3 comforting movies on Disney+ that will warm your millennial heart — then break it

Disney Plus logo on orange pink background
(Image credit: Disney; Shutterstock)

There are tons of new titles to watch on Disney+ these days. The streaming service (and its combined hub, Hulu) welcomed more than 200+ titles in October 2026 alone, but there's something comforting about clicking "Play" on an old, trusted favorite.

And given that we're the generation that grew up during the golden era of 1990s animated classics, live-action charmers, and early-2000s Disney Channel originals, millennials can find plenty of nostalgia-inducing throwbacks in Disney's extensive streaming library.

We've sorted through all of those old-school options and narrowed things down to a wistful, wonderful trio of movies that will stir up some of that sweet nostalgia. From a Halloween-ready comedy to a pet-focused tearjerker (you already know the one), here are three movies on Disney+ that will hit millennials right in the heart.

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'Casper'

Casper (1995) Official Trailer - Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci Movie HD - YouTube Casper (1995) Official Trailer - Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci Movie HD - YouTube
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"Can I keep you?" Has a single line of kids' movie dialogue hit a romantic millennial heart harder? We're not sure, but it gave us all a collective crush on a young Devon Sawa, who — spoiler alert — played the human version of the kind-hearted titular ghost, Casper.

Christina Ricci's Kathleen "Kat" Harvey encounters the youthful ghoul when she and her paranormal-expert father James (Bill Pullman) move into a crumbling old mansion, after dad is hired by a spoiled heiress (Cathy Moriarty) to rid the premises of any wicked spirits and help the ghosts cross over to the "other side." Far less friendly than Casper, however, are his uncles — Stretch (voiced by Joe Nipote), Fatso (Brad Garrett) and Stinkie (Joe Alaskey) — who are determined to drive all humans away from the house.

Stream "Casper" on Disney+ now

'Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey'

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) Trailer HD | Michael J. Fox | Sally Field - YouTube Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) Trailer HD | Michael J. Fox | Sally Field - YouTube
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Break out your Kleenex: By the end of this 1993 adventure-comedy centered on three furry friends, you will be tearing up. (But in a good way, we promise.) A remake of the 1963 film "The Incredible Journey," the heartwarming tale follows a trio of pets — playful American bulldog Chance (voiced by Michael J. Fox), pampered Himalayan cat Sassy (Sally Field), and wise old golden retriever Shadow (Don Ameche) — as they try to reunite with their human owners in San Francisco after mistakenly believing they have been left behind during a family vacation.

As they navigate the rugged California wilderness, the animals have to contend with mother bears, mountain lions, mud pits and more as they desperately work to make their way home.

Stream "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" on Disney+ now

'Ice Princess'

Ice Princess (2005) Trailer 1 | Michelle Trachtenberg, Hayden Panettiere, Joan Cusack, Michelle Kwan - YouTube Ice Princess (2005) Trailer 1 | Michelle Trachtenberg, Hayden Panettiere, Joan Cusack, Michelle Kwan - YouTube
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This 2005 teen-sports comedy has taken on extra poignancy in the past few years, what with the loss of its two leading ladies much too soon: Millennial icon Michelle Trachtenberg died in February 2025 at age 39, and her "Ice Princess" co-star Hayden Panettiere tragically followed this August at just 36 years old.

Here, Trachtenberg stars as brainy, Harvard-bound high schooler Casey Carlyle, who decides to revive her favorite childhood hobby, figure skating, for a physics project to secure a scholarship to the Ivy League school. She begins using mathematical algorithms generated by her computer to improve her skating, much to the chagrin of champion junior skater Gennifer "Gen" Harwood (Panettiere) and her ruthless coach of a mom, Tina (Kim Cattrall).

Stream "Ice Princess" on Disney+ now


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Christina Izzo is a writer-editor covering culture, food and drink, travel and general lifestyle in New York City. She was previously the Deputy Editor at My Imperfect Life, the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York. 

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