Walt Disney and his eponymous film studio need no introduction: almost everyone has been familiar with their cartoon characters since childhood—Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Simba, and others. Below, we’ve compiled a selection of the best Disney animated films that will appeal to both children and adults. Only feature-length films were included in this list; animated series were not included.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Original title : Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 7.9 , IMDb – 7.6
- Genre: cartoon, fantasy, family, adventure, musical
- Country: USA
- Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Lucille La Verne, Harry Stockwell, Roy Atwell
- Director: William Cottrell and others.
- Duration: 1 hour 23 minutes
Snow White is a young princess who lost her mother in childhood. Her father, the king, married another woman. The new Queen disliked her stepdaughter and, having learned from a magic mirror that Snow White was the most beautiful woman in the world, decided to destroy her. Snow White flees into the forest, where she meets seven dwarf brothers who take her under their protection. The Queen, learning that her stepdaughter survived, sets out to get rid of her.
The first full-length animated film from Walt Disney Productions, “Snow White…” was based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. In 1938, the film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Score, and in 1939, Walt Disney received a unique honorary Oscar for it: a regular-sized statuette in the center, flanked by seven miniature ones.
Cinderella (1950)
- Original title: Cinderella
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.1 , IMDb – 7.3
- Genre: cartoon, fantasy, musical, family
- Country: USA
- Starring: Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Claire Du Brey, Rhoda Williams
- Director: Clyde Geronimi and others.
- Duration: 1 hour 14 minutes
Cinderella is a poor orphan whose wicked stepmother has made her a servant and forced her to cater to the whims of her own daughters. She dreams of attending the royal ball, but her stepmother leaves her at home and goes off to the celebration with her daughters. Cinderella’s fairy godmother comes to her aid, presenting her with a luxurious carriage, a beautiful dress, and glass slippers, and then sends her to the ball with strict orders to return home before midnight.
The animated film is based on the fairy tale of the same name by Charles Perrault. It has two direct sequels: Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True (2002) and Cinderella 3: Twisted Dream (2007). Cinderella received three Oscar nominations and won the Golden Lion at the 1951 Berlin Film Festival.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
- Original title: Beauty and the Beast
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.3 , IMDb – 8.0
- Genre: cartoon, fantasy, musical, family
- Country: USA, Japan
- Starring: Robby Benson, Jesse Corti, Rex Everhart, Angela Lansbury
- Director: Gary Truesdale, Kirk Wise
- Duration: 1 hour 24 minutes
In a dark forest stands a gloomy castle, inhabited by an enchanted prince in the guise of a hideous Beast. A girl who falls in love with him in this form can restore him to his former form and lift the curse. One day, the beautiful Belle arrives at the castle and voluntarily agrees to remain his prisoner in exchange for the freedom of her father, who has accidentally ended up in the Beast’s custody.
The cartoon is based on the fairy tale of the same name by French writer Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. The film won three Golden Globes and two Oscars, becoming the first animated film to win a Golden Globe for Best Picture and be nominated for an Oscar for the same category.
Aladdin (1992)
- Original title: Aladdin
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.2 , IMDb – 8.0
- Genre: cartoon, musical, family, fantasy, comedy, adventure
- Country: USA
- Starring: Scott Wenger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman
- Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Aladdin is a young market thief living a carefree life. One day, he meets Princess Jasmine in disguise and falls in love with her. The young man tries to impress her, but the vizier Jafar imprisons him and then tries to convince him to help him retrieve a magic lamp that will make Jafar the powerful ruler of Agrabah. Now Aladdin must escape, thwart the vizier’s plans, and win the princess’s heart.
The animated film is based on the fairy tale of the same name from the collection “One Thousand and One Nights.” “Aladdin” became the highest-grossing film of 1992, grossing over half a billion dollars. The film won two Oscars, earning a total of 36 awards and 22 nominations.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
- Original title: The Little Mermaid
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.2 , IMDb – 7.6
- Genre: cartoon, musical, fantasy, family, adventure
- Country: USA, Japan
- Starring: Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, René Auberjonois, Paddy Edwards
- Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
- Duration: 1 hour 23 minutes
The little mermaid Ariel, daughter of the sea king Triton, falls in love with the handsome Prince Eric and one day saves him from death. To be near him, she turns to the witch Ursula, who grants her human legs and the ability to walk on land, but in exchange, takes away her beautiful voice.
The plot is based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The animated film won two Oscars and two Golden Globes. A sequel, The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea, dedicated to Ariel’s daughter, was released in 2000, and a prequel, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning, was released in 2008. There is also an animated television series, The Little Mermaid (1992-1994), which tells the story of Ariel’s life before she meets Prince Eric.
