Disney (or other animated) films for preschoolers?

[RainycloudUK]

My 4.5 y/o has never watched TV at home but knew a lot about Frozen from friends. It sounded nice so we all watched it together... and it really upset her. 😱🤦🏼‍♀️ Can anyone recommend any Disney films with a bit less peril for us?

Mind the parents seem to die in all of them 😬😂 so perhaps DreamWorks/Pixar/Illuminations might be a better bet?

All recommendations gratefully received! Ta muchly!

[PollyPeep]

Following! I have a similar question. We have a 5.5 year old who has never watched Disney, or a full length film. I know you'll possibly get some snarky replies on this thread, but my child is quite a sensitive soul too and can get disturbed easily by things on TV. I know kids this age are watching all sorts but we're still at the Paw Patrol level which I'm fine with! Would she like the Octonauts or Paw Patrol movies on Netflix? Mine loves those and it still gives the film experience but gentler.

[ClemFandangooo]

Encanto

Monsters Inc

[ZZGirl]

The films on disney plus say age recommendations when you click them.

[Hungrycaterpillarsmummy]

I don't know if it's Disney but the new Grinch I have seen about 40 times this year already. My 2.5 yr old loves it

[cariadlet]

I have a young adult daughter who was very sensitive when she was little - we had to walk out of the cinema in the middle of Ratatouille because she couldn't cope with the peril - so I sympathise.

Did the dog die? Is your friend.

It's a great website for checking out potentially upsetting elements in any recommended films.

www.doesthedogdie.com/

[Astariel]

DS (3) loves Cars (all the cars films) a lot.

He also likes Luca, monsters Inc, wreck it Ralph, encanto, Moana and loads of other things.

[JennyWren87]

We love the classics because the story and language is simpler than some of the modern animated films who all seem to be geared at adults too. My 3 year old has seen 101 Dalmatians, Aristocats and The Jungle Book. Loves all of them.

[isitbananatimealready]

Winnie the Pooh?

My dd absolutely loved Mary Poppins from before she was 2, so maybe try that?

[cloudjumper]

Aristocats
Tangled
Encanto
Maybe Despicable Me?

[cariadlet]

This previous thread might be helpful.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/3870661-Fun-family-movies-with-absolutely-no-peril-What-So-Ever

[dodobookends]

@JennyWren87

We love the classics because the story and language is simpler than some of the modern animated films who all seem to be geared at adults too. My 3 year old has seen 101 Dalmatians, Aristocats and The Jungle Book. Loves all of them.

I agree - all the old Disney classics are great. Little Mermaid, The Rescuers, Cinderella, all that lot.

Having said that, Pinnochio is a bit odd, and the witch & flying monkeys in Snow White are slightly creepy.

[NoLostCause]

Inside Out is a good Pixar one. And Toy Story. My DS loved both.

[Astariel]

@NoLostCause

Inside Out is a good Pixar one. And Toy Story. My DS loved both.

Yes. DS loves Toy Story. Any Toy Story

[cariadlet]

I love Toy Story but there's a lot of peril for a sensitive child.

[Sammilouwho]

Not Disney, but Studio Ghibli! My two absolutely adore My Neighbour Totoro, it's on netflix.

[PollyPeep]

I remember Toy Story being absolutely terrifying with Sid and the mutilated dolls... OP avoid that one!

[Giveupnow]

toy story kept my 3 year old up at night for at least a week. She had nightmares and refused to sleep as she didn’t want the toys to come alive.

[OperationalSupport]

I think Luca is very sweet, and the peril is minimal. My kids love the Aristocats, the new Grinch (on Netflix), Monsters Inc and a couple of the Disney shorts. The Paw Patrol movie and the newer Mighty Movie are great.

If you have access to iPlayer she might enjoy watching the tv adaptions of the Gruffalo/Room on the Broom/Zog/Superworm/Tabby McTat/The Smeds and the Smoos.

[SingingSands]

Cars might be a good one? It's my favourite and I'm 45 😄

Or the Tinkerbelle movies? Angelina Ballerina?

I sympathise though - I was that overly sensitive child. Used to bawl my eyes out watching lassie but my mum wasn't as nice about it as you are being!

[IThinkIMadeItWorse]

My very sensitive DD loved the Tinkerbell movies, I assume they are on Disney+

[Persipan]

My 4yo does not always deal well with 'mild peril' (although it's inconsistent what will set him off) and actually initially got on better with TV shows than films. Classic Postman Pat, in which absolutely nothing happens, is very very mild (like, Pat goes up in granny whatsername's attic to get things down for the village fete, for instance, is the plot of a whole episode. On one occasion he loses his keys). Dinosaur Train on Netflix features a family of pteranodons and their adopted T-Rex son visiting other families of dinosaurs on a time travelling train. Timmy Time is small claymation animals at nursery having mild disagreements over, like, ego gets to wear the hat they all like. Ease her into the rhythms of screen narrative with something like that, so she can get used to the idea that there will be small setbacks in a story, but it will eventually be ok.

[BeWildCrab]

Wall-E is great. Very little dialogue in early part of the film makes it really accessible for little ones.

[AliasGrape]

I don’t know if it’s maybe the waiting till 4.5 that did it, Frozen is the only film DD has ever watched all the way through and that’s purely because she caught the obsession early from the children at her childminders, and is so blinded now by Elsa and her pretty dress/ magic powers that she doesn’t really pick up on anything else about the film I don’t think. I was bracing myself for having to discuss what happened to the parents but she doesn’t seem to have noticed (not much gets past her usually!)

Pretty much everything else we’ve tried has had some aspect that’s upset or scared her, she found Moana terrifying and I know a few people have suggested Encanto here but it has a really dark backstory and DD didn’t really get much past the intro (I finished it when she’d gone to bed and loved it!)

Theyre not feature film length but the Julia Donaldson bbc animations may be a good place to start? There was also a bbc animation of Quentin Blake’s The Zagazoo on recently and it’s still on iplayer - that’s really good and we actually ended up having quite a good discussion about it.

Also not films but the animations of Percy the Parkkeeper books are on YouTube and they’re quite lovely.

I watched something on Netflix with my nieces a couple of years ago called Ballerina - wonder if that would fit the bill? Although I think it starts with an escape from an orphanage so maybe not!

[kikisparks]

Winnie the Pooh is pretty low on peril. My Neighbour Totoro on Netflix as well. If you go to the Disney plus kids profile it only shows things suitable for all ages.

[Singleandproud]

You want films that are a U, PGs are really for 8+ as they contain peril in them. In some countries like Hungary Frozen was a 12.

I had a peril avoider and found the Parent Guide on IMDB useful. Don't whatever you do try Peter Rabbit. That same child is a teen now absolutely fine with the Women in Black but still not keen on the farmer in PR. At that age she really liked the Tinkerbell movies I think they were fairly unproblematic.