American audiences have enjoyed entertainment from various iterations of the Walt Disney Company for 100 years. Whether it’s animation, family fare, action-adventure, rom-coms or even thrillers, Disney motion pictures bring with them a legacy of skilled craftsmanship and superb storytelling.
To determine the best Disney movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of March 2023, weighting all ratings equally. Only full-length feature films produced and/or distributed by Disney or a Disney subsidiary were considered. Directorial and cast credits are from IMDb.
When you think of Disney motion pictures, animated films come quickly to mind, and the entertainment colossus has made some of that genre’s greatest movies. The 1940 film “Fantasia” set new standards in animation, along with bringing an appreciation of classical music to a younger audience. Latter-day animated movies “Moana” (2016) and “Coco” (2017) celebrated female empowerment and the colorful vibrancy of Mexican culture, respectively. (“Moana” also had the distinction of seeing its soundtrack album remain in the Billboard 200 for an unprecedented 316 weeks. These are the best original songs from Disney movies.)
The five-film (and counting) Toy Story franchise, co-produced by Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, was launched in 1995 and became one of the most successful movie franchises of all time. (Here’s a look at all the highest-grossing kids’ movies since the original “Toy Story.”)
Disney has also made its mark with more serious films such as the wilderness tale “Never Cry Wolf” (1983); the Cold War thriller “Bridge of Spies” (2015); and “Quiz Show” (1994), the true story of the game-show scandal of the 1950s – the latter two distributed by Disney in the U.S. but not produced by them.
50. The Joy Luck Club (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (15,952 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (27,720 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: Wayne Wang
> Starring: Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin
49. Incredibles 2 (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (268,984 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (18,775 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (387 reviews)
> Directed by: Brad Bird
> Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner
48. The Incredibles (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (681,315 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (32,604,129 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (248 reviews)
> Directed by: Brad Bird
> Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee
47. Tangled (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (423,182 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (150,745 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (227 reviews)
> Directed by: Nathan Greno & Byron Howard
> Starring: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman
46. The Jungle Book (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (267,140 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (94,778 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (326 reviews)
> Directed by: Jon Favreau
> Starring: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba
45. Bridge of Spies (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (313,980 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (65,587 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (312 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan
44. Queen of Katwe (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (17,719 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (9,842 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (189 reviews)
> Directed by: Mira Nair
> Starring: Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Kabanza
43. Fantasia (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (91,880 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (129,295 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: James Algar & others
> Starring: Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Corey Burton
42. The Prestige (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,245,319 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (551,618 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (203 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
> Starring: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine
41. High Fidelity (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (173,740 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (211,818 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (165 reviews)
> Directed by: Stephen Frears
> Starring: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Jack Black
40. Onward (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (125,860 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (8,624 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (336 reviews)
> Directed by: Dan Scanlon
> Starring: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer
39. The Little Mermaid (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (247,125 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (900,427 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (71 reviews)
> Directed by: Ron Clements & John Musker
> Starring: Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, René Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes
38. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (708,963 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (181,003 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (424 reviews)
> Directed by: Anthony & Joe Russo
> Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan
37. Never Cry Wolf (1983)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (8,357 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (5,160 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (19 reviews)
> Directed by: Carroll Ballard
> Starring: Charles Martin Smith, Brian Dennehy, Zachary Ittimangnaq, Samson Jorah
36. Quiz Show (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (70,603 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (31,622 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (57 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Redford
> Starring: Ralph Fiennes, John Turturro, Rob Morrow, Paul Scofield
35. Dead Poets Society (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (449,222 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (307,300 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (58 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Weir
> Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles
34. The Sixth Sense (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (942,340 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1,036,884 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (158 reviews)
> Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
33. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (183,958 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (442,786 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (66 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
> Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer
32. Ed Wood (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (177,962 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (107,299 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: Tim Burton
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette
31. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (777,545 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (283,258 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (306 reviews)
> Directed by: Anthony & Joe Russo
> Starring: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford
30. Big Hero 6 (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (429,596 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (129,657 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (227 reviews)
> Directed by: Don Hall & Chris Williams
> Starring: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung, T.J. Miller
29. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (646,926 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (95,590 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (436 reviews)
> Directed by: Taika Waititi
> Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo
28. Moana (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (297,008 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (70,763 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (283 reviews)
