The Best Disney Animated Movies Released During The 2020s (2024)

Walt Disney Pictures has some of the most popular animated movies of all time. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937, was the first full-length Disney animated film that started a legacy of iconic Disney animated films. Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios have made history under Disney, with films such as The Little Mermaid,The Lion King, and Toy Story.

Disney continued producing high-quality animated films in the 21st century. During the 2000s and 2010s, Disney released many popular animated films that received several awards, like WALL-E, Up, and Frozen. So far, the 2020s have proven that Disney still has what it takes to maintain its success and deliver fans smart, heartwarming, and funny animated films for all ages.

Updated on August 8, 2024, by Andrea Sandoval: Because they provide great quality, people are always awaiting the next Disney film. They are the perfect treat to get for the whole family at the movie theater. We updated this article to include the most recent and amazing Disney movies.

10 Strange World Is A Great Family Adventure

Strange World did not get the hype of a usual Disney movie, but it is a sweet film about family, adventure, and natural balance. Living in the fantastic land of Avalonia, Searcher, his wife Merdian, and his son Ethan must go on a journey to restore the energy source of their homeland. On their way, Searcher finds his long-lost father, whose personality couldn't be more different from his. However, it is their different points of view that finally lead them to heal their planet.

Strange World has everything people expect from a great Disney film. It is funny, heartwarming, and epic. With amazing illustrations, dynamic scenes, and great dialogue, this is a movie that doesn't disappoint. What's more, it includes the most forward LGBTQ+ representation in a Disney film.

Strange World

PG

Adventure

Animation

Comedy

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

From the creative teams at Walt Disney Animation Studios comes Strange world, an adventure/comedy film about a legendary family of explorers known as the Clades as they seek to find an undiscovered creature that's been considered a myth. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Searcher Clade, a family man who lacks the adventurer traits that the rest of his family has and is dangerously out of his element compared to his father, Jaeger (Dennis Quaid), and his son, Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White.) Partnering with their long-time friend Meridian and newcomer Callisto Mal, the searchers will navigate a mysterious and dangerous land alongside a rag-tag crew of miscreants while dealing with the generational gaps that consistently cause them to butt heads. Strange World will be released in theaters on November 23 2022, with a Disney+ release to follow sometime after.

Release Date

November 23, 2022

Director

Don Hall

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal , Dennis Quaid , Jaboukie Young-White , Gabrielle Union , Lucy Liu , Alan Tudyk

Runtime

102 minutes

Main Genre

Adventure

Writers

Qui Nguyen

Website

https://movies.disney.com/strange-world

Producer

Roy Conli

Production Company

Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Studios

9 Inside Out 2 Comes Back with Even More Emotions

The much-awaited sequel to Inside Out was a complete hit. Inside Out 2 follows Riley as a teenager, discovering new emotions --Anxiety, Envy, Embarrasment, and Ennui--, as she makes the transition to high school and tries to make the school's hockey team. Joy, however, has a hard time accepting the new emotions, as she expected Riley to grow up only on positive memories. Joy, Anger, Sadness, Disgust, and Fear are responsible for getting back to headquarters and stopping Anxiety from taking full control of Riley's emotions.

Inside Out 2 is an excellent movie for both children and adults. Many people relate to Anxiety's spiral throughout the movie because everyone has gone through different changes in life. With a great sense of humor, Inside Out 2 is a movie that teaches people of all ages that every emotion has a purpose and that it is important to embrace them all.

Inside Out 2

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions.

Release Date

June 14, 2024

Director

Kelsey Mann

Cast

Amy Poehler , Phyllis Smith , Lewis Black , Tony Hale , Kaitlyn Dias , Liza Lapira , Maya Hawke

Main Genre

Animation

Writers

Meg LeFauve

Production Company

Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

8 Wish Is a Celebration of Disney's History

Wish celebrates the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney Studios with an exploration of the very nature of many Disney movies: the magic of wishes. The film follows Asha, a young woman who lives in the magical kingdom whose king, Magnifico, promises to make his citizen's wishes come true. When Asha learns Magnifico is gatekeeping the vast majority of people's wishes, she goes on a journey to find another source of wish fulfillment.

