The 9 best musicals on Disney+ for soul-warming singalongs
The 9 best musicals on Disney+ for soul-warming singalongs
Staff Author, Skyler TrepelFri, April 17, 2026 at 9:00 PM UTC
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Julie Andrews in 'Mary Poppins'; Elsa in 'Frozen'; Ariana DeBose in 'West Side Story'Credit: Disney (3)
Get ready to have some magical tunes stuck in your head.
Disney has been cranking out crowd-pleasing musicals for decades, from Beauty and the Beast to Coco and beyond. The arrival of Disney+ meant (for better or worse) that these tuneful tales could be blared throughout the house whenever you (or your mellifluous kids) wanted.
A good musical has songs that live rent-free in your head, but the best ones have character beats and emotional revelations woven into the lyrics and staging, helping to amplify the drama (like Elsa in “Let It Go”) and humor (like Pumbaa in “Hakuna Matata”).
Here are Entertainment Weekly’s picks for the best musicals on Disney+.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Belle, reading the Beast's face like a book (She loves books, remember? It's her whole thing)Credit: Disney
You know the story: Bookworm Belle yearns for more than her small-town life… and winds up imprisoned in the Beast’s castle. Unbeknownst to her, he’s a cursed prince, and she’s on the clock to fall in love with him, lest he be cursed in Beast form forever.
It’s only fitting that “tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme” applies perfectly to the film, as the story is baked into its songs. “Something There” illuminates the growing romance, while “Be Our Guest” joyfully captures just how committed the tableware and home furnishings are to making this romance happen.
With exquisite animation, fun characters, and a great villain, Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney’s most timeless musicals.
Where to watch Beauty and the Beast: Disney+
EW grade: B (read the review)
Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
Cast: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury
Coco (2017)
Miguel strums the Guitar of Fate (not actually what it's called, but it could be)Credit: Disney Pixar
Coco’s entire existence is wrapped up in the love of music.
All Young Miguel wants to do is sing and play guitar. He dreams of being a musician, but his family forbids it. Our young hero chases his dream anyway, even stealing a guitar that once belonged to local hero Ernesto de la Cruz, the gone-before-his-time music and movie star.
Turns out it’s a bad idea to strum a dead man’s instrument. He crosses over into the great beyond on Dia De Los Muertos, and discovers he needs a bit of help to break the spell and return to the land of the living.
If nothing else, Coco will be remembered for its emotional signature tune, “Remember Me.”
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Lee Unkrich
Cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor
Frozen (2013)
This is Elsa's "I just froze an entire kingdom by accident" faceCredit: Disney
Once Frozen hit theaters, Elsa’s showstopper “Let It Go” became inescapable. You can credit Idina Menzel’s powerhouse performance, but there’s real dramatic flair to how the song is used — and when.
Elsa has spent a chunk of the film in hiding, having bolted from her kingdom due to the icy, destructive powers she didn’t know how to control. Then comes the big number, and it’s her breakthrough moment, the spark through which she regains her confidence.
The film feels like a Broadway musical, so it's no wonder it’s had such successful stage adaptations. From Elsa and Anna’s testaments to sisterhood to Olaf’s naïve jubilance, the songs make it clear why Frozen reinvigorated Disney for a new generation.
Where to watch Frozen: Disney+
Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Cast: Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Santino Fontana
Hamilton (2020)
The American Revolution as it should be remembered: In rhyme.Credit: Courtesy of Disney
Telling the story of one of America’s founding fathers through a rap musical wasn’t really on anyone’s Bingo card in the early 21st century.
Flash-forward to now, and it’s hard to imagine Broadway culture without Lin-Manuel Miranda’s innovative classic. Whether you’re new to the show or were there from the beginning, the opening number, “Alexander Hamilton,” assures us the whole production is going to be a banger.
This may appear to be a simple filming of the stage play (and indeed, there’s a documentary element to it), but the camera offers a unique viewing perspective, including shots from behind the stage, that differentiates it from the theatrical experience.
