What Is the Order of Disney's Tinker Bell Movies? (2024)

Best known now as a Disney icon, the sassy fairy Tinker Bell has come a long way since her introduction in J.M. Barrie's 1904 play, Peter Pan, followed by its novelization in 1911. Since the beginning of the Disney Fairies franchise in 2005, with the children's book The Trouble with Tink, Disney has produced six feature-length animated films, as well as two television shorts starring Tinker Bell and her fairy friends. The Disney Fairies franchise started as an attempt to piggyback off the hugely successful Disney Princesses line and ramped up in 2008 with the release of the first film: Tinker Bell.

2008 also became the first time Disney made some major changes to the character, such as giving her a voice (Mae Whitman), making her a meet-and-greet character in the parks, and toning down her trademark fiery temper. The film series introduces new fairies and expands the original lore Barrie loosely lined out in his novel in a line-up spanning several Never Fairy adventures.

It's unclear whether the franchise will actively continue. Rumors that a canceled final installment lend credence to the notion that audiences may have seen the last of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends in this particular iteration. Regardless, Disney has managed to make Disney's Fairies a marginal success since its early 2000s kickoff.

Updated on July 22, 2024, by Benjamin Vieira: The Tinker Bell movies became a staple of Disney's direct-to-video releases in the late 2000s and throughout the 2010s. The movies took a beloved character and gave her an expanded world to explore for Tinker Bell like never before. While there has not been a release of one in almost 10 years, they remain loved by fans. This article has been edited to fit CBR's CV standards.

Tinker Bell was the First in the Series

Release Date: October 28, 2008

The first installment in the Disney Fairies film series was released directly to DVD on October 28, 2008, by Walt Disney Studio Home Entertainment. It saw an initial two-week run at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood roughly two months prior. The movie follows Tinker Bell's arrival into Pixie Hollow — home to all fairies in Never Land — after she's born of a child's first laugh. Each fairy has a talent with which they are endowed. Tinker Bell struggles to embrace her talent as a tinker to her own detriment, but ultimately saves the day and embraces her calling.

In 2006, Disney announced actor Brittany Murphy as the voice of Tinker Bell. Murphy was even quoted as being excited to give Tinker Bell a voice for the first time. But in early 2008, Whitman was brought on to replace Murphy. At the time, Disneytoon Studios cited that Whitman was a closer fit to the vision of Tinker Bell it now had.

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure was Briefly on the Big Screen

Release Date: October 27, 2009

The second movie in the franchise also saw a brief, one-week run at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood before its direct-to-DVD release on October 27, 2009. The story follows Tinker Bell, who is given the task of crafting a new Fall Scepter to hold the fabled moonstone, which helps to rejuvenate the all-important pixie dust tree. Her friend Terence, a pixie dust talent Sparrow Man (male fairy), offers to be her assistant. After accidentally breaking the moonstone, she and Terence set out on a failed quest to restore it. They ultimately end up reconstructing the scepter to hold the broken pieces of the moonstone, which unexpectedly results in creating an unprecedented amount of the much-needed blue pixie dust.

Whitman returned as Tinker Bell for Lost Treasure, along with most of the original voice cast. Terence was voiced by Jesse McCartney, and a new adorable firefly friend named Blaze was introduced. America Ferrera did not reprise her role as Fawn, the animal talent fairy, and was replaced by Angela Bartys.

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue saw a Trip to the Mainland

Release Date: September 21, 2010

With another limited release at the El Captain Theatre, the third film went directly to DVD on September 21, 2010. This plot saw Tinker Bell adventuring to the mainland, where she's caught by a fairy-fond little girl named Lizzy who lives with her father, Dr. Griffiths (Michael Sheen). During a rescue attempt by her fairy friends, fast-flying talent Vidia ends up taking Tinker Bell's place, and the mission then becomes to save Vidia from being presented as a discovery to Dr. Griffiths' peers in London. After being foiled by the gang of fairies, Dr. Griffiths apologizes to his daughter for doubting her belief in fairies, and all's well that ends well.

During this time, Vidia became a meet-and-greet character in the Disney parks posing with Tinker Bell for photos with guests. Tinker Bell received a slight change to her signature dress as well to closer reflect her outfit in the film.

Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings Sees Tinker Meet her Twin

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Secret of the Wings also ran for a stint at the El Capital Theatre before being released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 23, 2012. When Tinker Bell's wings start to glow unexpectedly after entering the mysterious Winter Woods, she goes on an adventure to find out why. She discovers Periwinkle, her frost fairy sister born from the same child's laugh. But when she creates a contraption to allow Periwinkle to visit her in Pixie Hollow, it brings on a deep freeze. Amidst the chaos, Tink breaks one of her wings which cannot be repaired. Tinker Bell and Periwinkle eventually learn that, since they are twins, their wings can heal each other. The frost fairies also learn that if they frost warm fairy wings, they can visit each other more easily in their separate climates.

