Since the Golden Age of Animation, the Walt Disney Corporation has reigned as one of the undisputed kings of animated films. Their animated films have been praised for their high-quality animation and innovative techniques that pushed the industry into the creative landscape it is today. As of 2024, they have released 62 animated films.

As of 2011, the last Disney film to be animated traditionally was Winnie the Pooh. This is unfortunate, as while the company’s 3D movies look gorgeous in their own right, there is a charm to 2D movies that can’t be captured on computers. These are the best hand-drawn animated features in Disney’s canon, ranked from great to greatest.

25 ‘Robin Hood’ (1973)

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman

With King Richard I (Peter Ustinov) fighting in the Third Crusade, his younger brother, Prince John (Peter Ustinov) is free to overtax the people of England to feed his greed. However, he is constantly thwarted in his ambitions by Robin Hood (Brian Bedford), a sly outlaw who returns John’s ill-gotten gains to the poor. He is aided by his trusted friend, Little John (Phil Harris), the kind Friar Tuck (Andy Devine) and his love, Maid Marian (Monica Evans).

Robin Hood is a bit rough around the edges, especially with how much animation it re-uses from older films, but at its core, it is a solid adventure movie. The characters are simple but fun archetypes, allowing younger audiences to get sucked into their escapades. The climax is also one of Disney’s best in terms of pacing, beginning as a slow, quiet heist, before transitioning into a frantic race for freedom.

Watch on Disney+

24 ‘The Great Mouse Detective’ (1986)

Directed by John Musker, Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson and David Michener

After returning home from service in Afghanistan, Dr. David Q. Dawson (Val Bettin) encounters Olivia Flaversham (Susanne Pollatschek), a young girl whose father has been kidnapped by a peg-legged back with a crooked wing. The two bring the case to the greatest mouse detective in London, Basil of Baker Street (Barrie Ingham). He concludes that it is linked to his arch-rival, Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price), who plans to use Olivia’s father to take over the mouse empire.

The Great Mouse Detective is the film that convinced Disney executives that their 2D films could still make money, and though it was outdone at the box office by Don Bluth’sAn American Tail, it remains a wonderful adventure film with one of the best hero-villain dynamics in Disney. Basil and Ratigan’s rivalry is a delicious battle of egos: both are determined to prove their intellect is superior, but while Ratigan uses his genius to aid only himself, Basil uses it to help others. The film also contains some impressive early-CGI, which was used to bring to life the gears of Big Ben during the film’s climax.

23 ‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’ (1977)

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman and John Lounsbery

Deep in the Hundred-Acre Wood, a boy named Christopher Robin (Bruce Reitherman, Jon Walmsley and Timothy Turner) plays with his numerous stuffed animal friends. The chief among these is a bear of very little brains named Winnie the Pooh (Sterling Holloway), who loves nothing more than spending time with his friends and eating honey. From getting stuck in front doors to being swept away in a flood, there is no shortage of adventures for Pooh, Christopher, and the other denizens of the woods to partake in.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh combines three Winnie the Pooh shorts released from 1966 to 1974 into a single narrative. Audiences of all ages find themselves returning to this classic thanks to the lovable characters, catchy songs, and how it perfectly captures the nostalgic charm of childhood. The final scene also contains a rather poignant message about the inevitability of change but doesn’t present it as something evil, but an inevitable fact of life that, while scary at times, cannot remove the memories of what came before.

Watch on Disney+

22 ‘101 Dalmatians’ (1961)

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton Luske and Clyde Geronimi

Pongo (Rod Taylor) and Perdita (Cate Bauer and Lisa Daniels) are two Dalmatians who are excited to raise a family of puppies with their human owners, Roger (Ben Wright) and Anita Radcliffe (Lisa Davis). However, their puppies are stolen on the order of Cruella De Vil (Betty Lou Gerson), who intends to use them alongside eighty-four other puppies to make fur coats. When the humans can’t track them down, Pongo and Perdita enlist the aid of their fellow canines to track them down and bring them home.

