Business Insider's reporter expected an Instagram-like backpacking adventure in Europe, but the reality was much less glamorous.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I spent two weeks backpacking through Europe for the first time in October 2022.
I found that it wasn't the glamorous, romantic adventure it often looks like on Instagram.
While backpacking, I was disappointed by overnight train rides and crowds of tourists in each city.
Epic photos of backpackers posing in otherwise empty cityscapes and natural scenes are all over Instagram. The captions often say something about life being an adventure.
But traveling with just a backpack never appealed to me before 2022. There were always too many layers, shoes, and baseball caps I wanted to pack.
Since I began taking more trips as a travel reporter for Business Insider four years ago, I've realized I needed to lighten my load to make it easier to hit the road for longer periods.
I prioritized the minimalist travel style in August 2022, when I spent a week backpacking for the first time through Eastern Canada. It turned out to be much easier — and more efficient — than I'd originally thought.
So, when I planned a two-week train trip through four European countries two months later, I pushed myself to fit everything I needed into my backpack again.
I spent two weeks backpacking across Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland while exploring the cities of Berlin, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Milan, and Zurich. It was my first time visiting each country and backpacking in Europe.
I slept in shared train cabins and budget Airbnbs, and initially, I felt like I was living the life of young adults on a gap year. But I quickly realized it wasn't as glamorous as I expected it to be.
After backpacking Europe, I found that the travel style was full of hardships I rarely see posts about.
First, I found that my biggest backpack couldn't squeeze in all the clothes I wanted to bring.
Everything the author packed for her two-week trip to Europe.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I picked my largest bag — a 32-liter backpack — for my trip to Europe.
I wasn't sure how well this bag would work for a two-week trip, so I practiced packing as lightly as possible to ensure I could fit everything.
I started with my essential work gear — a laptop, cameras, lenses, and a notebook. Then, I packed chargers, toiletries, and snacks before realizing my work gear and other essentials were taking priority over clothes.
I hoped to bring two packing cubes full of clothing, but I could only fit one. This cut my proposed wardrobe in half.
I ended up packing two polos, one T-shirt, one long-sleeve T-shirt, three pairs of pants, a sweater, a blazer, a dress, and two light jackets.
Although I impressed myself by packing lighter than ever while still having everything I needed for the longest trip I'd ever taken, I couldn't help feeling disappointed in my limited outfit choices.
Because I could only bring a few garments, I had to do laundry at nearly every accommodation.
The authors laundry in Germany (left), Austria (top), and Italy (bottom).
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I've never seen a backpacking social-media post about doing laundry, but I found myself washing my clothes at nearly every Airbnb I stayed in.
I stayed in each accommodation for just one or two nights, so to ensure my clothes would be dry before checking out, I had to prioritize doing laundry as soon as I checked in.
I brought my own laundry soap and used sinks and bathtubs to wash each garment before hanging them up to dry.
This was a bummer since I often arrived at each accommodation feeling exhausted from travel, and washing my clothes was the last thing I felt like doing.
Coming home to tiny Airbnbs with wet clothes everywhere stressed me out after a day of exploring.
The author's messy accommodations in Austria (L) and Germany (R).
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
From a converted wine barrel outside Zurich to an Airstream trailer in Vienna, most of my Airbnbs were tiny homes with less than 100 square feet of space. So, the slightest bit of clutter made them look like a total mess. Having my clothes hanging to dry made the spaces feel even more chaotic.
Each time I returned to my accommodations, I was greeted with a disheveled space that made me feel stressed out. Since I'd worked hard to keep my apartment looking spotless at home, I wasn't used to living in a cluttered space. I found it hard to relax in these rooms after tiring days of exploring.
I thought a sleeper train would be a smart way to arrive in new cities and maximize my time, but these shared cabins felt cramped and uncomfortable.
The author rides a Nightjet sleeper train in Europe.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I booked two overnight trains during my trip to free up daylight hours for exploring.
But I didn't anticipate how challenging it would be to get a good night's rest in a small, shared space.
To get from Vienna to Venice, I booked a bunk in a shared cabin on an overnight train run by the Nightjet rail line, which operates overnight routes between Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands.
Since I booked a shared room with up to five others, I expected to feel slightly cramped, but I still thought I'd have some space to move around the room.
However, the 74-square-foot cabin didn't feel like enough space for myself and the other travelers, especially with everyone's luggage. Our cabin only had four people in it, and I thought it would have been even more uncomfortable had it been fully booked with six people.
There was space for bags above the beds, but not enough for everyone. I couldn't do much more than sit in my bunk and quickly became disappointed by my choice to travel this way.
I was also surprised by the lack of privacy inside the shared bunk cabin on the train.
The author's shared sleeper cabin on an overnight train from Austria to Italy.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Before my trip, I imagined each bunk in the shared cabin on the sleeper train would have a curtain for privacy. However, the beds were completely exposed, so I had to go to the bathroom to change into my pajamas privately.
