All 52 Walt Disney Animated Classics: Ranked From Worst To Best

15. Dumbo (1941)

How many moms mark Dumbo as their favorite Disney movie? This is the ultimate tale of a mother's love and how we as children must face the inevitable adversity in life of growing and getting use to who we are. It is a touching story that is made even better by the caliber of talent and effort that went into the very early classics that Dumbo is a part of.

When you really think about how many films in history from 1941 are still a household name, the popularity of Dumbo in 2013 says a lot about of what makes a movie defined as a classic. It is not about box-office profit or how many gimmicks you can cram into a single film that makes it lasts through the decades. It is story and Dumbo shows the power of story like none other.

14. Bambi (1942)

What is there to say to explain what makes Bambi the iconic movie that it is. Like I mentioned in the entry for Dumbo, have you ever questioned what it is that makes a movie simply about a deer has just as much impact 70 years later as it was upon first release? It might be that Bambi is a mixture of so many different kinds of tales: coming of age, love, and pain. It may have lost money at the box-office due to World War II but it is still crowned as an achievement in filmmaking and animation.

Over the course of my research on Bambi, I found that Time magazine actually classified the film as one of the top 25 horror films of all-time. And when you really consider the film's elements, it starts to make since. The climatic wildfire, 'man' as the villain, and the ways of nature is portrayed in a light where the honest essence of the world is displayed in a cold and dark truth.

13. Winnie the Pooh (2011)

What is the dumbest thing a movie studio could ever do, thus ensuring the financial flop of a film? Opening said film against the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. Wh, Disney? Well, they do have a history of bad release dates, which is a shame because the 2011 Winnie the Pooh brings back every strain of emotional and story DNA that made The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh such an awesome tale.

This film about the honey loving bear did not lag behind in the decade of the original film's release but kept the writing, talent, and production fresh and upgraded so that every age today can watch and enjoy. I never thought that I would actually laugh-out-loud at the antics of Pooh and his friends of the Hundred Acre Woods, but I did. And when it came to nostalgia, this film was packing every single moment with as much as possible. And cue the waterworks.

12. Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Very few fairy tales are as widely told as that of Sleeping Beauty. And as with most fairy tale adaptations, Disney has the greatest known version of Aurora and Maleficent. The animation is striking and the story of fantasy is about as magical Disney can get. The climactic battle between Prince Phillip and the dragon Maleficent is as visually epic and action-packed as any live-action film made today, if not better.

This is one those films that when you think Disney, Sleeping Beauty is one of the first movies that springs to mind. Sleeping Beauty has the weird distinction of being more successful in its re-releases rather than its initial release. But no matter when it became a hit, Sleeping Beauty is one of Disney's greatest pieces of art ever.

11. Alice in Wonderland (1951)

There is something about the twisted, crazy world of Lewis Carroll's eccentric books that appeals so much to literary and film fans the world over. There are so many versions of Alice falling down the rabbit hole that it is easy to lose count. But as with many Disney versions of great literary classics, Disney either stands out or defines how future adaptations are portrayed.

Alice in Wonderland is a Disney classic if there ever was one: this version indulges every sense of the word 'imagination' and creates a colorful and rich world that has such a strong fan base today. The Cheshire Cat's grin and Queen of Hearts' demands of rolling heads are lasting tidbits that make this film so memorable.