13 best family movies on Disney+ to watch with kids

Halle Bailey was born to play Ariel, as she shows with her brilliant performance in The Little Mermaid, the live-action version of Disney's beloved animated classic.

Despite staying pretty faithful to the original story, the movie adds some new songs and characters, and builds a much richer romance between the mermaid and Prince Eric (played by Jonah Hauer-King). Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy also stand out in the cast as King Triton and Ursula, respectively.

We must admit that the underwater visual effects can be a little rough at times, but it's nothing we can't look past because it's an extremely charming movie that lives up to the original.

Hocus Pocus was not a big box-office success when it was released back in 1993, but over the years it has become a beloved classic, even getting a sequel in 2022 (which is also available on Disney+).

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy play the wickedly funny Sanderson sisters, a trio of witches that are accidentally resurrected on Halloween night by a teenage boy.

It's an entertaining, innocently spooky movie apt for all members of the family – and for any season beyond Halloween.

While you definitely should consider watching the original Mary Poppins because it's absolutely brilliant and iconic, we'd also like to highlight its notable 2018 sequel starring Emily Blunt.

In fact, Digital Spy gave it a 5-star review, calling it "a warm, funny and cuddly family movie that's truly for everyone, and is a definite must-see for the Christmas season".

In the movie, Mary Poppins reunites with Jane and Michael Banks, the children she helped in the first movie, but now it's Michael's children who are now having a rough time and need a spoonful of sugar to deal with a terrible loss.

Although the sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is landing soon on Netflix, the original Chicken Run is available on Disney+ – and you should definitely watch it.

Set in the Yorkshire countryside, the story follows a group of British chickens who desperately want to escape their disastrous destiny – becoming chicken pies. When American rooster Rocky Rhodes arrives on the farm, they think their prayers have been answered.

Aardman's iconic movie is the perfect family watch, even with some surprisingly dark moments.

Indiana Jones movies are the ideal happy place for a family watch, since it's a perfect blend of action, adventure and comedy. Also, Harrison Ford.

In case somebody out there is not entirely familiar with the saga, let's start at the beginning – Raiders of the Lost Ark kicked off the story with our favourite archaeologist (or treasure hunter, more like it) and his taste for dangerous missions.

Want some more? The rest of the saga, including the latest entry Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, are available on Disney+ (in the UK, Indiana Jones 5 will arrive on December 15).

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt have zero romantic chemistry, but Jungle Cruise is still a fun family watch.

Based on the iconic Disney theme park ride, the movie follows young adventurer and scientist Lily (Blunt) as she travels to the Amazon with her brother MacGregor (played by Jack Whitehall) in search of a mythical healing tree.

It's a blend of Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Mummy, even if it doesn't reach the excellence of the aforementioned movies.

The best Christmas movie ever? Maybe not quite, but it's probably the most entertaining to watch with the family when all ages are involved.

Home Alone was a major success in the '90s, turning a young Macaulay Culkin into a Hollywood star and putting Christmas movies back on top of the box office.

You know how the story goes – poor 8-year-old Kevin McCallister is left to deal with some low-grade burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) after his parents forget to bring him along to the airport.

You can actually enjoy the whole Home Alone saga on Disney+, but none of the sequels are as good as the original.

Yes, we said we wouldn't include any animated Pixar movie, but we can't miss this chance to recommend its latest release, the overlooked Elemental.

In case you and your family are looking for a recent, light-hearted movie to watch together during the holidays.

The movie focuses on the unexpected relationship between two elemental beings, fire-being Ember (Leah Lewis) and water-being Wade (Mamoudou Athie). Despite their cultures clashing in this elemental-based world, they are willing to come out of their shells and try something new.

Despite the movie's initial struggles at the box office, it wasn't a flop, and it's now finding a new audience on Disney+.

There have been several movie adaptations of Mary Rodgers's 1972 novel, but 2003's Freaky Friday is simply too iconic to forget.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan had lots of fun with their mother-daughter dynamic in this body-swap family comedy, where all it takes to wreak havoc is a Chinese fortune cookie.

Freaky Friday is an early 2000s classic that still feels fresh, witty and deeply entertaining. And the best moment? The battle of the bands with the hit song 'Take Me Away'.

Now that the sequel Disenchanted is available to watch on Disney+, it's time to go back to the original and remember why we love Amy Adams so much.

She's able to dive into the most dramatic and emotional roles, and also be joy personified as she sings her way through New York in Enchanted. It might help having Patrick 'People's Sexiest Man Alive' Dempsey as her scene partner, and James Marsden as a scene-stealing prince.

The movie follows Princess Giselle as she is banished from her animated fairytale kingdom and is transported to the real world, where reality is far from magical.

It might not be the best movie in this list, but Night at the Museum has all the necessary ingredients of a perfect family movie – laughs, action, and some important life lessons.

Based on the 1993 book by Milan Trenc, the movie follows a divorced father who gets a job as a night security guard at New York City's American Museum of Natural History. This apparently easy job turns out to be a nightmare when he discovers that a magical Egyptian artefact known as the tablet of Akhmenrah makes the museum come to life every night.

The film was so successful at the box office that paved the way for two sequels, and an animated sequel, Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, released on Disney+. (Yes: Kahmunrah, not Akhmenrah. They're brothers.)