If you go to Disney World nowadays, you will be surrounded by characters, music, and references from the more modern Disney movies to have been released. Sure, there are still lots of nods to the classic Disney movies like Peter Pan and Cinderella, but there have been more and more updates to the Parks to integrate newer Disney stories and characters. The parades, fireworks shows, meet-and-greets, and even some of the newer rides take after the animated files that have come out in the 21st Century.
These more modern animated films are the Disney that today's children know- films like Frozen, Encanto, and Moana. These films, understandable, have much more advanced animation and storytelling than the originals. They also contain songs that are far catchier and more popular than any of the songs that were in the older Disney films. While the older Disney movies will always be classics and remembered fondly as the start of Walt Disney's legacy, the newer movies are masterpieces that entertain children and adults alike. Just like with the parks, it is important to always be evolving and improving Disney movies to keep up with the modern world.
Here I will lay out some of the most popular Walt Disney animated films that have come out since 2000, and rate them on a scale of 1-10. If you haven't seen these films, I would recommend checking them out before your next visit to Disney World, as they are definitely becoming more and more incorporated into the park experience.
1) Emperor's New Groove- 2000
This film was released on December 15, 2000, and is an animated comedy. It tells the tale of an Emperor who accidentally gets turned into the llama. He has to work with a villager to get back to his palace and take back leadership of the City. I would give this film a 5/10. It is funny but the characters are not anything special, the plot does not make a lot of sense, and the soundtrack is not really anything to rave about. There are also not many (if any) references to this movie in the Parks, so I think Disney knew it was a miss.
2) Lilo & Stitch- 2002
Disney fans love this movie. I personally do not. This film came out on June 21, 2002, and is about an orphaned Hawaiin girl named Lilo who adopts an alien named Stitch to be her pet. It is incredibly popular, and you will see a lot of references to the movie and characters in the parks. I personally think Stitch is an annoying character and I would give this film a 2/10. I know this is a controversial rating.
3) Brother Bear- 2003
This film flies far below the radar and is very underestimated. It was released on November 1, 2003, and tells the story of a Native American boy who tries to kill a bear. In doing so, he takes on the bear's spirit and becomes a bear himself. His journey as a bear transforms him as a man. This movie is great. It teaches a good lesson, features some great songs by Disney king Phil Collins, and is entertaining. I would rate this film at an 8/10. It is unfortunately not referenced much within the parks.
4) Princess and the Frog- 2009
This movie was released on December 11, 2009, and is the soon to opened replacement for Splash Mountain. If I was rating the movie on that fact alone, I would give it a 0 because I am still very much against that change within Magic Kingdom. Ever since the announcement of Tiana's Bayou Adventure replacing Splash Mountain, there has also been an increase of Tiana appearances within the parks. This movie tells the story of a girl in New Orleans who kisses a prince who had been turned into a frog, which makes her turn into a frog as well. This movie was nominated for an Oscar for best animated feature film, and best original song. I will admit that there are some catchy songs from this movie.
5) Tangled- 2010
This is another incredibly popular Disney film. This came out on November 24, 2010, and is based on the story of Rapunzel. The popularity of this film has given it a whole section of Magic Kingdom (Tangled lanterns) and there is a Rapunzel float in the Festival of Fantasy parade. There are also some catchy songs in Tangled, including "I see the Light," which was nominated for an Oscar for best original song. I personally would give this film a 5/10, which I know will be controversial. I found it hard to watch the whole movie because it did not hold my attention. It was slightly boring and didn't hold the magic of other more modern Disney movies, or the classics of the 1990s.
6) Wreck-It Ralph- 2012
This is another film that flies under the radar. As you watch this film, you can just tell that the animators had fun making it. The references made by the characters, and the scenery of the movie, is all just fun. This film came out on November 2, 2012, and tells the story of a video game villain who wants to become a hero. He befriends a character from a different video game and in turns does become a hero. I give this movie an 8/10. It holds your attention, has heart felt characters that you feel an attachment to, and tells a nice story. There are also references to this movie within the parks, particularly in parades and Happily Ever After.
