Defining Disney Podcast

Finish the canon with us with our take on Lilo and Stitch, a supersized episode with eight - yes, EIGHT - guests that make up part of our podcast ‘Ohana contributing their own unique perspectives to this fan favorite film. 

‘Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. We promise our long run time is worth not being left behind! 

Don’t miss:

• The way this movie breaks our hearts and puts them back together again a million and one times
• How many elements of Hawaiian culture and specific Kauai references Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois make central to this film’s story, characters, and landscape
• A discussion of the various things that worked in this film that Disney was able to take forward into the Revival and beyond
• Our final score, which may or may not surprise you based on our love for this film

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including even more members of our podcast community!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for the full Walt Disney Animation Studios canon
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Lilo and Stitch
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here
• Meet our guests: Stephen | Katy | Bray | Lauren | Kaitlyn | Tim of OSW | Darin of NostalgiaCast | Kevin

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss our return, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Drawers, floors, doors - let’s go! Come with us and the family Madrigal as we unpack Encanto, a magical tale of a family blessed with gifts and riddled with trauma, set in beautiful Colombia.

Don’t miss:

• The way this film’s team learned from other past films to make this one the best it could possibly be
• How many specific Colombian cultural elements the film incorporates
• A discussion of the character development within this film, both in range and growth, that sets the new gold standard for the category in our rubric
• Our final score, which sets the bar high for any future Disney films we may cover down the line

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including several members of our community on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Encanto
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Come along on another symphonic journey as we tackle our last package film in Make Mine Music! Fair warning - this one isn’t on Disney+, so you may not be able to watch it before listening.

Don’t miss:

• The short that really serves as the blueprint for discussing character development in music
• How jazz ties all of these shorts together, even with all its wide-varying subjects
• A discussion of the oddities that litter this film, including changed score segments, one anthropomorphic animal in an otherwise normal world, and a short that was cut entirely
• Our final score, cementing the package era as the overall lowest in the canon

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including several members of our community on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Make Mine Music
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

As historically inaccurate and insensitive as it is, the time has come in our journey to tackle Pocahontas, Disney’s very fictional retelling of historical events between the colonists of Jamestown and the Native American Powhatan tribe.

Don’t miss:

• The way the music of this film saves its bacon on several fronts
• How interruptions from studio exec Jeffrey Katzenberg caused stumbling blocks in character development
• A discussion of how many things Disney got wrong about Native Americans, despite the fact that they did make far more of an effort than most studios at the time
• Our final score, which puts it near the bottom of the Renaissance

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including several members of our community on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Pocahontas
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Get the tissues, y’all - it’s time for us to take on The Fox and the Hound, one of Disney’s Dark Age films that really pulls at the heartstrings. 

Don’t miss:

• The reason Amos Slade is one of the scarier villains we encounter in the canon, despite his immaturity of holding a grudge against a literal adolescent animal
• How some of the imagery in this film quickly gets burned into your mind
• A discussion of the theming nuances of this film that help us make a guess at where in America it might take place
• Our final score, which strikes the balance between the strong moments and its lack of staying power

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including several members of our community on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Fox and the Hound
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Join us for a trip down memory lane to the Hundred Acre Wood for 2011’s Winnie the Pooh, the last hand-drawn animated film at Walt Disney Animation Studios - for now.

Don’t miss:

• The surprisingly linear story for a Pooh film, which are typically episodic
• How cleverly the dialogue is played on to create the main conflict of the story
• A discussion of the film’s effect on the studio’s approach to hand-drawn animation and that outlook moving forward
• Our final score, which reflects the strength of story and the nostalgic notes they didn’t quite hit

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including those who joined us for #ddpwatchnight on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Winnie the Pooh
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

We’re back for our home stretch of Disney’s animated canon with our take on Pinocchio, an early Golden Age classic where Disney pushed the envelope both in content and technology.