The Lion King (1994)
- Original title: The Lion King
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.8 , IMDb – 8.5
- Genre: cartoon, musical, fantasy, adventure, drama, family
- Country: USA
- Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Rowan Atkinson
- Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
- Duration: 1 hour 28 minutes
The majestic and just Mufasa, the Lion King who rules the African savannah, gives birth to Simba, his heir. Mufasa’s brother, Scar, dreams of becoming ruler and, to achieve his goal, lures the King into a trap. Mufasa dies, and Scar convinces Simba that he is to blame for his father’s death and advises him to escape. The lion cub flees, but as an adult, he returns to become King.
The Lion King won two Oscars and three Golden Globes (including Best Picture – Musical or Comedy), earning a total of 43 wins and 35 nominations. However, the studio initially doubted its success and was banking on the concurrently developing animated film Pocahontas. The Lion King has spawned two feature-length sequels, and the animated series Timon & Pumbaa and The Lion Guard have also been adapted.
Robin Hood (1973)
- Original title: Robin Hood
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.1 , IMDb – 7.5
- Genre: cartoon, musical, comedy, adventure, family
- Country: USA
- Starring: Roger Miller, Peter Ustinov, Terry-Thomas, Brian Bedford
- Director: Wolfgang Reitherman, David Hand
- Duration: 1 hour 23 minutes
The fearless fox Robin Hood and his friend, the bear Little John, attack the rich, rob them, and give the money to the poor. The wolf, the Sheriff of Nottingham, decides to catch them. He sets a trap for the robbers: an archery tournament, where he will be ambushed. Robin Hood knows this, but attends the competition anyway, because only there will he see the beautiful fox Lady Marian, with whom he has been in love since childhood.
The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award. Due to its low budget, animation and drawings from previous films, including The Jungle Book, Cinderella, and The Aristocats, were used in its development.
Bambi (1942)
- Original title: Bambi
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.1 , IMDb – 7.3
- Genre: cartoon, adventure, drama, family
- Country: USA
- Starring: Hardy Albright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audry, Peter Behn
- Director: James Elgar and others.
- Duration: 1 hour 12 minutes
A son, Bambi, is born into the family of the Great Prince of the Forest. He makes friends—Thoptoon the hare, Tsvetochok the skunk, and Faylin the doe—and together, Bambi discovers and learns about the world around him. His life is full of joy and happiness, but everything changes when a human appears in the forest.
“Bambi” was Walt Disney’s favorite cartoon. It was a box office failure upon its release, but reruns from 1947 to 1948 brought it widespread popularity. In 1948, the film won a Golden Globe Award, and in the year of its premiere, it was nominated for three Oscars, but failed to win. The plot is based on the book “Bambi” by Austrian author Felix Salten.
101 Dalmatians (1961)
- Original title : One Hundred and One Dalmatians
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.0 , IMDb – 7.3
- Genre: cartoon, adventure, family
- Country: USA
- Starring: Rod Taylor, J. Pat O’Malley, Betty Lou Gerson, Ben Wright
- Director: Clyde Geronimi and others.
- Duration: 1 hour 19 minutes
On orders from Cruella De Vil, two bandits kidnap Dalmatian puppies. Their spotted parents decide to do everything possible to save the puppies and teach the villain a lesson, as she wants to make a fur coat from their pelts.
The animated film is based on the novel of the same name by English author Dodie Smith. “101 Dalmatians” won a BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film. The film spawned a sequel, released in 2002, and two animated television series based on it.
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
- Original title: Lady and the Tramp
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.2 , IMDb – 7.3
- Genre: cartoon, musical, comedy, adventure, family
- Country: USA
- Starring: Peggy Lee, Larry Roberts, Bill Baucom, Verna Felton
- Director: Clyde Geronimi and others.
- Duration: 1 hour 16 minutes
Lady, a cocker spaniel, was a longtime favorite of her owners, but their attitude toward her changed after they had a child. A muzzle became the last straw, and the unfortunate dog ran away. On the streets of the big city, she faces a multitude of dangers, but a homeless dog nicknamed Tramp comes to her aid.
The cartoon was nominated for a BAFTA Award and gained widespread popularity. It was adapted into a comic book series, “Scamp,” which tells the story of Lady and the Tramp, a puppy. A sequel, “Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventures,” was later made based on these comics.