101 Dalmatians was the first Disney movie to be made using xerography, which allowed the animators to easily save time on things like adding spots to the Dalmatians and copying puppies for large crowd shots. The resulting sketchy art style, though of lower quality than Disney’s usual, fits the lower-stakes story and helps give the world a sort of children’s book aesthetic. Among the characters, Cruella is easily the show-stealer, and is one of the greatest creations of animator Marc Davis, one of Disney’s Nine Old Men.

21 ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’ (2000)

Directed by Mark Dindal

Kuzco (David Spade) is the young and conceded Emperor of the Incans, who believes he can do whatever he wants, such as demolishing a peasant village to make room for his summer retreat or firing his advisor, Yzma (Eartha Kitt). Enraged, she has her assistant, Kronk (Patrick Warburton) poison him, but he instead uses a potion that turns Kuzco into a llama. When Kronk can’t bring himself to kill Kuzko, he ends up on the cart of Pacha (John Goodman), the chief of the village Kuzco wants to destroy, who will only agree to help him if his village is spared.

After surviving a tumultuous production that saw the film switch directors and genres, The Emperor’s New Groove has developed a comfortable status as one of Disney’s funniest movies. This is due to the humor coming from multiple sources, including 4th wall breaks, fast-paced slapstick, and the hilarious back-and-forth between Kitt and Warburton. The rest of the story is pretty good as well, with Kuzco’s story serving as an effective lesson about humility and putting others before yourself.

20 ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (1951)

Directed by Ben Sharpsteen, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske

After spotting a White Rabbit (Bill Thompson) in a waistcoat comes running by screaming that he’s late, Alice (Kathryn Beaumont) follows him down his rabbit hole. She finds herself in Wonderland, a topsy-turvy land where everyone is at least a little mad and the rules change on a whim. Still, Alice’s curiosity is too great to ignore, and she continues to chase after the rabbit while meeting the other crazy residents of Wonderland along the way.

Alice in Wonderland is by far Disney’s most surreal movie, thanks in no small part to the directors trying to one-up one another behind the scenes and make their segment the most memorable. The result makes Wonderland truly feel like a crazy world, with grand displays of colors and impressive animation techniques, especially since this film was made before CGI technology. The characters are all wonderful, but special mention should go to Alice: Beaumont’s performance is one of the best in any Disney movie and makes Alice come alive as the straight man reacting to every new strange experience.

19 ‘The Jungle Book’ (1967)

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman

Mowgli (Bruce Reitherman), known as the “man cub” by the animals, lives in the jungles of India with his adopted wolf family. However, when the tiger Shere Khan (George Sanders) returns to the area, it is decided that Mowgli should be taken to the Man Village to keep him safe. The panther, Bagheera (Sebastian Cabot), offers to escort him, but the journey is difficult, thanks in no part to Mowgli’s insistence on remaining in the jungle.

The Jungle Book was the last movie to be made with Disney’s direct input, and his unique touch has helped it remain a beloved classic. It is much more light-hearted than the original story by Rudyard Kipling, with catchy songs and memorable side-characters like the orangutan King Louie (Louis Prima) and Baloo (Phil Harris), the sloth bear who becomes like a big brother to Mowgli. Still, there are a few dark elements, such as Shere Khan, who manages to be an intimidating villain with a powerful presence despite having limited screen time.

18 ‘Tarzan’ (1999)

Directed by Chris Buck and Kevin Lima

After losing her baby to a leopard named Sabor (Frank Welker), the gorilla, Kala (Glenn Close), discovers a human baby whose parents were also killed by the big cat. She adopts him and names him Tarzan (Alex D. Linz and Tony Goldwyn), but growing up, the boy has a hard time fitting into gorilla life or earning the approval of his adopted father, Kerchak (Lance Henriksen). During his adult years, Tarzan discovers British explorers who have come to study the gorillas, which causes further rifts with his adopted family as he tries to learn more about who he is.

