The greatest ’90s animated movies: Disney not included

Sure, Disney movies were all the rage when we were kids. But what about those other animated films we loved to death? Yes, I’m talking to you, “The Brave Little Toaster.”

Here is yet another list. This time, I’m ranking my five favorite, non-Disney-animated features.

1. “The Swan Princess:" The most realistic fairy-tale movie these eyes have ever seen. Princess Odette falls in love with Prince Derek, but there’s a tiny problem: Thanks to the evil Rothbart, she is a swan by day and human by night. Odette earned role-model status when she refused Derek’s first proposal: He only wanted her for her looks. You tell ‘em, sista.
2. “Anastasia:" Fox Animation Studios brought the legend of Tsar Nicholas II’s youngest daughter to life in 1997. Meg Ryan voiced the precocious princess, who is determined to reclaim her identity. Even though this movie may not have been completely accurate, hearing John Cusack voice cute con artist Dimitri made me wish that guy was real.
3. “Balto:" Who doesn’t love huskies? In 1995, Balto saved the children of Nome, Alaska, and raced into our hearts, while teaching us that being different can be pretty cool. The voice talents of Kevin Bacon and Phil Collins didn’t hurt the film’s success, either. And a goose with a Russian accent? C’mon. Awesome.
4. “FernGully: The Last Rainforest:" The perfect fantasy toon. For the longest time, I thought FernGully was the name of the big bat — oops, I mean Batty Koda. In order to save the rainforest, fairies team up to defeat the evil smoke, Hexxus, giving this flick an underlying message about the environment. Take that, pollution!
5. “The Land Before Time” series: How many zany adventures could these mini dinos could get into? Apparently, a lot. The original film had not one sequel, but 12. 12. I can’t just pick one of these movies as my favorite because we’ve probably seen all of them. Not only did these give us lovable characters to remember, they also educated kids about the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Animated films became a ’90s staple, whether Disney was involved or not. These all had important messages we would take with us for the rest of our lives.

So go on. Gather some friends, have some beers and pop a few of these into the DVD player (or the good ol’ VCR, if you’re feeling really nostalgic). Tears may or may not be shed.

Posts in Gator Golf appear on Tuesdays.

The fairy world of “FernGully,” released in 1992, captured the hearts and imaginations of many children.