What to watch on Disney Plus: 40 top titles to stream

Disney’s dedicated streamer Disney Plus is absolutely brimming with stuff to watch. There are Disney classics, new originals, and plenty more, including titles from Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, National Geographic, ABC, 20th Century Studios, and other Disney holdings. This what to watch on Disney Plus guide takes the work out of it for you, highlighting the best shows and movies across a number of genres.

Read more: Everything you need to know about Disney Plus

So, read on for our complete guide of what to watch on Disney Plus, including Disney Plus originals and licensed titles. And if you’re not already a subscriber, hit the link below to sign up.

• Original release: 1989 – present
• Episode runtime: 23 minutes
• Genre: Comedy, animated
• Director/Creator: Matt Groening
• Main cast: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer

Whether or not you want to watch the full run of this iconic animated series is up for fierce debate. Wherever you stand on when or if The Simpsons jumped the shark, you can watch any and all of it on Disney Plus. Follow the lives of the titular middle-class American family and their larger-than-life community in the town of Springfield.

• Original release: 2021 – present
• Episode runtime: 22 minutes
• Genre: Sitcom, coming-of-age
• Director/Creator: Saladin K. Patterson
• Main cast: Elisha “EJ” Williams, Dulé Hill, Saycon Sengbloh, Laura Kariuki, Don Cheadle

A reboot of the classic 80s and 90s sitcom of the same name, The Wonder Years tells the story of the Williams family through 12-year-old Dean Williams, who’s coming of age in 1960s Alabama. Like the original show, the new version of The Wonder Years features voice-over narration from a grown-up Dean, telling his story from the present day and voiced by Don Cheadle. Unlike the original show, this reboot features a Black family and addresses issues of race in America during the Civil Rights movement, amid the more mundane parts of growing up.

• Release year: 2022
• Runtime: 100 minutes
• Genre: Family, comedy
• Director: Domee Shi
• Main cast: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park

Turning Red is the latest Pixar film and one of the animation studio’s finest. If you’re wondering what to watch on Disney Plus, this should be one of your first stops. Thirteen-year-old Mei Lee struggles with embracing the freedom of her youth with her sense of responsibility to her mother. That becomes even more complicated when she suddenly finds herself turning into a giant red panda when she gets too excited.

• Release year: 2009
• Runtime: 88 minutes
• Genre: Comedy, stop-motion animation
• Director: Wes Anderson
• Main cast: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray

Mr. Fox leads a quiet life with his family until, one day, he reverts to his old, lawless ways and raids his human neighbors’ farms. This sets off a chain of reactions, endangering his family and  community as he plans to outsmart the humans and get his old life back. Wes Anderson directs this stop-motion classic, adapted from the story by Roald Dahl. It’s a great choice if you’re stumped for what to watch on Disney Plus.

Looking for more comedies?

Action

K.C. Undercover (TV show)

• Original release: 2015 – 2017
• Episode runtime: 27 minutes
• Genre: Spy, comedy, kids
• Director/Creator: Corinne Marshall
• Main cast: Zendaya, Veronica Dunne, Kamil McFadden, Trinitee Stokes

Spider-Man, Dune, and Euphoria star Zendaya was a Disney Channel staple in her early career, and you can watch one of her standout shows on Disney Plus. In K.C. Undercover, she plays K.C. Cooper, a high schooler recruited as a secret agent, joining her family of super spies on missions, with her trusty gadgets in hand.

• Original release: 2021
• Episode runtime: 49 minutes
• Genre: Action, superhero
• Director/Creator: Jonathan Igla
• Main cast: Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Alaqua Cox

One of the better MCU shows on the platform, the miniseries Hawkeye is a great choice for superhero fans wondering what to watch on Disney Plus. Following Clint Barton as he faces his past crimes in New York over the holidays, Hawkeye sees the titular marksman teaming up with a young protégé who’s not bad with a bow herself. With surprise guest stars, new characters, and a fun, street-level adventure, Hawkeye is a winner.

