Disney has a long plethora of animations with huge fans. From the Disney Princess Movies like Cinderella and Snow White to Pixar Movies like Up and The Incredibles, the Disney Movie collections touch upon various genres and topics.
But fans often forget that Disney has several television shows based on their movies and many that are original to Disney. Many of us have grown up with these Disney Cartoon Shows that often accompanied Disney classics like Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
Although Disney has been through several controversies over its content, there are several shows they got right. So let’s have a look at some of the best cartoon shows produced by Disney and see their rankings. Take a look to see if your favorite show made the cut!
21. Duck Tales
Duck Tales is an old classic in the Disney family. It was created and aired originally in the 1980s, when it ran for four seasons. The show was recently pulled up in 2017 for a revival. The story follows the adventures of Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck’s Uncle, and the nephews’ ducks, Huey, Dewey, and Louie.
As Donald decides to join the US Navy, he gets his uncle Scrooge to look after his nephews. The adventures follow Scrooge and the little ducks protecting their fortune against the Beagle Boys. The themes are mostly adventure and comedy.
20. Big City Greens
Big City Greens is one of the more recent additions to the Disney family. It was produced and aired in 2018. It has successfully run two seasons with good reception and has an ongoing third season. Season 3 began premiering on 9 October 2021 and has not ended yet.
The story follows the lives of Bill Green and his two children, Cricket and Tilly, who move to the Big City when Bill loses his farm. They have many adventures discovering bits and pieces of Big City and its residents. Although the themes here are majorly adventure and comedy, there are also several heartfelt messages throughout the show.
19. The New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh
Who hasn’t heard of Winnie the Pooh? The pleasant slice-of-life themed cartoon about Christopher Robin and his friends Winnie, Tigger, Piglet, and everyone in the woods. This version from Disney came out in 1988 and is based on A. A. Milne’s books.
They had lessons of responsibility, kindness, honesty, and friendship. The show continues to be one of the most revered classics produced by Disney and is in the heart of many people growing up watching Disney.
18. Chip N’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers
Another animation series from Disney’s golden age of television is Chip N’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers. You must have heard of Chip N’ Dale, the two cartoon anthropomorphic chipmunks. Chip N’ Dale starts a detective agency in the show, and they take animal clients. They take care of cases that are too small for the police to take care of and, in this process, get the help of their friends, Gadget Hackwrench, Monterey Jack and Zipper. With mystery, comedy, and adventure themes, this series has a lot to offer in terms of entertainment and fun.
17. Timon & Pumba
One of Disney’s best films is The Lion King, which follows the story of Simba, the Lion Cub who is exiled from his kingdom and his journey to win it back. Two of the most important characters in the story are Timon, a meerkat, and Pumba, a warthog.
Disney then introduced a spin-off based on adventures by Timon and Pumba, who became unlikely friends and had adventures with Simba and other characters from the Lion King. The series also follows their adventures across the globe and explores their story before The Lion King took place. With elements of comedy, adventure, and friendships, Timon & Pumba has long been a fan-favorite.
16. The Lion Guard
In the same theme as Disney’s hit classic film, The Lion King, we have the television series, The Lion Guard. The Lion Guard is set after the events of the Lion King but before the Lion King II: Simba’s Pride. It is a spin-off series. The story follows the adventures of Kion, the second cub of Simba and Nala.
Kion is blessed with The Roar of the Elders and is the head of the Lion Guard, which acts as a type of police force in the Pride Lads that tries to maintain order for the King. Kion leads Fuli the Cheetah, Beshte the Hippopotamus, Ono the egret, and Bunga the Honey Badger. Together they go on adventures to safeguard the Pride Lands.
15. Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales
Pixar technically produces Cars Toons. It’s a spin-off series, more like short episodes based on Pixar’s hit film, “Cars.” The main character from Cars, Lightning McQueen, usually turns up here too. It has 11 episodes that usually open with Mater stating something ridiculous that he has done.
Then it shifts into a flashback where he drags and explains where Lightning McQueen was as well. These stories are usually very ridiculous and seem as if Mater is lying, but it is strongly hinted that they are real. Although this is not technically a series, fans are very fond of these short clips that would play between the shows.
