These are the best Disney movies according to Rotten Tomatoes, but are these movies actually worth the watch? This writer took a deep dive in to answer this question!

Disney movies are well-loved by fans all over the world, and for good reason! These movies are part of many of our childhoods, and become part of some of the core memories we form over the years. Even in my own case, Aladdin was one of my favorite Disney movies growing up, and my love for Disney movies only continued, with Moana becoming a new favorite when it was released in 2016, followed by Encanto in 2021.

This said, there are always differing opinions on what the best Disney movies are, and audiences have various metrics by which they judge whether a movie is worth their time. Of course, sometimes, when one is making a decision on whether they want to watch a movie or not, they also rely on other platforms to tell them.

Related: FACT CHECK: Did Johnny Depp Accept Millions to Return for ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’?

We at Disney Fanatic have written our fair share of reviews over the years, but there are other sites that people also use to decide whether they’d like to experience a film for themselves, and few are as famous as Rotten Tomatoes.

For this article, this writer decided to look at the best-rated Disney animated features from Walt Disney Animation Studios on Rotten Tomatoes, and answer a fundamental question: are they worth the watch?

Related: Is Disney Pixar Working on a ‘The Land Before Time’ Remake?

Rotten Tomatoes #1 Rated Disney movie: Pinocchio

Tomatometer: 100% | Audience score: 73%

Pinocchio (1940) is one of those movies that can get pretty controversial. It’s a movie that I personally did not love as a kid because it scared me (and also because I didn’t appreciate the idea that my nose would grow longer when I lied).

Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus for the movie reads: “Ambitious, adventurous, and sometimes frightening, Pinocchio arguably represents the pinnacle of Disney’s collected works — it’s beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant.”

While I can’t argue against the compliments given to the original animated feature (after all, it was good enough for them to attempt a live-action remake), for me, there’s nothing about Pinocchio that I miss as an adult. A good movie, yes, but not the best.

Verdict: Worth the watch… but there are better ones.

Related: Only True Disney Fans Know About the PRNDL

Rotten Tomatoes #2 Rated Disney Movie: Zootopia

Tomatometer: 98% | Audience score: 92%

I should open this one with a confession: I adore Zootopia (2016). I’ve seen the movie more than fifteen times and have even watched the series on Disney+ more than five times.

Critics Consensus from Rotten Tomatoes: “The brilliantly well-rounded Zootopia offers a thoughtful, inclusive message that’s as rich and timely as its sumptuously state-of-the-art animation — all while remaining fast and funny enough to keep younger viewers entertained.”

I wholeheartedly agree with everything this review said. Zootopia was one of those Disney movies that was incredibly well made, with a story that delivered a powerful message while holding the line well without becoming preachy. It is an entertaining, engaging film, and is a great watch for anyone!

Verdict: Absolutely worth every second (and third, fourth and fifth watch).

Related: Disney Could Solidify its Entertainment Empire with Massive New Merger

Rotten Tomatoes #3 Rated Disney Movie: One Hundred and One Dalmations 

Tomatometer: 98% | Audience score: 76%

Released in 1961, this movie is certainly an interesting one to rank third. At the time of its release, as with most movies from Disney, it was innovative and one of the most notable releases of its period. This said, One Hundred and One Dalmations will always go down in history for giving us one of the best villains to have graced the silver screen, Cruella De Vil.

Critics Consensus: “With plenty of pooches and a memorable villain (Cruella De Vil), this is one of Disney’s most enduring, entertaining animated films.”

I certainly agree with the compliments from critics for this one. While the movie doesn’t make my personal top ten, even I can’t deny how significant Cruela De Vil is to Disney history.

Verdict: Watch it for the villain, if you haven’t already.

Related:  REPORT: Disney to Elevate Controversial Reboot “Proud Family’s” Success with Spin-Off

Rotten Tomatoes #4 Rated Disney Movie: Cinderella 

Tomatometer: 98% | Audience score: 80%

The 1950 classic. Cinderella is one of those movies that feels timeless. Many have come out and criticized the movie for its messaging, viewing it from a feminist lens, particularly taking issue with Cinderella trying to change for a man.

While I certainly hear those criticisms, as some have contradicted, Cinderella’s only motivation at first is to go to a ball, it just so happens she meets and falls in love with Prince Charming along the way.

Here’s Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus: “The rich colors, sweet songs, adorable mice and endearing (if suffering) heroine make Cinderella a nostalgically lovely charmer.”

Verdict: It’s definitely worth a one time watch, to fall into that classic Disney magic.

Related: Disney+ Hulu Merger Just Gave ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fans Massive Cause for Celebration!

Rotten Tomatoes #5 Rated Disney Movie: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 

Tomatometer: 97% | Audience score: 78%

The movie that began the Walt Disney Company’s journey with animated features and put Walt Disney down in history as one of the most significant filmmakers and animators to have influenced American cinema.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) was the first animated feature to be released by the Walt Disney Company and its production studio. The film was incredibly novel at its release and set the stage for the Mouse House to be a trend setter and innovator.