As the final movie to come out of The Disney Renaissance, Tarzan boasts some revolutionary blending of 2D and 3D animation, which leads to gorgeously choreographed scenes of Tarzan surfing his way through the trees. Its story, while not as good as the films that came before it, is still very strong, with Tarzan’s journey focusing on self-discovery and trying to identify what world he truly belongs in. Phil Collins also handled the film’s songs, and each one of them is both memorable and insightful as to what is happening in that portion of the story.

17 ‘Peter Pan’ (1953)

Directed by Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi and Wilfred Jackson

During her last night in the nursery, Wendy Darling (Kathryn Beaumont) meets Peter Pan (Bobb Driscoll), a flying boy who never grows up due to living in the magical Neverland. After Wendy helps him re-attach his missing shadow, he decides to take Wendy and her brothers, John (Paul Collins) and Michael (Tommy Luske), back to Neverland with him, using pixie dust from his friend Tinker Belle to help them fly. However, Neverland isn’t all fun and games, as Peter’s rival, Captain Hook (Hans Conried), is determined to finally kill Peter for cutting off his hand.

Peter Pan was in development hell for many years, but the final product is one of Disney’s best action-adventure films. The animation is phenomenal even seventy years later, especially in the flying scenes, which manage to make these 2D humans feel like they have proper weight while soaring through the clouds and around buildings. The most memorable part of the film has to be Captain Hook, who remains a beloved Disney villain thanks to his mix of threatening and comedic elements, as well as how he plays off of his sidekick, Mr. Smee (Bill Thompson)

16 ‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2002)

Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois

The latest creation of intergalactic evil genius, Dr. Jumba Jookiba (David Ogden Stiers), Experiment 626 (Chris Sanders), escapes custody and crash lands on the Hawaiian Islands on Earth. There, he is mistaken for a dog and adopted by Lilo (Daveigh Chase), a little girl being raised by her older sister, Nani (Tia Carrere), who names him Stitch. When Jumba and Agent Pleakley (Kevin McDonald) are dispatched to capture Stitch, he reluctantly agrees to stay with Lilo, and over time, comes to see the importance of family.

Lilo & Stitch was the largest success in Disney’s experimental post-Renaissance period thanks to its emotional core. The film is about a broken family trying to put the pieces of their life back together and touches on themes of grief and ostracization, while also balancing comedy with the alien plot and Lilo’s eccentricities. Speaking of Lilo, she is one of Disney’s most unique protagonists thanks to her beautiful blend of childish innocence, love of Elvis Presley music, and the expressive animation courtesy of the legendary Andreas Deja.

15 ‘The Princess and the Frog’ (2009)

Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements

In New Orleans during the 1920s, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a hard-working woman trying to raise enough money to fulfill her late father’s dream of opening a restaurant. During a costume party, she encounters a talking frog who claims to be Prince Naveen of Maldonia (Bruno Campos), turned into a frog by the evil Dr. Facilier (Keith David). Tiana kisses him to try and break the curse but ends up turning into a frog herself, and the two end up lost in the bayou as they try to find a way to return to human form.

The Princess and the Frog was the second to last 2D Disney film and was a strong start to Disney’s ongoing Revival era. The 1920s aesthetic allows for a lot of stylish visuals and a heavy emphasis on Jazz music, composed by Randy Newman. Tiana also stands as one of Disney’s best heroines thanks to her strong work ethic and her effective character arc regarding the importance of love and personal connections.

14 ‘Lady and the Tramp’ (1955)

Directed by Wilfred Jackson, Clyde Geronimi and Hamilton Luske

For Christmas, “Jim Dear” (Lee Millar) surprises his wife, “Darling” (Peggy Lee) with a cocker spaniel puppy they name Lady (Barbara Luddy). She enjoys the attention she receives from her owners, but over time, things begin to shift as they prepare for the birth of their baby. During this time, Lady ends up meeting Tramp (Larry Roberts), a carefree stray dog who initially teases her about how her life will change following the baby, but in time, the two grow closer.