• Release year: 1991
• Runtime: 108 minutes
• Genre: Action, sci-fi, superhero
• Director: Joe Johnston
• Main cast: Bill Campbell, Alan Arkin, Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton

A clear blueprint for the likes of Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger, The Rocketeer (directed by Captain America helmer Joe Johnston) is an essential entry in superhero cinema. When a stunt pilot gets his hands on a jetpack prototype, he’s suddenly up against the Nazis as he tries to keep the new tech with the good guys as the Rocketeer.

• Release year: 2017
• Runtime: 132 minutes
• Genre: Action, superhero, comedy
• Director: Taika Waititi
• Main cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Mark Ruffalo

Easily one of the top three MCU movies, Thor: Ragnarok could fit into our comedy and fantasy sections too. It’s a genre-defying gem. Director Taika Waititi brings his signature humor to the god of thunder as he faces off against his sister’s attempts to take over Asgard. But first, he has to escape the planet Sakaar, where he’s a prisoner forced to fight as a gladiator.

Looking for more action?

Drama

Runaways (TV series)

• Original release: 2017 – 2018
• Episode runtime: 54 minutes
• Genre: Superhero
• Director/Creator: Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage
• Main cast: Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin, Allegra Acosta

What would you do if you found out your parents were supervillains? That’s the driving force behind Runaways, a Hulu series from Marvel about a group of teens who team up to take on their folks. They have to learn to work together, pick up skills and master abilities passed down by family, and unlearn everything they thought they could trust.

Once Upon a Time (TV series)

• Original release: 2011 – 2017
• Episode runtime: 44 minutes
• Genre: Fantasy, drama
• Director/Creator: Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz
• Main cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas, Jared S. Gilmore

A private investigator travels to the town of Storybrooke when she’s contacted by her son, who she gave up for adoption as a baby. Once there, she realizes the town is populated by storybook characters trapped there by an evil queen, and she may be the only one who can help them.

• Release year: 1999
• Runtime: 111 minutes
• Genre: Drama
• Director: David Lynch
• Main cast: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Harry Dean Stanton

A departure from some of the dark and more bizarre works he’s known for, The Straight Story is one of David Lynch’s best, about an elderly man travelling to see his estranged brother who has suffered a stroke. He gets there slowly, over six weeks, using a riding lawnmower to get to him after losing his driver’s license tdue to poor eyesight.

• Release year: 1994
• Runtime: 88 minutes
• Genre: Family, animation
• Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
• Main cast: Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Ernie Sabella, Nathan Lane, Robert Guillaume, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg

A Disney classic loosely based on William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Lion King is a powerful family drama about a son accepting his duty. When his father is killed by his evil uncle Scar who wishes to rule over the animal kingdom, Simba grows up in exile. With the help of new friends and someone from his past, Simba will have to face his demons to reclaim the throne.

Looking for more dramas?

Fantasy

Loki (TV series)

• Original release: 2021
• Episode runtime: 51 minutes
• Genre: Science-fiction, superheroes
• Director/Creator: Michael Waldron
• Main cast: Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku

Marvel’s Loki offers up some mind-bending fun, taking the trickster God into the Multiverse. Arrested for losing his place in the grand scheme of the Multiverse, Loki is recruited to help catch a variant version of himself who is wreaking havoc across timelines.

• Original release: 1994 – 1996
• Episode runtime: 23 minutes
• Genre: Fantasy
• Director/Creator: Greg Weisman
• Main cast: Keith David, Salli Richardson, Jeff Bennett, Bill Fagerbakke

A classic Saturday morning cartoon, Gargoyles follows a group of Medieval gargoyles who come to life at night in Manhattan but return to their stone form in the day. They become protectors of the city, secretly patrolling and stopping various threats.

• Release year: 1989
• Runtime: 87 minutes
• Genre: Animation, family
• Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
• Main cast: Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Kenneth Mars, Samuel E. Wright

A Disney classic and one of the best things to watch on Disney Plus, The Little Mermaid is the story of Ariel, a mermaid who dreams of having legs so she can walk on land. When an evil witch grants her wish in exchange for her beautiful voice, she gets to live on land where she falls in love with a prince. But soon, she realizes the true cost of the deal she made.

• Release year: 1995
• Runtime: 84 minutes
• Genre: Animation, family
• Director: John Lasseter
• Main cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts

Pixar’s first feature film remains a great movie and a classic of digital animation. When Andy’s not around, his toys come to life and have a whole existence all their own. But when a new toy disrupts the social order, they all need to find a way to set aside their differences.

