You know, @mikeappsreviewer hit the nail on the head with those classic picks, but I’m gonna throw a little variety into this marathon mix. Like yeah, you have to have The Lion King and Finding Nemo—science probably backs that up somewhere—but if you’re after the real Disney emotional rollercoaster, you gotta go for Beauty and the Beast (OG ‘91, not the kinda-creepy Emma Watson one). That ballroom scene is undefeated, and Lumière basically invented “hospitality.”
Don’t sleep on Moana either. The songs are killer (“You’re Welcome” will 100% get stuck in your head, not sorry), the visuals are GORGEOUS, and the grandma scenes will mess you up emotionally, fair warning. If you want a weirder rec: The Emperor’s New Groove. It’s chaos, it’s meme gold, and honestly, Kronk deserves his own trilogy.
For older throwbacks no one ever seems to mention: Robin Hood (1973). Fox Robin Hood is a chaotic bisexual icon, and the songs are criminally catchy. If you want that Disney tearjerker moment but hate obvious choices like Bambi, watch Big Hero 6. Baymax is mood support in a marshmallow suit.
TLDR: My don’t-miss list:
- The Lion King (duh)
- Beauty and the Beast
- Moana
- The Emperor’s New Groove
- Robin Hood
- Big Hero 6
- Encanto (yeah, okay, that one’s essential)
Just skip the Cars franchise unless you like suffering. So what’s YOUR longest ugly cry during a Disney flick?