> Directed by: Ron Clements & John Musker
> Starring: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison
27. Mary Poppins (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (163,578 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (682,586 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (54 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Stevenson
> Starring: Julie Andrews, D Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns
26. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (924,530 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (60,119 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (485 reviews)
> Directed by: Anthony & Joe Russo
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans
25. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (355,562 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98% (10,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (334 reviews)
> Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton
> Starring: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ben Kingsley
24. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (34,410 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (31,376 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (17 reviews)
> Directed by: John Lounsbery & Wolfgang Reitherman
> Starring: Sebastian Cabot, Junius Matthews, Barbara Luddy, Howard Morris
23. Ratatouille (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (669,860 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (1,072,742 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (251 reviews)
> Directed by: Brad Bird & Jan Pinkava
> Starring: Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm
22. Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (116,040 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (2,768 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (281 reviews)
> Directed by: Don Hall & Carlos López Estrada
> Starring: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Izaac Wang
21. The Insider (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (172,879 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (59,252 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (137 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Mann
> Starring: Russell Crowe, Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora
20. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (1,094,149 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (256,497 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (333 reviews)
> Directed by: James Gunn
> Starring: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldaña
19. Soul (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (278,372 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (6,603 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (341 reviews)
> Directed by: Pete Docter & Kemp Powers
> Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House
18. Togo (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (50,248 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,073 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (39 reviews)
> Directed by: Ericson Core
> Starring: Willem Dafoe, Julianne Nicholson, Christopher Heyerdahl, Richard Dormer
17. Toy Story 2 (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (548,385 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (1,000,804 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (169 reviews)
> Directed by: John Lasseter & Kemp Powers
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer
16. The Straight Story (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (91,786 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (31,517 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (103 reviews)
> Directed by: David Lynch
> Starring: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Jane Galloway Heitz, Joseph A. Carpenter
15. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (428,336 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (760,213 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (118 reviews)
> Directed by: Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise
> Starring: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Jesse Corti, Rex Everhart
14. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (309,910 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (968,895 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (97 reviews)
> Directed by: Henry Selick
> Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey
13. Finding Nemo (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (984,204 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (33,356,856 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (268 reviews)
> Directed by: Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich
> Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe
12. Aladdin (1992)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (386,940 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (939,996 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (74 reviews)
> Directed by: Ron Clements & John Musker
> Starring: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman
11. Toy Story 4 (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (222,860 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (53,157 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (452 reviews)
> Directed by: Josh Cooley
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale
10. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (850,959 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1,254,638 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (197 reviews)
> Directed by: Pete Docter & David Silverman
> Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi
9. Inside Out (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (653,819 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (137,195 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (375 reviews)
> Directed by: Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen
> Starring: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling
8. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (939,893 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (72,727 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (546 reviews)
> Directed by: Anthony & Joe Russo
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
7. Zootopia (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (458,551 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (101,803 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (297 reviews)
> Directed by: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
> Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate
6. Toy Story 3 (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (786,394 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (607,826 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (309 reviews)
> Directed by: Lee Unkrich
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty
5. Up (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (975,977 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1,204,358 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (298 reviews)
> Directed by: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson
> Starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger, Christopher Plummer
4. Hamilton (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (73,784 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1,974 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (199 reviews)
> Directed by: Thomas Kail
> Starring: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry
3. The Lion King (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (983,962 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (1,269,333 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (130 reviews)
> Directed by: Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg
2. Toy Story (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (927,161 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (1,109,209 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (91 reviews)
> Directed by: John Lasseter
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney
1. Coco (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (432,055 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (28,505 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (352 reviews)
> Directed by: Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina
> Starring: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach