If you are creating your own Disney Bucket Movie List then check out this list of some of the movies that everyone should watch at least once.
From the classics to the newer films, these are some of the best Disney movies for any age and any time frame.
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The Ultimate Disney Movie Bucket List
There are so many awesome Disney movies that it can be hard to narrow it down to just the essentials. This list contains 50 of the best Disney movies that any Disney movie fan should watch at least once.
1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Snow White was the first animated feature in Disney history, and it was very groundbreaking for its time. It’s also a heartwarming story about love and friendship, so it deserves to be on this list!
2. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
The romance between Belle and Beast is beautiful, as are all of the songs!
This movie is a classic that both kids and adults love – the story of love conquering all and looking beyond the physical to see what someone is really like inside.
3. The Lion King (1994)
Another classic movie that is great for all the family. It does have a few scary/dark parts for young kids but in general it is great for everyone and the soundtrack is amazing.
4. Frozen (2013)
Winner of the Best Animated Feature Film at the 89th Academy Awards.This is one of the most popular Disney movies ever.
It’s about sisters Elsa and Anna who live in a castle with magical powers, but things begin to get out of hand when Elsa accidentally hits her sister with her ice powers.
Now they must go on a journey to save their kingdom!
5. Moana (2016)
Moana has been prepared her whole life long to become the next chief of her tribe which also means she will have the responsibility of sailing across the seas in order to find an island with great power.
On this particular journey, Moana meets a demi god who ultimately teaches her many lessons about life as well as having to learn to trust her instincts over anything else .
The soundtrack also has amazing songs that mimic the islands of the south Pacific Ocean , so I love listening to the soundtrack!
6. Zootopia (2016)
Zootopia is about Judy Hopps (the first bunny cop ) trying to solve an animal kidnapping case while also fighting her stereotypes to get up to her goal as being a police officer.
One thing I love about this film is how body positive it is, and how you can look at many different things in this movie to come up with even more symbolism!
7. Toy Story 3 (2010)
It shows what toys do when we’re not around; they have a life of their own!
Also, I love how the characters are put into different situations than when they first became friends (i.e. Sheriff Jesse gets Mr. Potato Head back after he lost him in the first two movies)
8. The Incredibles (2004)
When they’re finally allowed back in society again, they have to adjust to their new status quos and try to be normal like everyone else. It’s definitely worth watching if you love superheroes!
9. Toy Story (1995)
The first movie of the series and one of the most popular items on this Disney movie bucket list, this shows you what happens from Woody and Buzz’s perspectives.
It’s an emotional roller coaster bringing up a lot of issues like abandonment and loss , but still manages to have its funny moments here and there!
10. Wall-E (2008)
This movie has such an adorable story about friendship and independence while showing us how much damage we’ve caused to earth as well.
Even though humans have abandoned Earth in favor of life on spaceships, there are still robots that clean up all of the garbage left behind. WALL·E has been slaving away at this job for 700 years but he’s got a knack for it and he never really gets tired of it.
11. Monsters Inc(2001)
Another classic for all ages, Monsters Inc was a big advancement for Pixar Animation Studios . They brought the story of childlike innocence and the dark, yet too cutesy monsters that live under our bed.
12. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
A live-action remake to what many people consider “the best Disney movie ever,” this is a better reviewed version of the original .
It’s still got all your favorite songs , but with new scenes as well as some newer music!
13. Aladdin (1992)
Personally this is my favorite movie because Jasmine is so feisty and it’s great to see a woman in that kind of role. Plus she was one of the first Disney Princesses from a different ethnicity.
14. Coco (2017)
Coco takes us through the life of a boy who wants nothing more than to become an accomplished musician like his idol.
He ends up following clues about his dead great-grandfather, which leads him on a journey around Mexico where he discovers the importance of family , music, and even death.
If you’re looking for an animated film with a strong message this is definitely right up your alley!
15. Finding Dory (2016)
If you loved Finding Nemo, then you’ll be sure to love this next installment in their Pixar series.
It takes place exactly where the first movie leaves off so there won’t be any confusion as to what’s been happening. Going on under water adventures again will remind you of how much fun that can be !
16. Big Hero 6 (2014)
This Oscar nominated movie takes place in a futuristic version of San Francisco.
It’s about Hiro, a young boy who has lost his brother and wants to learn how to bring him back.
After finding out he has a natural talent for robotics , he learns about microbots and teams up with Baymax (a personal medical assistant robot) in order to fight against his brother’s killer.
