10 Best Documentaries on Disney+
Disney+ has some incredible stories of inspiring people and their documentary selection is very worthwhile. Although many of these documentaries are focused on the men and women behind the Disney empire, there are some standouts that break that pattern.
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Free Solo
September 28, 2018Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite’s 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history.
“Free Solo” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2018.
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Waking Sleeping Beauty
September 5, 2009By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. These conditions produced a series of box-office flops and pessimistic forecasts: maybe the best days of animation were over. Maybe the public didn’t care. Only a miracle or a magic spell could produce a happy ending. Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale. It’s the true story of how Disney regained its magic with a staggering output of hits - “Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast ,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” and more - over a 10-year period.
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Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
September 12, 2004From the earliest versions of the script to the blockbuster debuts, explore the creation of the Star Wars Trilogy.
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The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story
April 24, 2009The troubled fraternal relationship between songwriters Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman, the Oscar and Grammy-winning Sherman Brothers, famous for the iconic hits they wrote for Disney.
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Howard
April 22, 2018Though legendary lyricist Howard Ashman died far too young, his impact on Broadway, movies, and the culture at large were incalculable. Told entirely through rare archival footage and interviews with Ashman’s family, friends, associates, and longtime partner Bill Lauch, Howard is an intimate tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent and a rousing celebration of musical storytelling itself.
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Jane Goodall: The Hope
April 22, 2020The story of one remarkable woman who became a global icon in animal welfare and conservation who not only hoped for a better world, she achieved it! This sweeping documentary celebrates the vast legacy of Dr. Goodall’s four decades of advocacy work for chimpanzees and depicts the next chapter for generations to come.
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Diana: In Her Own Words
August 6, 2017Using home videos recorded by her voice coach, Diana takes us through the story of her life.
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Frank and Ollie
October 20, 1995Before computer graphics, special effects wizardry, and out-of-this world technology, the magic of animation flowed from the pencils of two of the greatest animators The Walt Disney Company ever produced — Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Frank and Ollie, the talent behind BAMBI, PINOCCHIO, LADY AND THE TRAMP, THE JUNGLE BOOK, and others, set the standard for such modern-day hits as THE LION KING. It was their creative genius that helped make Disney synonymous with brilliant animation, magnificent music, and emotional storytelling. Take a journey with these extraordinary artists as they share secrets, insights, and the inspiration behind some of the greatest animated movies the world has ever known!
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Science Fair
September 14, 2018Filmmakers follow nine high school students from around the globe as they compete at an international science fair. Facing off against 1,700 of the smartest teens from 78 countries, only one will be named Best in Fair.
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One Day at Disney
December 3, 2019Discover the inspiring personal stories of the people behind the enduring magic of Disney.