Where to watch Hamilton: Disney+
EW grade: A (read the review)
Director: Thomas Kail
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Cast: Daveed Diggs, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Renée Elise Goldberry, Jonathan Groff, Leslie Odom Jr., Anthony Ramos
The Lion King (1994)
Simba and friends having no worries (uh, except for his evil murderous uncle) in 'The Lion King'Credit: Disney
The Lion King may hold the Disney musical crown for songs, characters, and story. Taking inspiration from Hamlet, the story follows lion cub Simba, the heir to his father Mufasa’s throne.
His bitterly envious uncle Scar, however, has other plans. He kills Mufasa and even intends to kill his little nephew; thankfully, Simba gets away. And no matter how much he loves living the sweet life with Timon and Pumbaa, he must return to reclaim the throne.
Both Hans Zimmer’s music and Elton John’s songs have great narrative purpose. From Simba coming of age during “Hakuna Matata” to the film opening and closing with “The Circle of Life,” the music is instrumental in making The Lion King a masterpiece.
Where to watch The Lion King: Disney+
Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Cast: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella
Mary Poppins (1964)
Disclaimer: This will not happen to you if you draw chalk on the sidewalk and jump on itCredit: Disney
Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) descends from above, floating under that signature umbrella, to mete out her particular brand of discipline. From the moment she arrives, the Banks children realize they’re in for something out of the ordinary — whimsical lyrics, catchy melodies, suitcases that defy physics, and a whole new way to experience kindness.
Mary shows them how magical chores can be while singing “A Spoon Full of Sugar,” and how to leap into the world of paintings by her chimneysweep friend, Bert (Dick Van Dyke), for a then-revolutionary blend of live-action and animation.
By the time she sings the legendary “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” she’s changed the Banks family and movie-musical history in one fell swoop.
Where to watch Mary Poppins: Disney+
Director: Robert Stevenson
Cast: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis John, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber, Elsa Lanchester
Mulan (1998)
In her pre-warrior days, Mulan has nothing to sing aboutCredit: Disney
In Imperial China, Mulan is meant to be nothing more than a bride, simply because she’s a woman. She knows she’s destined for more. She knows it so much that, after a disastrous meeting with her Matchmaker, she sings a whole song about it — “Reflection,” which is practically a mission statement for the character and the film. When her aging father is recruited for war, she disguises herself as a man and steps in.
During another classic song, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” she shows she can use strategy to best even her most physically formidable opponents. If you know where the story goes later, you know there’s a lot more where that came from.
Where to watch Mulan: Disney+
Directors: Barry Cook, Tony Bancroft
Cast: Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong, James Hong, Pat Morita, George Takei
The Sound of Music (1965)
Julia Andrews sings about her favorite things (Christopher Plummer's eyes, etc) in 'The Sound of Music'Credit: 20th Century Studios
Fresh off her Mary Poppins breakthrough, Julie Andrews plays another singing nanny — or, technically, governess. Maria is a Viennese nun conscripted to take charge of seven children from the wealthy von Trapp family.
Europe is on the verge of World War II, and with Austria in the middle of it, the Nazis want to recruit the widowed family patriarch Captain Gerog von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). That cultural backdrop would be taut enough even without the sexual tension between Georg and Maria — who, let us remind you, is a nun.
Thanks to earworms like “My Favorite Things” and “So Long, Farewell,” The Sound of Music remains a pop culture staple.
Where to watch The Sound of Music: Disney+
Director: Robert Wise
Cast: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Richard Haydn, Peggy Wood, Charmian Carr, Eleanor Parker
West Side Story (2021)
Ariana DeBose does her best Rita Moreno in 'West Side Story'Credit: Niko Tavernise/20th Century Studios
How do you live up to a Best Picture-winning musical? Bring in Steven Spielberg.
In taking on West Side Story, the legendary filmmaker takes a magnificent new coat of paint to the story of the white Jets gang and their Puerto Rican rivals, the Sharks, led by Bernardo (David Alvarez). His sister Maria (Rachel Zegler) falls in love with reformed Jet Tony (Ansel Elgort), which becomes the impetus for not just a tragic romance but a layered exploration of class and culture.
Spielberg’s camera is a natural for the musical form, and he also had the pleasure of directing Ariana DeBose’s Academy Award-winning performance — in the same role that landed Rita Moreno an Oscar 60 years earlier.
Where to watch West Side Story: Disney+
EW grade: A- (read the review)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno
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