These are the 10 that most stand out to me personally. Some I haven't seen in years but know that my opinions will probably not change. I did some major soul-searching and I feel these ten define my childhood, and me. Even the newer ones. I can see myself loving them just as much as a kid. I just connect with these characters and stories so much.
1. Beauty And The Beast I used to tell myself, and everyone else, that a later entry on this list was my favorite Disney film. After giving it much thought, I have realized that there's no way it's true. When i think of Beauty and the Beast, I feel so many emotions. But mostly, it makes me smile and want to sit down and watch it again and again. There's something truly special about this film. It resonates with me in ways that no other animated film has ever done. I love the message it conveys, the characters, the songs...pretty much everything about it. It's timeless!
2. The Little Mermaid With this one, I often can't even explain why I love it so much. I just do. Ariel just wants to be "normal" and be accepted. She wants to be a part of the real world. She wants to be loved. Who can't relate to that? She also has some pretty kick ass side kicks! And Ursula is one of the best Disney villains to date! And if you've never sang along to "Under the Sea" or "Part Of Your World", have you even lived?
3. Tangled Surprisingly, I only saw this one fairly recently. I fell in love within mere minutes of it. The animation is incredible and oftentimes, quite realistic. I found myself mesmerized by it during many scenes. More specifically, any time the characters were by bodies of water. The animation in that is beautiful! I also really enjoyed the story. Tangled will forever be a favorite of mine now!
4. Aristocats Remember how earlier I said another movie on this list was one that I used to tell everyone was my favorite Disney movie? Well, it was this one. I had always thought maybe it was. My love for cats (and especially Marie) blinded me into thinking that maybe this was my favorite. As you can now see, I think it may actually be my 4th. To be fair, until recently, it had been years since I had seen most older Disney films. Some I have actually not seen at all, or seen since the 90's. But I am pretty certain that even when I re watch this one, i will love it all the same. Even if it's slightly higher on my list now.
5. The Lion King I know that for most this would easily be a top choice, so even I am baffled by it being number 5 for me. I struggled a bit trying to figure out my top 5. After all, they are the most important entries. But no matter how I worked around it, I think The Lion King would still be around here for me. It's one i have always loved and adored. The story is amazing and the songs are super catchy. They just put you in a good mood every time you hear them. And let's not forget, The Lion King gave most of us one of our first tastes of heartbreak with that iconic death scene. That's a scene no one could forget! But ultimately, I just love the four entries above slightly more.
6. Frozen I actually only just saw this one very recently. I swore to myself that i'd give it a try once all of the hype died down. Otherwise, I felt i'd be influenced by that. I was on a quest to give it a fair shot and form my own opinions of it. I think I did just that. Olaf was a show-stealer! I laughed so much at him. I mean, the poor little guy literally got impaled and he just laughed it off. Which by the way, it's funny to me that something like that was in a children's movie. Anna reminded me so much of my adventurous best friend (who also really loves chocolate). I am still not sure what i think of Elsa exactly. I guess i need more time to decide on that. The other characters were never dull of boring and that's not always the case with animated movies. This one also had some mesmerizing animation. I don't think I am even remotely obsessed with this one or that i'll watch it over and over again. But, it's definitely one I will revisit from time to time in the future.
7. Aladdin Let me first say, I always adored Jasmine growing up. For the longest time, if you asked me who my favorite Disney princess was, I would have said her with zero hesitation. She may very well still be in the running for it. I love the leading ladies in the above mentioned movies, but they aren't all particularly my favorites. That is of course, with the exception of Ariel. Aladdin himself is brave, bold, and honorable. But let's give credit where it is due. Genie is the true star. This is easily one of Robin William's best roles. I cannot imagine how a live action film (with Will Smith in his place) will be able to top that.
8. Cinderella I don't have as much to say about this one. I just recall loving it growing up. The story sometimes feels very real (especially if you've suffered at the hands of an evil stepmom). I always related to being bullied, too. Not by stepsisters per say, but in general. I never fit in and I was picked on to no ends. Oh how i wished to one day be more beautiful than all my bullies and leave the "ball" that is life, with my very own prince! And, who doesn't want a fairy godmother anyways?
9. Lilo and Stitch I'll admit, I was more into the tv show at the time than the movies. But, Stitch will always have a special place in my heart. He was precious and never un-entertaining. Plus, we share a mutual love of Elvis! How awesome is that! I also really loved the morals and undertones of the movies. Especially that families always stick together.
10. The Emperor's New Groove And lastly, this gem. It will probably never make anyone else's list lol But here it is on mine. Again, this is another movie that I preferred the show to. I'm not sure why that is. But the movies were good, too. Especially the first since i am a sucker for origins. Kuzko is just plain crazy but I always rooted for the guy. His shenanigans and their consequences are forever entertaining. Yzma was kooky in her own way. I actually almost see her as another Cruella, as odd as that sounds. But to me, Kronk was the best in the whole series. It's never a dull moment when he's on screen. Never.