There's no doubt that human lives are one of the most interesting subjects ever. However, some of us find the lives of animals even more fascinating—what goes on in their cute little heads, are they just as smart as us, or maybe they know something that we do not? Watching a documentary about animals is like watching reality TV—it gives a really great glimpse into their world. But as with all the forms of entertainment, sometimes we wish for something a bit more magical than the already not-so-plain reality. And what better way to find that magical realism or a real fantasy if not by watching animated movies! For those of you who agree, we have a brand new list of the best Disney animal movies to watch!
There are the animated classics like Robin Hood and The Lion King, but you'll also find some real live-action gems—like Old Yeller and Homeward Bound—that aren't any less fantastical than their drawn counterparts. From dogs to fishes, and from deer to frogs, these movies have plenty of interesting fauna in them!
So, scroll on down below to reveal our top picks for the Disney animal movies category! All of them are beautiful and heartfelt, but only you will decide which of these animal movies will be on the top of our list by giving them your vote. Of course, do not forget to share this article with your friends, too!
#1 Robin Hood
1973 | 1 hour 23 minutes | Directed by Wolfgang Retherman, David Hand
Voiced by Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Roger Miller
Robin Hood is an animated musical adventure comedy film that's based on the English folk tale of the same name with the characters reimagined as anthropomorphic animals. Here the famous swashbuckler and the hero of the poor, Robin Hood, is a red fox. His sidekick, Little John, is a bear, and together with other inhabitants of Sherwood, they try to suppress the rule of greedy Prince John, a lion. Besides being well-animated and highly entertaining, Robin Hood can surely boast about its undeniable wit, one that's intelligent and savory.
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69points
#2 The Lion King (1994)
1994 | 1 hour 28 minutes | Directed by Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Voiced by Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones
Raise your hand if you've not shed a tear while watching this animated musical drama as a kid. If you haven't, then there's probably something very, very wrong with you. In all seriousness, though, however many controversies follow this animated flick, it's still one of the best Disney movies, hands down. From the catchy tunes in the background and the foreground to loveable and diverse characters, The Lion King has all the ingredients to make it a timeless classic.
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68points
#3 The Aristocats (1970)
1970 | 1 hour 18 minutes | Directed by Wolfgang Retherman
Voiced by Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Sterling Holloway
The Aristocats is an animated romantic musical comedy based on the story by Tom McGowan and Tom Rowe. The story here revolves around a family of aristocratic cats—retired opera singer Adelaide Bonfamille's white kitty Duchess and her three kittens, Berlioz, Toulouse, and Marie. Once the family's butler figures out that the cats are to inherit all of Adelaide's fortunes, he drugs them and kidnaps them. However, his plan goes awry, and with the help of an alley cat called Thomas O'Malley, the classy cats find their way back to Paris and to the safety of Adelaide's home. And you know, if your super-sophisticated friend finds this to be one of the greatest animated movies of all time (in my case, her name is Monika. Hello, Monika!), then you know it's very worthy of your time!
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65points
#4 Lady And The Tramp
1955 | 1 hour 16 minutes | Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
Voiced by Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Peggy Lee
Lady And The Tramp is an animated musical romance film produced by Walt Disney. And although you might've already known that, you probably didn't know that the movie was based on a 1945 Cosmopolitan magazine story Happy Dan, The Cynical Dog by Ward Greene. The movie centers around a beautiful, odds-defying love story between a pampered American cocker spaniel Lady, who hails from an upper-middle-class family, and a stray mutt called Tramp. When the two of them meet, it's like their romance was written in the stars—if it all starts quite coldly between them, we all know how the story ends! Lady And The Tramp is a delightful fantasy that hasn't lost its charm even after almost 70 years.
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64points
#5 Zootopia
2016 | 1 hour 48 minutes | Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
Voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba
Zootopia is a computer-animated buddy cop film about anthropomorphic mammals all coexisting in the titular town. In a very unlikely partnership, we have a bunny cop, Judy Hopps, befriending a red fox con artist, Nick Wilde. Now, this dynamic duo will solve a criminal conspiracy involving the disappearance of predators from the town of Zootopia. Zootopia was praised for being a well-rounded animated movie with a thoughtful message and enough laughs to keep the younger audiences entertained. And that's an A+ from us!
