Growing up, all the classic Disney movies came out in theaters: Bambi, Cinderella, Aladdin, Lion King, etc. Disney would then make sequels, but instead of releasing them in theaters, they went directly to VHS. When I was little, I loved watching the popular story and the less-mainstream sequels. Disney’s sequels to all my favorite movies were my introduction to the idea of a sequel–the idea that after the original story ended, sometimes the story did keep going.
Since we’re all trying to find something to do while in quarantine, I compiled a list of my favorite Disney sequels available on Disney+ that came out when I was a kid.
Disclaimer: I was born in 1997, so I cut off the sequels after 2006, because Disney has a ton of movies and a lot more sequels than I previously thought. Also, I’ve never liked Toy Story (sorry, not sorry) and none of them appear in this list.
I’d love to hear what your favorites are. Are there any that didn’t make my list?
There are so many sequels, and they all build off their originals in such fun ways. So go stream,eat junk food, and revisit your childhood! Have a wonderful Disney-filled day!
Ranking: Best to Worst
- Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride (1998) – Lion King was Hamlet; the sequel is Romeo and Juliett.
- Leroy and Stitch (2006) – Did anyone else obsessively play the Leroy sandwich stacking game on the Disney channel website after school or was that just me?
- Aladdin: Return of Jafar (1994) – Jafar is back and ready for revenge.
- Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996) – Aladdin and Jasmine are getting married! And Aladdin’s long -lost dad is here!
- Lion King 1 ½ (2004) – Lion King from Timon and Pumba’s perspective.
- Cinderella 2: Dreams come True (2002) – Maybe Cinderella’s step sister isn’t as evil as we thought?
- Mulan II (2005) – Mulan and Shang act as bodyguards for the Emperor’s daughter’s and Mulan teaches little girls how to fight.
- 101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure (2003) – So. many. puppies. That is all.
- Peter Pan: Return to Neverland (2002) – Wendy’s daughter goes to Neverland.
- Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997) – The superior Beauty and the Beast story.
- Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure (2001) – Will Scamp choose his mom’s or his dad’s old life?
- Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007) – The Evil Stepmother erases Cinderella’s meet cute with the Prince!
- Tarzan 2 (2005) – The prequel/ sequel that shows little Tarzan’s adventures!
- Kronk’s New Groove (2005) – Kronk has a get- rich -quick scheme.
- Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World (1998) – Pocahontas arrives in England. Will she choose to stay?
- Stitch: The Movie (2005) – Inspiring the series, Stitch is trying to find his “cousin” experiments before Gantu does!
- The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006) – Will a career opportunity hurt a life-long friendship?
- Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch (2005) – Stitch’s goodness is out of whack and he’s wrecking havoc!
- Bambi II (2006) Bambi reunites with his dad.
- The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000) – Ariel and Eric’s daughter Melody is a human who wants to be a mermaid.
Honorable Mentions (I haven’t watched these yet!)
Brother Bear 2 (2006)
Jungle Book 2 (2003)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2 (2002)
Tarzan and Jane (2002)
Hercules 2: Zero to Hero (1999)