Parents' Guide to

Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection

By Tracy Moore, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Terrific, heartwarming shorts have something for everyone.

Movie NR 2015 77 minutes
Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 6+

Based on 4 parent reviews

zonarocks22
zonarocks22 Parent of 4-year-old
January 27, 2016
age 8+

Most of the shorts are great - but there are 2 to avoid

This compilation was enjoyable for the most part. My concern is regarding two of the shorts: the little match girl and a short about two cats. The Little Match Girl (a Hans Christian Anderson story) ends with the girl dying alone in the cold - I don't believe this to be appropriate for a 5 year old and if you have young children I would definitely fast forward over this one. My other criticism involves a short about two cats - it was going along okay until the scene where one of the cats suggests (visually) that the other cat cut off its tail with a machete - my husband and I both jumped up to fast forward over this part so I don't know what happened ... but I certainly didn't want my 5 year old to see. The rest of the shorts are enjoyable, however.
1 person found this helpful.
fawnflowr
fawnflowr Parent of 3 and 5-year-old
March 17, 2023
age 3+

Overall, a good family movie night pick.

I have a very sensitive 5 year old who covered her eyes and ears during some parts, but was not bothered by them after it was over. I, however, was crying at the Little Match Girl and was shocked that this was in this collection. Artistically it was beautiful but absolutely heartbreaking. A little unhoused orphan girl pines for a home and family during Christmastime in the snow as she attempts to sell matches to passersby who turn up their noses at her. She imagines what she wishes she had as she lights matches in a snowy alleyway at night, alone (warmth, food, shelter, love, a home). Every comforting vision she has is snatched away as each lit match burns out and brings her back into her harsh reality. After her last match and vision is gone, it shows her slumped over DEAD in the cold. What kind of ending is that?! I was gutted. My kids had no idea what was going on, and thought it was a happy ending because a spirit takes the little girls' soul away lovingly. But it was not a happy ending. I was not prepared to have to process all of this during a family movie night. There was also a scene during the old Mickey short where Minnie was dancing around teasingly on the back of a car and the "bad guy" was overtly lusting after her and then kidnaps her??? Eww. My kids LOVED this short though, it was their favorite, surprisingly. They thought all of the crazy antics of the bad guy getting hurt were hysterically funny. All in all, most of the short films were great. The Little Match Girl was out of place but it didn't put too much of a damper on our evening.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Among the 12 shorts here are retelling of the story of John Henry, the hardworking steel-driver; a whimsical cat, Lorenzo; the story of a resourceful clock who finds his chance at heroism; a brave little girl in The Little Matchgirl; a loyal and delightful puppy in Feast; a silly send-up of early animation in Get a Horse; Tangled Ever After, in which Rapunzel gets married; and Frozen Feast, where Elsa does her best to plan a birthday party for Anna, even though she has a nasty cold.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (13):

WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS SHORT FILMS COLLECTION offers a broad range of shorts that will satisfy most families. Viewers get something retro with Get a Horse, something moving with The Little Matchgirl, something romantic with Paperman, and something heartwarming with Feast, as well as some exciting updates for fans of the wildly popular Frozen and Tangled with Frozen Fever and Tangled Ever After.

The varying styles of animation are a marvel to see all together, and the impressive storytelling, often without any lines of dialogue, convey just how much emotion and meaning can be communicated in seven to 10 minutes. These cartoons are full of slapstick thwacks up the head, and there are a few instances of suffering, but overall, these are fun, inventive shorts that offer positive messages, masterful craft, and loads of entertainment value.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Frozen and Frozen Fever were so popular. What is so appealing about the characters and stories?

  • What was your favorite short film, and why?

  • Do you like the old-style cartoons included here? How are they different?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate