20 Greatest Classic Disney Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best

These classic Disney movies introduced us to characters we’ll never forget and created a legacy that endures.

Greatest Animated Disney Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best

Before Pixar, Dreamworks and Cartoon Network Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios was flying the flag for animated magic. Since its founding in 1923, the animation studio has produced 59 animated feature films, giving us stories that shaped our childhoods, introducing us to characters we’ll never forget and creating a legacy that endures.

It’s a near-impossible task to rank all the animated, classic Disney movies. They're just that good. But here we give you the top 20, scouring data from Metacritic, based on a weighted average of published critic reviews, as well as Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer critic score and its Audience Score — all three of which provide scores out of 100.

Do you agree with our picks?

20. The Rescuers

Note: These rankings include Walt Disney Animation Studios movies only, which means no Disney/Pixar films.

Release Date: June 22, 1977

Metacritic Rating: 74

Tomatometer: 80

Rotten Tomatoes’ Audience Score: 68

Combined Score: 74

Bottom Line: The Rescuers

The first major work to come from the Disney studios after a dry decade, “The Rescuers” is short and sweet — perfect for the youngest cartoon enthusiasts.

One of the most appealing characters is Orville the albatross, who runs an airline service consisting of a sardine can for his passengers to sit in, while the villainous Madame Medusa could give Cruella de Vil a run for her money.

19. Hercules

Release Date: June 27, 1997

Metacritic Rating: 74

Tomatometer: 84

Rotten Tomatoes’ Audience Score: 76

Combined Score: 78

Bottom Line: Hercules

Hercules may be the strongest man on earth, but he has to work hard to win the heart of the feisty gal Megara in this Greek mythology adaptation.

This is part of the charm of “Hercules,” which also benefits from one of Disney's best musical numbers, "I Won't Say I'm in Love,” and the sharp production design, which gives it quite a different look than other Disney animated features.

18. Peter Pan

Release Date: Feb. 5, 1953

Metacritic Rating: 76

Tomatometer: 80

Audience Score: 80

Combined Score: 78.67

Bottom Line: Peter Pan

The adaptation of J.M. Barrie‘s children’s book, “Peter Pan,” as an animated feature was a long time in the making — the on-off production schedule ran for over a decade.

In the end, it was worth the wait, both critically and financially. With likable characters (including Wendy, one of Disney’s smartest and most skillful female protagonists) and plenty of Disney magic, “Peter Pan” stands the test of time.

17. Winnie the Pooh

Release Date: July 15, 2011

Metacritic Rating: 74

Tomatometer: 91

Audience Score: 80

Combined Score: 81.67

Bottom Line: Winnie the Pooh

Disney made a welcome return to the Hundred Acre Wood with the 2011 feature, “Winnie the Pooh.” Stripped-back and sweet with 2-D hand-drawn animation, it stayed true to earlier animated featurettes, bringing the much-loved stories of Pooh, Tigger and the rest of the gang to life for a new audience.

Narration by John Cleese adds some lighthearted fun, too.

16. Frozen

Release Date: Nov. 27, 2013

Metacritic Rating: 74

Tomatometer: 90

Audience Score: 85

Combined Score: 83

Bottom Line: Frozen

Against all odds, “Frozen” is the highest-grossing film in the history of Walt Disney Animation Studios — and the bane of every parent’s life for that song. But we can let it go (sorry) purely because it’s a return to form for Disney: an intriguing story with enchanting animation.

The question is, how do you think the sequel compares? We prefer the first one better.

15. Lady and the Tramp

Release Date: June 22, 1955

Metacritic Rating: 78

Tomatometer: 93

Audience Score: 80

Combined Score: 83.67

Bottom Line: Lady and the Tramp

Much has been said about the racist Siamese cats in “Lady and the Tramp.” So, let’s focus on what’s good about this 1955 Disney release, which was the first animated feature filmed in CinemaScope.

It’s a simple, universal love story, which is always the best kind of love story. And there’s the spaghetti-eating scene, of course. If you love dogs and you love Disney, this is one you’ll go back to, time after time.

