Millennials don’t remember a time before the internet, and movies and TV shows have always been at their fingertips. This has made them huge media consumers including TV, movies and music. Many Pixar movies made their big debut while Millenials were growing up, so they have a particular fondness for many franchises.
Pixar is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, so many of the popular characters are members of the Disney family. This means amusement park rides, character meet-ups and constant nostalgia.
Here we’ve taken a survey done by YouGov and determined what are the 15 most popular Pixar movies according to Millenials, ranked from least popular to most popular. We looked closely at the numbered ranking, but also at the popularity of each movie within this generation.
Why We’re Covering This
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At the end of last year, the animation industry was worth $400 billion and expected to surpass $587 by 2030. Not only that, but many Millenials and Gen Zers are heavy target audiences when it comes to advertising with animation because they grew up with the process. We want you to build personal wealth and not fall victim to fast marketing schemes built on nostalgia, so we’re showing you what movies you may enjoy as a Millenial, and which ones are worth buying.
15. Cars
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 64%
With popular voices like Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy, Cars comes in at number 15 on our list. A feel-good story about how a race car learns to prioritize what’s really important while stuck in a city named Radiator Springs, Lightning McQueen, Mater, Doc Hudson and Sheriff all hold a special place in the hearts of Millenials.
14. Coco
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 64%
A young musician pushes past his family’s ban on music that spans generations in his dreams to become famous. His journey leads him to the Land of the Dead where he meets Hector, and they embark on their journey to find the real story behind his family’s history and their aversion to music.
13. Toy Story 4
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 66%
Buzz Lightyear, Woody and friends make the list four different times when it comes to Millenials, starting with Toy Story 4. The gang embarks on a trip to find a new toy named Forky and Woody ends up reuniting with his love interest, Bo Peep. During their time together, they realize they want entirely different things in life as a toys.
12. Monsters University
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 66%
Set before Monsters, Inc., Monsters University shows when Sulley and Mike Wazowski meet, as Mike tries his hardest to become a Scarer. They are originally enemies and start a rivalry to become the best, which ends with them both getting kicked out. Sulley and Mike then work together with other monsters to get back in.
11. Toy Story 3
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 69%
The famous toys accidentally end up on the curb headed to the trash can when Andy leaves for college. Buzz Lightyear and the others come up with their own plan to escape when they end up at a daycare center where the kids do not play nice with the toys, while Woody is left on his own.
10. Finding Dory
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 69%
Dory is the fish made famous in Finding Nemo for her positive, lovable attitude and short-term memory loss. In this sequel, she sets off to find her parents with the help of Marlin, all while dealing with hilarious situations made even more complicated when she forgets important details.
9. Ratatouille
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 70%
Remy is a rat who dreams of becoming a famous chef, but rodents don’t fit well in the kitchen. When he moves to Paris to make all his dreams come true, he meets up with Linguini, the garbage boy who assists him in achieving his culinary pursuits. Remy must remain in hiding while Linguini attempts to create his recipes.
8. WALL-E
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 71%
WALL-E is short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter – Earth-class, and he’s the last robot left on planet Earth. As he roams the planet picking up garbage for more than 700 years, he develops a human-like personality and realizes he needs friends and a companion. Sent to Earth on a scanning mission, the shapely and sleek EVE catches his eye and he follows her around the galaxy.
7. Toy Story 2
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 73%
A toy dealer steals Woody from his home in the original sequel to the extremely popular Toy Story. The gang does their best to rescue him in their typical dysfunctional fashion, but he’s since realized he’s part of a valuable collection from an old TV show. They must convince him to leave and return home once they find him.
6. A Bug’s Life
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 74%
Flik is constantly messing up life for his ant colony, and he recently destroyed the food stores the colony used to pay off the mean grasshopper. During A Bug’s Life, Flik sets out on a journey to defend the colony by recruiting fighters and believes he’s safe when he meets some flying insects. He teams up with them to avoid annihilation of his colony by Hopper.
5. Up
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 74%
Carl Fredricksen spent his 78 years selling balloons and always dreamed of using them to fly his home. After his wife dies and he becomes a recluse, he ends up in the South American wilderness with a small surprise. A boy named Russell hid in his house as it lifted off, and helped him realize he could honor those he loves while still living out his dreams.
4. Monsters, Inc.
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 76%
Sulley is one of the best scarers at Monsters University and is frustrated by his inability to scare one little girl, Boo. She follows him back to his world one night, and he combines forces with friend Mike Wazowski to get her back to the human world before anyone notices.
3. The Incredibles
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 76%
Who doesn’t love a story about a family of superheroes? Millennials adore this story about a former superhero couple who has gone into retirement. They get information about a top-secret mission and set off to complete it. During this time, they realize their kids also have superpowers as they help them defeat the bad guy.
2. Finding Nemo
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 78%
Marlin is a big protective of Nemo, as he’s his only offspring left after a tragic event. Nemo dreams of breaking free and having a bit more independence. To prove he can handle it, he swims too close to the surface and ends up in an aquarium in a dentist’s office. Finding Nemo is the story of Marlin and Dory, his forgetful friend, as they set off to rescue Nemo.
1. Toy Story
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- Percentage of Millenials with a favorable opinion: 84%
It’s no surprise that Toy Story comes in number one. After all, doesn’t every kid dream of their toys coming alive? This is the first meeting of Buzz and Woody. Woody is content being Andy’s favorite toy until Buzz starts to move in on his territory. Buzz believes he’s an astronaut sent to complete a mission rather than a toy. The movie follows them as they realize the truth and find a way to both exist in Andy’s favorites box.
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