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62points
#6 101 Dalmatians
1961 | 1 hour 19 minutes | Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wolfgang Reitherman
Voiced by Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, J. Pat O'Malley
Although 101 Dalmatians has had plenty of ecranizations throughout the years, the one that we'd like to include in our list is the original Disney animation from 1961. It is based on Dodie Smith's novel The Hundred And One Dalmatians and centers, well, you know it, around Dalmatian puppies. A litter of them is kidnapped by the villainous Cruella de Vil, who wants to turn them into fancy fur coats. The puppies' parents, Pongo and Perdita, set out to rescue their little ones, saving, in addition to their own, 84 more Dalmatian puppies brought from pet stores, bringing the total count to 101. It's a witty, charming, heartwarming animation that proved to be a remarkable success among both the younger and the older audiences.
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61points
#7 Finding Nemo
2003 | 1 hour 40 minutes | Directed by Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
Voiced by Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould
Finding Nemo is a computer-animated adventure film that tells the story… of a fish! To be exact, a whole flock of them. However, our main heroes here are an overprotective clownfish dad called Marlin, his goofy son Nemo, and a regal blue tang Dory who has some problems with memory. One day Nemo gets separated from his school of fish and disappears. Marlin and Dory set out to find the missing Nemo, and, along the way, Marlin learns that taking risks might be a good thing and comes to terms with Nemo's growing up. Finding Nemo was a massive success upon its release, and critics didn't spare any praises for it! So, if you've somehow missed it, now it's time to fix that blunder.
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60points
#8 Bambi
1942 | 1 hour 10 minutes | Directed by James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, David Hand
Voiced by Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audrey
Bambi is an animated drama film based on the 1923 book Bambi, A Life In The Woods by Austrian writer and hunter Felix Salten. It's a story of a white-tailed deer called Bambi. He's not just some deer but a prince-to-be of the forest. Life is beautiful for Bambi until the point when a Man kills his mother. Mournful and alone, the young deer has to figure out life in the woods by himself and with the help of his best friends. It's a heartwarming and heartbreaking coming-of-age story, an exceptional view into the life of animals, and a beautiful adaptation of the original material. So good, in fact, that Bambi is now added into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.
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57points
#9 The Fox And The Hound
1981 | 1 hour 23 minutes | Directed by Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens
Voiced by Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey
The Fox And The Hound is an animated buddy drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and loosely based on a novel of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix. The story centers around Ted the red fox and Copper the hound's unlikely friendship. It's a struggle for them to continue their bond, as the surrounding society's views push them to act as adversaries since the duo are enemies by nature. It's a cheery old-fashioned movie that doesn't break any new grounds with its story or animation but has loads of heart. And that is by far one of the most important things!
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56points
#10 Oliver & Company
1988 | 1 hour 14 minutes | Directed by George Scribner
Voiced by Joey Lawrence, Billy Joel, Cheech Marin
Oliver & Company is an animated musical film loosely based on Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist. Here, our Oliver is a homeless kitten roaming around the streets of New York. He's taken in by a gang of mutts who survive the mean streets by stealing from others. During one of these robberies, Oliver meets a young girl Jenny, and this encounter will change his life forever. Oliver & Company might not be the most stellar piece by Disney, but it sure is plenty of fun with its never-ending adventure and loveable, colorful cast.
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53points
#11 Ratatouille
2007 | 1 hour 51 minutes | Directed by Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava
Voiced by Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt
Ratatouille is a computer-animated comedy film that follows the story of Remy—a rat with a dream of becoming a professional chef. Of course, there's the problem of him being a rat, and a rodent in a kitchen is never a good idea! However, after one fateful event, Remy finds himself to be the head chef in one of the most renowned Parisian restaurants, and soon the whole culinary world turns upside down. Ratatouille is an exceptionally warm, thoroughly heartfelt, and beautiful piece of animation that rightfully gained its place among the top animated movies of our time.
