Alice Through the Looking Glass looked great on the surface, but the movie had no real story to back it up. The script is weak and forgettable, leaving even Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter flat and lifeless. Mia Wasikowska puts in effort, and Sacha Baron Cohen brings a few laughs, but it’s not enough to carry the film. In the end, the visuals are the only thing worth watching, and even they can’t save it from being dull. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Artemis Fowl hit Disney+ in 2020 and quickly became a punching bag for critics and fans. What was once a beloved book series about a clever young mastermind turned into a movie filled with clunky dialogue and bad CGI. The fantasy world looks flat and fake, and the story never finds its footing. Even watching it for laughs feels painful. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Ralph Breaks the Internet tried to expand the first film’s charm by tossing Ralph and Vanellope into the online world, but it ended up more like a two-hour ad for Disney’s own brands. The core story of Ralph clinging to his friendship while Vanellope looks for more comes off as awkward and even toxic at times. Most of the humor leans on stale memes and pop culture jokes that already felt dated when the movie released. The only part people seemed to enjoy was the Disney princess cameo – and even that couldn’t save it. | © Walt Disney Pictures
The Little Mermaid remake aimed to reimagine a classic but ended up flat and forgettable. Halle Bailey shines as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy makes a decent Ursula, yet the rest of the cast feels lifeless with no chemistry. The CGI looks cheap, failing to capture the magic of the underwater world, and the script drags with uneven pacing and shallow characters. In the end, it’s just another cash-grab remake that misses everything that made the original special. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Mars Needs Moms had an interesting idea on paper, but the execution was a disaster. The stiff motion capture animation and creepy character designs turned off audiences right away, and the story never found its footing. It bombed hard at the box office, losing over $100 million and effectively killing Disney’s experiment with this animation style. Even die-hard Disney fans often forget it exists. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Chicken Little might have made a lot of money, but it’s still remembered as one of Disney’s weakest animated films. The writing and jokes felt more like something out of a DreamWorks knockoff, and the modern setting never really fit the Disney style. While some viewers defend it as “so bad it’s good,” most critics still point to the awkward humor and clunky animation as reasons it hasn’t aged well. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Lightyear tries to mix kid-friendly adventure with heavy sci-fi themes, but it never commits to either. The story feels flat, the side characters add little, and Buzz comes off as humorless. Chris Evans does fine in the role, yet the movie lacks the energy and fun that made the character iconic. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Bolt had a fun premise about a TV star dog who doesn’t realize his powers aren’t real, but the movie never lives up to the idea. The humor leans too much on sidekick animals with shallow quirks, and the story struggles to find a consistent tone. It did fine at the box office and critics were kinder than with earlier 3D attempts, but most fans today see it as forgettable and stuck in Disney’s awkward early CGI phase. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Home on the Range is often remembered as the low point of Disney’s early 2000s slump. The humor leans almost entirely on cheap gags like belches and awkward innuendo, leaving little for kids or adults to enjoy. Even with Judi Dench and Jennifer Tilly trying to hold things together, Roseanne’s flat delivery drags the movie down. It felt less like a classic Disney release and more like a desperate misfire from the Eisner era. | © Walt Disney Pictures
The Marvels was meant to bring together Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau, but instead, it plays out like a lightweight kids’ movie. The leads do their best, and Samuel L. Jackson adds some spark, yet the villain and supporting cast are forgettable. Too many scenes lean on goofy humor, leaving little for adults to enjoy. Fans hoping for a strong continuation of Monica’s story walked away disappointed. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Wish was supposed to be Disney’s big 100th-anniversary celebration, but it turned out more like a checklist of references than a real story. The animation style looked nice, and Ariana DeBose gave the film some star power, yet the characters felt flat and forgettable. Fans were especially disappointed with the music, which came off clunky and uninspired instead of magical. | © Walt Disney Pictures
A Wrinkle in Time had all the ingredients for success, but Disney couldn’t pull it off. The movie looks flashy on the surface, yet the story feels dull and directionless, with characters that never really click. Even Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling couldn’t save dialogue that comes across as cheesy instead of inspiring. What should have been uplifting ends up feeling hollow and pandering. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Snow White (2025) struggles to capture the magic of the classic, weighed down by lackluster performances and weak CGI. Rachel Zegler sings beautifully, but her acting feels stiff and distant, never matching the innocence of the original character. The visuals look rushed, the dwarfs awkward, and the new songs bland and forgettable. In the end, it feels like another remake no one really needed. | © Walt Disney Pictures
The Lion King remake pulled in over a billion dollars, but fans of the original still see it as one of Disney’s worst live-action movies. The all-CGI approach looks impressive at first, yet it drains the movie of emotion and makes the characters feel stiff. Changes from the 1994 classic range from odd to downright insulting, especially the flat, half-spoken version of “Be Prepared.” Instead of honoring the original, the remake mostly reminds viewers how much better the animated classic really is. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Elemental tries to use fire and water as metaphors for race and culture, but the message ends up feeling shallow and forced. The plot itself is predictable, with little that feels new or exciting, and the clashing visuals don’t help – vibrant backdrops are paired with awkward, unappealing character designs. The one saving grace is the relationship between Ember and Wade, who are charming enough to keep some viewers invested. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Disney may be known for timeless classics, but not every movie has lived up to the magic. From awkward remakes to CGI disasters, these films show the studio at its weakest. Here are 15 of the worst Disney movies that left fans disappointed.
