As leaves turn various shades of red, yellow, orange and brown and the chill in the air returns, it is well and truly Autumn. As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, there is nothing better than cosying up with a cup of tea or hot chocolate and a good autumn-y film. To mark the change in the season, I have compiled a list of my top five favourite cosy Disney movies for Autumn.
- Hocus Pocus 2
A sequel to the iconic 1993 original was released back in 2022. Twenty-nine years after the first movie, the Sanderson sisters are again resurrected by the Black Flame Candle, after one of the characters, Becca is gifted it for her birthday. The sequel follows Becca and her friend Izzy as they try to prevent the Sanderson Sisters from taking over the world. The sequel was entertaining but it didn’t quite match up to the magic and nostalgia of the original movie.
- Monsters University- 2013
If you think it’s still too early for Halloween movies and you want something that’s appropriate for the back to school period, I highly recommend Monsters University. The prequel to Monsters Inc (2001), follows Mike and Sully in the years before landing their jobs at Monsters Inc. The two start off as rivals upon meeting at MU; Sully, a popular legacy student and Mike a not so popular outsider. After they both fail an exam, Sully is kicked out of the top fraternity on MU campus, and Mike, determined to prove himself, joins a less popular fraternity Oozma Kappa (OK) to compete in the annual Scare Games. This movie is full of laughs and is such an easy, enjoyable watch.
- Spooky Buddies– 2011
This one is a total throwback for me. I used to love the ‘Buddies’ films growing up. This film within the series follows the five golden retriever pups; B-Dawg, Buddha, Budderball, Mudbud and Rosebud and some new friends, Pip, Zelda, Rodney and Skip, as they combat the force of an the evil Warrick the Warlock and save the world. It’s such a cute movie, especially if you have a golden retriever like me. You might even get some costume ideas for your dog out of it!
- Halloweentown (1998)
One of my top picks for the best Autumn Disney Movies is another Halloween favourite, ‘Halloweentown’. Also a classic from the 90s, released a few years later than ‘Hocus Pocus’, the early to mid 2000s kids like me probably grew up watching this one on Disney Channel, too. It’s a bit like the Princess Diaries, but instead of the main character, 13-year old Marnie’s grandmother, Aggie (played by the late Debbie Reynolds) being a queen, she’s a witch. Marnie, like her grandmother, is also a witch. Marnie and her siblings must help their grandmother to fight against the evil Kalabar.
- Hocus Pocus (1993)
Of course, a list of the best Autumn Disney movies wouldn’t be complete without ‘Hocus Pocus’, one of the most iconic Halloween movies of all time. The excitement when this film would be played on Disney Channel was something else. Despite being born twelve years after the movie was released, it’s still a big part of my childhood. It was always a favourite if we were to pick a movie to watch the day before the Mid-Term break. Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker in the same film? Iconic. Also, let’s not forget the one and only Omri Katz as Max Dennison; you’re lying if you didn’t have a crush on him at some stage of your life.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect Halloween watch or just a movie for a cosy Autumn night, I’m sure you’ve found one here.