Top 10 Best Disney Animated Movies of the 21st Century

Disney has been in the animation game long enough to know how to pull off a great movie. But once the calendar flipped to 2001, the studio's animated output started stretching in all kinds of directions. Bigger themes. Bolder worlds. Visuals that made earlier computer animation look like it had been assembled with a toaster and a prayer.

Whether you grew up with these films or found them later, there is a good chance at least a few of them stuck with you in a big way.

You've got stories about futuristic explorers, superhero families juggling saving the world with surviving each other, mythical adventures across oceans, and even a time-traveling kid with a robot butler. Disney animation in the 21st century has not just leaned on fairy tales and happily-ever-afters.

It has played around with sci-fi, satire, heartfelt coming-of-age stories, and wild what-if scenarios that go way beyond the usual princess formula. Sometimes there is a castle. Sometimes there is a multiverse of feelings, talking animals running a city, or a chicken convinced the sky is falling. Range, as they say, is important.

The Top Ten

  1. The Incredibles

    The Incredibles is cool. I don't have a favorite character from it, though.

    I like the villain from it. The villain has a good backstory. His favorite superhero ignored him, so basically, he tried to kill him.

    This and Up are my favorite Pixar movies.

    This is my 10th favorite movie of all time.

  2. Toy Story 3

    This is the best Pixar movie of all time.

    I don't accept this! It should be at the top!

  3. Finding Nemo

    Have you ever heard of anyone not loving Finding Nemo? No, you haven't. Beautiful movie.

    Finding Nemo is my favorite movie ever! Alongside Zootopia and The Lion King.

  4. Big Hero 6

    It is literally the best movie of all time, and I demand it be number one.

    It is the number one Disney movie of all time. At least it is in the top ten animated movies of all time.

  5. Inside Out

    Inside Out is the first movie to ever make me cry without using death.

    Inside Out is the best animated film of 2015, the best Pixar movie, frick, the best animated movie ever made.

    Like Coco, this movie is flawless.

    I didn't care about the human characters, but I love the emotions and Bing Bong.

    This is my favorite Pixar movie. I was surprised it was good since it is Pixar.

  6. Up

    Saddest animation ever! It is hard-hitting and brilliant. The first film I watched in the cinema was bloody G-Force. That was going to stop me from going to the cinema.

    This was the second film I watched in the cinema. Loved it.

  7. Wall-E

    Wall-E is and always will be the greatest movie of all time.

  8. Wreck-It Ralph

    This movie is better than the whole "Toy Story" trilogy for four reasons.

    4: The best Disney villain ever is in this movie.

    3: "Toy Story" and all of its sequels were terrifying!

    2: It's about video games.

    1: *drumroll please* Felix. Just Felix, no questions asked.

    This is my personal favorite animated movie. The Incredibles and Big Hero 6 are close.

  9. Monsters Inc

    Surprised this isn't ranked above Frozen.

  10. Zootopia

    It's my second favorite movie, next only to Big Hero 6, but it's new, so I'm surprised it made the list.

    I love this movie because it's so good. It needs to be much higher up on the list.

    Pretty much everything about it is great.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning

  12. ?

    Bambi II

    13. The Contenders

  13. Ratatouille

  14. Tangled

    Awesome.

    It had all a movie can offer: comedy, romance, action.

    It is countless.

    Just an amazing movie.

    This movie deserves a cute little boat ride at Epcot's Germany pavilion.

  15. Lilo & Stitch

    Much better alien movie than Chicken Little.

  16. Coco

    Love this movie, especially the part where Miguel returns from the world of the dead and gets Mama Coco not to forget about her Papa.

    Coco is just a masterpiece of cinema and deserves to go higher on the list!

  17. Moana

    This is my favorite Disney film. Family fun and lots of catchy songs.

    This should be in the top ten. You're welcome!

  18. Frozen

  19. Treasure Planet

    Still a better, more ambitious, and more engaging action-adventure flick than Strange World.

    Also a much better alien movie than Chicken Little.

  20. Atlantis: The Lost Empire

    Almost as great as Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, both of which were directed by the same two people as this movie.

    These characters are fantastic, although they probably would've worked better in a TV show than in a feature-length movie.

    No one likes Cars 2. Atlantis should be a lot higher!

  21. Meet the Robinsons

    WHY IS THIS NUMBER 22? It is my third favorite movie only after Zootopia and Big Hero 6! How dare they put it at number 22!

    A personal course correction for Disney after the critical disaster that was Chicken Little.

  22. The Princess and the Frog

  23. Cars

    Love it! It's the best of the three films in this franchise and never gets old for me. The second was fun but a bit of a mess, and the third is pure disappointment wrapped up in fancy animation.

    Just watch this one and you'll be happy. It has a simple but good plot, likable characters, cool race scenes, and fun for all ages.

    Best of the Cars movies and my favorite sports film. It has lovely animation, great music, and I really like the characters, especially Lightning and Mater.

    The fact that this is not number one is ridiculous.

  24. Cars 3

  25. Bolt

    This movie is kind of like The Aristocats if it had more plot and substance to it.

    I really loved this movie as a kid mostly just because there were so many dogs.

  26. Brave

    It's a great story about a girl with a purpose for her life. Disney made it in an amazing way! One of the best Disney movies!

  27. Recess: School's Out

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