Lady and the Tramp remains one of the strongest animal-lead stories by Disney thanks to its many creative writing and technical details. The film is shot low to the ground, which helps the audience become immersed in the dog’s point of view of everyday commodities and human life. The love story between the two is also very well handled for early Disney, with good pacing, romantic set pieces, and plenty of dialogue-focused moments to show how these dogs from opposite worlds can fall in love.

Watch on Disney+

13 ‘Mulan’ (1998)

Directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook

When the Huns invade China, one man from every household is drafted into the military. However, Fa Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) knows that her father will not survive another war, so she disguises herself as a man and takes his place, even though discovery would lead to her death. Though she struggles at first, Mulan receives aid from one of her ancestral guardians, a dragon named Mushu (Eddie Murphy), and in time inspires her fellow recruits with her ability to think outside the box.

Mulan brings ancient Chinese art and culture to life with groundbreaking Disney animation, resulting in one of the company’s most visually distinct films. Its story is also well-handled, touching on themes of honor, equality, and bravery in the face of impossible odds. Much of this success comes from how the filmmakers depict Mulan’s struggles: they succeed in making her empathetic and vulnerable, while also highlighting her creative thinking, which shows audiences that sometimes, to solve a problem, you need to look at it from a different angle.

12 ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ (1996)

Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

High in the bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral lives Quasimodo (Tom Hulce), a hunhback who longs to walk among the people of Paris as an equal. Defying the order of his adopted father, the evil Claude Frollo (Tony Jay), Quasimodo partakes in the Festival of Fools, only for the crowd to turn on him and mock his appearance. He is given aid by a Romani woman named Esmeralda (Demi Moore), and when she stands up to Frollo’s cruelty, he becomes obsessed with capturing her.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of Disney’s darkest films: though it tones down some elements of the original novel by Victor Hugo, it still focuses on harsh themes like corruption, persecution, self-righteousness, and lust, mainly through Frollo’s actions. Fortunately, things are balanced out by Quasimodo’s story of seeking acceptance, so the movie remains optimistic by showing that kindness and unity can overthrow the evils of tyranny. The film also boasts one of Disney’s grandest senses of scale, using dynamic camera angles and perhaps the greatest score by famed composer Alan Menken to make Notre Dame feel larger than life.

11 ‘Cinderella’ (1950)

Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske

Following the death of her father, Cinderella (Ilene Woods) is made into a servant for her stepmother, Lady Tremaine (Eleanor Audley), and her two daughters. Though she is forced to work constantly with no time to herself, Cinderella refuses to give in to despair and shows kindness to the animals around the house. This kindness is rewarded when the animals work together to help her finish a dress to wear for an upcoming royal ball and the arrival of Cinderella’s fairy godmother (Verna Felton).

After nearly a decade of producing package films during the wartime era, Cinderella brought Disney back to its roots of timeless fairytale stories and impressive animation. Its story touches on the importance of kindness and how one good act always inspires another, shown through the devotion of the animals towards Cinderella, because she always helps them when she has no reason to. Combined with her positive attitude and focus on what she can control vs what she can’t, it’s no wonder Cinderella is one of Disney’s best princesses.

10 ‘Dumbo’ (1941)

Directed by Ben Sharpsteen

Born into the life of a travelling circus, Dumbo is a baby elephant who faces persecution and ridicule due to his oversize ears. Initially, his mother served as his only source of positive reinforcement, but she is separated from Dumbo after protecting him from some human children, and his fellow elephants turn their backs on him. Fortunately, he meets a mouse named Timothy (Edward Brophy), who offers to help Dumbo become a star and reunite with his mother.

Dumbo is one of Disney’s shortest films, yet it manages to tellone of its strongest narratives thanks to its emphasis on outcast characters. It shows the importance of having a group of people who believe in you, and how proper support and encouragement can lead to one’s perceived weaknesses becoming their greatest strengths. As for the animation, it’s more simplistic than Disney’s other projects at the time, but this helps to bring the circus aesthetic to life, and the character animation on Dumbo by Bill Tytla perfectly captures his emotional range without a single line of dialogue.

