You’re never too old for a bit of Disney.
And with the coronavirus lockdown period expected to be extended here in the UK for a further three weeks, there’s a high chance many of us will be escaping to the magical worlds of our childhood favourites.
With the recent launch of Disney Plus, it’s now even easier to delve into the vaults of the iconic studio, which has created a ton of excitement and nostalgia among fans who are at home amid the outbreak of Covid-19.
From The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers and The Jungle Book to Aladdin, Mulan and Beauty and the Beast, Disney has something to suit all tastes and all ages in its archives of classic animations.
But according to a poll by online savings site Onbuy.com, it’s 1994 classic The Lion King which comes out trumps for those using the streaming service here in the UK.
With an Oscar-winning soundtrack by Elton John, a heartbreaking plotline and star turns by Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones and Jeremy Irons as the main characters, it may come as no surprise to Disney superfans that it has been voted their number one choice.
Recently remade in photorealistic splendour with a host of new famous in the familiar roles, including Donald Glover, Seth Rogan and Beyonce, it’s the original and most successful version which is getting the ratings over on Disney+.
(Image: © 2019 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
(Image: ©2019 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
The second most popular traditional tale is Aladdin, which was released in 1992. Topping the charts in an incredible 14 of the 42 polled European countries including France, Germany and Belgium.
Aladdin, which boasted Robin Williams and Will Smith in the cast, was the most successful overall of the classics, beating The Lion King which was number one in nine other places including the Netherlands.
Here in the UK the rest of the top five went to Beauty and the Beast (1991) which was the favourite in seven countries, The Jungle Book (1967) and Dumbo (1941).
Onbuy utilised analytics tool Ahrefs to discover which classic animated Disney productions (available on Disney+) are the most popular in the 42 different European countries.
There were a few niche picks for some movie lovers, with Peter Pan (1953) the top choice in Cyprus, while people in Montenegro love The Jungle Book best.
Cas Paton, Managing Director at OnBuy.com, said: “Disney has become so integral to pop-culture. From theme parks to merchandise, everything they do becomes a major spectacle. Much of Disney’s success and acclaim has come from the animated movies they started making back in the late 1930s, creating an endless number of classics which were captivating and visually ahead of their time. To their credit, these movies continue to resonate with audiences from different generations and this research certainly shows which classic animated Disney titles are the most popular in different parts of Europe. With some very surprising results.”
Disney+ is designed to be the exclusive home for streaming theatrical blockbusters from Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, Disney’s own studio and National Geographic, taking on the likes of Netflix, Prime Video and Apple TV Plus.