7) Frozen- 2013
Here we are folks- this is the Holy Grail of modern Disney movies. This animated film really took the world by storm and in my opinion brought about a resurgence of love for animated Disney movies. It was the start of a long line of movies to come with superb soundtracks, lovable characters, and plot lines that captured audiences of all ages. This movie came out on November 27, 2013, and quickly became one of the most popular Disney movies of all time. It tells the story of 2 sisters in Arendelle, one of whom has the power to turn things to Ice. Numerous Frozen rides and shows have been opened in the parks since this film was released, and Elsa and Anna are some of the most popular meet and greets available. This film won the Oscar for best animated feature film as well as best original song- "Let it Go." I give this film a 10/10 and if you haven't seen it yet, have you been living under a rock?!
8) Zootopia- 2016
Zootopia is one of my favorite modern Disney films. It was released on March 4, 2016, and tells the story of a rabbit police officer who works with a fox to uncover crime in a city where animals all co-exist like humans. It was incredibly popular and even won the Oscar for best animated feature film. This film has lovable characters and a compelling story line. I give it a 10/10. There are not many references to Zootopia within the parks, but there have been rumors that the show in the Tree of Life will soon be changing to Zootopia rather than Bug's Life. There is also a Zootopia 2 coming out in November, 2025.
9) Moana- 2016
Disney just kept bringing the heat after Frozen with a long line of popular films. Moana is another one of my favorite modern Disney films. It came out on November 23, 2016, and tells the tale of a Polynesian girl, daughter of the village chief. She has to voyage across the ocean with a demigod to save her people. This movie is fantastic and incredibly popular. The music is extremely catchy, the characters are all great, and the storyline really draws you in. The Rock was also an amazing addition to this cast as Maui. I give this film a 10/10. There is also a Moana 2 coming out this year- November, 2024!
10) Coco- 2017
Coco is slightly less popular than other modern Disney movies, but is still quite good. This film came out on November 22, 2017, and tells the story of a Mexican boy who is transported to the Land of the Dead to reverse the ban of music in the real world. There are some good songs in this movie and the animation is impressive. There is a Coco exhibit in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot and a Coco scene was recently incorporated into Mickey's Philharmagic in Magic Kingdom. I would rate Coco a 6/10, just because it's not a movie that I would want to watch numerous times.
11) Ralph Breaks the Internet- 2018
This was the sequel to Wreck It Ralph. It came out on November 21, 2018, and while not as good as the first movie, it was still pretty good. It had the same vibe as the first movie and you could tell that the creators had a fun time making it. It featured the same characters as the first movie and but didn't contain the amazing soundtrack that other Disney movies of this time period had. I would give this film a 7/10.
12) Frozen II- 2019
This was the highly anticipated sequel to Frozen. I personally thought it was better than Frozen 1. It was released on November 22, 2019, and featured the same characters as the original. Many people did not like the film as much as Frozen, but I thought the songs of Frozen 2 were better. I also thought Olaf was funnier in Frozen 2, and the story line was more compelling. Just like Frozen 1, I rate Frozen 2 at a 10/10. Unlike Frozen 1, Frozen 2 did not win any Oscars, even though it was nominated for best original song- "Into the Unknown."
13) Encanto- 2021
With Encanto, Disney proved that it could keep up its track record of producing popular animated films that both adults and children enjoy. This film came out during Covid on November 24, 2021, and was released directly onto Disney Plus. Despite never being released in theaters, Encanto has quickly become one of the most popular Disney movies of all time. The majority of the film's popularity stems from the fantastic songs and the relatable characters. Encanto was quickly integrated into the parks and rumor has it that will be getting its own land in Animal Kingdom during an upcoming renovation of Dinoland. I rate Encanto 10/10 and strongly believe it is right up there with Frozen in the top modern Disney films. It even won best animated feature film, which is quite the feat for a film released directly to a streaming service.
14) Wish- 2023
This is the most recent release of a Disney animated film. It did not do very well in the box office and I do agree that it was a "flop." I wanted to like the movie, but the plot did not make very much sense. There are so many gaping holes in the plot line, the characters are such a random assortment, and the music is not very catchy. Disney hit the mark with this one. It is obvious that Disney continues to push the film, hoping to make it the likes of Encanto or Frozen, but it is nowhere near that caliber. I would rate Wish at 3/10.
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