While not Disney's best offering of the past century, Wish does its best to encapsulate everything that fans enjoy about the company's storytelling. With fun vocal performances from Ariana DeBose, Alan Tudyk, and Chris Pine, Wish is a magical film with plenty of references to other classic Disney properties.

Wish

PG

Adventure

Comedy

A young girl named Asha wishes on a star and gets a more direct answer than she bargained for when a trouble-making star comes down from the sky to join her.

Release Date

November 22, 2023

Director

Fawn Veerasunthorn , Chris Buck

Cast

Chris Pine , Alan Tudyk , Ariana DeBose , Evan Peters

Runtime

1 Hour 35 Minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Writers

Jennifer Lee , Allison Moore , Chris Buck

Production Company

Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

7 Luca Is a Lovely Story about Friendship

Luca follows the titular Luca, a sea monster boy who finds out he can turn into a human when he leaves the water. He befriends Alberto, another sea monster, and a human girl named Giulia, and together they spend a magical summer in the town of Portorosso. Luca must hide his true form as long as he's in town, all while trying to win enough money to buy a Vespa and travel around the world.

Luca is a story about friendship and acceptance. It's also about not being scared of the unknown or being different and takes inspiration from old Italian myths. Luca successfully transports viewers to the Italian Riviera, creating a magical atmosphere full of wonder and adventure.

Luca

PG

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

On the Italian Riviera, an unlikely but strong friendship grows between a human being and a sea monster disguised as a human.

Director

Enrico Casarosa

Release Date

June 18, 2021

Studio

Pixar/Walt Disney

Cast

Jacob Tremblay , Jack Dylan Grazer , Emma Berman , Saverio Raimondo

Writers

Enrico Casarosa , Jesse Andrews , Simon Stephenson

Runtime

95 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

6 Onward Is One of Disney's Most Emotional Movies

Onward follows elf brothers Barley and Ian who live in a world full of mythical creatures. Magic was once part of this world but soon became obsolete next to technological advances. However, magic is now the key to bringing Ian and Barley's father back to life for one whole day.

Barley is the oldest brother who knows all about the world's past magic, while Ian is the shy and insecure younger sibling with magical abilities. Together, they must go on a quest to find a rare gem to complete their spell. Onward is an animated film full of adventure that also pulls at viewers' heartstrings as the brothers bond and try to desperately see their father one last time.

Onward

PG

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

In a magical world full of technological advances, elven brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot set out on an adventure to resurrect their late father for a day.

Director

Dan Scanlon

Release Date

March 6, 2020

Studio

Pixar

Cast

Tom Holland , Chris Pratt , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Octavia Spencer , Mel Rodriguez , Kyle Bornheimer

Writers

Dan Scanlon , Keith Bunin , Jason Headley

Runtime

102 Minutes

Main Genre

Animation

5 Turning Red Is All about 90's Nostalgia

Turning Red brings magic and supernatural elements to a relatable time in everyone's life: adolescence. Turning Red centers on Meilin "Mei" Lee, a thirteen-year-old girl going through all the confusing changes and emotions of that age. But in her case, things are even more complicated.

Due to a hereditary curse, Mei changes into a red panda whenever she experiences any strong emotions. This makes her extremely popular at school, but it also creates some friction with Mei's mother. Turning Red is hilarious, wholesome, and highly entertaining. It is also beautifully animated, and the cultural background adds depth to the story.

Turning Red

PG

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

A thirteen-year-old girl named Mei Lee is torn between staying her mother's dutiful daughter and the changes of adolescence. And as if the challenges were not enough, whenever she gets overly excited she transforms into a giant red panda.

Release Date

March 11, 2022

Director

Domee Shi

Cast

Rosalie Chiang , Sandra Oh , Ava Morse , Hyein Park

Runtime

100 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Writers

Domee Shi

Studio

Pixar

4 Elemental Is a New Perspective to Romeo & Juliet

Elemental became a sleeper hit that grew thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations. The film follows Ember, a fire element who lives with her family and has worked at her family's store her whole life. Ember is set to inherit and run her father's store, that is until she meets Wade, a water elemental who makes her question everything she believes to be true.