17. Mulan (1998)
This movie was the first time Disney created an Asian princess who wasn’t Caucasian, which is so important in today’s society .
It’s also super cool seeing all the Chinese folklore mixed into it and how all the music fits perfectly with each scene!
18. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
This might be my favorite Tim Burton movie ever and a Disney bucket list must-watch, although it was originally released by Touchstone, a Disney subsidiary.
It has a ton of amazing singing and musical numbers that are part of what makes this film so memorable.
It also goes from being a spooky Halloween flick to being more than just that when Jack Skellington stumbles upon Christmas Town.
19. Tangled (2010)
Rapunzel wants to know more about the outside world, so she tries to sneak away from her tower which leads her into meeting Flynn Rider, a thief trying to ride off with all of the crowns he can steal from others.
When he lets it slip that he also knows where Rapunzel’s long lost parents are, they have to team up as the unlikely duo try to save both their kingdoms.
20. Maleficent (2014)
If you loved Sleeping Beauty as a kid (or even if you didn’t), Maleficent is definitely an interesting take on the classic!
In this movie, we see where Maleficent was before she became the evil green dragon who cursed Aurora to never wake up.
She was actually just trying to protect Aurora from Stefan’s terrible ambitions and I love that their backstory is really explored in this film!
21. Frozen Fever (2015)
This short film comes after the events of Frozen and focuses on Anna’s birthday.
While Elsa and Kristoff try to plan out how they’ll surprise her with a party , things don’t quite go as planned despite their best efforts.
Overall it’s not so much a plot-heavy movie but more like a bonding experience for all of its characters!
22. The Little Mermaid (1989)
Ariel wants to learn more about the human world, but her father forbids her from going up to land because he knows humans are dangerous creatures who bring only destruction to their underwater kingdom.
One day she sees a shipwreck survivor come into their harbor so she saves him and brings him home thinking he’ll be grateful (spoiler, he is not).
He tells her all about his life on land and explains how handsome Prince Eric is which causes Ariel to fall in love with the prince too .
This leads us into an adventure where we see a side of a classic we never knew before!
23. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
Kuzco is the emperor of an ancient Inca kingdom that wants to be selfish and self-centered but due to an earthquake he gets transformed into a llama!
24. Aladdin (2019)
Perhaps one of my favorite Disney bucket movies out there because Jasmine is so passionate about life and refuses to fall in love with someone just because they are royal like her father wishes for her.
This is a live action version of the original and is amazing – the costumes and sets are spectacular plus Will Smith is the genie.
25. Pocahontas (1995)
The story of Pocahontas is an interesting one because there are contradicting stories about her life in history books.
Disney took the liberty to change up certain aspects of her life but either way, she was an important figure in colonial history so I encourage you to learn more about her if you’re interested by watching this film!
26. Jungle Book (2016)
The reason why I love this remake of the classic is because it’s a live-action! It’s absolutely stunning and has some great voice actors too such as Scarlett Johansson!
This version is set in India and focuses on Mowgli who was raised by wolves and other animals after being abandoned by his human parents at an early age.
27. Wreck It Ralph (2012)
Video game bad guy Ralph leaves his game Fix It Felix Jr. after wrecking it during a 30 year nap only to find himself in another game.
Ralph joins a group of people and they take him to the gamer’s convention where his old game is going to be showcased, which means he’ll get to see all of his friends again as well as that pesky janitor who hates him.
28. Bolt (2008)
In this adorable animated hit, Bolt, a loveable dog, is the star of a Hollywood action franchise who’s just as talented as he thinks he is.
When he believes that a kidnapper has his human owner, Penny, he sets out on a cross-country journey to rescue her.
29. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
In this Disney movie bucket list classic, Quasimodo is the bellringer of Notre Dame Cathedral who lives with his kind hearted guardian Frollo .
When he saves young orphan Esmeralda from being killed by Captain Phoebus , Frollo becomes jealous and vows revenge against him while also vowing to find Esmeralda and make her his wife, whether she wants to be or not.
30. Lilo & Stitch (2002)
This Disney classic centers around one little Hawaiian girl named Lilo who has recently lost her parents and now must learn to live with her older sister Nani.
Nani works hard all day to take care of Lilo as well as herself, so she’s pretty worn out when a strange dog alien creature comes crashing into their lives.
Through his friendship with the two girls, Stitch finds it in his heart to change while also teaching them that sometimes you just have to admit when he’s wrong .