14. Big Hero 6: The Series
This is one of Disney’s newer spin-offs based on Pixar’s Big Hero 6. This series is a sequel to the movie and uses hand-drawn animation. The first season aired in 2017, and the third season wrapped up in 2021. There is going to be another spin-off titled, Baymax.
Big Hero 6: The Series follows the original six heroes, Hiro Hamada, Baymax, and their friends, Wasabi, Honey Leon, Go-Go, and Fred, as they go on high-tech adventures to protect and save the city of San Fransokyo. Hiro’s challenges in fitting in at his college are also highlighted in the show. With elements of action, adventure, comedy, and fun, the series has been a hit with Disney fans.
13. Sofia The First
Sofia the First is one of Disney’s more recent attempts. It follows the story of Sofia, who is a normal village girl until her mother catches the eye of the King of Enchancia. Sofia is suddenly swept into the world of royalty and magic. Her father, the King, gifts her an amulet that has the power to grant her powers and curse her depending on her actions.
The episodes follow her adventures as she navigates her life with her step-siblings, James and Amber, the other students at her royal school, and her animal friends. The franchise gained great popularity propagating Disney to also release a spin-off, Elena of Avalor.
12. Lilo & Stitch: The Series
Disney has a knack for creating spin-offs. Lilo & Stitch: The Series is a sequel spin-off of the Lilo-Stitch Animated Movie. The series follows the lives of Lilo & Stitch after the events of the first film. They now have the job of looking for Jumba’s other experiments that have also gone missing. Lilo & Stitch must turn them from bad to good and find them homes, families, and places to belong.
The story ran for two seasons and 65 episodes. Fans of the original movie enjoyed the series, and the finale aired in 2006. With elements of action, adventure and science-fiction, this is one of the most beloved series by Disney.
11. Mickey Mouse Shorts
Disney’s most famous character, Mickey Mouse, is finally here. Mickey Mouse shorts are a series of comic snippets featuring Mickey the Mouse with his friends, Minnie The Mouse, Donald The Duck, Daisy The Duck, Goofy, and Pluto The Dog. It has five seasons and around 96 episodes.
Disney released them between 2013 and 2017 with adventures of characters set in different cities, like Venice, Tokyo, Paris, and New York, in a slapstick comedy way that the original animation had, except with a modern look. Fans adored these snippets that often played between shows and the 20-minute-long specials with their favorite character.
10. LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales
LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales is what you get when you combine LEGO and Star Wars. Since Disney acquired Star Wars, this seemed to be an apt spin-off series for Disney to invest in. This is a mini-series with five episodes that came out in 2015.
The story happens after “Return of the Jedi,” and the main characters are C3-PO and R2-D2. As the rebels celebrate their victory, the two main leads go on a nostalgic trip about the adventures they shared in the rebellion and the activism against the Galactic Empire.
9. Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure
Another of Disney’s spin-off attempts is Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, based on the Disney Princess movie, Tangled, which was, again, based on a fairytale, Rapunzel. The series is set to happen six months after the movie’s conclusion, with Rapunzel adjusting to the life of a princess in the kingdom of Corona.
However, the adventures begin when Rapunzel and her handmaiden Cassandra accidentally discover rocks that restore the magic in Rapunzel’s hair. This is the start of adventures that went on for three seasons, with the third season concluding in March 2020. Fans especially loved the series because they got to see their favorite Disney Princess in action again!
8. Fish Hooks
Fish Hooks is an unforgettable show for kids who grew up with Disney in the 2010s. The story follows three fishes, Milo, Oscar, and Bea Goldfishberg, who attend Freshwater High in an aquarium. The show depicts the lives of these fishes as teenagers having everyday problems with respect to romance and friendships. The show ran for three seasons and 110 episodes that came to an end in 2014. Fans loved the series’s comedy and drama and especially the character Bea.
7. American Dragon: Jake Long
A great fan-favorite with slick storytelling and endearing characters is American Dragon: Jake Long. The series follows the story of an Asian-American boy, Jake Long, who has a secret. He is the American Dragon.
