5 excellent Oscar-winning films available to watch on Disney+

      Disney+ features only a limited number of Academy Award winners, primarily because Disney’s live-action films have not fared as well at the Oscars compared to their animated offerings. There are some Oscar-winning films for special effects available, such as Star Wars and Avatar, as well as winners for Best Song like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.

      For our selection of the top five Oscar-winning movies on Disney+, we focused on those that have won the Best Animated Feature award, introduced in 2002. Disney and Pixar together provide 15 winners in this category on Disney+. We narrowed our list to five, all produced by Pixar, a studio that has experienced some challenges in recent years but continues to create films full of heart and soul.

      **Soul (2020)**

      Pixar

      In December 2020, during the pandemic, Disney+ treated its subscribers to Soul, a life-affirming film that ultimately won an Oscar. Jamie Foxx voices Joe Gardner, a music teacher who finally gets a chance to showcase his talent as a jazz pianist, just before he meets an untimely end.

      Instead of moving on to the afterlife, Joe ends up in the Great Before as a mentor to 22 (Tina Fey), a soul reluctant to come to Earth. To return home, Joe must convince 22 that life is worth living. However, he does his job too well, and he finds himself back on Earth in the body of a cat, while 22 experiences life through him with a newfound enthusiasm.

      Watch Soul on Disney+.

      **Inside Out (2015)**

      Disney/Pixar / Pixar

      Inside Out's brilliant premise led to the creation of an even more successful sequel, Inside Out 2. While we will have to wait to see if the sequel will also win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature as the first did, the original easily earns its spot on this list. Most of the film occurs in the mind of Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), a young girl whose emotions—Joy (Amy Poehler), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Fear (Bill Hader), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith)—take charge of her actions.

      After moving to a new house, Joy becomes concerned as Sadness seems to affect every aspect of Riley's thoughts and memories. This leads to both emotions being ejected from Riley’s control room, forcing them to collaborate to return. Richard Kind makes a memorable appearance as Bing Bong, Riley's imaginary friend whom she has forgotten, but audiences will definitely remember Bing Bong.

      Watch Inside Out on Disney+.

      **WALL-E (2008)**

      Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

      There were reportedly some doubts within Disney about spending so much time with limited dialogue in WALL-E. WALL-E (Ben Burtt) may be quiet, but he is an endearing trash-compacting robot. As Earth's last robot, WALL-E has found joy in his existence, and when he encounters EVE (Elissa Knight), he instantly falls for her.

      It takes EVE some time to reciprocate his feelings, but their relationship grows into a heartwarming bond. Their “dance” in space is a beautiful moment that ultimately impacts Earth’s future.

      Watch WALL-E on Disney+.

      **Up (2009)**

      Pixar

      Few films have evoked as much emotion as the opening sequence of Pixar’s Up, which portrays the lifelong love story between Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) and his wife, Ellie, filled with both joy and heartbreak. Now a widower, Carl feels abandoned by the world, prompting him to escape by transforming his house into an airship to reach South America and fulfill a promise to Ellie.

      Unfortunately, he ends up with an unintentional stowaway: Russell (Jordan Nagai), a 13-year-old Wilderness Explorer aiming to earn his badge by assisting the elderly. Together, Carl and Russell embark on an unforgettable adventure, unaware that danger lurks nearby.

      Watch Up on Disney+.

      **Toy Story 3 (2010)**

      Pixar

      Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are not included in this list primarily because they were released before the Academy Awards started presenting Oscars for Best Animated Feature. Toy Story 4 is also an Oscar winner, but we chose Toy Story 3 as our final pick for being a fitting conclusion to the trilogy. As Andy (John Morris) prepares for college, his toys face an uncertain future without him.

      Due to a mix-up, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack), Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), and most of Andy’s toys are sent to a local daycare center. While they are excited to be around children again, they realize that playtime can be rough. The day care is ruled by Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear (Ned Beatty), who will not