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31. The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Tiana is a young woman who works very hard in order to open up her own restaurant but then again she doesn’t mind working hard since it’s all she’s ever really wanted to do.
When the prince of the kingdom comes along and sweeps her off her feet, Tiana learns that things aren’t always what they seem and just because you want something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s meant for you .
32. Tangled Before Ever After (2017)
This is a short sequel that takes place after Tangled and focuses on Rapunzel and Eugene trying to balance their lives now that they live in the palace in Corona.
33. Monsters University (2013)
Mike is determined to prove that he can do whatever any other normal human being can do while Sully just wants to graduate without having his reputation ruined for once . When these two get paired up with one another however, their goals become more difficult to achieve than they had ever imagined.
34. Up (2009)
Up was one of Disney Pixar’s most heart-wrenching movies about an old gentleman named Carl who spends his days after his wife passes away meeting kids in the park to tell them all about their adventures together.
This movie shows you that life can be taken away at any moment, but if you spend your days with the ones you love then it’s all worth it in the end.
35. Finding Nemo (2003)
The movie teaches us that sometimes we need to take risks if we want something really bad and that it’s okay to cry because you can’t help feeling sad at times.
This fish tale will touch your heart in ways you never expected!
36. The Sword In The Stone (1953)
It was one of Walt Disney’s last productions before his death that same year. The story tells of a young boy named Arthur who pulls the sword from an anvil where it has been stuck for many years.
This releases King Arthur and makes him king.
37. Dumbo (1941)
He learns to use his ears for flying with help from a mouse named Timothy Q Mouse
38. Bambi (1942)
It is one of the most famous Disney movies and is about young deer who goes on an adventure to find his mother after she was killed by hunters.
Along the way he makes lots of friends and learns how important it is for everyone to take care of each other.
This movie teaches us about life, love, loss, and above all else- friendship!
39. Cinderella (1950)
Everyone knows the original Grimm Brothers story of the orphan who meets a fairy Godmother and goes to the ball in a pumpkin turned carriage.
The Disney version came out in 1950 and has remained a classic ever since with a popular soundtrack.
40. Peter Pan (1953)
41. Frozen 2 (2019)
It shows what happened to the kingdom of Arendelle after Elsa’s coronation at the end of the first film.
It also explores Anna’s and Kristoff’s relationship, as well as how Elsa cast off her curse.
42. Lady and The Tramp (1955)
The story follows Lady, an American Cocker Spaniel, and Tramp, a pampered mixed-breed dog who fall in love when they meet on the streets of New York City during Thanksgiving Day.
After their first meeting there are many obstacles that get in their way before they’re able to find each other again.
43. 101 Dalmatians (1961)
When a litter of fifteen puppies are about to be born, the evil Cruella de Vil decides that she wants them all killed.
The two puppies manage to escape with their fifteen puppies and find shelter from the Woolies family, but they have to face many difficulties before they can finally get home.
44. Cars (2006)
The story takes place in a world where all the cars and people live together in harmony.
It follows Lightning McQueen, who’s on a quest to find Dr. Inspiro Oyster to restore his memories after he crashes into the roadworks and loses his memory during the race, or more specifically, right after winning it.
45. Onward (2020)
46. Soul (2020)
Joe Gardner, a pianist and middle school music teacher living in New York City, dreams of playing jazz professionally. He accidentally falls down a manhole and finds himself as a soul in the Great Beyond.
47. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
The princess is being held at a castle in the forest by an evil fairy that wants to keep her for herself, but there are other fairies who want to see the curse broken before the princess wakes up fully.
48. Raya and The Last Dragon (2021)
Raya is also officially Disney’s first Southeast Asian princess
49. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Along the way, she learns valuable lessons about herself. This is one of those children’s movies that adults can also enjoy because it does contain plenty of lessons to teach young kids about life.
50. Inside Out (2015)
Her feelings are personified as people that live inside her head: Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger. After Riley has an emotional meltdown, her emotions have to make it back from the place where all her memories are kept.
Meanwhile, Riley has no idea what is going on internally.
This movie will show you that there are many things inside our minds and that we should appreciate how complex our brains really are
Disney Movie Bucket List – Conclusion
We’ve put together a list of the best Disney movies that everyone should watch in their lifetime.
We’ve included a mixture of animated films, live-action films and more.
But now, it’s over to you. What is on your Disney movie bucket list?
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