10 Best Classic Disney Movies of All-Time
Disney has so many live action remakes on their 2019 movie release schedule — including Cruella deVil, The Lion King, Dumbo and Lady & the Tramp just to name a few — that it’s easy to forget the good ol’ classics. While you wait for the new ones, pop some popcorn and enjoy some of the oldies, but very, very goodies.
Snow White
What a way to start the many years of Disney’s classic movie history than with their first, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This movie, which was released on December 21, 1937, won an Academy Honorary Award for Walt Disney with a full-size Oscar and seven miniature ones, presented to Walt Disney by then-10-year-old child actress Shirley Temple.
Mary Poppins
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emily Blunt took the world by storm in Mary Poppins Returns, the sequel to the 1964 Mary Poppins film that starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. The sequel is incredibly entertaining and will become a classic one day too.
You have to watch the original to see Dick Van Dyke sing the fun diddy “Step in Time” as a chimney sweep or Julie Andrews knock out the legendary “Super‐cali‐fragil‐istic‐expi‐ali‐docious.” The entire family will be singing “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” by the end of the movie. Your movie night will be a jolly holiday of fun.
Dumbo
In 1941, after Pinocchio, Fantasia and The Reluctant Dragon, Disney released an animated movie that pulled on the heartstrings of moviegoers in a way that their films haven’t done before. Dumbo is a story of a lovable baby elephant with big ears who learns he can fly.
His mother is torn from his side when she tries to protect him from those who are taunting him. See if you can get through the movie without crying when the song “Baby Mine” starts to play.
Bambi
Keep the tissues handy because Disney’s classic Bambi was released next. Simply put, the 1942 movie Bambi is a story about a young fawn growing up in the forest, but the depth of character and the beauty of the movie makes it a must-see classic.
Cinderella
In 1950, Disney released their 12th animated film that included such memorable songs as “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” and “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” Cinderella is about a young girl who lost both of her parents and is forced to live with her mean stepmother and two stepsisters.
When the annual ball comes around, Cinderella dreams that she can go, but her stepmother makes her work. Cinderella is visited by a fairy godmother who helps her get to the ball. Will she meet the prince? And, at the stroke of midnight Cinderella leaves the ball and leaves her shoe behind.
Alice in Wonderland
Disney was on a roll after Cinderella when they released Alice in Wonderland in 1951, but it might surprise you to know that it was a flop when it was first released. After putting it on television and garnering interest, Walt Disney put it back in the theaters where it became very successful.
It tells the story of Alice, an adventurous yet bored girl who follows a white rabbit down a hole into a whole new world. The Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter and the Hare are a delight.
Peter Pan
This 1953 film is about the boy who wouldn’t grow up and who lives on the island of Never Land. When John and Michael act out the story of Peter Pan and the pirates, Peter visits the boys who teaches them to fly. Don’t we all wish we had a Peter Pan in our life?
Lady and the Tramp
Next year’s live-action film is going to be so much fun to watch, but this 1955 animated musical classic — especially the spaghetti scene — is ridiculously adorable. Meet Lady, who comes from an upper middle class family and Tramp, who is a stray. Opposites attract and the two dogs end up on some great romantic adventures.
Sleeping Beauty
In 1959, Disney released their last fairy tale adaptation for quite a few years (until Little Mermaid). Sleeping Beauty was Disney’s 16th animated film about a jealous evil witch Maleficent who curses Princess Aurora to die when she turns 16.
Instead Aurora falls into a deep sleep that can only be changed with a kiss from Prince Phillip, but Maleficent has kidnapped him. Aurora needs her guardian fairies to help save Phillip so he can save Aurora.
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
In January, 1961 Disney released their 17th animated feature film, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, that tells the story of a little of Dalmatian puppies who are kidnapped by Cruella De Vil (who gets her own live action movie film this year, by the way). The pups mom and dad — Pongo and Perdita — try to rescue their clan from Cruella and end up rescuing a little something special.