Look, Disney and Pixar have been churning out animated movies for decades, and not all of them are created equal. Some are genuine masterpieces that spark meaningful conversations. Others are... fine background noise while you fold laundry. And a few are surprisingly heavy for what you thought would be a light Saturday morning watch.
This isn't your typical "every Disney movie is magical!" list. We're ranking these based on what actually matters to intentional parents: rewatchability (because you will watch it 47 times), conversation starters (the good kind), age-appropriateness, and whether it's genuinely good or just... fine.
Ages 5+
Honestly? This might be the most emotionally intelligent Disney movie ever made. It's about generational trauma, family pressure, and finding your worth outside of productivity. The music slaps (yes, we're still singing "We Don't Talk About Bruno"), and there's no villain—just a family working through their stuff.
Parent prep: Be ready to talk about why Abuela acts the way she does, and maybe reflect on your own family patterns. This one hits different if you grew up in a high-achieving household.
Ages 7+
A movie about emotions that actually understands how emotions work? Revolutionary. This is the gold standard for "kids movie that teaches emotional intelligence without being preachy." Younger kids enjoy the colors and characters; older kids (and adults) get the deeper message about how sadness isn't the enemy.
Watch out for: The abstract thought sequence can be genuinely scary for sensitive kids under 7. And yes, you will cry at Bing Bong.
Ages 6+
A beautiful exploration of death, memory, and family that doesn't shy away from the hard stuff. The cultural representation is genuinely good (not just surface-level), and it opens up conversations about how different cultures approach death and remembrance.
Parent prep: If your family hasn't dealt with death yet, this might be your entry point. Have tissues ready. Like, a lot of tissues.
Ages 6+
The incinerator scene is INTENSE, but this movie earns its emotional moments. It's about growing up, letting go, and how love means wanting the best for someone even when it means saying goodbye.
Real talk: If you're dealing with a kid heading to college or any major transition, watch this together. Just... prepare yourself emotionally.
Ages 5+
A Disney princess movie with no romance subplot? A protagonist who's driven by purpose and community responsibility? Cultural consultants who actually influenced the story? Yes, yes, and yes.
Bonus: The ocean scenes are stunning, and "How Far I'll Go" is actually tolerable after the 200th listen (unlike... some other Disney songs).
Ages 7+
This is really a movie about mid-life crisis, marriage, and finding purpose after your "glory days"—wrapped in a superhero package. Kids love the action; parents appreciate that it's actually about something.
Watch out for: The body count is surprisingly high for a kids movie, and Syndrome's death is pretty dark. Not for sensitive younger kids.
Ages 6+
A movie about... food criticism and artistic integrity? Somehow it works. It's genuinely funny, beautifully animated, and has zero cheap emotional manipulation.
Parent note: Some kids find the rat-in-the-kitchen concept gross. Fair.
Ages 5+
Classic for a reason, though it's spawned a generation of kids who think clownfish make good pets (they don't, and you can learn why here
). The overprotective parent storyline hits different once you have kids.
Watch out for: The opening scene is ROUGH. Barracuda attack, dead mom, destroyed eggs. Maybe start at the "first day of school" scene for really young viewers.
Ages 9+
A movie about puberty, generational expectations, and boy bands that's surprisingly honest about the tween experience. Some parents clutched their pearls about the period references, but come on, it's 2025.
Real talk: If you're not ready to talk about puberty and bodily autonomy, skip this one for now. If you are, it's a great conversation starter.
Ages 5+
Look, "Let It Go" was everywhere for a reason, and the sisterhood angle is great. But these movies are more cultural phenomenon than actual masterpiece. They're fine. Your kids will love them. You will be... fine with them.
Parent survival tip: Frozen 2's plot is genuinely confusing. Don't worry, nobody fully understands the elemental spirit lore.
Ages 7+
A movie about a Scottish princess and her mom that somehow becomes about... bears? The mother-daughter relationship stuff is good; the bear plot is weird. It's like two different movies got smashed together.
Ages 4+
Kids love it. Adults find it... long. It's about a race car learning to slow down, which is a fine message, but it takes its time getting there. The sequels are progressively worse.
Ages 6+
Pixar's rare miss. It's beautiful to look at but emotionally manipulative in a way that feels cheap. The dad's death is traumatic, and the rest of the movie doesn't earn it.
Honest take: There are better movies about grief and fear. Skip this one.
Cars 2
Ages 5+
They made a spy thriller... with cars. It's as weird as it sounds. Even kids who love Cars find this one confusing.
Ages 3-5: Stick with Moana, Encanto, or Finding Dory. Lighter on the scary stuff, heavy on the songs.
Ages 6-9: This is the sweet spot for most Pixar movies. Inside Out, Coco, and Ratatouille all work great here.
Ages 10+: They can handle pretty much everything, including Soul (which is really about existential crisis and purpose—heavy but good).
The death thing: A LOT of Disney/Pixar movies deal with death. Nemo's mom, Coco's whole premise, the Toy Story 3 incinerator scene, the opening of Up (don't even get me started). If your kid is dealing with grief or loss, choose carefully—or lean into it as a conversation starter.
Cultural representation: The newer movies (Encanto, Coco, Moana, Turning Red) do cultural representation WAY better than the older ones. They're not perfect, but they're miles ahead of, say, Pocahontas.
Rewatchability matters: You will watch these movies multiple times. Choose ones that don't make you want to fake a work emergency. Encanto and Inside Out hold up. Cars 2 does not.
The best Disney/Pixar movies are the ones that respect kids' emotional intelligence while giving parents something to think about too. Encanto, Inside Out, and Coco are the holy trinity—genuinely great filmmaking that happens to be in animated form.
But here's the thing: your kid's favorite might be Cars, and that's okay. Not every movie night needs to be a profound emotional experience. Sometimes you just need 90 minutes of anthropomorphic vehicles so you can make dinner in peace.
The key is knowing what you're getting into, being ready for the conversations these movies spark, and having a plan for when your 4-year-old asks why Nemo's mom died. (The answer: "Because Disney thinks we all need therapy.")
Want to explore more family-friendly content? Check out our guides on best shows for family movie night or alternatives to Disney Plus.