What Is a Disney Era?

As you've been reading through these reviews, lately I have been mentioning the Eras in Disney. Essentially, the Disney Animated Classics can be broken down into various Eras or Periods. Of course, Disney fans all have their own idea of when certain ones start and end, there are a few agreed upon ones that appear to be more or less set in stone. Given how this is my own personal blog, this is how I view the timeline, though will include little notes here and there on where some people debate on things.

The Golden Age:

- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Pinocchio
- Fantasia
- Dumbo
- Bambi

This age is generally set in stone, as is the following.

The War Years/Package Years/First Dark Age:

- Saludos Amigos
- 3 Caballeros
- Make Mine Music
- Fun and Fancy Free
- Melody Time
- Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

The Silver Age:

- Cinderella
- Alice in Wonderland
- Peter Pan
- Lady and the Tramp
- Sleeping Beauty
- 101 Dalmatians
-  The Sword in the Stone
- The Jungle Book

The Silver Age always seems to begin with Cinderella, though when it ends is usually a matter of preference. Personally I cut it off at the last film that Walt Disney was heavily involved in, even if he was unable to see it through to completion.

The Dark Age/ Second Dark Age:

- Aristocats
- Robin Hood
- Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Rescuers
- Fox and the Hound
- Black Cauldron
- Great Mouse Detective
- Oliver and Company

This Dark Age follows the films after Walt's death, until Disney was able to launch the following Renaissance period. Again because of where this Age starts, there is debate on it, though it seems to be agreed upon that Oliver and Company is the last film for this Age.

The Renaissance:

- Little Mermaid (First of the Big 4)
- Rescuers Down Under
- Beauty and the Beast (Second of the Big 4)
- Aladdin (Third of the Big 4)
- Lion King (Last of the Big 4)
- Pocahontas
- Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Hercules
- Mulan
- Tarzan

This Renaissance period is quite notably a nostalgic one for me, being born during the same year as Little Mermaid, I was able to grow up with a new Disney film every year, right up until about 2000. There is a small debate on if Tarzan ends this Age, or if it goes further to Emperors New Groove. However, I generally cut it off here given how Fantasia 2000 and Dinosaur would wind up part of this age.

The Third Dark Age/ Bronze Period:

- Fantasia 2000
- Dinosaur
- Emperors New Groove
- Atlantis
- Lilo and Stitch
- Treasure Planet
- Brother Bear
- Home on the Range
- Chicken Little
- Meet the Robinsons
- Bolt

Current Age:

- Princess and the Frog
- Tangled
- Winnie the Pooh
- Wreck It Ralph (Upcoming)
- King of the Elves (Upcoming)
- Frozen (Upcoming)

There is still some debate on whether or not things are still in a "Post Renaissance" age, or if Princess and the Frog has brought about a "Redemption Age." With three films to work with right now, it might take another couple years or so to really get a better idea of things. For all purposes, I have divide things into a "Current Age" for the time being. This is subject to change, though I really hope the upcoming films are able to steer us back into a Renaissance period.

So now you know, and knowing is half the battle!