Disney movies to watch before they're wiped from Netflix

It could be your last chance to watch before they move to Disney+

The magical world of Disney will soon leave Netflix.

The Walt Disney Co. announced its titles will find a new home on Disney+, its stand-alone streaming service. All content that falls under Marvel, National Geographic, Pixar and, of course, Disney will be removed from Netflix come 2019.

Though Disney has been quiet about exactly when the titles will disappear, it’s obvious there’s a looming deadline for when you’ll be able to casually stream a Disney classic. No one really pops in their favorite princess movie into the VCR anymore -- so unless you subscribe to Disney+, this could be your last chance to watch some Disney favorites.

Modern Classics

In a decade, these will be the next generation’s classics.

Actor Benjamin Bratt of Coco performs the song 'Remember Me' from COCO onstage during the Walt Disney Studios animation presentation at Disney's D23 EXPO 2017 in Anaheim, Calif

Coco
A film that ranks high among Disney greats.

A recent addition to the Disney-Pixar family, Coco tugs at your heart strings. You shouldn't watch the film just because it won 101 awards -- but because it drives home the beloved Disney theme of family.

The movie takes a page out of the traditional Disney playbook and revamps it with vibrant colors and completely original multilingual music, with a cultural twist. The storyline follows aspiring musician Miguel in Mexico and his visit to the underworld as he’s trying to fight his family’s ban on music. By the end of the film you’ll be singing along to the tunes.

It's clear it’s not your average Day of the Dead story -- it’s amazing it’s even on Netflix to begin with.

Beauty and the Beast (Live-action remake)
A nostalgic favorite.

One of the highest-grossing movies in 2017, this live-action remake does not fall flat.

It’s basically the same movie we all know and love, but a little longer and Emma Watson sings. It may be hard to see her as anyone but Harry Potter’s Hermione Granger, but Watson does well painting a new picture of Belle -- talk about great casting.

All the songs are the same with a few twists, and even the creepy enchanted objects grow on you (though I’d argue cartoon Chip is cuter). Even if you prefer the animated original, this film is worth a nostalgic watch.

Forgotten but Great

The early 2000s have a lot of overlooked greats. 

Atlantis: The Lost Empire
An underappreciated and often forgotten gem.

You may sort of know the story of Atlantis, but if you need a fun refresher Disney’s rendition isn’t half bad.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire made its debut as an early 2000s adventure tale about a scholar obsessed with finding the lost undersea kingdom. The animation stems from comic book creator Mike Mignola, adding a different feel to a Disney animated film.

Except for the flying stone fish and maybe the magical crystals, much of the film is factually correct. Plato did actually name the city of Atlantis in his philosophical works, expeditions were planned to try to discover the kingdom, and Atlantis is often mentioned in literature. Creators just put it all together to make it a fascinating cartoon.

*The sequel, Atlantis: Milo’s Return isn’t all that worth the watch.

An Extremely Goofy Movie
Goofy in more ways than one.

It’s usually all about Mickey -- but the famed mouse doesn't even make a cameo in this one. 

An Extremely Goofy Movie is all about the beloved clumsy character and his son, who we don’t know much about otherwise. This family-friendly film shows Goofy’s pride in his only son Max -- who is all grown up. Max is college-bound, and is excited to spread his newly independent wings. You could imagine Max’s disappointment when Goofy goes back to school, crashing Max’s college experience-- it’s hilarious.

The movie outlines a test their father-and-son bond that hits a little too close to home. It’s nostalgic, it’s funny, and you consider making it a tradition to show it to any college-bound kid. Heads up, the movie will leave you craving some Cheese Whiz.

Classics

If you didn't get them out of the vault, you might never see them again.

Pocahontas
Remember,  you can paint with all the colors of the wind.

Pocahontas is probably the first Native American you learn about as a child -- and Disney made it your first romantic drama.

She’s presented as a princess in the movie, loosely based on Pocahontas the Native American woman settlers came across in Virginia. Disney created a completely fictional story about how Pocahontas falls in love with Englishman John Smith. Of course there’s grown-up obstacles like love, family and learning about people who don’t look like you. With the help of Grandmother Willow, her trusty animal sidekick Meeko the raccoon and support from her best friend Nakoma, Pocahontas shows her tribe that peace with the white settlers is possible.

Viewers love the musical numbers, and with another watch you’ll have “Colors of the Wind” stuck in your head for days.

*Watch “Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World” for the historically factual story behind Pocahontas. Spoiler, the Native American princess was not actually supposed to be with John Smith -- but Disney fixes it in this one.

Hercules
He’s a Disney prince, for the boys.

The classics show you how Disney looked to the history books for ideas -- and they went far back for this one. You may know the story of Hercules -- but Disney gives him more of an origin story.

They really tossed boys a bone, giving them a cool demi-god to admire instead of another princess movie. Disney uses all of its usual ingredients to take you on the journey as Hercules goes from boy to demi-god -- or as the movie puts it, from zero to hero.

Hades is a great funny villain and his minions Pain and Panic keep you laughing. Meg pulls you in if you’re watching for the love-interest, and there’s plenty of sappy moments that tug at your heartstrings. Viewers of any age can enjoy this spunky character and his sassy animal sidekick Pegasus.

But let’s be real, the muses bring great transitions-- and they’ll keep you singing along.

Mulan
A dose of female empowerment

Mulan is like the Hercules for girls -- giving you a dose of female empowerment at 6 or 26.

This is the story of a Chinese girl living in a village outside the main city who becomes one of China’s greatest heroines. She secretly joins the army to take her father’s place in the military in a time when women weren't allowed to serve. She trains with fellow recruits, goes to war, and falls in love: talk about a shining example of beauty, brains and brawn.

The most important lesson: bravery. Mulan reinforces the theme that bravery comes in many forms. She was brave enough to fight, and eventually brave enough to be herself -- even if that didn't mean wearing dresses and makeup.

They say the future is female, and Disney took a page out of that book in the '90’s.

Click here for a full list of Disney titles on Netflix.


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