29 Best Disney Movies in Italian for Learning the Language
Disney Plus has at least 1,900 movies and counting—and many of these are available in Italian!
From animated favorites like “Beauty and the Beast” to live-action films such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Avatar,” you can watch them with high-quality Italian audio and subtitles.
I’ve compiled some popular Disney in Italian for you below, along with some tips for maximizing your language learning with Disney Plus.
Contents
- Tips for Learning Italian with Disney Plus
- How to Change the Language on Disney Plus
- 15 Must-watch Italian Movies on Disney Plus
- 1. Inside Out
- 2. Avatar: The Way of Water (Avatar: La Via dell’Acqua)
- 3. Lion King (Il Re Leone)
- 4. Luca
- 5. Coco
- 6. Finding Nemo (Alla Ricerca di Nemo)
- 7. Ratatouille
- 8. Aladdin
- 9. Beauty and the Beast (La Bella e la Bestia)
- 10. Encanto
- 11. Avengers: Endgame
- 12. Moana (Oceania)
- 13. Pirates of the Caribbean (Pirati dei Caraibi)
- 14. Doctor Strange
- 15. Zootopia (Zootropolis)
- More Disney Plus Movies for Learning Italian
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Tips for Learning Italian with Disney Plus
Wherever you’re located, the most popular movies on Disney Plus often come in several languages, Italian included.
Here’s how you can make sure you’re also absorbing the language (aside from enjoying the movie):
- Start with your favorite films. Maybe you’re a huge fan of “The Lion King” or “Star Wars.” If you’re not yet used to watching movies in Italian, choose movies that you really like first since you’re already familiar with their storyline and can at least guess some words based on context.
- List down new words or phrases. You can just do this with phrases that appear a lot. I like logging down new vocabulary onto Anki, a flashcard app, so I can review them later.
- Watch with subtitles first, then work towards removing them. Start with English subtitles if you’re having a really hard time understanding the movie, but switch to Italian subtitles as soon as possible. Once you’re already getting the gist of the movie on your own, then try to just listen to the movie dialogue without the subtitles.
Since watching a full movie is quite intensive—even if they’re Disney classics—I’d recommend it if you’re at an intermediate level with Italian (at least B1) or higher.
Even beginners can enjoy Italian movies, though, but instead of vocabulary, you’d focus on immersing yourself in the sounds of the language and improving your pronunciation.
How to Change the Language on Disney Plus
If you’re using Disney Plus outside of Italy (such as Disney Plus USA), you can check first if the movie you want has an Italian audio option.
Follow these steps to change a movie’s language to Italian:
- Pick the movie you want to watch, then hit play.
- Pause it and click the settings icon on the upper-right corner of the screen. This looks like a white icon with dark lines on the bottom.
- Click this icon to open up the Audio and Subtitles menu. Choose Italian as the audio language in the first column, then select Italian again as the subtitle language in the second column. If you don’t want subtitles, just choose “Off.”
- You can then close the window or tap on the screen. Your movie should now play in Italian.
A lot of times, though, you might not find Italian audio for a movie (even though officially it does have a dubbed Italian version). There’s a workaround to this. As an Italian learner, you can go all in and just set your profile’s language to Italian, which will automatically set the movies on your account to Italian.
Here’s how:
- Click on your profile at the upper right corner of your screen.
- If you’re using multiple profiles, select “Edit Profiles” then choose which profile you’ll be using.
- The settings menu for your profile will appear. You’ll notice “App Language” in the middle. Click on that, then choose “Italiano” from the list of languages.
- Confirm your selection and save the changes.
Of course, your dashboard (and all of the other controls) will also be changed to Italian. If a movie doesn’t have an Italian version, it’ll still default to English.
15 Must-watch Italian Movies on Disney Plus
Now that you know how to switch to the Italian versions of movies on Disney Plus, it’s time to start watching. The movies below will keep you entertained, and they’re worth watching again and again:
1. Inside Out
“Inside Out” is a poignant exploration of the inner world of a young girl named Riley. The main characters are all emotions inside Riley’s mind: Joy (Gioia), Sadness (Tristezza), Anger (Rabbia), Fear (Paura), and Disgust (Disgusto).
As Riley copes with moving to a new city with her family, her emotions are thrown into chaos and have to find balance again. They even have to work with Bing Bong, Riley’s imaginary friend.
It’s one of the most out-of-the-box animated movies I’ve seen, and it sends out the positive message of accepting all of your emotions.
