Best Disney Classic Animated Movies Ranked

The Definitive Ranking of Classic Disney Animated Movies — No Arguments, Please

May 22 2019 by Amanda Prahl

There's nothing that can take you back to your childhood quite like a Disney animated movie. From the animated fairy tales to literary adaptations and more, Disney is responsible for a lot of memories and magic! But which classic movies are truly the best, and which ones are a little disappointing when we look back on them? We've ranked them to find out.

Since there are a lot of Disney movies, we've laid out some ground rules to make this a little easier. We're talking about "classic" Disney movies, so we've limited ourselves to movies from the classic era through the Disney "renaissance" period — aka films made before the year 2000. To keep it manageable, too, we've only ranked movies that are recognisable to most people — sorry, no Make Mine Music or Melody Tree on this list! Ready to go? Find out where we ranked your favourites in the gallery ahead!

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24. Dumbo

This is a Disney classic that's best seen when you don't really think about it too deeply — and before you notice the racist sidekicks ("Jim Crow", anyone?).

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23. Tarzan

Look, some of y'all probably love this one, but I just can't get behind it. It's all the more disappointing for coming on the heels of some of the best Disney films ever made, and it just can't live up to the rest.

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22. The Jungle Book

Be honest: do you remember much about this movie other than "The Bare Necessities" or, maybe, Shere Khan?

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21. The Sword in the Stone

A good Arthurian adaptation is always enjoyable, but this one tends to stick in the minds of a handful of superfans and otherwise is a bit forgettable.

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20. Peter Pan

The charm of Neverland might enchant as children, but as soon as you're old enough to realise all the dark implications (and the period-typical but cringeworthy depictions of Natives), it loses its charms.

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19. Pocahontas

Disney's known for taking some liberties with its adaptations, but this one goes a little far even by their standards. There are some beautiful songs, but otherwise, it's uncomfortably forcing a real story into a "Disney-fied" mold.

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18. Pinocchio

Pinocchio gave Disney two of its most enduring symbols: Jiminy Cricket and the song "When You Wish Upon a Star." Other than that, though, it's a thin and slightly terrifying tale.

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17. Fantasia

This one is less of a movie and more a series of connected sketches, including the famous "Sorcerer's Apprentice" one. While the animation is gorgeous, it's hard to judge it as a "movie" in the usual sense.

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16. Bambi

It's the movie that scarred most children — enough said.

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15. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Although it's the first Disney animated feature and is worth praising for that, as a standalone movie in today's world, it's not the greatest. It's very much a straightforward fairytale, with archetypes rather than characters, but it's a history-making movie.

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14. Alice in Wonderland

This is probably one of the more polarizing Disney movies: either you love its madcap sensibility or it gives you a headache. It's creative, but it's also just a lot to take in.

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13. Sleeping Beauty

It's gorgeously animated, and it's the rare early-Disney movie where the prince actually does something. But this comes at the cost of the heroine herself: Aurora spends a good chunk of the movie comatose, making her almost completely passive in her own story.

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12. Robin Hood

There's something pleasant about this movie — it's not one of the greats, nor a misstep, but it's always a fun watch. And don't we all enjoy watching King John's comeuppance?

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11. Hercules

OK, so it's not the greatest movie, and the early-CGI on the Hydra beast is laughably clunky. But the music is undeniably catchy, and snarky, beleaguered Hades is one of the most entertaining Disney villains out there.

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10. The Aristocats

The 1960s and '70s were filled with lightly plotted but charming movies, and this is one of the gems among them. It's not a masterpiece by any means, but it's fun and quirky and just a little off-beat, far from the fairytales that populate most of Disney.

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9. 101 Dalmatians

It's literally a movie about adorable puppies — what's not to love? There's not a ton of plot to it, but there are tons of cute dogs, alongside what is arguably Disney's most functional married couple, Roger and Anita.

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8. Aladdin

Aladdin, the Everyman hero, and Jasmine, the rebellious princess, are fantastic, but let's be honest: this movie is as great as it is because of Robin Williams's often-imitated but never duplicated Genie. It's what makes the movie eminently quotable and elevates it beyond its sometimes-sketchy depictions of the Middle East.

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7. Cinderella

This was reportedly Walt Disney's personal favourite movie, and we can see why. It's everything you think of from the classic era of Disney movies: elegant, straightforward, and beautiful (if a bit thin on plot and characterization).

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6. Lady and the Tramp

You probably remember the spaghetti scene, but not much else. What you've forgotten is a sweet, charming movie that's one of the most heartfelt in the Disney canon.

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5. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Bar none, the most underrated Disney movie — and one of the most grown-up, with serious musings on faith, fear, and desire and a massively terrifying villain in Frollo. But it's the music and the details of animation that make this movie extraordinary, with a soaring score and incredibly gorgeous portrayals of Notre Dame.

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4. Mulan

While it suffers from having a pretty weak, boring villain, there's also a lot to love in this movie: an epic story, a love interest with a story of his own, and some pretty catchy music. But it's the heroine at the centre who gives the movie its emotion and its strength.

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3. The Little Mermaid

All the things you love about modern Disney animation stem from this movie, which revamped the Walt Disney Animation Studios after years of being in decline. It's full of creative touches and, of course, the first Disney score by legendary songwriters Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.

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2. The Lion King

While there are plenty of moments for kids (Timon and Pumbaa forever!), it's a genuinely sophisticated movie with grown-up themes like death, grief, guilt, and ambition. We mean it as a huge compliment to say that the Shakespeare is as evident as the Disney in this one.

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1. Beauty and the Beast

It's got everything: gorgeous animation that was cutting-edge at the time, emotionally rich characters, and some of the best Disney music ever written. There's a good reason it was the first animated film nominated for the best picture Oscar!

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