Easter weekend is upon us! Along with welcoming Spring and the coming of the Easter Bunny, the holiday invites quality time with family and friends, good food, and a celebration of life. Even if you don’t celebrate the holiday, it is still a good weekend to get into the spirit of Spring, and defrost from the Winter blues.
To aid you on that journey, here are ten movies on Disney Plus to help you welcome in the Easter holiday — or just the glory of springtime itself.
1. Bambi
Bambi is nothing if not an old Disney classic. The movie, released in 1942, follows the life of a young deer named Bambi and his entire company of animal friends. The furry pals prance through the forest full of sights of Spring, from flowers to blue skies to the iconic rabbit named Thumper. And what’s Easter without a bunny?
2. Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo
The title speaks for itself, and any Winnie the Pooh movie features the quintessential Spring theme of adorable animals trailing through the woods. Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Rooh also features the dreaded dilemma of whether to play in the beautiful Spring weather, or get some Spring cleaning done. Something none of us are immune to, not even Winnie the Pooh himself.
3. Alice in Wonderland
Spring and Easter bring on a sense of whimsy that the rest of the year really doesn’t offer. Luckily, so did the Disney classic, Alice in Wonderland. Animals, giant flowers, tea parties, and of course the white rabbit all bring forward themes that we are all looking forward to for our Spring season. Share the classic with your family this weekend, or watch it on your own to get into the whimsical, zany side of the season.
4. Jesus: His Life
For a more traditional take on the Easter story, your family can tune into the History Channel’s Jesus: His Life which follows the story of the reason for the season. The mini-series follows the entire life story of Jesus throughout eight episodes through the eyes of different characters in his life. However, if you’re looking to tune into more Easter-specific episodes, watch episodes five through eight, which detail the Last Supper through the resurrection.
5. A Bug’s Life
Sure, the return of creepy crawlies might be seen as a negative, but leave it up to A Bug’s Life to change that perspective for you. Maybe it’ll help you celebrate the rebirth of nature on a much larger scale, at the very least it’ll give you a few laughs and a sense of nostalgia. Regardless, it’s a fun and festive watch, and certainly a Pixar classic.
6. Enchanted
Nothing says Spring like a colorful musical, and nothing says colorful musical like Disney’s Enchanted. The heartwarming live-action musical will have you singing and dancing all weekend long. There are of course the classic princess-in-nature scenes, but even better is the picture-perfect imagery of New York City in the springtime. It’ll transfer you right to springtime in the Big Apple through mesmerizing song and dance — and Patrick Dempsey. Seriously, what more could you want?
7. Mary Poppins
Not only will Mary Poppins have you to get started on your Spring cleaning, but it will also have you singing and dancing through the house while you do it. The feel-good film is another classic and a childhood favorite for many. The bright technicolor and fabulous dancing are very festive for Spring and Easter, and certainly reflect the joy of the season.
8. Snow White & the Seven Dwarves
In another Disney classic, Snow White dances through the woods with her animal friends, singing to birds and rabbits. You can’t tell me that that’s not exactly what you feel like doing on the first warm day of the year. Exactly. That’s what makes this a perfect Spring film. The nostalgia, the swoony music, and the classic story are perfect entertainment for any Spring day.
9. Zootopia
The most important and most Easter-y part of this movie is that it stars a bunny, Judy Hopps herself. There are strong Easter holiday themes, including a lot of carrots, and a lot of rabbits. Sure, it doesn’t exclusively say anything about Easter or Spring, but the subliminal messaging is certainly there. Plus it’s a fun, heartwarming movie to share with your family this Easter weekend.
10. Tangled
When you think of the imagery associated with this movie, it’s full of sunshine, pastels, and florals. The perfect color palette for Spring, no? On top of incredible music and a fast-paced, fun, and funny storyline of a girl finding her freedom, this movie is the perfect one to welcome warm weather and defrost from the Winter. Technically, it is a little more summery on the mobile itself and they make no mention of Easter, but is there a bad time to rewatch Tangled?
If your family finds itself full of Easter Candy and Easter brunch this holiday weekend, it may be time to lounge around and break out a springtime classic. The good news is, now that you have this list, you’ll never be scrambling for something to watch.
