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6 best movies on Disney+ for animal lovers

Jennifer Passmore
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Oh, the wonderful world of Disney! Walt Disney left behind a beautiful legacy, entertaining families for years in a variety of ways. It’s no wonder that Disney has grown so much as a company. However, on November 12, 2019, Disney made a huge move and they launched Disney+, which is a streaming service for all things Disney! There are incredible movies, shorts, cartoons, and so much more. But we are going to focus on the movies that feature kid-friendly animal movies. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this list of the 6 best animal movies on Disney+.

Dumbo (2019)

The sweet and loveable elephant with the rather large years. We all know him and we all love him – Dumbo! This wonderful movie begins with Mrs. Ella Jumbo giving birth to a baby elephant. But the circus act is rather unsure of his comically large ears. They are afraid that something like that would be considered a deformity, and people would stop coming to the circus. One night during a show, Dumbo’s ears accidentally popped out, and the public began laughing and giving him his nickname, “Dumbo.” They threw peanuts at him and seeing this, his mother, Jumbo goes into a rage and knocks down the whole tent at the mistreatment of her son. She is subsequently sold off. He is made to do crazy tricks that are rather dangerous. As for the rest? It’s totally worth watching it to see what happens. It’ll have you on the edge of your seat.

Gorilla
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan is a true story about a Silverback gorilla who lived inside of a mall in an enclosure just for others’ viewing pleasure. Mack, the owner of the Big Top Mall where Ivan is housed, has many friends but has a special connection to Julia, the janitorial staff’s daughter. She likes to sit and talk with him. One day, she leaves some crayons behind for him, and he begins coloring on paper, and this is a huge deal with Mack, who easily sells his paintings. Ruby, a baby elephant that he bought to try and liven up the circus, is forced to begin to train for the circus, and Ivan sees it and doesn’t like it. So he does something about it with his talents. Want to know more? Check out this instant classic.

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Brother Bear

In Alaska, there are three brothers. Denahi is the middle child. Sitka is the oldest while Kenai is the youngest. The trio of boys receives their totems, which are what symbolizes them and what the three must achieve before they are considered men. When Kenai receives the Bear of Love, he is not happy and says that bears are thieves. Just then, a bear steals the family’s basket of salmon. The three boys try to go after the bear. They go all the way up a glacier, where Sitka ultimately loses his life when he dislodges the glacier and the bear falls down to the rapids below. Kenai goes after the bear, and they end up at the top of a cliff, where Kenai ultimately slays the bear. When the local tribesmen who believe all are created through “Great Spirits” are unhappy with this senseless killing of the bear, they turn Kenai into a bear. We’re won’t give away any spoilers, but Kenai finds a friend along his great trip to try to atone for killing the bear.

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Because of Winn-Dixie

Based upon the novel of the same name, Because of Winn-Dixie is a beautiful movie that teaches us all about courage, being different, and also how we make mistakes and not to be held down by them. One day, in the fictional town of Naomi, Florida, India Opal Baloney has just moved there with her father, who is an unnamed preacher. She visits the supermarket where a dog is absolutely raising heck in the store. Not intent on the store manager getting a hold of the dog, Opal grabs the dog and says it’s hers, and she names it “Winn-Dixie.” Over the course of the story, Opal grows closer to her father and learns things about her mother, who had abandoned the family seven years prior. Enjoy her adventures as she meets some pretty eccentric people that she befriends.

Majestic Tiger
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nat Geo’s – Born Wild! The Next Generation

Hosted by Robin Roberts of Good Morning America fame, this hour-long movie shares all about animals and their babies. This was created for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. It delves down deep and helps viewers to take a really good look at the next generation of animals that will be roaming our earth. The kids will adore watching baby animals, and we bet you will too.

Black Beauty (2020)

The movie begins with a wild mustang narrating the movie. She was born free in the mountains of Utah. One day, a mustang gave away their location, and cowboys wrangled the whole herd, and the wild mustang never saw her mom again. However, a horse trainer takes her in at a horse sanctuary. When the trainer learns that his sister and her husband passed away in a car crash, they have to take in their niece, Jo, who quickly forms a bond with the girl. She seems to be able to tame the mustang and names her “Black Beauty.”

There are so many wonderful movies that you can watch with your family together on Disney+! So, grab the popcorn, have a seat, and enjoy these entertaining movies about animals.

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Jennifer Passmore
Jennifer Passmore
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jennifer has written two books on how to deal with living with chronic illness using the power of positivity. She has written…
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