What We Watched on Disney + in May

Disney + has a vast array of shows and movies, new and old. Like any other streaming service, the movies you watch steer the selections that show up on the home page. Which means there could be plenty of shows and movies that may interest you that you have no idea are out there. So take a look at the many things we’ve been watching on Disney + over the last month.

*To give you context, our family is a family of 5: three kids, 7, 5 and 1. *

Kids TV Shows

Clone Wars

Clone Wars has become a consistent favourite. So much so that it have spilled over into play time. The kids are playing clones out in the backyard, making masks to wear, and creating blasters with their lego. The episodes are action packed, so much so that they can rarely believe the episode is already over. It certainly doesn’t hold the attention of our 1 year old though.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

We started watching this preschool favourite once a week because our one year old will actually sit and watch the whole episode. Giving me a full 25 minutes of uninterrupted cleaning. The show features Mickey Mouse and his gang and filled with learning elements. There’s lots of participation, which our older two do for the benefit of their younger brother.

Lion Guard

Another consistent favourite is Lion Guard. This show tells the tale of Simba’s son Kion and his gang of animal friends who protect the pride lands. In each episode one or two songs advance the plot as The Lion Guard help a fellow animal in need. There’s quite a bit of information about the different animals featured in the stories, teaching the kids about the animals habitats and living in harmony.

Elena of Avalor

The kids reminded me today that they have watched Elena of Avalor a few times. It’s a go to if they neither of them wants to watch the others favourite. It’s an exciting show filled with mythical creatures and adventures.

Family Movie Afternoon

Jump In!

This Disney Chanel Original movie feature Corbin Blue of High School Musical fame. It tells the tale of a young boxer who takes up competitive double dutch on the side to help out a friend. The story is filled with great music and fun scenes. It promotes kids finding their own path despite the expectations put on them. Kind of similar to Troy’s plight in High School Musical. It’s a great, fun movie for both genders. It’s suitable for kids 5 and up. This movie is rated G.

The Muppet Movie

The original Muppet Movie film was a bit difficult when we started watching it. It was actually grainy, I had to disconnect our Apple TV and try again. When I restarted the film it came up with a discretion that the quality of the film was not up to par. This was the first time I’ve seen any kind of statement. The movie is filled with songs and our favourite Muppet characters. The songs are quite slow, instead of bringing an upbeat lift to the story. The movie features cameo from many famous faces from the late 70s. The kids loved the many funny scenes of slapstick comedy. The whole movie comments on the film itself as its happening, which I found really funny. It was a great one to share as a family. This movie is rated G.

Million Dollar Duck

This movie was released in 1971 and features the main actor from the Herbie franchise. The movie is about a scientist who causes a Duck to begin laying golden eggs. How to turn these golden eggs into money without being found out is a bit problematic. The scientist’s son also gets very attached to the duck. There were a couple parts of the movie the kids couldn’t quite fellow. It involved the government trying to figure where these eggs were coming from. But there was a big car chase at the end that had the kids laughing so hard they were crying. I would strongly recommend it for families to watch together. This movie is rated G. This was the kids favourite movie from the month.

Annie

I’ve always loved the Annie film from the 80s. I spent many a sick day watching the movie. I remember when Disney did a version of the Wonderful World of Disney and this is the version that is on Disney +. Much to my delight Kathy Bates is Miss Hannigan, Kristen Chenoweth is Lily St Regis, Alan Cumming is Rooster and Audra McDonald is Grace. For a TV movie, this is very well done. With plenty of dance scenes to hold everyones attention. Lincoln, who is 5, was a little scared of Rooster at one part because he implies that he is going to kill Annie. The film is rated PG.

Prince and the Pauper

This film was released in 1962, it is the classic tale of the Prince and the Pauper. The Prince and a pauper look identical and decide to switch places to give the prince a break from his princely duties. The pauper has a terrible family life, with a drunk for a father. This menacing character gave our son a bit of a fright, so much so that he wanted to curl up next to me for the remainder of the film. The story takes the prince on a journey through England that he’s never seen and teaches about how his people have been treated. It’s a bit of a darker film for Disney and I wouldn’t recommend it. There are many others out there that can be enjoyed. The film is rated G.

Movie Night

DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp

A classic in our eyes. My husband was excited to share this movie from our childhood with them. The kids have watched the DuckTales series a few times and are familiar with the characters. They seemed to enjoy it and didn’t find it at all frightening. But it wasn’t laugh out loud humorous. The movie is rated G.

Clone Wars

This movie was picked by Lincoln. The Clone Wars film is the prequel to the Clone Wars TV series. And having spent many hours now watching the story he thought it would be good to find out how things got to where they are. The Clone Wars movie follows Anakin and Obi-Wan on a couple missions, one which includes Jaba the Hutt. It is a movie full of action and fighting which is why this one is rated PG.

Thumbelina

This musical movie was released by Fox, and is therefore now a part of the Disney film franchise. The story follows a Thumb sized girl as she searches for her one true love after being captured. The voice of Jodi Benson, Ariel, is Thumbelina which of course escalates the film to another level. It’s full of great songs and great musical numbers. The kids loved it! It’s rated G.

George of the Jungle

George of the Jungle is a live action movie about a man raised by apes who has become king of the jungle. This man, George, is strong and not the brightest pencil in the box. This creates for humorous full body comedy. With him running into trees constantly and getting into quite a few unrealistic fights. The movie stars Brendan Fraser. It had our kids laughing consistently throughout the film. It was obviously a favourite because Lincoln chose the sequel for the following weekend. This film is rated PG.

George of the Jungle 2

A classic Disney sequel from the late 90s, low budget and mediocre. But the kids were none the wiser. Most of the actors from the first film do not return for this film but whether the kids could tell didn’t affect their enjoyment of the film. It certainly didn’t get as many laughs as the first but they were entertained. The film is about George’s mother in law trying to dissolve their marriage so Ursula will return home. Not the best underlying story. It certainly wasn’t a winner in my books. This movie is also rated PG.

We are very thankful for this streaming service during this COVID season when our children are watching more TV than ever before. One thing that I do want to keep from this pandemic is our Friday afternoon family movie. It is a highlight of my week. Rediscovering these old favourites and sharing them with our kids. We also love trying to find which movie we’ll watch next. It’s a special new tradition. I hope by sharing what we’ve been watching will give you some ideas of what you will watch next. Happy Planning, Friends.