Some movies you never want to end. You just want to keep your feet in that world, among those characters as they fight to save their world, galaxies, or just themselves. For that reason, we return to movies again and again.
Here’s some good news for you parents tired of seeing Olaf melt for the 30th time. The stories you and your kids love don’t all end with the credits. There are series, specials, and shorts you can stream today that keeps you grounded in the world you love. These aren’t Lego interpretations, Pixar explainers, Disney sing-a-longs, or half-assed reboots. And they’re not Christmas specials.
Here are the 25 best family movie spin-offs and where to watch them.
25. Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003–2006)
Lilo & Stitch: The Series picks up directly after the excellent 2002 Disney movie. The remaining experiments created by the film’s villain Jumba are on the loose on earth. Lilo and Stitch track them down, one by one. Each episode tests Stitch has to prove he’s more than what he was made to be as he helps the other experiments.
24. Once Upon a Snowman (2020)
Once Upon a Snowman is not a prequel or a sequel. It takes place during the events of Frozen, making it a…(insert furious typing cat meme)…paraquel. Try to get that from Common Sense Media. This paraquel’s story shows us what Olaf was up to while Elsa was building her ice palace and Anna searched for her. Josh Gad gives us a film-worthy Olaf effort. This feels like a lost scene.
23. Cars on the Road (2022)
Fans of the Cars films get to see their old friends Lightning McQueen and Mater in Cars on the Road. And guess what? They’re actually voiced by Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy. The series focuses on their lives after the spotlight fades. The friends go on a low-stakes road trip to attend Mater’s sister’s wedding. The series does an admirable job keeping the animation and even the jokes worthy of the film.
22. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023–present)
Big stars. Big budgets. Big stories. And bigger monsters. This series continues the MonsterVerse saga started in the 2014 Godzilla film. The story digs into the lives of people who rebuild in the shadow of these monsters. Don’t expect a parade of kaiju. The series follows families and institutions trying to process the fallout. You will still see some monstrous cameos. Overall, the episodes are serious and cinematic. Like the MonsterVerse films, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is for older families.
21. Baymax! (2022)
These Big Hero 6 shorts have Baymax return to his intended purpose, helping others. We follow the lovable robot as he helps everyday people with small, specific problems. It’s filled with solid jokes, mostly based on the fish-out-of-water interactions of a hyper-empathic robot who was simply programmed to make a difference in a complex world. Short but sweet.
20. Aladdin (1994–1995)
Aladdin returns. The Genie? Recast. Robin Williams is replaced in the short-lived but solid TV series by Dan Castellaneta. Yep, Homer Simpson. The series continues the story from the film, following Aladdin and Jasmine as new problems crop up now that the wishes are gone. The animation scales way back for TV. But it has that ’90s afterschool cartoon charm that will take you back.
19. Abominable and the Invisible City (2022–2023)
First, see Abominable (it’s recommended). Then watch the series. It continues Yi’s story by turning the film’s hidden world into a new home where magical creatures secretly live and must be protected from discovery. That conflict helps expand the story and world beyond the film. Yi stays recognizably herself, in personality and design. The series keeps the film’s solid CG animation style, slightly simplified for television but consistent enough to feel like an extension of the film.
18. Beetlejuice (1989–1991)
Beetlejuice the series picks up after the film by turning Lydia and Beetlejuice’s one-time encounter into an ongoing, mutually annoying partnership. The humor stays playfully macabre, built around ghoulish gags and unbridled creativity that get stranger in later episodes. Even with a different voice cast, the personality remains, if a little accentuated.
17. Monsters at Work (2021–2024)
Set after Monsters, Inc., this series shows what day-to-day work looks like once laugh power replaces scare power. The animation is simplified for TV. But the office setting full of politics, training mishaps, and management pressure is a clever way to move the film’s story forward. New monsters take center stage. You’ll still see old friends Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan — though they will have new voices.
16. Scared Shrekless (2010)
Scared Shrekless does in 21 minutes what the third and fourth Shrek films fail to do: Make you laugh. In this special, Shrek hosts a Halloween storytelling contest at his swamp, where each character tries to scare the others with their own tale. Yes, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz are back as Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey.
15. The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988–1991)
Coming a decade after the classic film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), this series carries over the same gentle pacing and soft-spoken humor. The hand-drawn art is a bit brighter with cleaner lines, but it captures the same mood. The series tells small, self-contained stories with friendships and friendly misunderstandings driving the narrative each episode. If your toddler must have screen time, choose the imagination of the Hundred Acre Wood over the mind-numbing Cocomelon.
14. The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist (2024)
How do you heist with a moral code? The Bad Guys figure it out in Haunted Heist, creating higher stakes and a bigger personal payoff. The special features a new cast. Don’t worry, they nail the characters. The look and tone are also lifted straight from the film. Despite being 25 minutes, it’s a worthy chapter that advances the characters before The Bad Guys 2.
13. The Real Ghostbusters (1986–1991)
Don’t expect the cast or even the Ray Parker Jr. song to show up here. Do expect a similarly sounding cast to go on weekly paranormal adventures, with the help of the friendly but mischievous Slimer. The series is very of its era. Expect neon colors, synth-heavy music, and snappy but kid-safe one-liners. It’s spooky without being scary, weird without being mean, and hits you with a cross-stream of Saturday-morning bowl of cereal vibes.