2. Avatar: The Way of Water (Avatar: La Via dell’Acqua)
This sequel to “Avatar” is the highest-grossing Disney film ever released in Italy.
Jake Sully and Neytiri are already together in the alien world of Pandora, with five kids. When trouble brews again in the form of humans who want to exploit Pandora, they’re forced to run away and stay with the Metkayina, a water tribe.
The Sully family must then unite with other clans to protect their planet.
Like in the first movie, its visuals are gorgeous. The combined CGI and live action really make the underwater creatures come alive.
3. Lion King (Il Re Leone)
This 1994 classic is a Disney masterpiece. The characters might be lions, but their emotions are painfully realistic and captivating.
In the African savannah, a lion named Simba is born as the heir to King Mufasa. The kingdom rejoices, except for Scar, Simba’s envious uncle, who plots to seize the throne. When Mufasa dies, Scar convinces Simba it’s his fault, and Simba runs away to exile.
Years later, Simba’s living a carefree life, but then destiny calls as he’s called to confront his past and take the kingdom back from Scar.
There’s also a more recent 2019 live action version.
4. Luca
For a movie that’s actually set in Italy, add “Luca” to your watchlist.
Luca, a sea monster, is curious about the world above the water. In defiance of his parents, he ventures onto land in human form with another sea monster—Alberto—and they enjoy the summer together on the seaside town, eating pasta and gelato and going on scooter rides.
They then join a race in the hopes of winning a Vespa, but their disguise as humans can’t last forever.
The style reminded me of Studio Ghibli because “Luca” is quite slow-paced and scenic, and it’s relaxing to watch.
5. Coco
“Coco” is a movie that’ll tug at your heartstrings.
Miguel is a Mexican boy who yearns to play music, even though he’s not allowed to. In defiance, he steals the guitar of a legendary musician and accidentally enters the Land of the Dead.
He finds a friend here, though, in Hector, an unlucky skeleton who wants to visit the Land of the Living. They then agree to help each other, and Miguel finds out long-buried truths about his musician hero and his family.
The film’s iconic song “Remember Me” is just as moving in Italian as “Ricordami.”
6. Finding Nemo (Alla Ricerca di Nemo)
“Finding Nemo” makes for an emotional watch even almost 20 years later because it’s about a dad who’d do anything to bring back his son.
Nemo, a clownfish, ends up captured in a fish tank in Sydney, surrounded by fellow captives who feel miserable about being stuck there. As he learns to adapt, his dad—Marlin—is distraught and journeys across the ocean to look for him.
Marlin is joined by Dory, a loyal but forgetful blue tang, and they brave all sorts of dangers, like sharks and jellyfish fields, on their way to Nemo.
7. Ratatouille
Remy is a rat with an extraordinary talent for cooking, and he’s passionate about gourmet cuisine. Dreaming of becoming a chef even though he’s a rat, he ends up at the restaurant of his cooking idol in Paris.
Luckily, he stumbles on Linguini, a clumsy kitchen assistant. He secretly helps Linguini become a successful chef by hiding under his hat and guiding his movements while cooking, and they create delicious dishes together.
While the plot sounds hilarious, it’s actually a very inspiring movie. I love how it’s all about following your dreams even against the odds!
8. Aladdin
In the mystical city of Agrabah, a resourceful orphan named Aladdin survives by stealing food, but he longs for a better life. Luckily, he discovers a lamp with a genie who can grant three of his wishes. Because Aladdin wants to impress Princess Jasmine, the Sultan’s daughter, he asks to be turned into a prince.
However, the sorcerer Jafar wants the lamp for his own darker ambitions. Now it’s up to Aladdin to outsmart Jafar and save the kingdom.
The songs here are just delightful and iconic. Look out for “Il Mondo è Mio,” the Italian rendition of “A Whole New World.”
9. Beauty and the Beast (La Bella e la Bestia)
“Beauty and the Beast” is a captivating love story about looking beyond someone’s appearance and seeing what’s in their heart instead.
Belle, a smart, bookish young woman, finds herself trapped in a magical castle where a Beast lives. Even though she’s scared at first, she makes friends with the castle’s enchanted inhabitants and discovers that the Beast is under a curse. As she finds out that he’s actually kind-hearted deep down, they fall in love.
There are plenty of iconic moments here, and the movie’s theme song is lovely to listen to in Italian.
