Disney General - The saddest fandom on Earth

[Grand Duke Snowfall]

Because Disney isn't looking good for the foreseeable future, I'm actually curious what is one of their films that actually made you a fan of them to begin with?

Grew up with Disney, not sure what my first was. But I watched Alice in Wonderland a lot as a kid, to the point where I got in trouble for shouting “Off with her head!” at people in public.

 

[Counterfeit Obol]

Because Disney isn't looking good for the foreseeable future, I'm actually curious what is one of their films that actually made you a fan of them to begin with?

Had a bunch of VHS tapes of their movies as a kid, and the occasional bootleg copy, so no one film made me a fan of them.

 

[Castoreum]

Because Disney isn't looking good for the foreseeable future, I'm actually curious what is one of their films that actually made you a fan of them to begin with?

Fantasia. I watched it every day as a child. The visuals and Deems Taylor's narration are burned into my brain. The 90s re-recording with Corey Burton and a fake orchestra was an insult. I haven't been able to find a VHS rip on torrent sites since the Blu-Ray upscales Disney did some 10 years ago that absolutely destroyed the details of the traditional animation.

Currently, Sword in the Stone is my favorite Disney movie. I read the novel by T.H. White that served as the source material a few years ago and I could see why Walt wanted to make it animated. A lot is missing from the book, and if you like the movie, you should read it. Can't recommend it in good faith to normies, though, since there is a single instance of the word: NIGGER.

 

[XYZpdq Jr.]

Because Disney isn't looking good for the foreseeable future, I'm actually curious what is one of their films that actually made you a fan of them to begin with?

I really don't know a time without The Mouse in my life

my mom was serious OG Disney Attraction nerd going back to the `64 Worlds Fair, so she was at World a LOT even before I was born, allegedly I wasn't too happy with Big Thunder as a fetus
and we had an RCA Selectavision
early stuff that made an impact on me includes Baby: Secret Of The Lost Legend, Black Cauldron, Tron, Donald In Mathmagic Land, Man In Space, Man And The Moon, Mars And Beyond, most of Future World but especially Spaceship Earth (OG Bradbury script) and Horizons, The American Adventure (Hall Of Presidents BTFO)
we also had Disney Channel so I probably have most of the Medfield Cinematic Universe buried god knows where in my brain

 

[Kari Kamiya]

Because Disney isn't looking good for the foreseeable future, I'm actually curious what is one of their films that actually made you a fan of them to begin with?

Grew up with the tapes so I couldn't tell you exactly which was The One for me, but I do know for a fact I've wanted to sing like a Disney princess, especially Ariel. Wanted to sing to sound just like them and attract a husband that way, so the songs were a great inspiration for me. I can't tell you if my voice is classic Disney princess material because we'll never get those beautiful vocals ever again at this rate, though I am confident that I sound way better than the vast majority of modern Disney singers.

Also where in the fuck is my Peter and the Wolf DVD/Blu-Ray release, you bastards?

 

[Arbiter]

Because Disney isn't looking good for the foreseeable future, I'm actually curious what is one of their films that actually made you a fan of them to begin with?

Like others have said, growing up in the late 90s to early 00s, Disney was ubiquitous and a staple. You could pretty much go and see every single Disney Animation Studio feature film that came out every year and they would be good or at least worth watching, without fail, up until about 2003-ish. You could expect a certain level of quality from the writing and animation. I really miss when it was just "the thing" to go and see the new Disney movie coming out that year. Now I only go see them if I've heard good things or if I have nothing else to do. They are usually disappointing.

To answer your question, I had a VHS of Sleeping Beauty that I watched almost every day as a young child. Tarzan was the first movie I ever saw in theaters. And Lilo and Stitch is my favorite Disney movie of all.

 

[Fig Kommandant]

I had a VHS of Sleeping Beauty that I watched almost every day as a young child

I really loved Sleepy Beauty, especially all the scenes with the fairies. I was delighted to learn that the soundtrack for Sleeping Beauty is pretty much a shorter version of Tchaikovsky's ballet of the Sleeping Beauty.
On a similar note, Fantasia's soundtrack is directly Paul Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice, which also about the same story. Early Disney was very much feeding european folk tales and classical music in a format that kids would enjoy.

 

[X-avier cuck]

I was born the same year The Lion King roared onto the big screen, landing right in the middle of the animation renaissance—a time that would come to shape my creative life. I owe a lot of my early love for animation to my mom's close friend, Denise, a remarkable woman I grew up calling my aunt. She gifted me a massive tub filled with animated treasures, not just from Disney's golden collection but also from other beloved studios of the '70s and '80s. That gift became my portal to endless worlds of color, song, and adventure.

Films like The Lion King, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, and The Jungle Book quickly became my go-to comfort watches. But it was Who Framed Roger Rabbit that truly cemented my lifelong passion for animation. There was something about that film—the sheer artistry, the bold storytelling, the seamless blend of live-action and hand-drawn animation—that felt like pure magic. It stood out, even in a world filled with comic book giants and CGI spectacles, because it was a love letter to the art form itself, a rare kind of creative alchemy that's yet to be replicated.

