The best Disney movies on Netflix

Family movie night is sort of a tradition for many families, at least in western culture. The secret to a good kids movie is finding something that will entertain everyone. Most everyone has a soft spot for Disney. Maybe it’s because of the characters and storylines, maybe it’s because it was such a big part of our childhood. Whatever the reason, Disney movies are an excellent choice for family movie night. But which are the best Disney movies on Netflix?

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We’ve put together a list of some of the best Disney movies available for Netflix below. Keep in mind that a lot of Disney flicks have been removed from Netflix when Disney Plus launched, and the same may happen to the movies on this list eventually.

Best Disney movies on Netflix:

Editor’s note: This list will be updated as Disney movies leave and others make their debut on Netflix.

1. Miracle

This 2004 movie stars Kurt Russell playing the real-life role of hockey coach Herb Brooks. In 1979 and 1980, he assembled a team of inexperienced amateur hockey players to form the official US Winter Olympics hockey team. The team wasn’t given much of a chance against its rivals, especially the Soviet Union. The movie does an excellent job showing how Brooks and the team’s players came together to beat the odds at the 1980 Winter Olympics. and win the gold medal.

2. The Muppets

Disney bought the rights to The Muppets a while ago, and its first major effort was this 2011 reboot. Amy Adams and Jason Segal (who also co-wrote the movie) star along with Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, and all your favorites. It’s an old-fashioned musical as The Muppets find out their theater is being torn down. They have to raise $10 million in order to save the day. This is just a pure fun, and funny, family movie.

3. Mary Poppins Returns

This 2018 sequel to the hit 1960s musical stars Emily BLUnt, who seems born to play Mary Poppins. She returns to help a now grown-up Michael Banks take care of his own three young children.  While this sequel doesn’t have quite the magical glow that the original movie had, there are certainly some great sequences to watch. Plus, BLUnt makes up for much of the film’s slow faults. Finally, Dick Van Dyke returns in a cool cameo.

4. Saving Mr. Banks

Speaking of Mary Poppins, this 2013 movie is all about the creation of both the original book by P.L. Travers and how the movie version came to be as well.  Emma Thompson plays Travers with a lot of skeptisms about adapting her book for the screen. Tom Hanks does his best in bringing Walt Disney himself to life, as he tries to convince Travers to let his studio make the movie. 

5. Disney Short Films Collection

Netflix has posted this collection of 12 short subjects from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Think of it as a brief look at some interesting side-trips into Disney’s properties. In this collection, you can watch two Academy Award winners for Best Animated Short, Paperman, and Feast. You also get a cool retro-looking Mickey Mouse short, Get A Horse!, and two shorts featuring the cast of Tangled and Frozen, respectively.

6. Ghost of the Mountains

Disneynature is a division of the company that releases some spectacular documentaries about the natural world. This 2017 entry is just one of them, as we watch an expedition to the mountainous and wintery locations of Mongolia. The objective? To film the highly elusive snow leopards in their native habitat. This is definitely one of the best Disney movies on Netflix that anyone can watch.

7. The Princess and the Frog

We’ve all heard the tale of the frog prince growing up, but this charming Disney movie takes things in a different direction. After kissing the frog prince our unsuspecting heroine is turned into a frog. Eventually, the two must work together if they want to ever become human again. Along the way, they meet a bunch of fun characters, sing some catchy songs, and realize that what they want and they need in life are not necessarily the same thing. The story is relatively predictable but it’s a fun watch. It’s also the last hand-drawn Disney movie to date which gives it a special place in my heart.

8. Chicken Little

Like Emperor’s New Groove, Chicken Little is a bit wacky but that’s probably why it remains a favorite among my kids. This movie didn’t do well rating wise but it’s still enjoyable enough, especially if you love the TV show Scrubs (as it stars Zach Braff as Chicken Little).

Chicken Little is a fun twist on the Chicken Little (also known to some as Henny Penny) fable. You know, the story of a young chicken who claims the sky is falling. The movie fast-forwards past the (Disney-ized version of) events of from the fable. Chicken Little is basically the butt of many jokes in his town of Shady Oaks and his own father is embarrassed by him constantly. Chicken Little sets out on a path to remedy his reputation but when a piece of sky falls once more it looks like there may be more to his claim than originally believed.

So that’s it for our look at the best Disney movies on Netflix, but we’re just really scratching the surface. For even more Disney Netflix films head here.