The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch

For the first few days of Disney+, the focus was all on the high-profile content: Marvel movies, Disney animated classics, The Mandalorian, the entire Simpsons back catalog. But now that things have had a chance to settle down, it’s worth poking around in the less-explored corners to find out what you’re getting beyond the E-ticket attractions. Here are some of the hidden gems in the first wave of Disney+ content.

The BFG

Disney+ Hidden Gems, The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch

Steven Spielberg’s 2016 adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic was somewhat ignored upon its release, treated as minor fluff in the great director’s filmography. The fanciful Giant Country visited by an orphaned British girl is a beautifully warm creation, and Spielberg choreographs some action scenes in a way that only a master can. Mostly, it has a charming motion-capture performance by Oscar-winner Mark Rylance, which is both a wonderful technical achievement and a character with a genuine heart and soul.

Davy Crockett

Disney+ Hidden Gems, The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch

Walt Disney’s Disneyland TV series was created as a way to finance and build interest in the theme park Walt dreamed of creating. And the breakout hit from that TV series was the episodic adventures of frontiersman Davy Crockett (Fess Parker), which turned coonskin caps into a national craze. Watch the episode collections Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates, and get a reminder of the stories that helped build the Magic Kingdom.

Disneyland Around the Seasons

Disney+ Hidden Gems, The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch

Filmed just a few months before Walt Disney’s death in 1966, this Wonderful World of Color episode marks one of the final times the company’s founder was on camera. Mostly, it’s an hour-long commercial for everything that was new at Disneyland in 1966: the World’s Fair attractions that had finally made their way over to the park, including “It’s a Small World,” Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the Primeval World addition to the railroad, plus the dedication of New Orleans Square. And there’s a bit of melancholy to hear Walt talk about preparing for a Christmas season at the park that he wouldn’t actually live to see.

Queen of Katwe

Disney+ Hidden Gems, The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch

Disney hasn’t released many features in the last few years that weren’t franchise installments or remakes, and this fact-based 2016 drama fell through the cracks when it was released. But it’s an enjoyably distinctive spin on the “underdog sports movie,” about a Ugandan girl who shows herself to be a prodigy when she learns chess. It’s glossy at times, but fundamentally respectful about the complications that emerge on a path out of poverty—even a feel-good path.

The Reluctant Dragon

Disney+ Hidden Gems, The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch

Here’s a mix of classic Disney animation and meta-textual commentary on classic Disney animation unlike anything else in the company’s history. Humorist Robert Benchley plays himself and becomes a tour guide through the Walt Disney Studios circa 1941, with a thin plot about him trying to convince Walt to do an animated version of Kenneth Grahame’s picture book The Reluctant Dragon. The last 20 minutes consist of that cartoon, but before that, we get a behind-the-scenes look at Disney’s art studio, music room, multi-plane camera and more, with work-in-progress peeks at Dumbo and Bambi.

TRON: Uprising

Disney+ Hidden Gems, The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch

The original 1982 TRON feature and its 2010 sequel have a cult following, but this Disney XD animated series only managed to last a single season. But it’s a terrifically stylish adventure, set between the two feature films in an era where a rebellion of programs simmers against dictatorial rule, led by the legendary Tron (Bruce Boxleitner, reprising his own character). Directed by Charlie Bean (who would go on to oversee the Disney+ Lady and the Tramp remake) and with a great voice cast including Elijah Wood, Mandy Moore, Aaron Paul, Lance Henriksen and more, it’s a slick entertainment with a look all its own.

Waking Sleeping Beauty

Disney+ Hidden Gems, The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch

If you’ve made your way through The Imagineering Story and are interested in another behind-the-scenes look at Disney history, here you go. Longtime Disney producer Don Hahn explored the “Disney Renaissance” of the 1980s and 1990s, digging into the ego battles between Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Roy Disney over who deserved credit for the resurgence. The warts-and-all approach makes the account feel more trustworthy, and while Hahn comes to too abrupt of a conclusion—failing to look at the fallout from Katzenberg’s departure—he still winds up with a solid tale of how a once-dying art form came back from its “Disney death.”

X-Men: The Animated Series

Disney+ Hidden Gems, The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch

The show itself wasn’t great, but it’s hard to argue against its ultimate cultural significance. Running on Fox Kids from 1992-1997, the adventures of Marvel’s team of mutant super-heroes was a rare success for the comic-book publisher during a decade that also saw it file for bankruptcy. Raising the profile of the characters for its young audience helped make it possible for the 2000 X-Men feature to be a hit. And when studios with the rights to other Marvel characters saw the results … well, the rest is history.


Get Away Today Early Black Friday Disney Tickets and Travel Specials

Disney+ Hidden Gems, The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch

MiceChat and Get Away Today bring you the best theme park travel deals. Don’t miss our current Disney holiday travel deals from Get Away Today – HERE

Disney+ Hidden Gems, The 8 Disney+ Hidden Gems You Have to Watch
Black Friday Travel Deals NOW Available!

This year, give the gift of travel and save even more with MiceChat. Be sure to use our links (or mention MiceChat when you call) for the lowest prices.  AND – Here’s a special MiceChat extra. Use promo code MCD23 for an extra $10 off 2+ night rooms/tickets.  

Get The Deals:

Now that you’ve had a few days to explore the content on Disney+, what are some of the lesser-known favorites you’ve discovered? Have you seen any on our list yet? If you did, what did you think? Let us know what hidden gems are on your list!

Sharing is caring!

Scott Renshaw
Scott Renshaw is Arts & Entertainment Editor at Salt Lake City Weekly, and author of the book Happy Place: Living the Disney Parks Life, available from Theme Park Press.