Looking for more fantasy?

Horror

Just Beyond (TV series)

• Original release: 2021
• Episode runtime: 30 minutes
• Genre: Horror, comedy
• Director/Creator: Seth Grahame-Smith
• Main cast: Mckenna Grace, Nasim Pedrad, Gabriel Bateman, Tim Heidecker

Inspired by kids’ horror icon R.L. Stine, Just Beyond is an anthology series. Each of the eight episodes introduces young viewers to a new cast of characters who have to contend with different otherworldly challenges involving witches, ghosts, parallel universes, and more.

• Original release: 2021 – present
• Episode runtime: 27 minutes
• Genre: Mystery, horror
• Director/Creator: Tracey Thomson
• Main cast: Preston Oliver, Kyliegh Curran, Elle Graham, Madeleine McGraw

When Griffin moves to the town of Sulpher Springs, he starts to investigate rumors of a dead girl haunting his new home. The deeper he gets into the mystery, the more he learns about the town’s secrets, including some that involve his own father.

• Release year: 1993
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• Genre: Fantasy, horror, comedy
• Director: Kenny Ortega
• Main cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw

A perfect pick for a Halloween movie night, cult classic Hocus Pocus is a fun time all year too. When some kids accidentally revive a trio of 300-year-old witches, they have to find a way to defeat them before they take over their town. If you’re not sure what to watch on Disney Plus and are in the mood for some nostalgic fun, you can’t go wrong with Hocus Pocus.

• Release year: 1990
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Genre: Fantasy, horror
• Director: Tim Burton
• Main cast: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest

Tim Burton’s classic draws on German Expressionism and the Frankenstein myth to tell a touching story. Edward was created by a mad inventor who died before he could give the boy proper hands. Now taken in by a kindhearted family, he’s the talk of the town due to his bizarre scissor hands. Of course, celebrity and public adoration can turn on a dime. Check out this story of alienation and intolerance if you haven’t already.

Looking for more horror?

Mystery

WandaVision (TV series)

• Original release: 2021
• Episode runtime: 30 minutes
• Genre: Science-fiction
• Director/Creator: Jac Schaeffer
• Main cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Kat Dennings

Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision was the first MCU series to launch on Disney Plus, and it’s one of the best. Wanda and Vision live an idyllic suburban life in this series, which borrows iconography from familiar sitcoms. But something is wrong. Vision died, and Wanda is living a lie in a fake town where no one can leave. Can she be saved, or is she the one causing this?

• Original release: 2021 – present
• Episode runtime: 52 minutes
• Genre: Family, mystery, adventure
• Director/Creator: Matt Manfredi, Phil Hay
• Main cast: Tony Hale, Kristen Schaal, MaameYaa Boafo, Ryan Hurst

Four gifted orphans are recruited by the mysterious Mr. Benedict, who sends them on a mission to save the world from an unknown global threat known as The Emergency, in this terrific family adventure mystery series.

• Release year: 1986
• Runtime: 75 minutes
• Genre: Mystery, family, animation
• Director: John Musker, Ron Clements, Dave Michener, Burny Mattinson
• Main cast: Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin

A clever play on Sherlock Holmes, Disney’s classic The Great Mouse Detective sees a young mouse employing the famous Basil of Baker Street to search for her missing father in 1897 London. 

• Release year: 2021
• Runtime: 112 minutes
• Genre: Fantasy, animation, musical
• Director: Jared Bush, Byron Howard
• Main cast: Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Jessica Darrow

Academy Award winner Encanto is an absolutely enchanting film, with catchy songs and a moving story of family and duty. Mirabel is the only “ordinary” member of her magical family, the Madrigals, in the Colombian mountains. One day, when she notices her family home is losing its magic and beginning to crumble, she has to uncover the family secrets that have led to this.

Looking for more mysteries?

