Best Family Movies and Shows on Disney Plus

Disney Plus is bringing a little bit of magic to the streaming space, giving subscribers a key to the Disney vault for a treasure chest of family-friendly entertainment. It’s one of the best streaming platforms for its quality and range of content. There are more than 630 movies and TV shows on the platform, from the earliest releases to the most recent Disney endeavors. This includes more than 7,500 episodes of beloved shows and all-new original content that you can only find on the platform.

Since its launch in 2019, Disney Plus has served over 119 million members worldwide with its phenomenal animated and live-action entertainment. Affordable prices and cost-friendly bundles make it easy to fit the service into your entertainment budget. With so many nostalgic classics and top-notch programs, Disney Plus is the perfect addition to any family’s streaming service lineup. Here are the top flicks on Disney Plus to enjoy with your loved ones during your next movie night!

Wreck-It Ralph

• Release Year: 2012
• Rating: PG
• Stars: 4.7/5

This family-friendly Disney film is perfect for fans of both modern and retro video games. The film explores the world of arcade characters, featuring familiar faces from classic games that we all know and love. Heartwarming and funny, this modern computer-animated Disney flick has plenty of action and excitement to keep the family entertained.

John C. Reilly plays Ralph, a misunderstood “bad guy” from the game Fix-It Felix, Jr. Despite his reputation, Ralph is on a mission to do good. In order to change his fate and fulfill his dreams of becoming valiant, Ralph teams up with Felix to become the hero of the story rather than the villain. Fans will enjoy cameos from Pac-Man, Bowser, Sonic, and more as the protagonists travel between games to save the Candy Kingdom.

The Simpsons

• Release Year: 1989
• Rating: TV-PG
• Stars: 4.6/5
• Seasons: 32

The longest-running animated show in American history, The Simpsons brings Springfield’s most beloved family to Disney Plus. Disney acquired Fox’s catalog, giving subscribers access to the entire series — which clocks in at over 700 episodes. When we say there’s a nearly endless amount of entertainment on Disney Plus, we aren’t kidding!

You can enjoy full, uncut episodes of the Emmy award-winning show in the original 4:3 aspect ratio. Fans of the show revel in the stories of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie for their hilarious and iconic depictions of American life. If you’re somehow able to watch the entire series and are still hungry for more, the feature-length movie is also streaming on Disney Plus.

The Incredibles series

• Release Year: 2004
• Rating: PG
• Stars: 4.7/5
• Installments: 2

Pixar’s sixth film, The Incredibles, redefines the typical superhero trope by exploring how heroes manage everyday family life. Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, also known as Bob and Helen Parr, lead their family in an adventure-filled film that teaches the value of responsibility, teamwork, family, and friendship. 

The story focuses on the Parr family’s return to the hero scene, including how their children struggle to manage their developing powers. When a supervillain threatens humanity, the Parrs must dust off their super suits and band together to restore peace. With strong messaging centered around the importance of family, this is a great film to enjoy with your loved ones. 

Short Circuit

• Release Year: 2020
• Rating: PG
• Stars: 4.5/5
• Seasons: 2

Short Circuit is a one-of-a-kind feature that will give you insights into the brilliant creatives and animators at Walt Disney Studios. Each installment in the series makes for a wonderful, family-friendly viewing experience. It started production in 2016, with each episode offering a different animated short film from a team at Walt Disney Animation Studios. 

The second season, released in August of 2021, centers around the theme of change. Going Home follows a young man returning to his hometown time and time again, while No. 2 to Kettering shows a young girl’s bus ride and how a little bit of laughter changes the course of her day. The shorts are both animated and computer rendered, featuring a lineup of monsters, dinosaurs, relatable human characters, and tons of other creatures.

Oceans

• Release Year: 2010
• Rating: G
• Stars: 4.8/5

Oceans, produced by DisneyNature, is a documentary-style film about the Earth’s sea creatures. The breathtaking underwater photography features amazing close-ups of fish, cetaceans, and marine animals. Shot in a 4-year span from 50 locations, Oceans takes viewers on a journey through all the breathtaking mysteries that Earth’s oceans hold. Families will delight in this entertaining yet educational feature. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, the movie has an ecological focus to promote conservation and conscientiousness.

The Toy Story series

• Release Year: 1995
• Rating: PG
• Stars: 4.6/5
• Installments: 4

The talking toys in the Toy Story franchise stole the hearts of millions across generations. That being said, it’s only fair to put the iconic series on the list of the best family-friendly content on Disney Plus! Childhood favorites like slinkies and Mr. Potato Head come to life, striking intrigue and nostalgia in viewers, no matter how old they may be!

Pixar’s first-ever movie, Toy Story, offers a goofy and imaginative plot that is sometimes sweet, occasionally sad, but always endearing. Part of its massive success was the all-star cast of voice actors with Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, and Keanu Reeves as Duke Kaboom.

Avatar

• Release Year: 2009
• Rating: PG 13
• Stars: 4.4 out of 5

Avatar‘s stunning visual effects and fantastic storytelling offer an immersive experience that helps to transport you to another world. Set in the year 2154 on the fictional planet Pandora, James Cameron’s Avatar won multiple Oscars and broke box office records. 

The plot centers on human interactions with the native Na’vi species, exploring the devastating ecological impact of human intervention and mining. Things get complicated when the mission develops into a romance. The popularity of the movie even encouraged Walt Disney’s Animal Kingdom to open an Avatar-themed ride!

Fantasia

• Release Year: 1940
• Rating: G
• Stars: 4.3 out of 5
• Installments: 2

Disney’s third animated feature film, Fantasia, has beautiful illustrations with a compelling classical music score. This film may be from 1940, but it’s truly a timeless classic. Viewers of all ages will be delighted in the combination of powerful music and expert animation.

When you watch this film, you get to enjoy the stirring compositions of Bach, Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky while watching Mickey and other classic Disney characters. In total, there are seven shorts set to different scores, including the iconic Sorcerer Mickey. In 2000, a follow-up called Fantasia 2000 debuted, which is also available on Disney Plus. 

Aladdin

• Release Year: 1992
• Rating: PG
• Stars: 4.8 out of 5
• Installments: 3

Aladdin is a fan-favorite animated musical starring Robin Williams as the charismatic Genie. The story focuses on a street kid named Aladdin who falls in love with the beautiful Princess Jasmine. To get a better chance at winning her over, Aladdin uses the supernatural assistance of a magic lamp to change his identity. 

The iconic songs are really the film’s stars, with “A Whole New World ” and “Friend Like Me” as a few of the standouts. There are two animated sequels and a live-action rendition released in 2019 with Will Smith as the Genie.