For over 90 years, the Walt Disney Company has been the cornerstone of animation. As the years went on, Disney began to release films that were similar in style and theme, and thus the company and fans began to refer to different films based on the eras they were released in.
Today, the Walt Disney Company is in its seventh era, which has been dubbed "Disney's Revival Era." While there is some argument over when the "Revival Era" officially began, most fans agree that it began in 2009. Spanning over 10 years, the "Revival Era" has become a fan-favorite, with some fans even claiming it's better than the company's "Renaissance Era." With 10 films in the "Revival Era," it can be hard to determine which one is the best, but one way to judge is to look at their box office numbers, courtesy of Box Office Mojo.
Winnie The Pooh (2011) - $49.8 Million
Ever since licensing the rights from the estate of A.A. Milne in 1961, the Walt Disney Company has continued to bring stories about the "silly old bear" to the big and small screen. In 2011, Disney decided to go back to the beginning, releasing Winnie the Pooh, which featured stories from the first-ever Winnie the Pooh novel.
The movie was the third one released as part of the "Revival Era," but unfortunately, it didn't become a massive hit. It ended up grossing $49.9 million worldwide, which isn't bad considering it had a budget of $30 million.
Raya And The Last Dragon (2021) - $82.5 Million
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and all that's come with it, Walt Disney Animation Studios released the highly anticipated movie, Raya and the Last Dragon. After a few years of sequels, fans were eager to get an original story and Raya did not disappoint.
The movie was simultaneously released on Disney+, as well as in theaters, which may have affected box office numbers. While the movie is still in theaters, it has since grossed $82.5 million at the global box office - a feat that should be celebrated given the time in which it was released.
The Princess And The Frog (2009) - $267 Million
The Princess and the Frog got the esteemed privileged of kicking off the "Revival Era" when the movie was released in 2009. It was also the first princess film released by Disney Animation in 11 years and marked one of the last times Disney utilized all 2D animation.
While Princess and the Frog had a bit of a subdued opening, it went on to gross $267 million globally at the box office. It certainly set the standard high for what was to be expected in the new "Revival Era" and continues to be highly regarded, so much so that Princess Tiana will be getting her own show on Disney+.
Wreck-It Ralph (2012) - $471.2 Million
Disney animation abandoned Disney princess and existing stories with its fourth "Revival Era" movie, Wreck-It Ralph. The decision to tell an original story about video game characters certainly paid off and Wreck-it Ralph went on to be nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Wreck-It Ralph had an amazing opening, which only increased as the weeks went on. By the end of its theatrical run, the movie had grossed $471.2 million worldwide against its $165 million budget.
Ralph Breaks The Internet (2018) - $529.3 Million
After the success of Wreck-It Ralph, Walt Disney Animation Studios decided to revisit Ralph, Vanellope, and the rest of the video game gang in 2018. This time, Ralph and Vanellope find themselves sucked into the internet, a plot that seemed to appeal to audiences around the world.
The movie went on to gross $529.3 million globally, beating its predecessor. It also turned a major profit, having been made for only $175 million.
Tangled (2010) - $592.5 Million
After the success of The Princess and the Frog, Walt Disney Animation decided to stick with its princess-themed movies with the release of Tangled. However, they did a few things differently this time around, making Tangled the first-ever CG animated Disney princess. In addition, Tangled is one of the most expensive animated films of all time.
Thankfully the huge $260 million budget paid off because Tangled ended up earning $582.5 million at the global box office. At the time, it was the highest-grossing Disney princess movie.
Moana (2016) - $642.3 Million
While the Disney Renaissance Era might be best known as the "Princess Era," the "Revival Era" is certainly good competition for that title. The release of Moana in 2016 marked Disney's fourth Disney princess movie of the "Revival Era" and the first Disney Princess of Pacific Islander descent.
Moana went on to gross $643.3 million at the global box office becoming the second highest-grossing Princess movie of the era at the time. The film has only grown in popularity since then and is now slated to be turned into a television series for Disney+.
Big Hero 6 (2014) - $657.8 Million
While Marel Studios is now Disney's premier destination for Marvel comic content, in 2014, Disney Animation Studios decided to tackle an underrated Marvel comic with the release of Big Hero 6. It was a massive success and went on to become the highest-grossing animated film of 2014.
With a budget of $165 million, Big Hero 6 quickly made that back at the box office and at the end of its theatrical release, the movie grossed $657.8 million globally. The movie was so successful that Disney ended up giving the franchise its own television series on Disney XD and is set to create another show for Disney+.
Zootopia (2016) - $1.023 Billion
2016 was a big year for Walt Disney Animation studios since they decided to release two original animated movies. Zootopia was the first of the 2016 animated films and it did not disappoint, going on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Zootopia joined the coveted billion-dollar club, grossing $1.023 billion at the global box office during its theatrical release. This turned a huge profit for the company since the movie cost $150 million to create.
Frozen (2013) - $1.281 Billion
The powerhouse of Disney's "Revival Era" is without a doubt the Frozen franchise. After the success of Disney Princess movies in the era, Disney decided to continue with the formula releasing the massive-smash hit Frozen in 2013.
Frozen went on to become a cultural phenomenon grossing $1.281 billion globally against its $150 million budget. It went on to become the highest-grossing film of 2013 out of both animation and live-action and was the highest-grossing animation film of all time until the release of the remake of The Lion King in 2019.
Frozen II (2019) - $1.45 Billion
Topping the box office of the "Revival Era" is Frozen II, the highly anticipated sequel to the smash-hit, Frozen. Like its predecessor, Frozen II became a cultural phenomenon with the highest all-time worldwide opening for an animated movie.
The movie earned $1.45 billion globally against its $150 million budget. It even out-earned its predecessor by nearly $200 million. Despite its commercial success, Frozen II was not nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.