Decades of Disney Animation
Disney has been such a constant for almost ninety years now, that it’s hard to imagine a time before the magical company! Creating landmarks in animation history like Steamboat Willie, the first animation synchronized to sound, Walt Disney and his company were always pushing the envelope in the entertainment industry.
Disney classic movies have been stealing our hearts since 1937! From creating the first full-length animated feature film with color and sound in the Golden Age to creating the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated film (to this day) in the Disney Renaissance, Disney Animation’s films are memorable and truly one of a kind.
In honor of the recent release of Disney’s Christopher Robin, cabletv.com has once again discovered our top favorite Disney movies by state! (If you’d like to find out the top Pixar movie in your state, check out this post!) So how does cabletv.com put together these results?
First, their analyst team assembled a list of the twenty-five most popular Disney classic films. The selected movies span from the end of the Disney Renaissance in 1999 to the very beginning of it all in 1937! Some of the aspects used to narrow down the search to twenty-five were movie title familiarity, popularity, and cultural reference within the Disney theme parks. Once the top twenty-five films were selected, cabletv.com researched Google Trends data to discover which of the films the US states showed the most interest in over the past five years.
So which movies made the top twenty-five? Here’s a breakdown of the top Disney animations by era!
The Golden Age — (1937-1942)
Top Golden Age Films
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Pinocchio (1940)
Fantasia (1940)
Dumbo (1941)
Bambi (1942)
The Golden Age of Disney began with the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This era has such a prominent name because it served such an important purpose for Disney Animation. The Golden Age was where movie trends were created in terms of Disney filmmaking. For example, Snow White was the start of the iconic “Disney Princesses” that would create the tradition of fairytale-based Disney movies for decades to come. Pinocchio, a previously established piece of well-known literature, was the first of many to be recreated by Disney as a child-friendly film. Lastly, Bambi was an innovative film concept that allowed us to experience a movie through a non-human character for the first time. During the Golden Age, other Disney film staples such as comedic sidekicks, exaggerated villains, and use of music were all introduced initially during this era.
The Wartime Era — (1943-1949)
Also known as the Package Era, the Wartime Era took place as the United States entered into World War II. During this time, Disney Studios experienced lower film budgets and had less animators. What sets this era’s films apart from those of the Golden Age is that instead of their films having one continuous story, these films had multiple short stories within. These films were very unpopular and basically ignored. During this time Disney was also creating wartime propaganda, such as anti-Nazi commercials and flyers encouraging Americans to support the war!
*None of the top twenty-five Disney classics came from this era!*
The Silver Age — (1950-1967)
Top Silver Age Films
Cinderella (1950)
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Peter Pan (1953)
Lady and the Tramp (1958)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
101 Dalmatians (1961)
The Jungle Book (1967)
This era was also known as the Restoration Age. The Silver Age is where Disney’s films started to see the return of many trends previously seen in the Golden Age of Disney. It was known for more elaborate backgrounds and faint colors. This era was also known for lighter movie themes that balanced with more complicated characters. The last film that Walt Disney worked on before his death in 1966 was The Jungle Book. This movie’s release marked the end of the Silver Age.
The Bronze Age — (1970-1988)
Top Bronze Age Films
The Aristocats (1970)
Robin Hood (1973)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Also known as the Dark Age of Disney, the Bronze Era was a tough one for the company. With Walt’s recent passing, Disney struggled to find their footing without his guidance. There was a lot of trial and error for Disney’s animators. Films unfortunately lacked Walt’s imagination and they were criticized for being created only to bring in money. Although this era’s films were not initial successes, many have gone on to become cult classics in future years.
The Disney Renaissance — (1989-1999)
Top Disney Renaissance Films
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Aladdin (1992)
The Lion King (1994)
Pocahontas (1995)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Hercules (1997)
Mulan (1998)
Tarzan (1999)
The Disney Renaissance brought forth the best qualities of all the Disney eras before it. This era saw the return of the musical fairytale-like storytelling from the Golden and Silver Ages, while also expanding on themes and techniques from films of the Bronze Age. These were also the first films that Howard Ashman and Alan Menken worked on, and these men are key elements in Disney’s musical success. In addition to phenomenal music, the Disney Renaissance featured films with important themes that would influence the views of the generation they were created for, the millennials. Films like Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame taught us not to judge a person based on how they look, and Aladdin taught us to be ourselves and that where we come from doesn’t determine our future.
Looking for even more on the Eras of Disney Animation? Check out this post from The Odyssey! It’s got a great breakdown of each era including all films created during each period.
Which Disney Film is #1 in Your State?
Seeing each state’s favorite Disney animated classic revealed on a map is pretty cool, amiright? This data shows a lot which only makes me want to dig a little deeper into these results! So what are some of the takeaways from this research?
First of all, it’s clear that we love animals! With 38 US states favoring a movie featuring an animal protagonist, I think it’s safe to say we have a soft spot for them. I found this fact to be interesting because in a world where the words “Disney” and “Princess” are associated so closely, Disney’s animals still seem to touch our hearts more!
Which movie is the country’s favorite? The Lion King. 17 states showed the most interest in this film, so it’s America’s favorite classic, hands down! As a 90’s kid and a Disney history buff, the result does not surprise me. The Lion King broke several records during its time in the box office and still holds the title of highest-grossing traditionally animated film!
71% of households in the state of Vermont own a pet, which makes it’s favorite film, 101 Dalmations, such a fitting choice! The ironic thing? Vermont tends to prefer cats to dogs, with more cat-owning households than dog-owning households statewide!
Alaska is considered the most wilderness state, with over 52% of the country’s wilderness acreage, it’s no wonder that Bambi is this state’s favorite film!
One state seems to be more indecisive than the rest. Utah has a tie for its favorite classic Disney animation — a fourteen-way tie! In my previous post about Pixar favorites, this state also had a tie, so I found this result extremely entertaining. Of all the 50 states, Utah was the only state with a tie for top Disney classic!
As we make our way towards Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday in November, it’s amazing to look back on Disney Animation’s humble beginnings. Each era (some more successful than others) brought their own element to this Disney film history, and I think it speaks volumes that at least one film from each era is represented as a favorite among the 50 US states!