Note: Another Ghostbusters cartoon came out in 1986 that features a gorilla as part of the crew. It has nothing to do with the movie. Seriously, a gorilla.
12. Frozen Fever (2015)
Set after the original Frozen, this short checks in once the danger is over and the sisters finally get space to just be together. Everything matches the film. The animation, voices, and music feel like a 7-minute extension. It’s lighter and more playful than the movie, with low stakes and a lot of physical comedy, but it’s grounded in how Anna and Elsa’s relationship has shifted now that they’re no longer in crisis.
11. The Mandalorian (2019–present)
Baby Yoda. What else is there to say? If that’s a spoiler, then welcome out of your coma (tip: don’t read the news!). This series is much more than the discovery of Grogu. It’s the intimate yet still exciting storytelling that the Star Wars universe (galaxy?) needed. The brilliant John Favreau writes and produces. He brings in world-class directors to tell each week’s story, driving the series toward the 2026 film The Mandalorian & Grogu, which you can read about in my list of Family Movies Coming to Theaters in 2026.
10. Dragons: Race to the Edge (2015–2018)
Peace must be boring after years of war between humans and dragons, right? Not in Dragons: Race to the Edge. The series explores the problems raised when fighting ends, including new threats and attempts to end the peace. Don’t expect the same top-notch animation as the films, though it’s no slouch for a mid-2010s series. There’s a new actor voicing Hiccup who does a decent job of filling in. And America Ferrera is back as Astrid, because she’s in everything.
9. Big Hero 6: The Series (2017–2021)
The series picks up after the film by putting Hiro in situations where intelligence alone isn’t enough. There’s a solid main story arc built around the team dynamics that carries the story forward, with consequences that build from episode to episode. Even with the move to anime- and comic-inspired 2D animation, the visual identity of San Fransokyo stays intact. Much of the cast returns, including Ryan Potter as Hiro and Scott Adsit as Baymax.
8. Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure (2017–2020)
Rapunzel’s story continues after Tangled ends. Her new-found freedom brings new responsibilities and raises questions about her self-identity and what it takes to be a leader. The animation shifts to 2D, but the musical numbers, character dynamics, and emotional stakes carry over directly from the film. Plus, Mandy Moore is back as Rapunzel. And if you want the full Tangled treatment, watch the short Tangled Ever After in-between the film and series.
7. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019)
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a direct prequel to the 1982 Jim Henson classic. You’ll recognize the puppetry, sets, and music right away. The series shows how the world of Thra begins to fracture long before the original, adding texture and history to the forces in motion when the film begins. The tone is darker and more serious than most animation, but it stays engaging and rarely drags thanks to new factions and rising stakes.
6. Toy Story of Terror! (2013)
Set after Toy Story 3, Toy Story of Terror! strands the gang in a roadside motel where Jessie has to face a fear she’s carried since the first film. It’s just 22 minutes but doesn’t feel like bonus content because it’s solid Pixar writing and animation with the big name cast you know. Terror! is funny and suspenseful. You may turn this into an annual Halloween viewing.
5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2020)
It’s hard to follow the narrative and purpose of the Star Wars prequels. They’re a little spaced out. The Clone Wars fills that space by clarifying the galaxy’s political machinery while grounding it in everyday lives, including the humanity that exists beneath the Stormtrooper helmet. Over time, the series reshapes how the prequels are understood. There’s also a 2003 animated shorts series of the same name (without “The”), featuring striking art direction from Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky.
4. Riley’s First Date? (2015)
Why does Riley have to grow up so fast? Can’t she stay that sweet, smiling girl forever? The first Inside Out answered that with a resounding No. This short continues the story. Puberty has kicked in. Logic is out. It’s a small story, but packed with jokes and fun moments that add a new chapter to her life. It’s cute and rewatchable.
3. I Am Groot (2022–2023)
I Am Groot is a middle finger to long-winded, dark comic book stories. The series of shorts dive into Groot’s everyday life after the “We are Groot” moment in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. It follows the look and feel of the films while emphasizing the volatile but lovable Groot. Get ready for many rewatches. Don’t worry — it doesn’t get old.
2. Dug Days (2021)
Dug Days picks up the story after Up, showing us what life looks like when the adventure ends. The low-stakes, high-fun stories don’t really leave the backyard. But it’s Pixar. That’s all the space they need to entertain you. You’ll see the same softly lit, pastel-heavy animation of the film. And Ed Asner returns as the grumpy but affable Carl. The shorts give you a peek into the grounded lives of characters you once traveled the world with.
1. Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018)
Rebels picks up the Star Wars story between the prequel and original trilogies by following how everyday resistance turns into organized rebellion. Visually, the backdrop shifts to a stylized look inspired by Ralph McQuarrie’s early concept art. The CG-created character art may take a moment to get used to. What doesn’t take getting used to are the plot turns, mythological revelations, and character development that leads straight into A New Hope. When this series is over, you will miss the crew of the Ghost. Don’t worry, their stories continue in the current series Ahsoka.