Elemental at its core tells the experience of immigrant families across the world and the hardships they face to be accepted in their new communities. It is also a beautiful opposites-attract love story that will make many Disney fans root for Ember and Wade, and even shed some tears.

Elemental

7

10

PG

Adventure

Comedy

Follows Ember and Wade, in a city where fire-, water-, earth- and air-residents live together.

Release Date

June 16, 2023

Director

Peter Sohn

Cast

Leah Lewis , Mamoudou Athie , Ronnie del Carmen

Runtime

1 hour 41 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Writers

John Hoberg , Kat Likkel , Brenda Hsueh

Producer

Denise Ream

Production Company

Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios

3 Raya and The Last Dragon Is One of the Best Female-Led Films

Raya and the Last Dragon follows the titular Raya, a strong warrior on a mission to save her father and the world. Many years ago, a mythical dragon saved the land of Kumandra and banished the evil spirits with a dragon gem. As the dragons disappeared, the people of Kumandra started a power struggle that divided the land into five tribes.

Raya is from the Heart tribe, which protected the dragon gem until the other tribes tried to steal it. She must now find the broken pieces of the gem and the mythical dragon to restore Kumandra. Raya and the Last Dragon is full of adventure and emotion and proves just how strong people are when they work together, instead of against each other.

Raya and the Last Dragon

PG

Animation

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

In a realm known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon.

Release Date

March 5, 2021

Director

Don Hall , Carlos López Estrada , Paul Briggs

Cast

Kelly Marie Tran , Awkwafina , Gemma Chan , Benedict Wong , Daniel Dae Kim

Runtime

1 hour 47 minutes

2 Encanto Charmed Generations of Viewers with Its Great Story & Music

Encanto centers on the Madrigal family, who live in a rural community called Encanto. The matriarch of the family received a miracle that saved the village and gave the Madrigal family special gifts. But Mirabel Madrigal doesn't have a gift and doubts whether she fits into the family at all.

Encanto wasn't a big success when it debuted in theaters, but it became a cultural phenomenon once it was released on Disney+. Audiences can feel the magic of Encanto in the film's amazing soundtrack. There's a reason why several of the songs in Encanto went viral. The catchy tunes are part of the charm of the story, fleshing out the characters while moving the story forward in a fun and exciting way.

Encanto

PG

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Release Date

November 24, 2021

Director

Byron Howard , Jared Bush

Cast

Stephanie Beatriz , María Cecilia Botero , John Leguizamo , Mauro Castillo , Jessica Darrow , Angie Cepeda , Carolina Gaitan , Diane Guerrero , Wilmer Valderrama

Runtime

102 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Writers

Charise Castro Smith , Jared Bush

Studio

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Tagline

Magical House. Magical Family.

1 Soul Explores the Afterlife with Wholesome Comedy

Soul follows Joe Gardner, an aspiring jazz pianist who teaches at a middle school but doesn't find fulfillment in his job. But after an accident leaves him in a coma, Joe must reunite his body with his soul at the same time as he searches for his true purpose. Joe's sidekick in Soul is 22, a soul in the Great Before who is doing everything it takes to avoid being sent to Earth.

Through the eyes of 22, Joe begins to find joy in the small things and understand the meaning of life. Soul deals with mature themes like a person's true purpose in life in a smart and heartwarming way. Soul is one of those rare Disney films that adults can enjoy just as much as children, if not more.

Soul

PG

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

After landing the gig of a lifetime, a New York jazz pianist suddenly finds himself trapped in a strange land between Earth and the afterlife.

Release Date

December 25, 2020

Director

Pete Docter , Kemp Powers

Cast

Jamie Foxx , Tina Fey , Graham Norton , Rachel House , Alice Braga , Richard Ayoade , Phylicia Rashad

Runtime

100 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Writers

Pete Docter , Mike Jones , Kemp Powers

Studio

Disney/Pixar