Disney has come a long way since the days of Steamboat Willie and the Studio’s first major feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Since its start, Disney has grown into a massively successful production company, arguably the biggest. Each decade of Disney offered something different and brought countless classics to life on the big screen. In the ‘40s it was Dumbo and Pinnochio. In the ‘50s it was Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. The ‘60s brought the live-action classic Mary Poppins, followed by The Aristocats and Robin Hood in the 1970s. While the ‘80s brought greats like The Little Mermaid and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

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Even in recent years, Disney has released major hits like Frozen, Coco, and Encanto, not to mention the successes from the 2000s like The Emperor’s New Groove, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Lilo & Stitch, and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. However, the best decade of Disney movies by far has to be the 1990s. From 1990 to 1999, Disney released hit after hit including Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, The Lion King and Hercules, as well as live-action movies like Hocus Pocus, Flubber and 101 Dalmatians.

So what makes the 1990s the Golden Age of Disney?

Timeless Classics

     Disney

There are plenty of Disney classics that didn’t premiere in the 1990s like 1950’s Cinderella, 1937’s Snow White, 1989’s The Little Mermaid, and 1941’s Dumbo. However, in terms of quantity, the ’90s saw the most hits with movies like Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, and The Lion King. Each of which was a major success when they premiered and went on to have various sequels and spin-offs, and also inspired merchandise like toys, clothes and video games.

Those ’90s hits became timeless classics as they’re still go-to movies for kids — and even adults — today. For adults who were growing up when they first premiered, rewatching a ’90s Disney classic like Pocahontas when you’re having a bad day can feel therapeutic and nostalgic. Even today’s younger generation who didn’t grow up on these movies develops a connection to them and their characters — hence why visiting Disney World remains such a popular vacation.

’90s Disney movies also featured memorable elements that became ingrained in our brains at a young age. Everyone can identify Belle and her yellow ball gown. Everyone remembers the signature line, “To infinity and beyond,” and everyone knows what “Hakuna Matata” means. It’s unlikely you’ll come across anyone without at least a base level of Disney knowledge, and odds are that the bulk of it is coming from the ’90s.

Standout Musical Performances

’90s Disney movies themselves are timeless classics that stand the test of time, but it wouldn’t be a Disney movie without a musical number and the musical performances from the ’90s are some of the best. Think of songs like “Be Our Guest,” “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “A Whole New World,” “Colors of the Wind” and “I Won’t Say I’m in Love.” All of these songs — most of which you likely remember the words to — are from ’90s Disney movies.

Subjectively, music from ’90s Disney movies is great, but there’s evidence to back up those feelings in the form of Academy Awards. Disney won several awards in the ’90s, both for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for tracks like “Beauty and the Beast,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “A Whole New World.”

Later Disney movies also saw great success in the musical department, like the worldwide phenomenon that was Frozen’s “Let it Go.” However, it’s hard to hold a candle to ’90s Disney’s musical catalog.

Peak of Animation

     Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Ever since Snow White, Disney’s first animated feature in 1937, Walt Disney’s Animation Studios has been continuously improving upon itself. Each animated work it churns out aspires to be better than the last, using more innovative production tactics and raising the bar with each new release. The ’50s saw Disney classics like Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty, among many others, all of which are still considered fan-favorites today. But the 1960s to the 1980s saw a bit of an animation slump. Aside from a few hits like The Jungle Book and 101 Dalmations, the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s were pretty slow in terms of animated features.

Then came the ’90s, or Disney’s “animation renaissance.” The ’90s animation saw an intricate attention to detail, thoughtfully designed characters and gorgeous coloring that hadn’t been seen by Disney before. Granted, it was just the ’90s. Technology was present, but nothing like it is today. Today’s animated features use a lot of cutting-edge technology, like computer animation, to achieve more realistic, sharper animation that wasn’t capable in the past. However, ’90s animation stood out among everything else Disney had released up until that time. And though the movies are decades old at this point, they haven’t lost their luster.

Genuinely Funny

     Buena Vista Pictures 

Maybe it was the time period or the people in the writer’s room, but ’90s Disney movies were genuinely funny. Animated movies utilized well-known actors to do the voice acting for animated movies, which helped to create larger-than-life characters that really stand out. Like Eddie Murphy as Mushu in Mulan, James Woods as Hades in Hercules, and Robin Williams as Genie in Aladdin. All of these characters are known for funny one-liners and comedic relief that has been hard to replicate in later Disney features.

The ’90s weren’t just successful for Disney on the animation front, though. There were also several live-action movies that premiered during the decade and have seen a lasting impact, like Hocus Pocus. Hocus Pocus premiered in 1993, but holds a firm place in homes everywhere as a Halloween staple. From annual showings of the movie, to costumes and inspired decor. The movie was also genuinely funny, with well-cast characters and goofy lines that people still recite today. Really emphasizing its timeless stance, a sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, will be premiering on Disney+ on Sept. 30, 29 years after its original debut.

Disney will always have a firm grip on pop culture and modern media, but it’s hard to deny the ’90s was a powerhouse of a decade for the production company. From enhanced animation, to an iconic music catalog and stand-out performances, the ’90s elevated Disney to new, almost unmatchable heights.