 6 Academy Awards, including "Best Picture" (then a first for an animated movie), and won 2: "Best Original Score" and "Best Original Song". It also won 3 Golden Globes. The American Film Institute placed it at #7 on their "10 Top 10" list in the "Animation" category, #34 on their "100 Years...100 Passions" list and #22 on their "Greatest Movie Musicals" list. In 2002 it was inducted into the U.S. National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Prevalence: The stage musical premiered on Broadway in 1994, and has since become one of its longest-running shows. Two direct-to-video movies were released - "The Enchanted Christmas" in 1997 and "Belle's Magical World" in 1998. These were followed by a live-action television series called "Sing Me a Story with Belle". Within weeks of its release, the 2017 live-action adaptation became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.

Box-office: Beauty and the Beast remains one of Disney's most successful animated films. Counting its theatrical re-releases, it has grossed over 420 million U.S. dollars worldwide.

What the critics say: Rottentomatoes gives it a score of 94%. In its critical concensus, the website calls it "enchanting and sweepingly romantic...one of Disney's most elegant animated offerings".

Year of release: 1994
Directed by: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella

Awards/Accolades: The Lion King won 2 Academy Awards ("Best Original Song" and "Best Original Score"). It also won 3 Annie Awards and 2 Golden Globes. The American Film Institute placed it at #4 on its "10 Top 10" list in the "Animation" category. In 2011 Time Magazine named it as one of the "25 All-Time Best Animated Films". In 2016 it was inducted into the US National Film Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

Prevalence: The massive success of the movie spawned two sequels ("Simba's Pride" and "The Lion King 1 1/2"), two television series ("The Lion King's Timon and Pumbaa" and "The Lion Guard") and a Tony Award-winning musical. A live-action version was released in 2019, and a second film titled "Mufasa: The Lion King" is set to be released in July 2024.

Box-office: The Lion King roared to the top of the box-office and for many years ranked as the #1 animated movie of all time. Counting its theatrical re-releases, it has grossed over 968 million U.S. dollars worldwide.

What the critics say: Rottentomatoes gives it a score of 93%. In its critical concensus, the website calls it "emotionally stirring, richly drawn, and beautifully animated".

Year of release: 1940
Directed by: Norman Ferguson, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen
Starring: Dickie Jones, Cliff Edwards, Frankie Darro

Awards/Accolades: Pinocchio won 2 Academy Awards. The American Film Institute placed it at #2 on its "10 Top 10" list in the "Animation" category. In 1994 it was inducted into the U.S. National Film Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". Time Magazine named it the best animated movie of its "25 All-Time Best Animated Films" list.

Prevalence: A live-action version of the film was released in 2022.

Box-office: Counting its theatrical re-releases, Pinocchio has grossed over 80 million U.S. dollars.

What the critics say: Rottentomatoes gives Pinocchio a perfect score of 100%. Its critical concensus states that it "arguably represents the pinnacle of Disney's collected works".

Year of release: 1937
Directed by: William Cottrell, David Hand, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, Ben Sharpsteen
Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Pinto Colvig, Lucille La Verne

Awards/Accolades: Walt Disney received an Academy Honorary Award for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The American Film Institute placed it at #1 on its "10 Top 10" list in the "Animation" category and #34 on the 10th anniversary edition of its "100 Years...100 Movies" list. In 1989 it was inducted into the U.S. National Film Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

Prevalence: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was adapted into a musical for the stage in 1969. A live-action version will be released in March 2024.

Box-office: Counting its theatrical re-releases, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has grossed over 180 million U.S. dollars.

What the critics say: Rottentomatoes gives Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs a score of 97%. Its critical concensus reads that it "set the animation standard for decades to come...with its involving story and characters, vibrant art, and memorable songs."