Don’t miss:

• The meandering, episodic nature of the story - a risk for Walt Disney in only his second film
• How frighteningly sinister some of the villains are in this film, compared to others across the canon
• A discussion of the film’s treatment of magic, which is… questionable at best
• Our final score, which reflects the difficulties with story and character opposing the strength of visuals

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including those who joined us for #ddpwatchnight on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Pinocchio
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

You best start believing in ghost stories, dear listeners - we're in one! We're tackling fan-favorite Disney franchise Pirates of the Caribbean for our latest bonus episode, so join us as we take our rubric to the first film, Curse of the Black Pearl.

Don’t miss:

• The sheer number of quotes the three of us throw into this episode
• How the fights in this film do so much work for the character development
• A discussion of the way this film has fed back into other Disney phenomena
• Our final score, making this easily the best-ranked film of any of our bonus films thus far

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Follow our guest Bray on Twitter
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Confront the Mistress of All Evil with us as we discuss Sleeping Beauty, one of Disney’s most visual-forward films that unfortunately trades style for substance in some cases.

Don’t miss:

• The iconic art style of this film that makes nearly every shot a frameable masterpiece
• How the title misleads the audience about who the real protagonist of the film is
• A discussion of the film’s score, which is largely lifted from the original Tchaikovsky ballet
• Our final score, which represents the peak of the Silver Age

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including those who joined us for #ddpwatchnight on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Check out our guest Darin on his podcast, NostalgiaCast
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Sleeping Beauty
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Travel back in time with us as we break down Dinosaur, Disney’s only prehistoric adventure, which combined incredible technological advances with an excellent score and still somehow ended up lackluster.

Don’t miss:

• The strong visual elements of the film that unfortunately couldn’t save its story
• How the character development absolutely tanks this film’s score
• A discussion of the sheer power of James Newton Howard’s score in this film
• Our final score, which mirrors the beginning of the Digital Age

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including some of our good friends on Twitter who love this movie despite its flaws. 

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Dinosaur
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Take the first step with us as we break down Raya and the Last Dragon, the first post-pandemic outing for Walt Disney Animation Studios that took us all on maybe exactly the adventure we needed.

Don’t miss:

• The strong story score for the film, despite starting with two montages
• How the soundtrack helps differentiate between the different locations the film takes places in
• A discussion of the fact that it’s kind of a miracle this film got made at all
• Our final score, which is maybe a little lower than we expected after our first look bonus episode

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including some of our good friends on Twitter who shared how this movie gave them new hope in dark times.

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Raya and the Last Dragon
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Be our guest for our Season 5 premiere - Beauty and the Beast! Join us as we tackle this evergreen Disney classic and break down exactly why it means so much to so many Disney fans, casual and hardcore.

Don’t miss:

• The punch of character development this film packs, not just for our lead and romantic interest, but for the villain as well
• How this soundtrack doesn’t just take a stage-geared approach, but has layers and layers of interconnectivity to underscore character arcs and even make commentary on the world around us
• A discussion of the film’s ubiquity across Disney culture, and for good reason!
• Our final score… could it take the top spot? Listen to find out!

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including those who joined us on our biweekly #ddpwatchnight on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Beauty and the Beast
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

We’re tackling a controversial topic within the Disney fandom: live-action remakes! Join us as we take a walk through Disney's history of this phenomenon and decide which of these films do and do not pass the vibe check. Regular listeners be warned - this episode throws the rubric out! We are strictly grading these films on a pass/fail basis.

Don’t miss:

• Our confusion and anger at Disney's refusal to learn from their own successes
• How some films eke out a pass thanks to the advancements they made in the art form of film
• A discussion of all the remakes Disney has in the works and our various levels of concern over them
• Our assessment of the overarching problem with this phenomenon - why we hate this trend, why it's earned Disney so much vitriol from fans and detractors alike, but also why it's successful

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Woo-hoo! We're off on an adventure with Scrooge and the boys in DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, DisneyToon Studios's first foray into feature film that unfortunately can't hold a candle to the show it's based on.

Don’t miss:

• The way this film had a bevy of interesting, well-developed villains to pick from in the source material and completely disregarded them
• How the film relies more on tropes so much, we compare it to at least three non-Disney franchises
• A discussion of the few theming successes it does have, and why it maybe should have a sensitivity warning beforehand
• Our final score, which physically hurt us to give - a franchise this good should not have to stomach a middle installment this low

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Venture deep into the Hundred Acre Wood with us as we break down The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Disney’s first feature-length take on this beloved children’s character.

