Like many other children, I grew up watching all of the Disney movies. After seeing so many, you start to have some favorites and then you just watch those repeatedly. Most of my favorite ones, as you will see, do not have any of the more well known Disney princesses. There are some princesses in this list, but not the ones that most people think of. Here is a list of my top 5 Disney movies and my favorite song in each one, if it has a song!

5. Beauty and the Beast - Be Our Guest

Beauty and the Beast is a really fun movie to watch. I especially enjoy it more now after doing Beauty and the Beast the musical in high school. It was so much fun to be part of it! Belle is a great role model for young girls because she values education and is a very capable person. I think girls should value intelligence within themselves because they will go much farther in life having so much knowledge than just being "pretty". This movie also has a great message, that you shouldn't judge someone by their looks, but judge them by their character. Even though the beast was hideous because it represented his ugly personality, you see how his character changes throughout and sees the issues with how he used to be. That's all we can do as people to grow, is look at the mistakes we have made and learn from them. I love Lumiere and Cogsworth, they make such a great duo and add some comedy to a pretty serious movie. My favorite song in this movie is definitely "Be Our Guest". It's a very fun and uplifting song. When I did the musical, this was one of my favorite numbers to do because it was fun to be part of!

4. Atlantis: The Lost Empire

This movie is about one of the greatest and most mysterious legends known to man, the city of Atlantis. Was it real? We have no idea, but this movie goes into one man finding it and the amazing people who are still living there. Milo, the main character, is such an adorable and relatable character. He is so nerdy and awkward, so I can relate to him a lot! When he is in Atlantis he meets princess Kidagakash, the most badass and underrated princess ever! She is a warrior and seems to be very much involved in the lives of her citizens. She is definitely a great role model to look up to. This movie is also really cool because of its unique visuals. The scene in the cave with the floating boulders of the past kings always gives me chills. Another scene that is really cool is when the giant robot looking figures come out of the water and create a forcefield around the city, and then the lava that is flowing over it hardens and you see all of this intricate inscriptions appear all over the rock. It looks so cool! I feel like Disney was really creative with this movie because the storyline is different than many other movies. There are many heroes within this story, that ultimately defeat the main villain while also still having a message and a love story. Unfortunately this movie does not have any songs to sing along to, but I still love it regardless!

3. Pocahontas - Colors of the Wind

This movie has always held a special place in my heart. This is a special movie because it is based on a true story, Pocahontas was an actual person. Although her story is MUCH different than the one portrayed in the movie, the movie carries some very important messages. One message being that love conquers over hate. Pocahontas and John Smith fall in love, but it's kind of forbidden because they are from different worlds but her tribe and his men don't like each other. They show us at the end that hate only leads to war and death. Instead of hating outsiders or strangers, you should love them. Everyone needs love. Another important message to get from this movie is how pure and simple the world used to be before Europe colonized everything. I love the outdoors and nature, and watching this movie makes me remember how important it is to respect nature and to not be greedy or wasteful. Which brings me to my favorite song in the movie, "Colors of the Wind". If you don't know this song, I highly recommend listening to it because it is amazing. The song is all about how we are one with nature, we are not above the other animals or plants because we depend on them, just as they depend on us. The song also touches upon how beautiful it can be, but do not put a worth on it. As Pocahontas says, "Come roll in all the riches all around you, and for once, never wonder what they're worth". Such a good song. Although this is my favorite song, it is easily tied with "Savages". I always get a chill when I hear this song because there is so much hate that it's disturbing. Both sides view the other as less than human, and it's this view that makes it is so easy for people to go to war with each other. Way to put such a deep meaning into a kids movie Disney!

2. Hercules - I Won't Say I'm In Love

This is such a great movie too. When I was younger I loved Greek mythology so obviously this movie was right up my alley. It had a lot of comical moments thanks to characters like Phil, Megara, Hades, Pain and Panic, and even Pegasus. The muses are such a wonderful addition to the movie as well because they add a bit of comedy while also adding their own flare to the narrative. The story is told in such a unique because there is a narrator, but it is also told by the muses in song and they interact with the characters too! My favorite character is definitely Megara. She is so sassy and so real. Even as a little girl, I could feel for her and understood what she was going through. She is strong and independent. Even though she gets herself in dangerous situations, she is clearly strong enough to handle it. Hades is easily one of my favorite villains of all time. The flames on his head are a little intimidating, especially when he get's mad, but it's also kind of funny the way his emotions are so easily expressed. I wonder how people would act if we all had flames on our heads that would get more intense the more angry we were? Anyways, my favorite song in this movie is when Megara sings "I Won't Say I'm In Love". I think we can all kind of relate to this on some level. It's scary to fall in love with someone, and sometimes even harder to admit that we are. This song goes through the thoughts and feelings we all have when we get to that point after meeting someone special.

1. Tarzan - Son of Man

This is my favorite movie!! I love it movie so much, not to mention this soundtrack is amazing (shout out to Phil Collins!). This is my favorite movie for a few reasons. The first is that it has such a great message about family and accepting someone by looking past physical differences. Tarzan is raised gorillas, specifically by Kala, but Kurcheck, the alpha male, doesn't really accept him because he isn't "their kind". When he becomes a man he comes across humans for the first time and wants to know more about people. Throughout the movie you see Tarzan growing both physically and mentally/emotionally. It is only at the end do we see that Kurcheck finally accepts him as his son. I also really enjoy this movie because you also see the devastation of nature and hunting because of humans. Spoiler Alert!! Clayton is the villain in this story because he tries to take away the gorillas to sell them. Obviously the villain dies because it's Disney, but regardless, don't destroy the homes of gorillas and try to sell them! Not to mention, Jane is such a good role model! She's smart, funny, and a pretty independent person. Lastly, Tantor and Terk bring add some comedy to the scenes! Now, my favorite song in Tarzan is "Son of Man". The scene right before it is so touching, and the song itself is so inspirational, it makes me so motivated to go after my dreams!

These are my favorite Disney animated movies. All of them are good and have their pros and cons, but these five are all special to me and I have a connection to all of them. I can't wait to watch all of these movies soon and sing along to all the songs!