Disney released its first fully animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, in 1937. In the 80 years since, Disney has created hundreds of movies. The 2000s particularly featured a lot of memorable films. Movies like The Incredibles, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and The Princess Diaries wowed audiences with their unique and fun storylines.
That being said, not every film during this 10-year period was a smash hit. While some movies were simply underrated, others weren’t that great, to begin with. They can’t all be winners. We’re here to show you the best and worst of the 2000s Disney films you probably forgot about. From Disney Channel original movies to feature animations, we’re ready to cover it all.
Did you know that The Haunted Mansion isn’t just a ride? Do you remember the zany flick starring Adam Sandler in which bedtime stories became reality? It’s time to test your knowledge. Only the most serious Disney fans will remember all of these less than popular films!
While we’re always up for chatting about Finding Nemo or High School Musical, Disney is far more than its highest-grossing franchises. To score big, Disney had to take a few chances along the way. While not every movie was a good one, we’re glad they took some risks. Dim the lights, silence your cell phone, and grab a bucket of popcorn. The movie (actually, one fun-filled list) is about to begin. You won’t want to miss it!
30 Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007)
While most of us have seen Disney’s 1950’s Cinderella, not all of us have seen the second direct-to-video sequel. In this film, Cinderella’s evil stepmother gets ahold of the Fairy Godmother’s wand and uses it to reverse time and ruin Cinderella’s life. It’s actually a little darker than the first and second movies in the Cinderella franchise and features a weird twist ending. That being said, if you’re a princess fanatic, it’s time you watch this one. You’ll be sure to remember it from this point on.
29 102 Dalmatians (2000)
Maybe you remember the live action 101 Dalmatians, but do you remember its sequel? While it gained over $183.6 million at the box office, its predecessor gained over $100 million more. It also didn’t receive great reviews in the U.S.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a low score of 31%. Why? Moviegoers found it to be too similar to the movie before it. Its G-rating was also pretty questionable thanks to some cartoonish action.
28 Cow Belles (2006)
While this Disney Channel Original Movie got some positive reviews, it wasn’t nearly as popular as High School Musical, which premiered just a couple of months earlier.
This film featured the sisters that made up the music duo Aly & AJ. Cow Belles is pretty cute and will remind you of the good ol’ Disney Channel days when the storylines were more endearing and the plots a bit cleverer. After all, most of today’s Disney films don’t take place in a dairy factory.
27 The Haunted Mansion (2003)
The Haunted Mansion became a ride in 1971. Unbeknownst to many, it became a movie over 30 years later. The film stars Eddie Murphy and is a fantasy comedy horror based off of the original attraction.
Remember when we said like two entries ago that 102 Dalmatians did poorly on Rotten Tomatoes’ website? The Haunted Mansion did even worse.
It gained a 13% rating based on 137 reviews. According to critics, it’s not worth laughing or screaming over. It’s bland. Perhaps this one should stay forgotten.
26 Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
You probably remember the novel. You probably don’t remember don’t remember this adventure flick.
The film strays from the novel far too much and wasn’t liked either. It was cheesy, but not in a good way.
Unfortunately for the cast and crew, this movie flopped at the box office. The budget was $110 million, but it fell short bringing in only $75 million. This one didn’t win in any way, so if you don’t remember it, we don’t blame you.
25 Meet The Robinsons (2007)
And now, we interrupt your regularly scheduled Disney flops to bring you a seriously underrated film: Meet The Robinsons. This Disney animation followed a 12-year-old inventor and orphan on a journey to find his family. It was funny, clever, and touching. While it wasn’t a flop at the box office, it didn’t make loads either.
Few Disney movies have a storyline as quirky and endearing.
If you haven’t seen this film, go watch it. Yes, like right now. It’s on Netflix.
24 Underdog (2007)
This movie is so bad not even I remember it. It’s $25 million budget is low in Hollywood-terms, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for the mega movie studio. The production quality was disappointing, to say the least.
On the upside, the starring dog was kind of cute. He was played by a beagle named Leo.
Despite his fun cape and floppy ears, this movie couldn’t be rescued by an adorable super dog. If you’re in the mood for some cuteness, go watch Disney’s latest feature film, Christopher Robin, instead.
23 The Jungle Book 2 (2003)
The Jungle Book has been commercially successful more than once. The 1967 film made more than 90 times the amount of money it cost to produce, and the 2016 film managed to snag nearly a billion dollars at the box office. The sequel to the original did okay, but it wasn’t as good or as successful as the other two films.
The Jungle Book 2 follows Mowgli’s life as he adjusts to the Man Village.
The animation wasn’t all that great and while it’s a fine sequel, it’s nothing impressive.
