Top Ten Obscure Disney Home Videos

If you ask home video collectors what genre of films are most popular to collect, a common answer is “Disney.” Most people in the world have seen a Disney film, and many households across America have at least one Disney VHS, DVD or other type of home video peripheral sitting on a shelf somewhere. If a home doesn’t have physical Disney home media, it’s very possible that they instead have Disney+: a dedicated streaming service that lets homeowners access hordes of Disney films and TV shows.

Many collectors have even started dedicated Disney film collections, with many believing that old Disney videocassettes are worth a premium. However, this isn’t always the case. Because of their popularity, the prices for Disney titles are sometimes inflated. However, collectors who do their research can build fun and admirable collections that reflect their passion for Disney without breaking the bank.

For example, there are several Disney films that are very obscure in today’s secondary market, either because of the home video format or the film itself. Finding these films will give collectors a satisfying challenge, and they’re generally not too expensive when finally tracked down. CGC Home Video has compiled a list of some obscure Disney films that would be a great start — or addition — to a Disney home video collection. Here are our top picks:

Ten Obscure Disney Home Videos

Cars on VHS (2007)

By 2006, the popularity of videocassettes was declining rapidly as DVDs began to take over the home video market. Disney had already made the switch to DVD home video releases as early as 1997, and the company added Blu-ray DVD home video releases in 2006. Because of this, Disney VHS releases were rapidly being phased out and were becoming less and less common. But that didn’t stop them from releasing a limited quantity of their newer films on the antiquated format.

Disney-Pixar’s Cars was released in theaters in 2006. The film was a commercial and critical success; it earned several awards and became the second-highest grossing animated film of 2006, behind Ice Age: The Meltdown. Cars on VHS was exclusively made available to members of the Disney Home Video Club in 2007. Members of the club had to mail-order their copy, and the quantity of copies available for purchase was extremely limited. Because of its exclusivity and limited release, the VHS release of Cars is very elusive on the secondary market.

Chicken Little on VHS (2006)

Chicken Little was released in theaters in 2005 as Disney’s first fully computer-animated feature film. Although it received mixed reviews, the film became the second-highest grossing animated film of the year, right behind Madagascar. To celebrate, Disney released a VHS version of the film exclusively to Disney Home Video Club members in 2006. However, since the movie wasn’t received well by audiences after the theatrical release, not many copies were sold.

Walt Disney Treasures: On the Front Lines (2004)

Walt Disney Treasures is a series of two-disc DVD collections featuring Disney cartoons, TV episodes and shorts from across the studio’s history. Wave three of this series included a special two-disc set of cartoons called On the Front Lines, featuring all of Walt Disney’s World War II creations. The first disc was full of shorts created for propaganda, entertainment and educational purposes, while the second disc featured a film, training shorts and bonus features. Only 250,000 copies of this boxed set were produced, and each came with a special certificate of authenticity.

Disney, Marking the Millenium (2000)

To celebrate the turning of 1999 into the year 2000, communities around the world hosted several year-long millennium celebrations, some of which included grand parties, community events and other activities. Walt Disney World joined in with their own celebration, which was called the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration. It ran from October 1, 1999, to January 1, 2001. The celebration mainly took place at Epcot and resulted in many physical changes to the area.

To commemorate the more-than-year-long celebration, Disney released several media souvenirs for sale at Epcot during the event, including a CD with the celebration’s theme song, “Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand.” This Disney, Marking the Millennium VHS was also sold during the celebration. It was only available for sale at Epcot, so collectors had to be there during the event to pick one up, which is why it’s so rare today.

The Spirit of Mickey (1998)

Disney really enjoys releasing films that celebrate a special occasion, such as anniversaries. In this case, The Spirit of Mickey was released in 1998 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Mickey Mouse’s character. The anthology includes a collection of archived clips from various films and shorts featuring Mickey and his friends. The clips come from some of Mickey’s earliest cartoons, such as Steamboat Willie and Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip, while others are from more modern movies such as A Goofy Movie.

Although the 1998 VHS release isn’t as rare as other Disney home video releases on this list, it deserves a spot because of its unique circumstances. Since the initial release of The Spirit of Mickey in 1998, the collection has never been re-released in any format. You won’t find this celebratory anthology on Disney+ or even on DVD — if you want to see Mickey in his prime, you’ll have to track down an original VHS copy!

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

Remember that one time that Disney adapted a Ray Bradbury novel into a film? Yeah, we don’t either — it’s a testament to why Disney’s Something Wicked This Way Comes is so obscure. Far from Disney’s typical cheery and happy fairy tales, Something Wicked This Way Comes is a dark fantasy film based on Bradbury’s novel of the same name that deals with themes such as the conflicting natures of good and evil, the process and fears of aging and more.

In addition to having a troubled production, Something Wicked This Way Comes bombed at the box office, grossing $8.2 million against a budget of $20 million. Strangely, it received mixed reviews from critics, and even won a few awards in 1984. Despite this, Something Wicked This Way Comes is very obscure; the only way to watch it is by purchasing the original VHS, which is somewhat rare.

The Watcher in the Woods (1981)

Disney took its first foray into supernatural horror and suspense with The Watcher in the Woods: a 1980 film adaptation of Florence Engel Randall’s 1976 novel. While most of the film was considered enjoyable, the ending was panned by both general audiences and critics to the point where the film was pulled from theaters after an initial 11-day run. Disney then re-released the film with a drastically changed ending in 1981 to mixed reception.

The Watcher in the Woods was released on VHS in the 1980s, then on DVD in 2002. The DVD contained audio commentary from the director and two alternate endings. Later, in August 2004, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment re-released the DVD without the director’s commentary. Finally, the film was released on Blu-ray exclusively through the Disney Movie Club — the most obscure release of the bunch.

The Happiest Millionaire (1967)

Though Walt Disney acquired the rights to the stage play of The Happiest Millionaire in the early 1960s, he had no plans of turning it into a film at the time. However, after the successful release of Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, Disney changed his tune. The film featured a score written by the legendary Sherman Brothers, and it was the last musical film to be produced by Walt Disney before his death in 1966.

Unfortunately, The Happiest Millionaire wasn’t well received by audiences. Critics compared it unfavorably to Mary Poppins, criticizing the film’s length and over-fluffed plot. The 144-minute version of the film (this was a cut version!) was released on VHS in 1984, more than 15 years after the film’s theatrical release. Since then, the film has also been released on DVD and on Disney+, but it isn’t present on many homeowners’ shelves.

So Dear to My Heart (1948)

A personal favorite of Walt Disney himself, So Dear to My Heart is a re-creation of Disney’s childhood life on a farm in the form of a mixed live action / animated film. Disney had wanted it to be the studio’s first all-live-action feature film, but the idea was shot down by his distributor, who convinced him that Disney was mostly associated with animation.

It took nearly 40 years for So Dear to My Heart to be released on home video, but it finally happened in 1986 by way of VHS. So Dear to My Heart wouldn’t be released on DVD until 2008, as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive. Copies of the VHS and DVD are both obscure in the collecting space.

Song of the South (1946)

Probably the most controversial film ever released by Disney (and maybe one of the most controversial films in general), Song of the South has an unfavorable legacy. The film’s setting and characters have sparked significant controversy since its theatrical release, with many regarding the film as insulting, racist and stereotypical. Because of this, Disney has never released the film on home video in the United States, in any form. However, the full-length film has been released on VHS and LaserDisc in other countries. Disney has since tried to distance itself from Song of the South in its entirety, so there will likely never be a physical home video release in the United States.