Romance

Boy Meets World (TV series)

• Original release: 1993 – 1999
• Episode runtime: 22 minutes
• Genre: Teen sitcom
• Director/Creator: Michael Jacobs, April Kelly
• Main cast: Ben Savage, Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, Rider Strong, William Daniels

While 90s classic teen sitcom Boy Meets World wasn’t strictly a romantic show, it eventually centered heavily on the relationship between Cory and Topanga, who eventually had a daughter together, the star of the more recent Girl Meets World. Outside of romance, the show dealt with the regular trials and tribulations of being a teen and was a major hit on ABC.

• Original release: 2021
• Episode runtime: 90 minutes
• Genre: Romance, melodrama
• Director/Creator: Jo Hyun-tak
• Main cast: Jung Hae-in, Jisoo, Yoo In-na, Jang Seung-jo, Yoon Se-ah, Kim Hye-yoon, Jung Yoo-jin

Set in 1987 Seoul, this South Korean original series offers a love story set against an emerging democratic movement in Korea. Lim Soo-ho is a graduate student. Eun Yeong-ro, a fellow student, finds him covered in blood and offers him refuge in her dorm room. The two develop a romance as he hides from government officials.

• Release year: 2021
• Runtime: 158 minutes
• Genre: Musical
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Main cast: Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno

Steven Spielberg reimagines a Broadway and screen classic in 2021’s West Side Story. This Academy Award-winning take on the stage musical offers a timeless update on the story of Romeo and Juliette, reset in New York amid a turf war between Polish and Puerto Rican gangs in the 1950s.

• Release year: 1999
• Runtime: 98 minutes
• Genre: Teen, romantic comedy
• Director: Gil Junger
• Main cast: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik

Based on William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You is a 90s teen classic. Cameron desperately wants to take Bianca to prom. But there’s a problem. Bianca’s stern dad won’t let her date unless her reclusive older sister Kat does. Undeterred, Cameron hatches a plan to find Kat a date of her own. This film is a perfect choice for fans of teen romcom looking for what to watch on Disney Plus.

Looking for more romance?

Thriller

Daredevil (TV series)

• Original release: 2015 – 2018
• Episode runtime: 53 minutes
• Genre: Superhero, noir, thriller
• Director/Creator: Drew Goddard
• Main cast: Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Vincent D’Onofrio

Originally part of a slate of Netflix original series produced by Marvel as part of the MCU, Daredevil has now found its home at Disney Plus. This gripping superhero thriller follows Matt Murdock, blind public defender by day and guardian of Hell’s Kitchen by night. Matt lost his sight as a child, but in doing so, he unlocked new abilities through heightened senses. He uses those to fight crime and defend those who fall between the cracks of the justice system as the masked vigilante Daredevil.

• Original release: 2021
• Episode runtime: 44 minutes
• Genre: Nature documentary
• Director/Creator: Sally Aitken

Sharks have long been misunderstood, vilified, and feared thanks in part to Hollywood depictions of them as soulless killers ready to devour unsuspecting swimmers. While that’s not at all the case, sharks are still highly efficient predators, and understanding how they hunt can be truly eye-opening. This National Geographic series offers a more informed view of how and why sharks attack.

• Release year: 2016
• Runtime: 119 minutes
• Genre: Survival, historical drama
• Director: Craig Gillespie
• Main cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger

Based on the remarkable true story, The Finest Hours tells of U.S. Coast Guards braving the elements during a massive storm to help 30 stranded sailors. This survival thriller is a celebration of ingenuity and bravery in the face of near-impossible odds.

• Release year: 2018
• Runtime: 100 minutes
• Genre: Documentary
• Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin

Another documentary that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Free Solo follows climber Alex Honold as he prepares to climb the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park completely free solo — that means alone and without a rope. Married directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin took home an Oscar for this stunning National Geographic doc, and it’s a great choice for anyone wondering what to watch on Disney Plus.

Looking for more thrillers?

Western

The Mandalorian (TV series)

• Original release: 20-19 – present
• Episode runtime: 39 minutes
• Genre: Science-fiction
• Director/Creator: Jon Favreau
• Main cast: Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Gina Carano, Giancarlo Esposito

Star Wars has been called a space western since its arrival in 1977, and the whole franchise has played up its debt to the genre. Nowhere is that more true than in The Mandalorian, which premiered the day Disney Plus launched in 2019. The series follows a masked bounty hunter as he goes against a contract to protect a young target from those who wish him harm. While it draws most obviously on samurai classic Lone Wolf and Cub, The Mandalorian is also riffing on Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name and other western icons. Star Wars fans should certainly start here if wondering what to watch on Disney Plus.