The Aristocats (1970)
- Original title: The AristoCats
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.1 , IMDb – 7.1
- Genre: cartoon, musical, comedy, family, adventure
- Country: USA
- Starring: Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Sterling Holloway, Paul Winchell
- Director: Wolfgang Reithermann
- Duration: 1 hour 18 minutes
A wealthy aristocrat owns a mother cat and three kittens. She’s obsessed with her pets and decides to leave them her fortune. Her butler isn’t happy about this and kidnaps the cats. The cat and kittens end up in a village, where a strange stray cat comes to their aid.
The plot is based on the true story of a cat family living in early 20th-century Paris who inherited their owner’s entire fortune. The kittens, Berlioz and Toulouse, are named after the composer Hector Berlioz and the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. This explains the kittens’ activities: in one scene, the first kitten plays the piano, while the second draws. “The Aristocats” is the first animated film completed after Walt Disney’s death.
Mulan (1998)
- Original title: Mulan
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.1 , IMDb – 7.7
- Genre: cartoon, fantasy, comedy, family, adventure
- Country: USA
- Starring: Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, Miguel Ferrer, Harvey Fierstein
- Director: Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook
- Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes
Mulan is a young Chinese beauty, intelligent and willful. One day, her country is invaded by the Huns, and now each family must provide one man capable of fighting. Mulan’s father is preparing to go to war, but he is old and too weak for battle. Mulan decides to deceive him: to save her father, she steals his weapons and armor and sneaks out of the house at night to take his place.
The film was a box office success and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Score. Its plot was based on a Chinese poem about a woman named Hua Mulan who joins the army. The title song, “Reflection,” was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. It also became Christina Aguilera’s first single and her first hit, launching her successful career.
Tangled (2010)
- Original title: Tangled
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.0 , IMDb – 7.7
- Genre: cartoon, musical, fantasy, comedy, family, adventure
- Country: USA, Japan
- Starring: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman
- Director: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
- Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes
Rapunzel is a princess kidnapped as a child by a witch who used her magical hair to restore her youth. On her 18th birthday, she encounters the charming bandit Flynn and forces him to show her a mysterious, wide world she’s never visited.
Disney’s most expensive animated film, it won 10 awards and received 42 nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. The film has spawned sequels: the short film “Tangled Ever After,” the animated film “Tangled: Before Ever After,” and the animated series “Tangled: The Series.”
Frozen (2013)
- Original title: Frozen
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 7.9 , IMDb – 7.4
- Genre: cartoon, fantasy, comedy, family, adventure
- Country: USA
- Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Alan Tudyk
- Director: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
- Duration: 1 hour 42 minutes
Since early childhood, Princess Elsa has had the ability to freeze everything around her. This gift once nearly causes the death of her younger sister, Anna. Terrified, Elsa limits her contact with the outside world. Years later, at her coronation, Elsa accidentally freezes the kingdom and flees into the mountains in panic. Anna, accompanied by the ice merchant Kristoff and his reindeer, Sven, sets out to find her sister and convince her to break the curse.
The animated film’s screenplay is based on the fairy tale “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen. It has won 83 awards, including two Oscars, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA, as well as 60 more nominations. Frozen has two short sequels and a full-length sequel, Frozen 2.
Zootopia (2016)
- Original title: Zootopia
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.3 , IMDb – 8.0
- Genre: cartoon, comedy, family, adventure, detective
- Country: USA
- Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate
- Director: Byron Howard
- Duration: 1 hour 48 minutes
Judy Hopps, a young, energetic bunny, is a new police officer in Zootopia. At first, she’s not taken seriously, so she seizes the first opportunity to prove herself worthy of her position, and she accidentally finds herself assisted by the cunning fox Nick Wilde. Together, they must solve a case that will determine the fate of all Zootopia residents.
The film won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature, as well as Satellite and BAFTA nominations for the same category. In total, its achievements include 49 awards and 75 nominations. A full-length sequel, Zootopia 2, was released in 2025.
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
- Original title : Raya and the Last Dragon
- Rating: Kinopoisk – 8.1 , IMDb – 7.3
- Genre: cartoon, comedy, family, adventure, drama, fantasy
- Country: USA
- Starring: Kelly Marie Chan, Awkwafina, Isaac Wang, Gemma Chan
- Director: Don Hall and others.
- Duration: 1 hour 47 minutes
Many years ago, the magical land of Kumandra was attacked by the Druun—monsters who turn people to stone. Their invasion was repelled by powerful dragons, but many of them perished in the process. Years later, Kumandra is divided into five warring countries, the dragons are almost completely extinct, and the Druun are once again attacking people. Raya, the daughter of the ruler of the Land of Hearts, sets out to find the last surviving dragon in the hopes that it will help defeat the Druun.
The film was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film. In total, it has won 13 awards and received 62 nominations.