I also had to wake another traveler using the top bunk in the middle of the night to use the bathroom since the room's lock was only accessible from their bunk.
After this experience, I don't think I'll ever bunk with strangers on an overnight train again, especially since some Nightjet routes have private cabins.
"Offering our passengers a high level of travel comfort is an important concern for us," a representative for OBB Nightjet told Business Insider. "We are constantly working on improvements to our product and also take into account the requirements of our customers."
My experience was even worse on the other overnight train I took, where I booked a regular seat and didn't sleep at all.
The author restless on an overnight train from Germany to Austria.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
On my other overnight train from Berlin to Vienna, I had an even harder time sleeping. I sat in a seating carriage room with six seats facing each other, which is Nightjet's version of standard coach seating.
During my leg of the journey, three travelers were already there when I boarded, and two others arrived within the first few hours. Right away, I thought the room was cramped and lacked enough legroom for each traveler.
The seat appeared slightly wider than a typical train coach seat, with two cushions. It also reclined, though not fully. I reclined mine as much as possible, but I thought the gap between the seat back and the bottom of the seat made it tough to get comfortable.
When I tried to sleep, I found it impossible with the constant bumps on the ride and so many people around. I ended up staying up until the morning and regretted traveling overnight.
"The quality of travel depends not only on the carriages but also on the route," OBB Nightjet wrote in a statement to Business Insider. "We recommend the sleeper or couchette car for night travel. There is enough space to stretch out. Seated carriages are recommended for shorter journeys."
While some influencers might like this type of travel, I'll stick to daytime routes next time if I can't sleep flat on a bed in a private room.
I often arrived in each country feeling exhausted from lack of sleep, which made it harder to enjoy my time in each place.
The author arrives in Vienna.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Because I had so much trouble sleeping on both overnight train rides, I often arrived in a new city feeling depleted instead of excited and ready to start exploring.
When I got to Vienna at 7 a.m. after a sleepless night in the seating carriage, I was so exhausted that I looked for any hotel that would take me in so early in the morning. I thought this made the overnight ride ultimately not worth the time saved, since I didn't do anything when I arrived other than sleep.
When I got off the train in Venice, I had enough energy to explore since I had gotten some sleep in the bunk, but I still felt fatigued, and it took away from how much I could enjoy that first day.
As a result, my first day in both cities felt disappointing, and my plan to save time and energy backfired. I couldn't help thinking I wasted two days that could have been spent feeling more appreciative of the city surrounding me had I gotten enough rest.
In fact, a lot of my trip was more physically draining than I anticipated because my backpack made my body sore.
The author sores her back from carrying her bag.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
On travel days, I had to carry my backpack for long periods. I wore it on the go to catch my train. When I arrived in a new city, I had to keep it on my back until I could check into my accommodation. And then, I'd repeat the entire process when I checked out before catching a train to my next destination.
Each day, after wearing my backpack while walking for extended periods, my muscles felt incredibly sore.
In these moments, I was surprised to find myself questioning if a backpack really is more convenient than a carry-on suitcase. Sure, a carry-on suitcase is larger and often needs to be wheeled around, but after lugging around my backpack all day, I felt it would have been easier and better for my body. Plus, I'd be able to pack more.
Large crowds made having a backpack even harder. I thought traveling in October — the end of shoulder season — would help me avoid this, but I was wrong.
Narrow alleys were filled with people in Europe.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
In most photos of backpackers I see on Instagram, it looks like they're completely alone in a dramatic scene, whether it's a scenic landscape or a major tourist attraction.
However, even though I visited during the shoulder season, this was not the case. From Rome to Zurich, I trudged through places that were overrun with tourists.
Throughout my trip, I stood on tippy toes to see popular historic sites above rows of heads obscuring my view. Even getting just one photo of myself at tourist hot spots, like the Colosseum in Rome, felt nearly impossible. And since I'm 5-foot-3, I found it hard to see over the heads and smartphones of the people around me.
I also wasn't used to the weight and size of my backpack, which made it challenging to get around. In crowded spaces, I kept forgetting that the backpack made me about a third larger than I typically am. I bumped into people with my pack in busy streets and train stations before realizing I needed to reconsider how I was taking up space.
Next time I plan a trip to Europe, I'll visit in the offseason for fewer crowds.
While it wasn't a picture-perfect adventure, backpacking through Europe made me realize that you can't plan out every second, and maybe that's a good thing.
The author backpacks in Europe.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
While there were a handful of hardships, backpacking in Europe was also full of good surprises.
For example, I initially thought seeing so many new places in a short time would make them blend together in my mind, but each city felt genuinely unique and left me with distinct memories. And without my backpack, I probably wouldn't have been able to travel to as many places in one trip.
I'll never forget how alive Berlin felt with its lush pockets of greenery, dramatic murals, and street performers, or how Vienna's garden mazes and fairy tale architecture made me feel like royalty — even with a turtle shell on my back.