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51points
#12 The Jungle Book
1967 | 1 hour 18 minutes | Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman
Voiced by Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, Louis Prima
The Jungle Book is an animated musical comedy film following a story from Rudyard Kipling's 1894 book of the same name. The plot follows Mowgli—a kid accidentally abandoned and left in an Indian jungle. He's raised by wolves there and has wise friends—Bagheera the panther and Baloo, the bear—to advise him. They understand that Mowgli has to go back to his kin, especially so before the arrival of human-hating tiger Shere Khan. The Jungle Book is a true Disney classic—uncomplicated, jovial, and absolutely suitable even for the youngest viewers.
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50points
#13 The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh
1977 | 1 hour 14 minutes | Directed by John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Retherman, Ben Sharpsteen
Voiced by Sebastian Cabot, Junius Matthews, Barbara Luddy
The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh is an animated musical anthology film based upon the Winnie-The-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. The movie consists of several animated shorts, each of them showing our beloved teddy going on some pretty eccentric adventures. Those adventures include honey, of course, bees, balloons, Eeyore's birthday, a flood, and so much more. The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh might be one of the most faithful Disney adaptations of the original literary source—a heartfelt, warm, and exciting animation!
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49points
#14 The Great Mouse Detective
1986 | 1 hour 14 minutes | Directed by Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, David Michener
Voiced by Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin
The Great Mouse Detective is an animated mystery adventure film whose main protagonists are mice and rats living in Victorian England. It goes like this—a little mouse girl's toymaker father is abducted by a bat. The tiny mouse asks the help of Basil of Baker Street, the Sherlock Holmes of the sewers, in finding her dad. The crime is not a simple one, and Basil unravels a deep plot that might affect the Crown itself. The Great Mouse Detective is a real journey and an emotional rollercoaster of a watch—it's never boring and always surprising!
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48points
#15 The Rescuers Down Under
1990 | 1 hour 17 minutes | Directed by Hendel Butoy, Mike Gabriel
Voiced by Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, John Candy
The Rescuers Down Under is an animated adventure film and a sequel to the 1977 film The Rescuers, which was based on the novels by Margery Sharp. In The Rescuers Down Under, two Rescue Aid Society agents, Bianca and Bernard, travel to the Australian Outback to save a boy named Cody and a rare golden eagle from a murderous poacher. And although the critics thought the story of The Rescuers Down Under to be a bit sub-par, the amazingly beautiful visuals make it all up. It's a dreamy watch with probably the most stunning flight scenes ever.
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48points
#16 Finding Dory
2016 | 1 hour 37 minutes | Directed by Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane
Voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill
Finding Dory is a computer-animated adventure film and a spin-off sequel to 2003's Finding Nemo. Now our main hero is Dory—a friendly but forgetful royal blue tang fish that suffers from memory loss every couple of seconds. Somehow she does remember that when she was a kid, she got separated from her parents and set out to find them. Her quest is supported by her friends Marlin and Nemo, who we've met in the first movie. Full of charm, good humor, and warmth, Finding Dory is the perfect sequel and not any less successful than its terrific predecessor.
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47points
#17 Pocahontas
1995 | 1 hour 21 minutes | Directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg
Voiced by Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, Christian Bale
Pocahontas is an animated musical historical drama based on the life of a Powhatan woman Pocahontas and the arrival of English colonial settlers in seventeenth-century Virginia. Of course, this is a heavy romanticization of the real story that occurred way back, but that's the deal with Disney in general, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. And while some might think that Pocahontas lacks in the fun department, it's still one of the most beautifully drawn animations of the time and one of the more thoughtful ones.
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45points
#19 The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
1998 | 1 hour 21 minutes | Directed by Darrell Rooney, Rob LaDuca
Voiced by Matthew Broderick, Neve Campbell, Andy Dick
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is an animated direct-to-video romantic musical drama film. It's the sequel to the original The Lion King, with its plot heavily influenced by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara is a mischievous cub who often escapes to play in the forbidden lands. There she befriends a lion named Kovu, and their friendship might be the resolution of a feud between Simba's pride and the outcast pride of Scar. Although as a stand-alone movie, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride would've been really great, its predecessor overshadows everything that came after it. So, do not expect The Lion King's greatness to be matched, but watch this sequel with an open heart because it is still a pretty awesome animation!
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42points
