It doesn’t have to be, though. Here are some of the best kids movies on Disney Plus that are super entertaining while still managing to be family-friendly. Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Musical Starring: Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey Director: James Bobin Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes If you only watch one Muppets movie, it should be Muppets Most Wanted. Disney Plus has most of the other Muppet theatrical films and specials as well. Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 42 minutes If you’ve already seen the original, Frozen 2 is also available on Disney Plus. The sequel successfully adds depth to the characters from the original while achieving some phenomenal world-building in the process. What sets it apart from the original and other kid’s movies on Disney Plus, for that matter, are its scenes that show how to navigate stressful, even traumatic, situations even when all hope is lost. This movie is a sequel that easily surpasses its predecessor and boasts a maturity that’s equally surprising and welcome. Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Utkarsh Ambudkar, Simon Pegg, Vincent Tong Directors: John C. Donkin Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 52 minutes Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse Directors: Domee Shi Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes Turing Red stands out for its focus on Chinese culture, but the story is relatable to everyone, including kids and adults. Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Maya Rudolph Director: Adam Shankman Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 59 minutes In 2007, Enchanted put a clever spin on classic Disney fairytale stereotypes. Disenchanted is an equally twisted sequel that looks beyond “happily ever after.” Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba Directors: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes Ginnifer Goodwin from Once Upon A Time, also on Disney Plus, and Jason Bateman voice the two leads and are backed up by an impressive supporting cast of actors ranging from talents such as Idris Elba and Bonnie Hunt to Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, and Shakira. Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure Starring: Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn Director: Angus MacLane Rating: PG Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Lightyear might have bombed at the box office, but those who saw it gave the movie great reviews. Now you can stream it alongside the original Toy Story on Disney Plus. Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez, Hadley Belle Miller Director: Steve Martino Rating: G Runtime: 1 hour, 28 minutes This big-screen adaptation of the famous comic strip looks modern enough for kids to enjoy, but it maintains the style and charm of the original cartoons. With a legacy spanning over 70 years, nothing brings families together like Peanuts. Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Oprah Winfrey Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker Rating: G Runtime: 1 hour, 38 minutes Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family Starring: Rueby Wood, Joshua Bassett, Aria Brooks Director: Tim Federle Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes Better Nate Than Never features classic tunes from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, and it has a talented cast to carry them. For his first movie, Rueby Wood especially shines in the lead role. Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family Starring: Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong Directors: Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook Rating: G Runtime: 1 hour, 33 minutes 2020’s live-action Mulan remake gets a lot of attention, but it didn’t come close to this animated version in terms of messaging, plot, characters, and entertainment value. Genre: Animation, Adventure Starring: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan Directors: Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 54 minutes Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Will Arnett, J.K. Simmons, Seth Rogen Directors: Akiva Schaffer Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes Despite their differences, the Rescue Rangers must reunite to save an old friend in this self-aware reboot. Even if you’re not familiar with the duo, you’ll get a laugh out of their nutty antics. Genre: Musical, Family Starring: Holden Hagelberger, Aryan Simhadri, Ava Briglia Director: Robin Abrams, Marc Bruni Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes Trevor The Musical is based on the 1994 Academy Award-winning short film Trevor. In addition to a musical, the original movie inspired the Trevor Project, a crisis hotline for LGBT+ youth that still exists today. Genre: Animated, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Maya Rudolph Director: Enrico Casarosa Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes Genre: Concert Starring: Billie Eilish Director: Robert Rodriguez, Patrick Osborne Rating: TV-14 Runtime: 1 hour, 5 minutes Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o Director: Ryan Coogler Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 2 hours, 16 minutes Like Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther requires very little knowledge of the MCU and can be enjoyed entirely on its own. And the story started in this film continues in Avengers: Infinity War, also on Disney Plus. Genre: Action, Adventure Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt Director: Jaume Collet-Serra Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 2 hours, 17 minutes Genre: Comedy, Crime Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Mark Strong Director: Craig Gillespie Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 2 hours, 14 minutes Genre: Animation, Action, Short Starring: Yvette Nicole Brown, Anthony Daniels, Jake Green Directors: Ken Cunningham Rating: G Runtime: 45 minutes If you enjoyed the other Lego Star Wars specials on Disney Plus, this is a must-watch. Make sure you have Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales and The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special on your watchlist for later this year. Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hanks, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth Director: Robert Zemeckis Rating: PG Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutes This reimagined fairy tale stands tall alongside the other live-action Disney remakes. Of course, if you prefer, you can always watch the original Pinocchio on Disney Plus.