10. Encanto
Mirabel Madrigal stands out in her extraordinary family because she doesn’t have a magical gift. The Madrigals are revered by the people in their Colombian village for their unique abilities, including super strength and healing.
But then Mirabel gets a vision of their magical house cracking. She decides to investigate this and—as her family’s powers begin to fade—she ultimately inspires them to confront their unresolved issues.
The animation style here is quirky and colorful! Its musical sequences add to the whimsical quality too. I got addicted to “Non Si Nomina Bruno” (We Don’t Talk About Bruno).
11. Avengers: Endgame
“Avengers: Endgame” delivers the grand finale after over 20 movies in Marvel’s Infinity Saga. It keeps the twists and turns coming, so you’re in for a ride.
Thanos has turned half of the universe into dust, and the remaining Avengers are in shambles.
To undo the destruction, they come up with a crazy plan: travel back in time for the Infinity Stones before Thanos can use them. To pull this off, they split into teams and enter different time periods that feature big moments in their history.
Finally, they face off with Thanos and his army in a legendary showdown.
12. Moana (Oceania)
You might know this as “Moana,” but in Italian, the title’s actually “Oceania.”
On an idyllic Polynesian island, Moana—the chief’s daughter—feels a deep connection to the ocean and a calling to explore. When a curse inflicted by the demigod Maui threatens the island, Moana sets sail on a voyage to save her people.
She seeks out Maui, who becomes persuaded to restore a magical stone he stole. Along the way, they have to battle coconut-armored pirates, a giant crab and more.
This is great for watching with kids too because Moana is very likable—she’s spunky, independent and resourceful.
13. Pirates of the Caribbean (Pirati dei Caraibi)
Out of the whole “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, I’d say that the best is the first one: “The Curse of the Black Pearl.” It’s thrilling and dark, with plenty of witty one-liners.
Elizabeth, the governor’s daughter, has been captured by cursed pirates. Now Captain Jack Sparrow–a dashing yet somewhat crazy pirate–has to rescue her, and with him is Will Turner, a blacksmith who likes her as more than a friend.
The Italian title for the first movie is “La Maledizione della Prima Luna,” or literally “The Curse of the First Moon,” which sounds much more poetic.
14. Doctor Strange
“Doctor Strange” follows the story of an exceptional but self-centered neurosurgeon. After a devastating car accident damages his hands and ends his career, he desperately looks for a cure.
This leads him to Kamar-Taj, a mystical sanctuary in Nepal. Here, a powerful sorcerer introduces him to magic and alternate dimensions.
As Strange makes fast progress, he gets into a battle against dark forces seeking to destroy reality, and he must now master his abilities to protect the Earth.
It’s a bit of a trippy with unusual visuals. I’d give it plus points for having a complex, interesting villain.
15. Zootopia (Zootropolis)
Zootopia (Zootropolis in the Italian version) is a lively city where all kinds of animals live peacefully together, including hamsters, buffalos and sloths.
Enter Judy Hopps, who dreams of becoming the first rabbit police officer in Zootopia. She volunteers to solve a missing animal case. With her unlikely partner, Nick Wilde—a police fox with a sketchy past—they explore the different districts. These include Tundratown, which has snowy landscapes, and the tropical Rainforest District.
It’s a wholesome, funny movie, and Judy and Nick are adorable together because their personalities are very conflicting.
More Disney Plus Movies for Learning Italian
Aside from the must-watch movies I’ve listed above, here are some additional popular selections on Disney Plus that are available in Italian:
With Disney Plus, you won’t run out of movies to practice your Italian on. These Disney movies in Italian are all very memorable and even well-known in pop culture, and the language is usually simple and straightforward.
To keep on learning Italian through movie clips and other interesting videos, check out FluentU.
FluentU takes real-world videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons, as you can see here:
FluentU helps you get comfortable with everyday Italian by combining all the benefits of complete immersion and native-level conversations with interactive subtitles.
Tap on any word to instantly see an image, in-context definition, example sentences and other videos in which the word is used.
Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and review words and phrases with convenient audio clips under Vocab.
Once you've watched a video, you can use FluentU's quizzes to actively practice all the vocabulary in that video. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.
FluentU will even keep track of all the Italian words you’ve learned to recommend videos and ask you questions based on what you already know.
Plus, it'll tell you exactly when it's time for review. Now that's a 100% personalized experience!
The best part? You can try FluentU for free!
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