Critics Consensus: “With its involving story and characters, vibrant art, and memorable songs, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs set the animation standard for decades to come.”

This one is harder because I was never the biggest fan of Snow White as a kid. As I got older I liked the idea of a fourteen year old girl having these issues even less. This said, any Disney Fanatic will likely agree watching the movie is absolutely necessary to ground yourself in Disney history.

Verdict: Do it once… for the love of Disney.

Related: Is Disney Bringing Back a Beloved Series With a New ‘Firefly Serenity’ Movie?

Each of these movies has certainly earned its place on a top five list. Personal feelings aside, every movie accomplished something novel for its time and did precisely what good cinema is supposed to do: drive the movement forward and create new realms of creative possibility for filmmakers and audiences alike.

However, if this writer were to create her own list of the best Disney animated features, it would look a little different. Here’s how I would rank my favorites.

Related:  Will ‘Moana 2’ Feature Disney’s First Transgender Princess?

Best Disney Animated Movies

Moana (2016)

With incredible animation, some amazing music from Lin Manuel Miranda and a spunky heroine who crosses a whole ocean to keep a promise to her grandmother, Moana won me over without any challenges.

Zootopia (2016) 

I’ve already waxed eloquent about this movie, but truly, there are not enough words. Watch Judy Hopps. Watch Nick Wilde. Laugh with Flash. This movie has everything including a special musical number from the irreplaceable Shakira.

Encanto (2021)

Encanto was one of the most beautiful Disney movies I’d seen in a long time. The film did an exceptionally good job telling its story and was beautifully animated. I especially loved the references to Colombian culture that were reportedly well-handled and addressed.

Aladdin (1992)

Aladdin despite not being my number 1, is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time, and used to be my #1 rated Disney movie when I was younger. The movie had more Middle Eastern and South Asian references which I obviously loved, but at the same time had important messages for audiences watching.

Leave aside some of the more subtle racism in the original that Disney has since addressed, an excellent watch.

Tangled (2010)

Flynn Rider. Enough said.

Related:  I Watched Disney’s ‘Wish’, and Here’s What All the Critics Got Wrong About the Movie

The Worst Disney Animated Movies of All Time (According to Rotten Tomatoes)

If we’re going to celebrate the best Rotten Tomatoes movies, it’s also worth taking a peek into the worst ones according to the site. Here’s the list!

5. Brother Bear 

Tomatometer: 37% | Audience score: 65%

From Rotten Tomatoes: Critics Consensus: “Brother Bear is gentle and pleasant if unremarkable Disney fare, with so-so animation and generic plotting.”

Unfortunately, couldn’t agree more. I couldn’t sit through Brother Bear.

Related: The ‘Mistress of All Evil’ Makes Her Disney Return: But Will Jolie Act Again?

4. Chicken Little

Tomatometer: 37% | Audience score: 47%

Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus: “Disney expends more effort in the technical presentation than in crafting an original storyline.”

This one is interesting because I genuinely enjoyed this movie as a kid. However, I can also confirm none of my siblings and cousins did, so perhaps I was just the odd bird. (Get it?) Regardless, this movie holds a special place in my heart—for better or for worse.

Related: ‘Percy Jackson’ Disney+ Reboot Cuts Fan-Favorite Character

3. Doug’s 1st Movie 

Tomatometer: 28% | Audience score: 28%

From the site: “Doug’s 1st Movie may entertain very young fans of its main character, but essentially amounts to a forgettable feature-length episode of his show.”

Forgettable is most definitely the right descriptor for this movie…

Related: Disney, Desperate For a Hit, Pushing For Another ‘Simpsons’ Movie

2. Planes 

Tomatometer: 25% | Audience score: 49%

Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus shared, “Planes has enough bright colors, goofy voices, and slick animation to distract some young viewers for 92 minutes — and probably sell plenty of toys in the bargain — but on nearly every other level, it’s a Disney disappointment.”

I’ll keep it simple: Agreed.

1. The Jungle Book 2

Tomatometer: 18% | Audience score: 30%

There’s a part of me that wants to be gracious because we all know sequels are always difficult. But this one felt like a cop out from Disney. It’s almost like the Mouse House knew what it was doing, and chose to do it anyway.

Definitely a skip. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it.

So there you have it!

This writer’s breakdown of the best Disney animated features according to Rotten Tomatoes and whether each of these were worth the watch, along with a quick dive into the worst ones from Walt Disney Studios’ Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Animation Studios as well!

It is important to note, I didn’t account for any Disney/Pixar productions in this list; as I’m sure many would agree, those movies can be a list unto themselves, including Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo and more!

Along with movies, though, it is worth acknowledging that Disney has branched out into TV shows (think like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D), live-action films (like Mary Poppins), superhero films (think Marvel’s Captain America). The portfolio of the Walt Disney Company is so wide and varied, there are bound to be varying opinions on the quality of each of these productions.

This said, many have been panned in recent years and flopped—think Strange World—which has then resulted in Disney scrambling to figure out their next steps forward. So, it’s definitely a nice feeling to remind ourselves of some of our old favorites!