• Original release: 2015
• Episode runtime: 44 minutes
• Genre: Nature documentary
• Director/Creator: Joe Kennedy, Andy Mitchell

Not to be confused with Paramount’s western family saga Yellowstone, Wild Yellowstone is a documentary miniseries from National Geographic. It’s not a western in any traditional sense, but it captures something of the western spirit, offering a glimpse at the animals living in the massive, wild paradise of Yellowstone National Park.

• Release year: 1977
• Runtime: 124 minutes
• Genre: Science-fiction
• Director: George Lucas
• Main cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness

A classic space opera that draws on the American western (and Japanese samurai cinema) in major ways. Follow Luke Skywalker as he learns of his lineage and takes on the evil Empire with his new friends and newfound abilities using the Force, a mystical power passed down by his father. You can watch every Star Wars film on Disney Plus while you’re at it (The Empire Strikes Back and The Last Jedi are particularly good sequels).

• Release year: 1993
• Runtime: 108 minutes
• Genre: Drama, coming-of-age, historical fiction
• Director: Stephen Sommers
• Main cast: Elijah Wood, Courtney B. Vance, Robbie Coltrane, Jason Robards

Another borderline case, The Adventures of Huck Finn, based on the beloved Mark Twain satirical novel, isn’t a traditional western, but it does tackle themes of American mythmaking. Mischievous Huckleberry Finn runs away from home, heading down the Mississippi River with an escaped slave, learning hard lessons about right and wrong along the way.

Looking for more westerns?

Family and kids

Bluey (TV series)

• Original release: 2018 – 2020
• Episode runtime: 8 minutes
• Genre: Kids, animation
• Director/Creator: Joe Brumm
• Main cast: David McCormack, Melanie Zanetti

Infectiously sweet and thoughtful, Bluey is one of the best shows for kids to come along in a long time. Produced in Australia, the show features a family of dogs, with daughters Bluey and Bingo playing imaginative games with their loving parents, who encourage their kids’ creative spirits while imparting important life lessons. If you have young ones in your life and aren’t sure what to watch on Disney Plus, Bluey is essential viewing.

• Original release: 1994 – 1997
• Episode runtime: 20 minutes
• Genre: Animated, superhero
• Director/Creator: John Semper
• Main cast: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Ed Asner, Saratoga Ballantine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Linda Gary

While you can’t watch any of the live-action Spider-Man movies or the feature-length Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on Disney Plus, there are plenty of animated series to choose from featuring the webslinger on the platform. For our money, the series that ran from 1994-1997 is a real treat and part of a defining era in Peter Parker’s legacy, and it’s a great throwback to share with your kids.

• Release year: 2013
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Genre: Fantasy, animated
• Director: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
• Main cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad

Frozen is an incredibly successful kids’ movie. Nearly a decade on, it’s still a hot commodity, with toys and other merchandise on almost every toy store shelf. Princess Anna’s mysterious powers have trapped her kingdom in ice and snow. Now, her sister Elsa must work with a mountain man and a snowman to save Anna and their home.

• Release year: 2002
• Runtime: 87 minutes
• Genre: Kids, sci-fi
• Director: Christopher Sanders, Dead DeBlois
• Main cast: Chris Sanders, Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, Ving Rhames

One of Disney’s last animated feature films before the switch to digital animation, Lilo & Stich is a beautiful story about family and friendship set in Hawaii. A genetically-engineered alien monster seeks refuge on Earth with a young girl. Lilo lives alone with her big sister and is at risk of being taken away to be raised by a foster family. With the arrival of Stitch, who she at first believes is an ugly dog, she learns to look after another being and develops responsibility and an appreciation for the bonds of family.

Looking for more family content?

Hopefully you’ll find something among these 40 titles to keep you occupied and getting the most out of your streaming subscription. There’s plenty to watch on Disney Plus, after all, but it can be helpful to get a bit of direction sometimes.