10 Best Disney Animations of All Time, Ranked (2026 List)

The best Disney animations of all time start with The Lion King (1994), followed by Pixar favourites Coco, WALL-E, Up and Toy Story 3. Classics like Aladdin, Mulan and Lilo & Stitch, and modern hits like Moana and Soul, complete the top 10. In India, most of these films are found on JioHotstar.

Walt Disney Animation Studios has been making feature films since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. Since Disney also owns Pixar, this list mixes the two, as most fans do when they talk about “Disney animation”. We have kept the original ten picks, refreshed the details and added the big releases of 2024 and 2025.

Best Disney animations of all time: quick list

The 10 best Disney animated films, ranked

1. The Lion King (1994)

A young lion prince is driven into exile after his uncle tricks him into believing he caused his father’s death. Years later he returns to take back his homeland. The story borrows loosely from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which is one reason it still works for adults as well as children.

Also read10 Theories About the Origins of Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings (2026)

More than 30 years on, its songs and big emotional moments remain the reference point for every Disney film that followed. It sits at the top of most fan rankings, and ours is no different.

2. Coco (2017)

Pixar’s Coco is about family, music and memory, and what it means to be remembered after you are gone. Its story about a family’s history and a love of music is simple to follow and hits hard by the end.

The film was praised for treating its culture with care rather than as decoration. Many viewers rate its ending among the most emotional in animation, and Pixar has since announced Coco 2 for November 2029.

3. WALL-E (2008)

A lonely robot on an abandoned Earth finds connection with another robot, EVE. The film tells much of its story through images and sound rather than talk, and it holds your attention throughout.

WALL-E works as a love story and as a warning about waste and over-consumption. It has aged better than many live-action films from the same year.

4. Up (2009)

An elderly widower finally sets off on the adventure he always dreamed of. A young boy who joins him gives him a new sense of purpose along the way.

Up is remembered for how quickly it makes you care about its characters. Few family films deal with loss and loneliness this honestly while still being fun to watch.

5. Toy Story 3 (2010)

The toys face the end of their owner’s childhood and an uncertain future. The film is funny and tense in places, and in the end it is a moving goodbye to growing up, which is why so many adults rate it above the first two films.

The story did not end there. Toy Story 4 came out in 2019 and Toy Story 5 was released in cinemas on 19 June 2026.

6. Soul (2020)

A music teacher who finally gets his big break as a jazz pianist has an accident on the same day. His soul ends up in a strange pre-life world, where he has to work out what actually makes a life worth living.

Soul released on 25 December 2020. It is one of Pixar’s most grown-up films, and it asks questions about purpose that stay with you after the credits.

7. Aladdin (1992)

A street thief, a wise-cracking genie and a princess who wants to choose her own life come together in this fast, funny fairy tale. The songs and the Genie’s comedy made it one of the biggest hits of Disney’s 1990s run.

8. Mulan (1998)

A young woman disguises herself as a man to take her ageing father’s place in the army. Mulan mixes action, comedy and a strong lead character who saves the day on her own terms. It remains a favourite with Indian viewers who grew up on Disney in the late 1990s.

9. Moana (2016)

The daughter of a Polynesian chief sails across the ocean to restore the heart of her island and save her people. Its music and its ocean animation made it a modern classic.

Its sequel, Moana 2, released on 27 November 2024 and grossed about 1.06 billion US dollars worldwide.

10. Lilo & Stitch (2002)

A lonely Hawaiian girl adopts what she thinks is a dog. It is actually a small, destructive alien on the run. The film is funny and warm, and its message about friendship and family is what people remember most.

Newer Disney and Pixar films worth adding (2024 to 2025)

Updated for 2026: three recent releases have become some of the biggest animated films ever made. They are not in our all-time top 10 yet, but they belong on any watchlist.

• Inside Out 2 (2024, Pixar): The sequel to Pixar’s Inside Out. It earned about 1.70 billion US dollars worldwide.
• Moana 2 (2024, Disney): The follow-up to the 2016 film. It crossed the 1 billion dollar mark worldwide.
• Zootopia 2 (2025, Disney): The sequel to the 2016 hit, released on 26 November 2025.

Disney Animation’s next film, Hexed, is dated for 25 November 2026, and Frozen 3 is set for 24 November 2027. For more family picks, see our Hollywood section and our listicles.

Where to watch Disney animated films in India

Disney+ Hotstar, which carried the Disney and Pixar library in India, merged with JioCinema to form JioHotstar on 14 February 2025. That makes JioHotstar the first place to check for these films. Newer titles usually arrive there a few months after their cinema run.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Wikipedia: Walt Disney Animation Studios films, Wikipedia: Pixar films, Wikipedia: JioHotstar.