His family on his mother’s side is a lineage of dragons who are honor bound to safely protect the magical creature community. The series depicts Jake Long adjusting to his school life, training to become a proper dragon, and taking on missions for the magical creatures while fighting against Dragon Slayers.
6. Star vs. Forces Of Evil
Star vs. Forces of Evil is the first show in Disney XD and the third in Disney to be created by a woman, Daron Nefcy. The series ran for four seasons, first with an eleven-minute format that became 30 minutes long. The series follows the adventures of Star Butterfly, a magical princess from a different dimension who is sent to earth to curb her reckless behavior.
She becomes roommates with Marco Diaz and tries to lead a somewhat normal life at Echo Creek. However, both of them have adventures together trying to protect Star’s magic wand from a monster Ludo across dimensions. The series debut was the most anticipated debut on Disney XD and has become a huge favorite over the years.
5. The Little Mermaid TV Series
One of Disney’s most famous spin-off series is The Little Mermaid TV Show based on the Disney princess movie, The Little Mermaid. The series premiered in the 1990s for three seasons and 31 episodes ending the run in 1994. This spin-off series is set before the events of the 1989 film, acting as a prequel.
Ariel, the mermaid, is still a mermaid, and she has several adventures with Flounder and Sebastian in the ocean. The series explores her relationships and highlights her friendships in the ocean. The episodes usually focus on Ariel defeating and protecting her kingdom from people who seek to cause harm. Fans also love this series because of its disability representation.
4. Kim Possible
Kim Possible is one of Disney’s most popular series ever. The series originally ran for four seasons and 87 episodes, wrapping up in 2007. The series also became one of Disney’s top-rated series with critical acclaim. The plot is about Kim Possible, her best friend Ron Stoppable, his pet naked mole rat Rufus, and Wade, their computer genius friend.
Together they are Team Possible. They come together to fight crime on an everyday basis while balancing their lives as normal high school students at Middleton High School. Kim and Ron mostly travel across the world to save citizens in danger and fight villains. Drakken and his assistant Shego are the most common supervillain who aim to take over the planet.
3. Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil
Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil is another of the shows that you would be familiar with if you grew up with Disney in your childhood. The series premiered in 2010 and was canceled after the second season. It had 52 episodes in total of 11-minute segments.
The series followed the life of Clarence Francis “Kick” Buttowski, who aims to become the world’s greatest suburban daredevil. He almost always wears his signature daredevil outfit with a white jumpsuit, red stripes, and a helmet.
He is often accompanied by his loyal best friend, Gunther. The episodes usually focus on Kick attempting to do stunts, some of which backfire in his quest to become a stunt master and his interactions with his family members and the various other characters in the show.
2. Gravity Falls
One of Disney’s best works in the television cartoons segment is Gravity Falls, which received great acclaim for the characters, settings, and plot. The show aired from 2012 to 2016, running for two seasons and forty episodes. The series follows twins Dipper and Mabel Pines, who are sent to live in a sleepy, quiet town in Oregon called Gravity Falls.
However, things are from being sleepy and quiet in this town. Strange paranormal events start happening around the twins, and Dipper comes across a journal that has documented mysterious events across this town. The series follows the twins’ lives as they navigate through these paranormal events and try to have a normal summer vacation.
1. Phineas & Ferb
Disney’s best production is none other than Phineas & Ferb. The series follows the summer adventures of two step-brothers, Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, who invent super fun, crazy stuff in their backyard while away during their summer break.
Their big sister Candace is always on the quest to bust them to their mom Linda. On the other half of the plot, Phineas & Ferb’s pet platypus, Perry, is a secret agent.
Perry goes on adventures to foil the attempts of Dr. Doofenschmirtz, who wants to take over the Tri-State Area. With these two amazingly engaging plots going on in an episodic format, the show drew great acclaim for its writing, characters, and creativity.
Not to mention, the series has one of the most diverse ranges of soundtracks ever seen. Almost every episode has a song of its own. The show ran for four seasons and 129 episodes.
These are the 21 Best Disney Cartoons ranked in order. You can catch most of these shows on Disney+, where they are available for streaming. Disney is a treasure house for producing top-notch animations bound to touch hearts and many childhoods. Did your favorite Disney cartoon make it on our list? If not, let us know in the comments below.
