While Disney had a lot of GREAT, classic movies in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, and still has some good ones today, I don't think anything before or since has matched the power, maturity or moral messsage of the 90s Disney films. Like a lot of the modern Disney animated films are just fun jaunts, with some serious moments, but I haven't seen one which really had a message to teach kids--whereas the 90s films (particularly Beauty & The Beast, The Lion King, Pochantas, Hunchback of Notre Dame and maybe Mulan) did.

For example, Beautry & The Beast and Hunchback of Notre Dame both express a clear message to kids--that beauty shouldn't be judged simply on physical appearence, that sometimes those who seem good or holy are sometimes the truly evil ones; The Lion King stresses the importance both of knowing and being proud of who you are, as well as the really positive idea that we all have our place in life--''The Circle Life''. Pochahantas has the message of not judging someone as less than you simply because they act or look different than you, or because they believe differently--it doesn't make savages or less human. Mulan has an almost feminist message--that a woman can be as good or as strong as a man; gender doesn't matter in terms of strength or bravery. I've noticed that unlike a lot of the past--and present--Disney films, many of the 90s films were aimed or designed to appeal just as strongly to adults as they were to children--particularly the Lion King and Hunchback, in whcih there is a lot of darkness and adult themes, in the case of the TLK, death and loss, and in terms of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, lust and perversion.

I agree with on your assestment.  The Lion King was a pretty powerful movie, and I shed to tears when Simba's father died.  I liked how Simba's girl found out him somewhere and convinced him to take over the Africanland.

I would like to mention another Disney product that had a strong message:

Talespin:  This was my all time favorite cartoon, mainly because the characters were so real.  Also, they were basically a recasted form of the original Jungle Book cartoon.  The series dealt with money issues, single moms, corporate influencing, and among other things.  It was still a kid's cartoon, but adults could have easily watched it and liked it.  IMO, this is one of the few cartoons were you can watch back and not feel insulted, unlike the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(Original Series).

I can watch A Goofy Movie till I throw up! I love 90s disney and this is at the top of the GREAT pile of GREAT movies for me.

i don't know what's happened to me. up until about 2 years ago, movies didn't really make me cry, but, lately, i've been rewatching a lot of disney movies.

i just saw the hunchback of notre dame again since i saw it in theaters when it first came out (i was 6 years old then), and MAN when they threw all that crap at quasi i started tearing up. and i completely lost it at the end when the little girl came up and hugged him!  :\'( while the overarching message of tolerating those who are different was not difficult to grasp, i definitely didn't have that great of an understanding of some of the other themes in the hunchback of notre dame. i didn't know who the gypsies were when i was 6 years old, and i'm pretty sure i did not know what it meant to be an "outcast." i'd definitely say it was one of the more serious disney movies that could appeal to an older audience as well as a younger one because of it's darker themes (as ryan said).

pocahontas, too is a more serious disney film imo. though it was still a great film, it did not receive the same response (by younger audiences) as some of the other disney films like aladdin and the lion king. anywho, i also rewatched this one a couple weeks ago, and colors of the wind really got to me for some reason. especially the "you will never hear the wolf cry . . ." and "whether we are white or copper-skinned" parts.

actually, come to think of it, lion king was the only movie that made me cry when i was young. i'd always get teary-eyed when mufasa died and so i didn't watch it again for the longest time because i was afraid that i'd start crying in front of my friends hahaha.

aladdin has ALWAYS been my favorite disney movie. also, i think a goofy movie is terribly underrated. no one ever talks about it, yet the songs are really good, and there are so many funny lines/scenes!