22 Bedtime Stories (2008)
This quirky family film was criticized… a lot… but Adam Sandler still managed to pull out a fun, over-the-top performance. Yes, it’s cheesy. But it’s supposed to be. If that’s your cup of tea, you’ll find yourself laughing your way through it.
It’s no work of art, but it shouldn’t be forgotten. It embodies the feel of a 2000s family flick and for the nostalgia alone, it’s worth remembering.
Side note: Russel Brand’s character is pretty great.
21 Dinosaur (2000)
Dinosaur did great at the box office, becoming the fifth-highest grossing film in the year of its release. So why don’t we remember it? You can thank the beauty of modern animation for our forgetfulness.
At the time of its release, Dinosaur was praised for its stunning graphics.
What was gorgeous back in the day, though, doesn’t compare to modern animation. The technology has gotten way better, so we’ve been stunned by other more prominent Disney films since its release.
20 Invincible (2006)
This Disney sports drama was based on a true story and featured some popular actors including Mark Wahlberg and Elizabeth Banks. It got overall favorable reviews and made up its production costs at the box office, but it’s certainly not one most of us remember. This is probably because Disney didn’t “push” this film as much as it had others. Cars and the second Pirates of the Caribbean film came out this year. Invincible might have been a fine film, but it was never meant to be a huge money-maker.
19 Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Can we say underrated much? Atlantis: The Lost Empire was Disney’s first animated science fiction film. Although it had an unimpressive box office run, it gained a cult following.
Atlantis departed from Disney’s typical features by skipping all major musical numbers.
Instead, it featured unique art and anti-capitalist themes. Although the film didn’t get the hype it deserved, it has some fans. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that you’re one of them.
18 Holes (2003)
This film was based on the young adult mystery comedy novel of the same name. It gained favorable reviews and was moderately successful at the box office. That being said, it seems like a foggy memory now. While audiences enjoyed this clever film, it didn’t draw in the same numbers Finding Nemo did just a month later.
If you haven’t watched it, now’s your chance. Let’s give this movie a little more respect!
17 Princess Protection Program (2009)
Do you remember when Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez teamed up in this Disney Channel Original Movie? If you were a tween girl in 2009, probably. As for everyone else, you missed out on a solid childhood.
While this film seems to have disappeared from the Disney landscape nowadays, it was all the talk back in the day. Who doesn’t love a good ol’ story about a princess coming to live at the house of a total tomboy?
16 Return To Never Land (2002)
Truly, it’s a shame this film didn’t gain more attention. Peter Pan is super popular, but his second movie was not. It might have grossed a lot, but it wasn’t overwhelming loved.
Despite being forgotten, the storyline was actually pretty solid and made the magic of Neverland last a little longer. It follows Wendy’s daughter, and it’s pretty neat to see a Disney character grow up and have kids. Rarely does a time jump happen in Disney films, so the fresh perspective was very cool.
15 The Country Bears (2002)
The Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida is home to the Country Bear Jamboree show. Although the attraction and its many audio-animatronic singing bears are well-loved, the movie based on it flopped at the box office. It brought in only around half of its budget.
The film is hokey and the bear costumes are a little weird on the big screen.
We’ll stick to our Disney World visits, thank you very much.
14 Treasure Planet (2002)
What this movie had going for it was a crazy amount of uniqueness. Based on the novel Treasure Island, it was stocked with some interesting animation. Unfortunately, it failed at the box office. It probably didn’t help that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets debuted the same weekend.
Despite this, most people seemed to like the film. Although it was praised, the sequel was canceled, and the first film was swept under the rug too soon.
13 The Secret Of The Magic Gourd (2007)
The Secret of the Magic Gourd was Disney’s first feature animated film created for a Chinese market. It was released in the U.S. in 2009 with Corbin Bleu voicing the Magic Gourd, but even his identifiably Disney sound couldn’t redeem it.
The film came off as a little creepy. The way the voices and animation didn’t match up thanks to the translation from Chinese to English also wasn’t great. If you forget about this one, it was for a good reason.
12 Ice Princess (2005)
This figure skating film got buried by Disney’s more popular movies. It just about cut even at the box office and received some average reviews. The soundtrack was full of boppin’ teen pop. The storyline was fine. But it never was a standout.
If you look closely, you can catch the microphone peeking into the frame near the end of the movie. Good job, production crew. At least you tried.
11 Brother Bear (2003)
Usually, Disney animated films are highly anticipated. This one came and it went. Although it somehow scored a sequel, it’s truly not that notable. It was the last Disney animated feature to be created at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida before it was shut down in 2004.
The film itself gained mixed reviews. While animal-centric films like The Lion King and Finding Nemo were memorable, this one was just eh. On the plus side, Phil Collins, who made the notorious Tarzan soundtrack, helped out with the music on this one, too.