Classic Disney with themes of responsibility, courage, and redemption.
The Walt Disney Company was founded on explicitly family-friendly values and built an empire on content that, while secular, reflected broadly Judeo-Christian moral assumptions: virtue is rewarded, evil is defeated, sacrifice and love are noble, family matters. For much of the 20th century, Disney content was broadly safe for Christian families. This has changed substantially since the mid-2000s and accelerated dramatically in the 2010s and 2020s. Disney has become one of the most prominent corporate champions of LGBT ideology, critical race theory in children's content, and the marginalization of traditional family structures. This is not inference — Disney executives have stated these goals explicitly in leaked internal communications.
Several documented developments are relevant to Christian families. Disney executives were recorded in 2022 discussing their goal of increasing LGBT content in children's programming and their opposition to Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill. Disney's Lightyear (2022) featured a same-sex kiss in a children's film. Disney's Strange World (2022) featured an openly gay teenage protagonist in what was marketed as a family film. Multiple Disney Channel shows have introduced LGBT storylines for child and teen characters. Disney has funded and promoted content that mocks traditional Christianity while presenting alternative spiritualities positively. Proverbs 22:6 — "train up a child in the way he should go" — is a parental responsibility that Disney content increasingly works against rather than supporting.
Disney's pre-2010 catalogue remains largely safe and often excellent: The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, and Up reflect moral frameworks broadly consistent with Christian values — sacrifice, loyalty, the consequences of pride, the importance of family. Classic Disney animated films from the 1990s are among the finest family entertainment ever produced. The question is the trajectory. Each new Disney release must be evaluated individually rather than trusted by default. The Godly Score for Disney as a company is 30/100, reflecting its recent corporate direction — but individual titles must be scored separately.
Christians are called to be in the world but not of it (John 17:14-16). Practical discernment questions: What content is being amplified and normalized? What is the cumulative effect of sustained exposure on your values and worldview? Is the content consistent with Philippians 4:8? Score: see full guide.
See our Biblical Discernment Guide. The Gospel Coalition and GotQuestions provide thorough evangelical analysis.