TL;DR: 2025 is the year Disney leans hard into what it knows we’ll pay for: sequels and live-action remakes. While it feels like franchise fatigue is setting in for adults, for kids, these are the "safe bets" they actually want to watch. The winning move for parents is using these predictable plots to spark unpredictable conversations about identity, environmentalism, and even systemic bias.
Top 2025 Picks for the Family Watchlist:
- Moana 2 (The "New Classic" sequel)
- Elio (Pixar’s original sci-fi entry)
- Snow White (The live-action update)
- Zootopia 2 (The social commentary powerhouse)
- Avatar: Fire and Ash (The visual spectacle for older kids)
We’ve all been there: Friday night, 6:30 PM, the pizza is getting cold, and you’ve spent twenty minutes scrolling through the Disney+ "Recommended for You" rail while the kids argue about whether they want to watch a show they’ve already seen fifty times or a movie that looks like "brain rot."
The 2025 Disney slate is designed to solve that choice paralysis by giving us exactly what we expect. But here’s the Screenwise take: just because a movie is a sequel doesn't mean the experience has to be passive. If we’re going to spend 100 minutes in front of a screen together, let's actually make it count for something more than just "quiet time."
Disney is currently in its "safe era." After a few experimental years, they are doubling down on established IP. For parents, this is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you generally know what you’re getting (PG ratings, high production value, a catchy soundtrack). On the other hand, it can feel like we’re just feeding the corporate machine.
However, kids love sequels because they offer "narrative safety." They already know Moana and Maui; they understand the world of Zootopia. This lower cognitive load actually makes it easier for them to process more complex themes when they do pop up.
Ask our chatbot for a custom list of non-Disney alternatives if you're over the Mouse House
Ages 5+ Technically hitting theaters late '24 but dominating Disney+ in early 2025, this started as a TV series and was pivoted into a feature film. You can kind of tell. It feels episodic, but the core message about Moana becoming a leader and connecting her people is solid.
- The Conversation: Talk about "calling." Moana feels a pull to the ocean. What are the things your kids feel naturally drawn to, even if they're scared of them?
Ages 7+ This one has been a lightning rod for "anti-woke" YouTubers and traditionalists. Ignore the noise. Rachel Zegler is a powerhouse, and the movie attempts to give Snow White more agency than "waiting for a prince." Is it a bit of a cash grab? Yes. Is Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen going to be iconic? Also yes.
- The Conversation: This is a perfect bridge to talk about "modernizing" old stories. Ask your kids: "If you were rewriting a story from 100 years ago, what would you change to make it fit today?"
Ages 6+ This is Pixar’s big original swing for 2026. It’s about a kid who accidentally becomes the ambassador for Earth to an interstellar organization. It’s basically "Imposter Syndrome: The Movie" for kids. It’s visually stunning and breaks the sequel cycle.
- The Conversation: Elio has to pretend he’s someone he’s not to fit in. Talk about the "social masks" kids feel they have to wear at school or in sports.
Ages 8+ The first Zootopia was a masterclass in explaining systemic bias and prejudice to children without being preachy. The sequel introduces reptiles into the mix, which adds a whole new layer of "us vs. them" dynamics.
- The Conversation: This is the big one. Zootopia is the easiest way to talk about how people (or animals) treat others based on stereotypes. It’s 2025—our kids are seeing these headlines anyway; use the bunnies and foxes to help them make sense of it.
Ages 12+ James Cameron is back. This will be the "event" watch of the year. It’s long, it’s intense, and the visuals are meant for the biggest screen possible. It deals with grief, colonialism, and environmental destruction.
- The Conversation: Focus on the "Ash People"—a new clan of Na'vi that aren't necessarily the "good guys." It’s a great way to show that no group is a monolith; there is complexity and "gray area" in every culture.
Check out our guide on whether your tween is ready for the Avatar movies
The "Digital Wellness" part of family movie night isn't about the content—it's about the interaction. When we sit in silence for two hours and then immediately go to bed, that's passive consumption. When we treat the movie as a "shared text," it becomes a tool for connection.
Research shows that "co-viewing"—the act of watching and discussing media with your children—is one of the most effective ways to mitigate the negative effects of screen time. It turns a screen into a mirror.
Disney+ is generally a "safe" walled garden, but 2025 brings a few specific things to watch out for:
- The "Auto-Play" Trap: Disney+ is notorious for immediately jumping to the next "suggested" show. For younger kids, this can lead to "infinite scroll" syndrome. Turn off auto-play in the settings to create a natural "end" to the movie night.
- The Marvel/Star Wars Creep: Shows like Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart are hitting the platform in 2026. Be aware that the "Disney" brand doesn't always mean "G-rated" anymore. Daredevil, in particular, is trending toward a TV-MA vibe.
- Consumerism: Every Disney movie is a 90-minute commercial for toys and Roblox skins. If you watch Moana 2, expect the "I want that" requests to follow within 24 hours.
Learn more about how Disney uses "Dark Patterns" to keep kids watching
If you start a "family meeting" after the credits roll, your kids will roll their eyes so hard they might see their brains. Instead, try the "Low-Stakes Drive-By" method.
Ask one specific, weird question while you’re cleaning up the popcorn:
- "If you lived in Zootopia, which animal would you definitely not want to be roommates with?"
- "Do you think the Evil Queen was actually evil, or just really insecure?"
- "If aliens picked you to represent Earth like Elio, what’s the first thing you’d tell them about humans?"
These questions don't feel like a quiz; they feel like a conversation.
Disney+ in 2026 is going to be a lot of "more of the same," but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Use the familiarity of Zootopia 2 and Moana 2 as a baseline. Use the visual spectacle of Avatar: Fire and Ash to talk about the world.
The goal isn't to find the "perfect" movie—it's to be the "intentional" parent who uses the movie to get to know their kid a little bit better.
- Audit your Disney+ Profile: Check the "Content Rating" settings for each kid. With more TV-MA content arriving, those 14+ and 17+ toggles actually matter now.
- Pick a "New Discovery" Night: Once a month, skip the sequels and try an original like Elio or an older "deep cut" from the vault.
- Use the Screenwise Survey: If you're feeling like your family is stuck in a "brain rot" loop, take our 5-minute survey to see how your movie night habits compare to other families in your community.