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Published Feb 1, 2026, 8:30 AM EST
Dalton is a freelance writer, novelist, and filmmaker from Orlando Florida. He currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and pursues writing full-time. He is an avid reader, film buff, and amateur historian who also publishes novels on the side. Dalton graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BFA in Film and he often applies his industry-specific knowledge when writing about film and television. Along with his blog, Dalton's critical essays on film have been published in various places online.
Disney has set the gold standard for classic animated movies, but many of the studio's works are shorter than the average film. After years of producing beloved shorts that introduced the world to characters like Mickey Mouse, Disney eventually took a big chance on feature-length animation with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937.
The gamble paid off, and the studio began regularly producing theatrical films that upped the ante for animation. Standards for what constituted a feature-length movie were somewhat different back then, but Snow White hit theaters at a respectable 83 minutes. WWII would put a lot of pressure on Hollywood, so running times dipped across the board during those years.
After the war, Disney got right back to making groundbreaking animated films, and running times slowly crept upward across the decades. Typically, Disney's animated movies are a bit shorter than the average live-action film, and that isn't uncommon for animation in general. However, some Disney films are so short that they barely match the standard of feature-length.
10 The Great Mouse Detective (1986) - 74 Minutes
The period of time between Walt Disney's death in 1966 and the beginning of the Disney Renaissance in 1989 were wilderness years for the company. Movies like The Great Mouse Detective represent the studio's experimental nature during this era. The send-up to Sherlock Holmes concerns a rodent sleuth who is on the case of a kidnapped toymaker in Victorian London.
At 74 minutes, The Great Mouse Detective is about 10 minutes shorter than the studio's other 1980s efforts. However, its brisk pace is actually a positive. Lacking any filler, The Great Mouse Detective is a fun little Disney adventure with some interesting moments. Unfortunately, it's also not all that memorable, probably because it feels so minor.
9 The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh (1977) - 74 Minutes
The character of Winnie the Pooh existed before Disney's movie, but The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh introduced the lovable bear to the world at large. The anthology film combines three (later four) existing Pooh shorts together, including his quest for honey, his introduction to Tigger, and his blustery day. It was the studio's first package film since 1949.
A fourth segment involving Eeyore was added for the home video releases of the film.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is the shortest Disney film of the 1970s, a decade that saw running times trend upwards. The cuteness and whimsy of the segments is undeniable, and Pooh is now one of Disney's mascot characters. Unfortunately, the movie is less than the sum of its parts, due in large part to its short runtime.
8 Oliver & Company (1988) - 74 Minutes
As Disney struggled to keep up with shifting trends in animated movies, they released films like Oliver & Company. In a spin on Oliver Twist, the movie follows an orphaned kitten who befriends a band of stray dogs before finding himself adopted by a young girl. Leaning heavily on current popular culture, it's one of Disney's least timeless movies.
Oliver & Company's 74 minutes is not enough to craft a compelling story. Such a tale requires a bit more grandeur, but everything is lost in the mad dash for the end credits. What's more, the overreliance on contemporary popular culture dates the film, which makes it hard for audiences who weren't around back then to feel Disney's signature nostalgia.
7 Fun And Fancy Free (1947) - 73 Minutes
Many of Walt Disney Animation's first 10 movies were package films, and Fun and Fancy Free was released toward the end of that era. With a wraparound story starring Jiminy Cricket, the movie contains two short films, most famously telling the story of Mickey Mouse and the beanstalk. Fun and Fancy Free is very much of its time.
Like all package films, the segments are hit-or-miss. It limps past the feature-length finish line at only 73 minutes, though it isn't the shortest from its era. Both shorts have been made available on their own, and Fun and Fancy Free feels quite disposable as a result. It's an interesting diversion, but not one of Disney's true classics.
6 The Three Caballeros (1944) - 71 Minutes
As WWII dragged on, Disney's film output ground to a halt. However, The Three Caballeros was a bright spot during that dark period. In a follow-up to Saludos Amigos, the package film follows Donald Duck as he goes on various adventures in Latin America. The film is most notable for adding Panchito Pistoles to the Disney canon.
The segments themselves are actually quite strong, and The Three Caballeros has enough variety to be consistently entertaining. It's 71-minute runtime is one of its strengths, so that none of the segments overstay their welcome. It's a short Disney film for sure, but it's one of the few minor gems that is actually improved by its snappy pace.
5 Bambi (1942) - 70 Minutes
Disney didn't slow down following the success of Snow White, but after Fantasia's two-hour running time (the studio's longest), their movies got shorter. Bambi was their fifth smash in a row, and tells the story of a fawn who learns life lessons as he grows up in the forest. Bambi pushed the boundaries of its medium even further.
The film's beautiful animation is some of the best ever, and it has a magical quality that few movies have captured since. Bambi is light on narrative, so it isn't hampered by its shockingly-brief runtime. Instead, the whimsical coming-of-age tale fits snugly in its 70-minute framework. It could have been longer, but it's hard to say Bambi isn't nearly perfect.
4 The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad (1949) - 68 Minutes
With the post-war era in full swing, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad was Disney's last package film for nearly 30 years. It features two segments, one based on The Wind in the Willows, and the other on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." They are arguably two of Disney's best shorts, and they have stood the test of time.
Barely passing an hour in length, the movie does little to justify its existence as a feature film. While the shorts are magnificent, they aren't linked in any sort of meaningful way that makes the film a cohesive project. Disney would release Cinderella the next year, marking an end to the package film era for good.
3 Dumbo (1941) - 64 Minutes
Dumbo is one of Disney's most iconic feature-length animated films, but it is surprisingly short. A circus elephant is born with tremendous ears, but he soon learns they are his greatest asset. Though certain aspects of the film have aged quite poorly, Dumbo is inextricably linked with Disney's legacy through theme park attractions and other ventures.
Good writing can overcome length, and Dumbo's 64 minutes isn't wasted. It tells the same sort of three-act narrative that would be found in a 90-minute movie; it just wastes less time getting to the point. The animation itself is eye-catching and original, and it's still endlessly impressive because it was made in the early 1940s.
2 Winnie The Pooh (2011) - 63 Minutes
Almost nobody remembers 2011's Winnie the Pooh, but it is part of Disney's official animated feature film canon. The story catches up with the cuddly little bear as he and his Hundred Acre Wood pals help Eeyore find his missing tail. To this day, it remains Disney's most recent traditionally-animated film.
Running only 63 minutes, Winnie the Pooh is significantly shorter than the average animated film, and even shorter than its live-action counterparts. Dropping a movie that short is almost unheard of, and it likely suffered financially due to its length. Even with a short film attached at the beginning, Winnie the Pooh just wasn't good value for moviegoers.
1 Saludos Amigos (1943) - 42 Minutes
Saludos Amigos is Disney's shortest feature film by over 20 minutes, and the studio will never release a film anywhere near its length ever again. Made as a goodwill gesture to Latin America during WWII, the four-segment package film explores various regions of the continent. Though charming, none of the segments are particularly memorable.
Usually, a film like Saludos Amigos would be excised from the studio's canon (like The Reluctant Dragon), but Disney still considers the 1943 movie as part of their official filmography. Running only 42 minutes, it's shorter than most TV episodes, and is short even by WWII-era standards. It's an okay movie, but vastly inferior to its successor, The Three Caballeros.
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