The 6 best Disney movies released since 2000, ranked

In the year 2026, it feels like Disney has a hand in every cookie jar. From traditional Disney movies to live-action remakes, Disney+, Hulu, Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, and everything in between, Disney is just about everywhere. With Disney's focus split between so many things, it feels like fans get fewer and fewer good old-fashioned Disney movies. Most of the most beloved Disney movies all predate the year 2000, like Mulan (1998), The Lion King (1994), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and even older films like Peter Pan (1953) and Alice in Wonderland (1951).

Sadly, more modern Disney movies get overlooked all the time. While there are still plenty of people flocking to the theaters to see new Disney releases, fans rarely say they're better than their favorite childhood classics. This list will take a look at six Disney movies that were released in the year 2000 or later, which are the best of the best.

The Emperor’s New Groove Is a Lesson in Kindness & Giving Back

The Emperor's New Groove (2000) was, at the time of its release, a severely underrated movie. Over time, it gained a cult following, and now, it's remembered and celebrated as one of the greatest Disney movies of the 21st century. This film follows Kuzco, the Emperor of the Kuzconian Empire. When we first meet Kuzco, he is young, arrogant, narcissistic, and cruel to his subjects. The only thing Kuzco cares about is himself, and being the Emperor, he believes that he can do anything he wants.

Due to Kuzco's disrespect, a conspiracy unfolds to kill and replace him as ruler. Instead, he accidentally gets turned into a llama with a magic potion, and he has to rely on one of his subjects, Pacha, to save him. While roaming the dangerous jungle and evading the people who want him dead, Kuzco forms a bond with Pacha and learns a valuable lesson about kindness, helping others, and doing what's right, even if it costs you. With such a funny premise of an emperor being turned into a llama, looped with a much more serious murder plot, and a good life lesson, it's not hard to see why so many fans love The Emperor's New Groove.

Moana Blends Several Incredible Elements To Hit a Perfect Home Run

Moana (2016) is a near-perfect movie, and it follows the titular character, Moana, the daughter of a Polynesian village chief and next in line to rule over her people. Her people live an isolated life on a single island, but Moana longs to traverse the sea and make connections with other people to strengthen her home's bonds. Moana is an empowering story about a female heroine who has no interest in romance. Moana's story focuses on finding herself and becoming the best person she can be for her people.

In truth, Moana has a lot going for it, and although Moana is not technically a princess, she became one of the best Disney Princesses ever created. This 2016 movie delivers some visually stunning and eye-catching animation. The groundbreaking computer animation changed the way animated movies utilize various art styles, even going as far as to combine 2D and 3D elements. The film also received praise for an incredible soundtrack and authentic, respectful cultural representation. The movie not only brought Polynesian history and mythology to life, but it also focused on getting the details of wayfinding traditions correct.

Big Hero 6 Breaks the Traditional Disney Formula

Big Hero 6 (2014) is a very different movie from just about every other movie on this list. Instead of focusing on traditional Disney characters, Big Hero 6 is actually a superhero masterpiece. more akin to The Incredibles than other classic Disney films. Big Hero 6 follows Hiro, a robotics prodigy, who loses his older brother, Tadashi, to a horrific attack.

Hiro, along with his brother's bedside companion invention, Baymax, and several friends, uses their skills to become superheroes. Hiro faces a dark internal struggle when the reality of what happened to his brother bubbles to the surface. Hiro, lost in grief and rage, seriously considers killing the person responsible for his brother's death, dangerously toeing the line between revenge and becoming a villain himself. This is a devastating and powerful story about grief, revenge, and ultimately learning to accept what cannot change, but choosing to be better going forward.

Tangled Is One of the Best Disney Princess Movies Ever Made

Tangled (2010) is a modern rendition of Rapunzel, the princess trapped in a tower with hair long enough to scale up to her bedroom window. On the surface, Tangled is bright, colorful, and full of blooming romance, but don't let that fool you. Tangled is an extremely dark movie when you start to dissect the relationship between Rapunzel and her mother, the villainous Mother Gothel. Mother Gothel keeps Rapunzel locked in her tower, claiming it's to protect her from the cruelty of the world, but in reality, she is stealing Rapunzel's magic to keep herself young.

Rapunzel longs to explore the outside world and experience connections with people her own age, but Mother Gothel simply won't allow it. As the plot unfolds, the audience is faced with the harsh reality of a parental figure abusing their child for personal gain. This movie deals with difficult subject matters, like the effect isolation can have on a person, and what happens when a parent only means to harm their child. Tangled is an emotionally mature film, especially for a younger audience, but it executes Rapunzel's quest for freedom and reuniting with her real family brilliantly.

Zootopia Is a Daring Allegory for Racism & Prejudice

Zootopia (2016) is a film that uses animals to tell its story rather than human characters. Zootopia takes place in the mammal metropolis of Zootopia, where all sorts of animals coexist, from predator to prey. The film follows Judy Hopps, a rabbit who longs to be a police officer. Judy faces a huge uphill battle to achieve her goals because she is a small bunny who couldn't possibly keep up with the much larger and more powerful predators that fill out most of the police station.

This movie is a very obvious allegory for racism and prejudice. It also shines a light on systemic bias that keeps specific groups of people down, like Judy Hopps struggling to prove she can be a cop, and the predators fighting to prove they aren't mindless beasts. Zootopia might condense all of these themes into an easy-to-digest package with the animal theming, but all of these things exist in real life, and society still struggles to overcome them every single day. Zootopia 2 (2025) became Disney's highest-grossing animated film of all time, so Zootopia 3 is definitely on the horizon, but the sequel didn't surpass the quality of the original.

Lilo & Stitch Can Only Be Described as a Revolutionary Disney Film

When you ask someone what their favorite Disney movie is, one of the only 21st-century movies that is likely to come up in conversation is Lilo & Stitch (2002). Stitch, also known as Experiment 626, is a tiny blue alien who crash-landed on Hawaii after escaping a sentencing hearing. Stitch is dangerous and destructive, but he's also cute and fluffy, which leads Lilo, a lonely and isolated little girl who recently lost her parents, to adopt him. Together, along with Lilo's older sister, Nani, they learn that families can take many different shapes and sizes, but no matter how broken they might be, they're still important.

"Ohana means family" is the motto of the entire movie, and Lilo & Stitch is a deeply emotional story about a little girl with no friends or parents learning to love again. At the same time, Lilo's love teaches Stitch, a genetic experiment literally created to be a monster, how to be good. This is a theme that will touch anyone's heart, no matter who they are, what their background is, or where they come from. Stitch has become such an iconic Disney character that his popularity even seems to surpass that of Mickey Mouse himself.