1. Lion King (1994)
Possibly one of the greatest films ever made and it's odd to think that this is an animal adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet (the premise doesn't sound promising but works incredibly well). From the music to the beautiful drawn animation this film demonstrates superior film making skills. Additionally to how good the music sounds, the voice actors are phenomenal, although I have to say that I'm surprised that Matthew Broderick played adult Simba. It's definitely one of the Disney films that is as enjoyable for adults as it is for children. This is also one of the few Disney films with a decent sequel (which I actually debated putting on this list).
2. Mulan (1998)
Disney's ultimate female power film, even though the best song is I'll Make a Man Out of You, this film shows that you don't need to be a man to be awesome and badass (woohoo!) It's one of the most progressive Disney films because it is about cross dressing, Asian, soldier which is a little different from the traditional Disney formula. The music, not just the songs but also the score, is really pretty and powerful; the interestingly named 'Haircut' is particularly good. It's nice how in this film there are animal sidekicks who cannot talk, but the one who does talk is explained as magic (this might sound odd but it makes everything feel a teeny tiny bit more realistic). One of my favourite things about this film is that the love story is more interesting, not only because Shang might have been very confused for a short while, but also because the characters actually got to know each other well before they walked off into the sunset.
3. Treasure Planet (2002)
The most underrated Disney film. For a sci-fi fan Disney is low on supply but this film marvellous and need so much more recognition. It's a familiar and well told story and it's quite similar to The Muppet's Treasure Island because of the odd mixture of aliens/puppets. Again, I'm going to mention music, because despite the fact that this isn't a musical there is one of the greatest songs ever, I'm Still Here, which is very similar to Iris in the way it sounds. This film needs to get much more recognition as one of the greatest Disney films rather than one of the forgettable ones.
4. Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Another under appreciated film. This one shows a man triumph over oppression and adversity but because he's not a beautiful princess, no one cares. Furthermore, Frollo is bloody terrifying, he's possibly the best Disney villain ever because he's not magic he's cut crazy, and Hellfire is one of the most epic songs and animation sequences Disney has ever produced. I haven't read the original book, I know the ending is a lot darker, but I don't know how much Disney has changed the story, regardless it's quite depressing and he doesn't even get the girl in the end. The Hunchback definitely doesn't follow Disney's traditional formula, but that's why it's so great because it's really unique within the cannon.
5. Hercules (1997)
This film is about a lot of misfits who either work with or against each other to achieve a greater good, and it's wonderful. I love the colours of this film, it is definitely made for children with how each of the Gods is a different colour, but I like that. Hercules is one of the most light-hearted Disney films, although there are sad/dark parts, but even the villain is funny and likeable if you look past his touches of evil. Some of the humour is quite shouty and slapstick but it suits the excessive style of Grecian myths. One of the main reasons people should watch Hercules is to just gather a basic knowledge of Greek mythology which is especially good for children.
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