9 ‘Aladdin’ (1992)

Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker

To gain access to the magical Cave of Wonders, Royal Vizir Jafar (Johnathan Freeman) uses Aladdin (Scott Weinger), a street rat who wishes to be rich and respected. Inside the cave is a magic lamp containing a Genie (Robin Williams) bound to grant whoever holds the lamp three wishes. Aladdin decides to use the Genie to become a Prince to hopefully win the heart of Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin), while Jafar seeks to accumulate more power for himself.

Aladdin is one of Disney’s strongest narratives, telling a story of integrity and being true to yourself. Aladdin starts the film believing that if he has wealth and power, he will be happy with himself and worthy of Jasmine’s love, not realizing that what makes him worthy is the quality of his character, not his possessions. His friendship with the Genie is also well done: both of them support and prop up the other, demonstrating mutual respect due to their shared experiences of feeling trapped by circumstance.

8 ‘The Little Mermaid’ (1989)

Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker

In the mermaid city of Atlantica lives Ariel (Jodi Benson), the youngest daughter of King Triton (Kenneth Mars). Though her father has forbidden her from going to the surface, Ariel constantly defies his wishes due to her fascination with human culture. One night, she rescues the life of Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes) and falls in love with him, prompting a harsh response from her father that drives Ariel into the hands of the sea witch, Ursula (Pat Carroll).

The Little Mermaid is the film that kickstarted the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s thanks to its fantastic Broadway-style musical numbers, beautiful depiction of the underwater world, and unforgettable characters. It was the first Disney film to offer a new kind of Disney prince and princess, with Ariel being more proactive than her predecessor, and Eric possessing a fully fleshed-out personality, both of which help to make their romance feel genuine. Ursula also consistently ranks high among Disney’s villains thanks to her bombastic personality, her theatrical use of magic, and Carroll’s deliciously wicked performance.

Watch on Disney+

7 ‘Bambi’ (1942)

Directed by David D. Hand, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Norman Wright, Sam Armstrong, Paul Satterfield and Graham Heid

One spring day, a young deer named Bambi (Bobby Stewart, Donnie Dunagan and Hardie Albright) is born in the deep woods. Under the protective gaze of his mother (Paula Winslowe), he grows up among the woodland animals, befriending a rabbit named Thumper (Peter Behn, Tim Davis, and Sam Edwards) and a skunk named Flower (Stan Alexander, Tim Davis, and Sterling Holloway). However, Bambi’s carefree life is interrupted by the arrival of Man, a mysterious entity that can kill any animal it wishes.

Bambiset the prededent for every animated film regarding the life of wild animals thanks to its fantastic atmosphere and art style. The movie transports the audience deep into the forest by using realistic-looking animals, vibrant colors, and gorgeous water-colored backgrounds by Chinese-American animator Tyrus Wong. Combined with its minimalist story and character development, Bambi feels more like a window into the natural world and doesn’t shy away from showing the sad and unforgiving side of nature alongside its beauty.

6 ‘Fantasia’ (1940)

Directed by Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen, David D. Hand, Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, Ford Beebe, T. Hee, Norman Ferguson and Wilfred Jackson

Following the release of characters like Donald Duck and Goofy, Disney found that the popularity of their mascot, Mickey Mouse, was in decline, so plans were made for a new short based on The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. As the cost increased, it was decided to make it part of a movie with seven other shorts set to classical music. In between each segment was live-action footage of the orchestra, with Leopold Stokowski as the conductor and Deems Taylor as the host who explained each segment.

Fantasia remains perhaps Disney’s most ambitious project, and one of the most unique animated films ever made. The animators did a phenomenal job matching the music, resulting in diverse stories ranging from traditional narratives to abstract shapes and concepts. As for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, it remains one of the most popular segments thanks to Mickey’s playful antics, and some of its imagery, like Mickey using magic to bring a broom to life, have integrated themselves into popular culture.