Lift your mood with 18 of the best feel-good movies on Disney+

Right, if you ever need a lift after a dismal week, look no further than Disney+. The whole platform is like a warehouse for good vibes, built on decades of films that more or less require you to suspend disbelief and embrace the cosy embrace of a (usually animated) hug. Disney’s empire these days stretches well beyond its own classics — everything from Marvel to Star Wars — but its true bread and butter? Stuff that leaves you grinning, whatever your age. Decades on from my own questionable Lion King phase, my younger relatives are just as obsessed with new Disney films. It's proof the formula still works: slightly unhinged animals, plucky kids, and a song or two to get stuck in your head when you’re trying to work.

Disney+ is home to every era of feel-good you could want – there’s more nostalgia bundled into that platform than anywhere else.

Certified Comfort Watches

Here’s an off-the-cuff batch of the best feel-good flicks actually worth queueing up — old, new, musical, animated, and otherwise, all streaming on Disney+ in 2026. And yes, you will know half of the soundtracks by heart, whether you want to admit it or not.

• The Parent Trap (1998) – Lindsay Lohan playing twins, swapping places, and orchestrating a frankly implausible but still satisfying parent-reunion. The stuff of childhood wish-fulfilment, if your wish is elaborate schemes involving secret handshakes and booby traps. Bonus points for the truly villainous Meredith Blake in one of the most rewatchable family comedies ever made.
• Lilo & Stitch (2002) – Try not to cry. Genuinely. Or to quote 'ohana means family' at inappropriate moments. This one is about a chaotic blue alien and the little Hawaiian girl who adopts him, bickering and bonding their way through intergalactic chaos. Even your stoniest relative will crack under this film’s charm.
• Sister Act (1992) – Whoopi Goldberg hiding from gangsters in a convent, reviving a flatlining choir, and out-cool-ing everyone in the room. A rare case where the sequel holds up shockingly well too. Gospel numbers and nuns pulling off musical miracles – hard to go wrong.
• 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) – The Shakespeare adaptation that manages to outlive every other late-90s romcom by sheer force of charm. Julia Stiles is all attitude, Heath Ledger is stadium-antics incarnate, and the taming-of-the-shrew plot somehow ends up properly sweet. That serenade? Still undefeated.
• The Princess Diaries (2001) – The only reason anyone in their twenties ever expected to inherit a small European principality. Anne Hathaway goes from awkward teenager to royal-in-training, with Julie Andrews doing what Julie Andrews does best. Gawk at the makeovers, stay for the hilariously rigid palace protocol.
• Encanto (2021) – Disney finally worked out you don’t need a villain for a family to spiral into chaos. Instead, it's all about a magic house, one 'normal' granddaughter, and a shedload of catchy songs (don’t pretend you haven’t heard 'We Don’t Talk About Bruno'). Genuinely warm, without the usual prince business.
• Frozen (2013) – You already know the words to 'Let It Go', however much you might pretend otherwise. Less about rescue-by-prince, more about sibling drama and learning not to bottle up your superpowers. Probably responsible for a generation of very loud children in Elsa costumes, but you can’t argue with results.
• Moana (2016) – The ocean literally helps the main character, so you know the odds are stacked in her favour. A stubborn young heroine, an egotistical demigod voiced by The Rock, and a voyage to save her island. If you don’t have goosebumps during 'How Far I'll Go', check your pulse.
• Mary Poppins (1964) – Whether you grew up with Julie Andrews or got Emily Blunt forced on you by well-meaning parents, it's still deeply comforting. Magic nannies, dancing chimney sweeps, and practical life advice sung at you, with a spoonful of sugar on top.
• Toy Story 4 (2019) – The franchise had no business being this consistent, but here we are. Woody finally graduates from existential crisis to full character development, Bonnie is a decent enough new owner, and the toys somehow top their previous rescue antics. The ending is bittersweet but spot-on.

If you haven’t seen some of these for years, or (somehow) never crossed paths with one, consider this a formal invitation. Thorough research, of course — you can call it critical viewing for your own mental health.