Timothy Dalton makes an appearance as Lord Milori, Lord of the Winter Woods. And Meghan Hilty replaces Kristin Chenoweth as the voice of Rosetta.

Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy Sees a Classic Character Return

Release Date: April 1, 2014

The El Captain Theatre once again hosted a limited release of Pirate Fairy in early 2015. The movie was widely released on DVD and Blu-ray on April 1, 2014. When Zarina, a pixie dust fairy turned pirate, steals some coveted blue pixie dust from Pixie Hollow, Tinker Bell and her friends go on a quest to retrieve it. They track Zarina to a pirate ship where she's befriended the cabin boy, James. James convinces Zarina to use some of the pixie dust on him to make him fly, after which he double-crosses her. Despite Zarina mixing up the talents of Tink and friends, the fairies join forces and eventually defeat the pirates. James is revealed to be classic Disney villain Captain Hook, and Zarina returns the blue pixie dust to Pixie Hollow.

Tom Hiddleston and Christina Hendricks joined the cast of this film as James, aka Captain Hook and Zarina. Project Runway winner Christian Siriano was brought on to create Zarina's ensemble for the film.

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast is the Most Recent Film

Release Date: December 12, 2015

Legend of the NeverBeast was released in the U.K. on December 12, 2014, and had a run at the El Capitan Theatre beginning January 30, 2015. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 3, 2015. This time, Fawn gets Pixie Hollow into a bind when she befriends a mysterious creature, the NeverBeast. It's discovered that a legend says the NeverBeast will potentially destroy Pixie Hollow during a deadly storm. Fawn attempts to hide Gruff (the NeverBeast) from Nyx, a scouting talent fairy intent on getting rid of him. Through a series of events, the fairies learn that Gruff is destined to save Pixie Hollow from the storm, not destroy it. Gruff eventually succeeds, but it's a close call for both him and Fawn. The movie ends with Gruff going back into hibernation until he's needed again.

Fawn received another casting change in NeverBeast, this time being voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin. Goodwin is well-known for playing Snow White in Disney's Once Upon a Time TV series.

Pixie Hollow Games was an Olympics-Inspired Special

Release Date: November 19, 2011

Pixie Hollow Games was released as a 30-minute special on Disney Channel on November 19, 2011, between the premiers of Great Fairy Rescue and Secret of the Wings. The special centers on Rosetta championing the garden fairies, along with her partner Chloe, in the Olympics-inspired Pixie Hollow Games. Rosetta is determined for the garden fairies to win this year since they've never earned a victory. She proves to be not much of an athlete, to the disappointment of Chloe. But they manage to make it into the finals and are neck and neck with storm fairies Rumble and Glitter. Rumble ends up cheating to win, disqualifying his team and earning Rosetta and Chloe the winning spot in the games.

This special was the first time Hilty replaced Chenoweth as garden fairy Rosetta. Zendaya is featured as Fern, another garden fairy.

Pixie Hollow Bake Off Was A Mini SpecialRelease Date: October 20, 2013

Bake Off is a six-minute short that aired as a Disney Channel original in the U.K. on October 20, 2013. In 2014, it was featured as bonus content on the Blu-ray release of Pirate Fairy, along with ten extra mini-shorts. Tinker Bell proudly challenges the baking talent fairy Gelata to a baking contest. They need to bake the best cake for the 400th anniversary of Queen Clarion's arrival. Tink thinks she has the upper hand since the baking talent fairies have made the same cake for the past 399 years. So, she gets a team of her friends together. They combine all of their talents to create a very elaborate cake resembling Pixie Hollow itself. The baking talent fairies present the same cake they've made in past years, and it still wins based on taste. The opposing teams learn from each other and end on good terms.

Gelata is voiced by two different celebrity chefs in the U.K. and U.S. versions, respectively.

All six of the Disney Fairy feature-length films are currently available to stream on Disney+.

Peter Pan

G

Wendy and her brothers are whisked away to the magical world of Neverland with the hero of their stories, Peter Pan.

Director

Clyde Geronimi , Wilfred Jackson , Hamilton Luske

Release Date

February 5, 1953

Cast

Bobby Driscoll , Kathryn Beaumont , Hans Conried

Runtime

1 hour 17 minutes

Main Genre

Fantasy