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The Biggest Disney Box Office Hits of All Time

The Biggest Disney Box Office Hits of All Time

Once upon a time, the company then known as Walt Disney Productions (now the Walt Disney Company) was on the verge of bankruptcy. Following the blockbuster success of 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the studio released a string of relative disappointments. Even 1941’s “Dumbo” — which turned a profit at the box office — did little to reverse its fortunes.

Deciding to bet the house, Disney spent $2.2 million (almost $25 million in today’s dollars) on their next feature, a fairy tale called “Cinderella.” It arrived in theaters in 1950 and became one of the year’s highest-grossing films. And the studio lived happily ever after. (These are the best Disney movies of all time.)

Well, kind of. In the wake of “Cinderella,” Disney continued to experience plenty of highs and lows in terms of cinematic output. By the mid-2000s, they were struggling once again as tentpole releases failed to strike the zeitgeist with the same precision as certain predecessors had.

However, the studio’s fate never hung on the performance of a single film as it once did. Furthermore, theatrical re-releases and home rentals turned former box office disappointments such as “Bambi” and “Pinocchio” and even “Fantasia” into massive earners over time. That’s not to mention adjacent revenue streams like merchandising, licensing, theme park tie-ins, and more.

These days, Disney is bigger than ever. Between its own popular titles and those of its lucrative subsidiaries (Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, etc), the studio routinely breaks box office records. In 2019, for instance, Disney raked in over $11 billion worldwide on the strength of just their film properties. (As one example of its successes, here’s how every Pixar movie did at the box office.)

To identify Disney’s top 50 earners of all time at the global box office, when adjusted for inflation, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the 633 full-length feature films produced and/or distributed by Disney or by one of Disney’s subsidiaries that have data available on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon. Data on worldwide box office, updated as of June 2021, came from The Numbers, an online movie database owned by Nash Information Services, and are adjusted for inflation. We have included each film’s IMDb rating and Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator. Cast information comes from IMDb.

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

50. Maleficent (2014)
> IMDb rating: 7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $850.5 million
> Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

49. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
> IMDb rating: 8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $864.3 million
> Starring: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

48. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
> IMDb rating: 7.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $868.5 million
> Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

47. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
> IMDb rating: 7.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $887.5 million
> Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

46. Up (2009)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $893.4 million
> Starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger, Christopher Plummer

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

45. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $908.7 million
> Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

44. Toy Story 2 (1999)
> IMDb rating: 7.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $925.7 million
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

43. Inside Out (2015)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $929.1 million
> Starring: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

42. The Incredibles (2004)
> IMDb rating: 8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $931.4 million
> Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

41. Pretty Woman (1990)
> IMDb rating: 7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $938.9 million
> Starring: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander, Laura San Giacomo

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

40. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
> IMDb rating: 8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $993.9 million
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

39. The Jungle Book (2016)
> IMDb rating: 7.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1 billion
> Starring: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

38. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
> IMDb rating: 6.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 0
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1 billion
> Starring: Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

37. Aladdin (2019)
> IMDb rating: 6.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1 billion
> Starring: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

36. Zootopia (2016)
> IMDb rating: 8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

35. Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
> IMDb rating: 6.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

34. Toy Story 4 (2019)
> IMDb rating: 7.7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

33. Armageddon (1998)
> IMDb rating: 6.7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

32. Finding Dory (2016)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

31. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
> IMDb rating: 7.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

30. Captain Marvel (2019)
> IMDb rating: 6.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 45
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

29. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
> IMDb rating: 6.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

28. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
> IMDb rating: 6.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 54
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

27. The Sixth Sense (1999)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

26. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
> IMDb rating: 7.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

25. Toy Story 3 (2010)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

24. Incredibles 2 (2018)
> IMDb rating: 7.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

23. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
> IMDb rating: 7.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

22. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
> IMDb rating: 7.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion
> Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

21. Black Panther (2018)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion
> Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

20. Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)
> IMDb rating: 7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 42
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Film Distribution Company

19. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Peggy Lee, Bill Thompson

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

18. Iron Man 3 (2013)
> IMDb rating: 7.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

17. Finding Nemo (2003)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

16. Frozen (2013)
> IMDb rating: 7.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

15. Frozen II (2019)
> IMDb rating: 6.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

14. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

13. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

12. Peter Pan (1953)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.6 billion
> Starring: Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried, Bill Thompson

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

11. The Lion King (2019)
> IMDb rating: 6.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion
> Starring: Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Distribution Company

10. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion
> Starring: Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, J. Pat O’Malley, Martha Wentworth

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

9. The Avengers (2012)
> IMDb rating: 8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

8. Song of the South (1946)
> IMDb rating: 7.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $2 billion
> Starring: Ruth Warrick, Bobby Driscoll, James Baskett, Luana Patten

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

7. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $2.1 billion
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

6. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
> IMDb rating: 7.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $2.2 billion
> Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

5. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $2.8 billion
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions

4. Fantasia (1940)
> IMDb rating: 7.7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $3.6 billion
> Starring: Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Corey Burton

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

3. Pinocchio (1940)
> IMDb rating: 7.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $3.7 billion
> Starring: Dickie Jones, Christian Rub, Mel Blanc, Billy Bletcher

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
> IMDb rating: 7.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $7.9 billion
> Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne, Roy Atwell

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1. Bambi (1942)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $10.1 billion
> Starring: Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audrey, Peter Behn

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