14. Bambi

Release Date: Aug. 21, 1942

Metacritic Rating: 91

Tomatometer: 90

Audience Score: 73

Combined Score: 84.67

Bottom Line: Bambi

You might not know that “Bambi” could have been the first feature-length animated Disney film — but it was put on the backburner because Walt had doubts about his animators’ abilities.

That said, it was worth the wait. It’s the first Disney animated movie with a background in oils instead of watercolors, creating stunning scenery for each season. If you want a film that tackles the hard truths of life with a gentle touch, “Bambi” checks all the boxes.

13. Sleeping Beauty

Release Date: Jan. 29, 1959

Metacritic Rating: 85

Tomatometer: 90

Audience Score: 80

Combined Score: 85

Bottom Line: Sleeping Beauty

Setting aside the fact that the plot of “Sleeping Beauty” is slightly questionable in today’s culture (a woman comes back to life after a man kisses her while she’s dead to the world), this charming Disney movie was groundbreaking in other ways.

Walt described it as their “most ambitious cartoon feature to date.” It was photographed in anamorphic widescreen on 70mm film, meaning animators were drawing and painting on pieces of paper as big as bedsheets.

12. 101 Dalmatians

Release Date: Jan. 25, 1961

Metacritic Rating: 83

Tomatometer: 98

Audience Score: 76

Combined Score: 85.67

Bottom Line: 101 Dalmatians

The animation process for “101 Dalmations” was different than anything Disney had done before: The animators’ lines were copied onto the clear plastic animation cels directly, letting them see their lines on screen for the first time ever.

The resulting rough finish makes Cruella de Vil — arguably the most iconic Disney villain of all time — seem even more evil. She steals the show, even from the super-cute spotted puppies.

11. Cinderella

Release Date: March 4, 1950

Metacritic Rating: 85

Tomatometer: 97

Audience Score: 80

Combined Score: 87.34

Bottom Line: Cinderella

“Cinderella” is the framework for pretty much every teen movie that’s been made since 1950 (girl gets a makeover with a little help from some form of fairy godmother and gets the guy). This, combined with the clever animation, a lustrous color palette and enchanting music, justifies its place in this list.

The heroine isn’t as interesting as other Disney princesses, but we can let that go.

10. Dumbo

Release Date: Oct. 31, 1941

Metacritic Rating: 96

Tomatometer: 98

Audience Score: 70

Combined Score: 88

Bottom Line: Dumbo

The tiny elephant with unusually big ears enjoyed a return to the big screen in 2018, but it’s the original “Dumbo” that ranks 10th on the list. Released in 1941, it’s also up there with the biggest animated tear-jerkers. Who can watch the scene when Dumbo sees his mom again, chained in a circus trailer, without getting at least a little choked up?

All Disney themes are timeless, but this one has a particularly enduring message: It’s not a bad thing to be different; in fact, it can be the best thing ever.

9. Moana

Release Date: Nov. 23, 2016

Metacritic Rating: 81

Tomatometer: 96

Rotten Tomatoes’ Audience Score: 89

Combined Score: 88.67

Bottom Line: Moana

“Moana” didn’t win an Oscar (for Best Animated Feature Film or Best Original Score; it deserved both), but it won our hearts. The story of a young woman of color (the daughter of a Polynesian tribal chief) following her destiny is authentic, fresh, joyful and optimistic. And the music is superb, with the lyrics co-written by “Hamilton” mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda.

What’s particularly special about this movie is that Moana gets the chance to do her thing without a romantic complication.

8. Zootopia

Release Date: March 4, 2016

Metacritic Rating: 78

Tomatometer: 97

Audience Score: 92

Combined Score: 89

Bottom Line: Zootopia

Both genuinely touching and laugh-out-loud funny, “Zootopia” can be enjoyed on different levels: as an entertaining mystery or an auspicious observation of modern society’s prejudices.

A story of two characters (Officer Judy Hopps and scam-artist Nick Wilde as a modern take on the traditional rabbit-and-fox adversaries) who have to work together for the common good, it’s one that deserves to be revisited again and again.

7. The Little Mermaid

Release Date: Nov. 17, 1989

Metacritic Rating: 88

Tomatometer: 93

Audience Score: 88

Combined Score: 89.67

Bottom Line: The Little Mermaid

Loosely adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen story of the same name, “The Little Mermaid” stands out as the best animated Disney film of the 1980s by far. It reassured critics that Disney was back to its best.

Young audiences also took the preteen underwater princess Ariel to their hearts, and everyone heard her message loud and clear: Never give up on your dreams.

6. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Release Date: Feb. 4, 1938

Metacritic Rating: 95

Tomatometer: 98

Audience Score: 78

Combined Score: 90.33

Bottom Line: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The first animated feature film from any American studio, Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” remains a classic. While it doesn’t hold up as well culturally as some other early Disney movies (ageism, sexism and a non-consensual kiss, for starters), it deserves its place in film history.

The groundbreaking Russian director Sergey Eisenstein called it the greatest movie ever made, and although it never won an Oscar, it was honored with a special Academy Award in 1939 to recognize it as a “significant screen innovation, which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field for the motion picture.”

5. Pinocchio

Release Date: Feb. 23, 1940

Metacritic Rating: 99

Tomatometer: 100

Audience Score: 73

Combined Score: 90.67

Bottom Line: Pinocchio

It’s pretty magical that in an age of virtual reality and movies with special effects budgets of millions, the top-ranking animated Disney movie among critics is the 1940 release, “Pinocchio,” but this one didn’t quite sit as well with audiences, which is why it's No. 5 on this list.

Only the second feature-length release after “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” Pinocchio introduced the world to Carlo Collodi’s classic story of the marionette who wanted to be a real-live boy. It even won an Oscar — a first for the company — for Best Song, thanks to Jiminy Cricket’s rendition of “When You Wish Upon A Star.”

4. Aladdin

Release Date: Nov. 25, 1992

Metacritic Rating: 86

Tomatometer: 94

Audience Score: 92

Combined Score: 90.67

Bottom Line: Aladdin

Actually tying with “Pinnochio” is “Aladdin,” which was destined to be a huge Disney hit, and it was. Everyone fell in love with the street urchin trying to win the heart of a beautiful princess, and improvisation from the late, great Robin Williams as the Genie is the icing on the cake.

It’s magical, it’s romantic, it’s hugely entertaining — it’s Disney at its best.

3. Fantasia

Release Date: Nov. 13, 1940

Metacritic Rating: 96

Tomatometer: 94

Audience Score: 83

Combined Score: 91

Bottom Line: Fantasia

As a collection of animated interpretations of some of the greatest works of Western classical music (including “The Rite of Spring,” “Ave Maria” and “Nutcracker Suite”), there’s been nothing like “Fantasia” since its 1940 release.

For that very reason, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea — and is definitely one some younger viewers either won’t get or will be spooked by — Mickey or no Mickey. That said, it's been very much acclaimed by critics and is the 23rd highest-grossing film of all time (if adjusted for inflation) due to the fact that it's been reissued multiple times.

2. The Lion King

Release Date: June 15, 1994

Metacritic Rating: 88

Tomatometer: 93

Audience Score: 93

Combined Score: 91.33

Bottom Line: The Lion King

The buzz in 2019 may be around the photorealistic computer-animated remake of “The Lion King” (directed and produced by Jon Favreau and featuring the voices of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), but the 1994 original — and its unforgettable soundtrack — is tough to beat.

Unlike every Walt Disney Animation Studios feature that came before it, the coming-of-age tale of Simba was completely original, which makes its success even more brilliant.

1. Beauty and the Beast

Release Date: Nov. 22, 1991

Metacritic Rating: 95

Tomatometer: 94

Audience Score: 92

Combined Score: 93.67

Bottom Line: Beauty and the Beast

With an array of memorable characters and a feminist heroine, “Beauty and the Beast” (Disney’s 30th animated feature) was seen by both critics and audiences as a welcome return to Disney at its best, making it an understandable choice to top this list.

Bright young Belle gets trapped in a castle, falls in love with a mysterious beast and learns that true beauty comes from within. The title song, performed by Angela Lansbury, won the 1992 Golden Globe Award and the 1993 Academy Award for Best Original Song.