Don’t miss:

• The surprisingly strong story structure for what is essentially a package film
• How this film kicks off the beginning of an enormously successful franchise for Disney
• A discussion of the layers of theming within the Pooh universe
• Our final score for the film, which makes it the best of the Dark Age

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including those who joined us on our biweekly #ddpwatchnight on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Check out our guest Carlo on his show, The Movie Loot, wherever you get your podcasts
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

The Internet awaits! Join us for this adventure into the worldwide web as we look at Ralph Breaks the Internet, a sequel that expands the world of Wreck-It Ralph and his friends from their little hometown arcade to the entire online world. 

Don’t miss:

• The conflict in the film that led to strong character development for our leads but a less-than-quantifiable villain
• How this film used visual elements of theming to handwave away some of the social and scientific questions it leaves unanswered
• A discussion of the movie’s music, which sadly doesn’t distinguish itself from the original film
• Our final score for the film, which is the lowest of the Revival era thus far

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including some friends from our community on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Ralph Breaks the Internet
• Check out our guest Chris on his show, Let’s Chat with Chris Revill
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Strut down Fifth Avenue with us and earn some street cred as we tackle Oliver and Company, Disney’s take on the classic Oliver Twist featuring some adorable animals and memorable songs. 

Don’t miss:

• The forgettable, generic villain that is Sykes - he might as well be Loan Shark #1
• How this film laid the groundwork for many of the strategies that made the Renaissance work
• A discussion of the movie’s music, which was unique in several ways
• Our final score for the film, which is the highest of the Dark Age films we’ve scored thus far

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including those who joined us on our biweekly #ddpwatchnight on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Oliver and Company
• Check out our guest Robin on her show, Black Case Diaries
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Swing on in and pull up a vine as we break down Tarzan, the final film of Disney’s Renaissance era that goes hard on both the feels factor and the music, courtesy of Phil Collins.

Don’t miss:

• The heaping helping of gut punches this film delivers in its two opening sequences
• How this soundtrack masterfully interweaves story and character throughout its lyrics and music
• A discussion of the film’s awards (and our back-and-forth about a particular Grammy category that seems a bit bogus)
• Our final score, which just barely squeaks into the top 10!

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including those who joined us on our biweekly #ddpwatchnight on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Tarzan
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Go on the adventure of a lifetime with us as we visit Treasure Planet, one of Disney’s few true sci-fi genre films, and discuss why it’s a strong film despite its box office faceplant.

Don’t miss:

• The complex approach this story takes to its villain and how that sets it apart within the canon
• How this film gives character death its due more than many Disney classics
• A discussion of the movie’s theming and its various strengths and terrifying weaknesses
• Our final score for the film, which is pretty high considering the death knell this movie was for 2-D animation for the studio

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including a friend from our email 'Ohana!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Treasure Planet
• Check out our guest Robert on his show, Science Fiction Remnant
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!

Laugh with us and cry with us as we take it back to the Golden Age with Dumbo, the flying elephant!

Don’t miss:

• The highs and lows caused by this film’s outrageous dream sequence, Pink Elephants on Parade
• How living in Florida informed our opinions of the film’s opening with regard to theming
• A discussion of the complete lack of character development, even in comparison to even the simpler contemporaries of this film
• Our final score for the film, which signals the start of a downturn for the studio as the war began

PLUS, we talk through all the thoughts our audience had when they watched the movie, including those who joined us on our biweekly #ddpwatchnight on Twitter!

Links for you:

• Our website has our ranking spreadsheet for all the movies we’ve rated so far
• Become a Ko-fi member for exclusive content and access to your hosts and our team
• Join our ‘Ohana to be among the first to know about new content we’re developing
• Follow us on Twitter @definingdisney and let us know your thoughts on Dumbo
• Check out our friends at That Song from that Movie, whose Dumbo episode we recorded a clip for last year!
• When our transcription is available, we’ll link it here

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a single episode, and if you enjoyed this one, please leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening and we’ll see ya real soon!