It wasn't until I turned 14 that I stumbled upon a deeper truth about the art form I cherished so much. I learned that many of these films, the ones that had shaped my childhood and sparked my imagination, were born during a desperate fight for survival. The animation industry was on the brink of collapse before the late '80s, hanging by a thread as studios faced budget cuts, executive indifference, and a rising tide of skepticism about the medium's future. But it was the passion and tireless dedication of a new wave of animators, artists who refused to give up on the magic of their craft, that kept the art form alive.

Understanding this history gave me an even deeper respect for the people who poured their hearts into these films, often fighting against the odds to create something truly special. It's one of the reasons I sometimes roll my eyes at the same studios today, knowing the giants they stand on and the passion that once drove their greatest works.

 

[BigBadBastich]

Because Disney isn't looking good for the foreseeable future, I'm actually curious what is one of their films that actually made you a fan of them to begin with?

Same as alot of people, saw their movies on VHS tapes as a child. Some I liked more than others. I did also take somewhat more of a liking to the more late 90's and 2000's Disney movies that didn't fall back on princess tropes or musicals. Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo and Stitch, Dinosaur or Brother Bear and Treasure Planet.

 

[Thiletonomics]

Hawaii News Now did an "interview" with "Stitch", ahead of the Live Action movie's release on May 23, and it's just painful to watch:

 

[Marc]

Obligatory:

 

[The Mighty Banth]

I really don't know a time without The Mouse in my life

my mom was serious OG Disney Attraction nerd going back to the `64 Worlds Fair, so she was at World a LOT even before I was born, allegedly I wasn't too happy with Big Thunder as a fetus
and we had an RCA Selectavision
early stuff that made an impact on me includes Baby: Secret Of The Lost Legend, Black Cauldron, Tron, Donald In Mathmagic Land, Man In Space, Man And The Moon, Mars And Beyond, most of Future World but especially Spaceship Earth (OG Bradbury script) and Horizons, The American Adventure (Hall Of Presidents BTFO)
we also had Disney Channel so I probably have most of the Medfield Cinematic Universe buried god knows where in my brain

Those are some rare classics! Did you by any chance see The Cat from Outer Space? I've never run into a soul that's even heard of it outside of my family.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

Probably Hayley Mills' films for Disney. Pollyanna and The Parent Trap. (The former is better) I still haven't seen the other ones she did:
Summer Magic
In Search of the Castaways
The Moon Spinners

I have weird memories of seeing That Darn Cat! on television though. Aside from that in terms of animated films it was Hunchback that was the first Disney film I saw.

 

[Fatsuit Shinji]

Those are some rare classics! Did you by any chance see The Cat from Outer Space? I've never run into a soul that's even heard of it outside of my family.

I seen it

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

I am curious about Kurt Russell's Disney films. Walt had him to be the next big star before he died.

He was in a trilogy starting with Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. I feel like I saw a television remake with nasty ass Kirk Cameron? And a Dean Jones one about a horse.

Edit: Found copies of Moon Spinners and Castaways.

 

[Garbage of Cesspool]

I seen it

Seconding this! Haven't seen it since the VCR ate the tape 20+ years ago though.

 

[toilet_rainbow]

He was in a trilogy starting with Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. I feel like I saw a television remake with nasty ass Kirk Cameron? And a Dean Jones one about a horse.

That was from a series of remakes done for ABC in the mid 1990s (and reran occasionally on Disney Channel up to the early 2000s). Also remember a Shaggy Dog with Scott Weinger in Tommy Kirk’s role and a That Darn Cat from that same time period. This was right before the theatrical remakes like Lindsay Lohan’s Parent Trap and Robin Williams’s Absent Minded Professor Flubber.

Edit: the That Darn Cat remake was also a late 90s theatrical remake; the other ABC remakes were Escape to Witch Mountain and Freaky Friday

As for me, yet another mid to late stage millennial whose early memories and bonding moments often involved being read Disney picture books, sleeping with a stuffed Minnie, watching older movies on tape, etc. Also watched a ton of Disney Afternoon reruns, switching between One Saturday Morning and the other big blocks, seeing the new movies in theaters during the summer, etc. My parents weren’t exactly Disney Adults. Mostly trusted it from enjoying it as kids themselves.
Probably also from how prevalent Disney was, period. It was only after Eisner left that its stronghold and relevance really started loosening.

 

[XYZpdq Jr.]

Those are some rare classics! Did you by any chance see The Cat from Outer Space? I've never run into a soul that's even heard of it outside of my family.

I showed that to my nerd buddies a while back.
Another one I still dig is Flight of the Navigator. Very few movies include the harsh reality of the 95/ tpike argument

 

[The Mighty Banth]

I showed that to my nerd buddies a while back.
Another one I still dig is Flight of the Navigator. Very few movies include the harsh reality of the 95/ tpike argument

Yeah, that's definitely going on the list of movies I'm showing to my son when he's old enough. It's amazing how good even their lesser efforts one was.

 

[neverendingmidi]

Those are some rare classics! Did you by any chance see The Cat from Outer Space? I've never run into a soul that's even heard of it outside of my family.

That's one of my favorites too! My library had it on VHS... and I found the novelization in a used bookstore as a kid.