Once upon a time, the company then known as Walt Disney Productions (now the Walt Disney Company) was on the verge of bankruptcy. Following the blockbuster success of 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the studio released a string of relative disappointments. Even 1941’s “Dumbo” — which turned a profit at the box office — did little to reverse its fortunes.
Deciding to bet the house, Disney spent $2.2 million (almost $25 million in today’s dollars) on their next feature, a fairy tale called “Cinderella.” It arrived in theaters in 1950 and became one of the year’s highest-grossing films. And the studio lived happily ever after. (These are the best Disney movies of all time.)
Well, kind of. In the wake of “Cinderella,” Disney continued to experience plenty of highs and lows in terms of cinematic output. By the mid-2000s, they were struggling once again as tentpole releases failed to strike the zeitgeist with the same precision as certain predecessors had.
However, the studio’s fate never hung on the performance of a single film as it once did. Furthermore, theatrical re-releases and home rentals turned former box office disappointments such as “Bambi” and “Pinocchio” and even “Fantasia” into massive earners over time. That’s not to mention adjacent revenue streams like merchandising, licensing, theme park tie-ins, and more.
These days, Disney is bigger than ever. Between its own popular titles and those of its lucrative subsidiaries (Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, etc), the studio routinely breaks box office records. In 2019, for instance, Disney raked in over $11 billion worldwide on the strength of just their film properties. (As one example of its successes, here’s how every Pixar movie did at the box office.)
Click here to see the highest-grossing Disney movies of all time.
To identify Disney’s top 50 earners of all time at the global box office, when adjusted for inflation, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the 633 full-length feature films produced and/or distributed by Disney or by one of Disney’s subsidiaries that have data available on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon. Data on worldwide box office, updated as of June 2021, came from The Numbers, an online movie database owned by Nash Information Services, and are adjusted for inflation. We have included each film’s IMDb rating and Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator. Cast information comes from IMDb.
50. Maleficent (2014)
> IMDb rating: 7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $850.5 million
> Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville
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49. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
> IMDb rating: 8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $864.3 million
> Starring: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana
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48. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
> IMDb rating: 7.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $868.5 million
> Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo
47. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
> IMDb rating: 7.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $887.5 million
> Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel
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46. Up (2009)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $893.4 million
> Starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger, Christopher Plummer
45. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $908.7 million
> Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi
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44. Toy Story 2 (1999)
> IMDb rating: 7.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $925.7 million
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer
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43. Inside Out (2015)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $929.1 million
> Starring: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling
42. The Incredibles (2004)
> IMDb rating: 8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $931.4 million
> Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee
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41. Pretty Woman (1990)
> IMDb rating: 7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $938.9 million
> Starring: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander, Laura San Giacomo
40. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
> IMDb rating: 8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $993.9 million
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
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39. The Jungle Book (2016)
> IMDb rating: 7.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1 billion
> Starring: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba
38. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
> IMDb rating: 6.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 0
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1 billion
> Starring: Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes
37. Aladdin (2019)
> IMDb rating: 6.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1 billion
> Starring: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari
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36. Zootopia (2016)
> IMDb rating: 8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate
35. Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
> IMDb rating: 6.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver
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34. Toy Story 4 (2019)
> IMDb rating: 7.7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale
33. Armageddon (1998)
> IMDb rating: 6.7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler
32. Finding Dory (2016)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson
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31. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
> IMDb rating: 7.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen
30. Captain Marvel (2019)
> IMDb rating: 6.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 45
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law
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29. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
> IMDb rating: 6.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway
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28. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
> IMDb rating: 6.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 54
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush
27. The Sixth Sense (1999)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
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26. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
> IMDb rating: 7.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan
25. Toy Story 3 (2010)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty
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24. Incredibles 2 (2018)
> IMDb rating: 7.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner
23. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
> IMDb rating: 7.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush
22. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
> IMDb rating: 7.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion
> Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad
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21. Black Panther (2018)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion
> Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira
20. Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)
> IMDb rating: 7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 42
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher
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19. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Peggy Lee, Bill Thompson
18. Iron Man 3 (2013)
> IMDb rating: 7.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle
17. Finding Nemo (2003)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe
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16. Frozen (2013)
> IMDb rating: 7.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad
15. Frozen II (2019)
> IMDb rating: 6.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff
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14. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport
13. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
12. Peter Pan (1953)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.6 billion
> Starring: Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried, Bill Thompson
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11. The Lion King (2019)
> IMDb rating: 6.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion
> Starring: Donald Glover, Beyonce, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor
10. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion
> Starring: Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, J. Pat O’Malley, Martha Wentworth
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9. The Avengers (2012)
> IMDb rating: 8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner
8. Song of the South (1946)
> IMDb rating: 7.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $2 billion
> Starring: Ruth Warrick, Bobby Driscoll, James Baskett, Luana Patten
7. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $2.1 billion
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans
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6. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
> IMDb rating: 7.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $2.2 billion
> Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson
5. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $2.8 billion
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
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4. Fantasia (1940)
> IMDb rating: 7.7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $3.6 billion
> Starring: Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Corey Burton
3. Pinocchio (1940)
> IMDb rating: 7.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $3.7 billion
> Starring: Dickie Jones, Christian Rub, Mel Blanc, Billy Bletcher
2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
> IMDb rating: 7.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $7.9 billion
> Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne, Roy Atwell
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1. Bambi (1942)
> IMDb rating: 7.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73
> Worldwide ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $10.1 billion
> Starring: Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audrey, Peter Behn
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