Ultimately, I thought the good surprises outweighed the bad, so I would definitely backpack in Europe again. But next time, I'll avoid shared accommodations, overnight rides, and the busy season.
Walt Disney Animation Studios started as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923.
Since then, the studio has produced over 50 fully animated, theatrically released films.
"Zootopia 2" is set to be released on November 26.
Walt Disney Studios has come a long way since its inception in the 1920s, when two brothers, Walt and Roy Disney, began animating an impish mouse named Mickey.
Now, Disney is one of the largest movie studios on the planet and controls properties such as "Star Wars," Marvel, Pixar, "Planet of the Apes," and more.
But first and foremost will always be Disney Animation. Since its first feature-length animated movie was theatrically released in 1937, Disney has been the gold standard for animated films.
Business Insider used Rotten Tomatoes' critics' scores to rank every one of the studio's fully animated films — that means no "Fantasia," "Mary Poppins," or "Song of the South," which have live-action components. This list also does not include movies like "A Goofy Movie" and "Return to Never Land," which were produced by a division of the company, Disney MovieToons.
The scores were accurate as of November 2025, prior to the release of "Zootopia 2."
Here's how the animated Disney films stack up against each other from worst to best.
Based on the folk tale of the same name, "Chicken Little" is about a fearful little chicken who becomes convinced the sky is falling. While the adults in his life dismiss him, it becomes clear that something is certainly afoot in his small town.
"When Disney can't hit a tried-and-true fairy-tale adaptation out of the park, maybe it's time to give up the ghost and get Pixar back on the phone," wrote the Orlando Sentinel's Roger Moore.
After the success of the studio's 1999 movie "Tarzan" and its soundtrack, which featured Phil Collins, Disney attempted to recapture that magic with "Brother Bear," a story of brotherly love that also included Collins' music.
However, Nell Minow of Common Sense Media called this film a "lackluster story only for kindergarteners."
"Wish" is filled to the brim with Easter eggs referring to Disney's 100 years of magic, but the studio seems to have forgotten to add a compelling story, lovable characters, or well-written songs.
Asha had the potential to be an all-time Disney princess, but the rules of this universe are confusing, and Magnifico's heel turn seemingly comes out of nowhere.
"This fairy tale feels more like a corporate product than a magical event; it's a limp dissertation on Disney's motto that, 'When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true,'" wrote The Boston Globe's Odie Henderson.
There's not a cute animal sidekick or a show tune to be found in "Atlantis." Instead, Milo, a passionate archaeologist, unwittingly exposes the people of Atlantis to the corporate greed of the surface world in this slightly depressing story.
"It's so oppressively tedious at times that you almost wish the cast would break into a chorus of 'Under the Sea,'" wrote Lou Lumenick for The New York Post.
"Home on the Range" is a simple story of three cows who decide to take matters into their own hands (hooves?) to save their farm by collecting a bounty put on the head of Alameda Slim, a cattle rustler and thief.
Richard Roeper called it "a serviceable time-killer" on "At the Movies."
This cartoon is a loose adaptation of the Charles Dickens story "Oliver Twist," but instead of a down-on-his-luck orphan, Oliver is an adorable stray kitten.
For most people, this is remembered as the Disney movie with songs by Billy Joel.
"With its captivating characters, sprightly songs and zap-happy animation, 'Oliver & Company' adds up to a tip-top frolic," wrote Peter Travers for People.
"The Black Cauldron" is based on Welsh mythology — hence why characters have names like Princess Eilonwy and Fflewddur Fflam. It tells the story of a teenager named Taran who longs to become a hero. He gets his chance when he sets out to prevent the Horned King from using the Black Cauldron to raise an evil army.
"This is the 25th full-length animated feature from Walt Disney studios, and professionally put together as it is, many of the ingredients may seem programmed to those who have seen some of the others," wrote Walter Goodman of The New York Times.
Pocahontas was a real Native American woman. but her life did not follow the fairy tale story put forth by Disney. No matter how good "Colors of the Wind" is, this film is flawed and best left in the past.
"All Disney has really done in its disappointing 33rd animated feature is revive the stereotype of the Noble Savage," wrote Rita Kempley for The Washington Post.
In this version of the classic tale, Robin Hood and Maid Marian are foxes, his best friend Little John is a bear — who looks suspiciously like Baloo from "The Jungle Book" — and the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham is a wolf.
"The washed-out, muted colors are a mistake, and if Robin Hood is sometimes hilarious, it has little memorable magic," wrote Alan R. Howard of The Hollywood Reporter.
You'll find "Moana 2's" predecessor much higher on this list.
"Moana 2" sees the return of Moana, a newly minted wayfinder, as she tries to reconnect the people of her island, Motunui, with their ancestors from other islands. To do this, she reunites with demigod Maui on a new adventure across the sea.
"Much like the hermit crab who kicks things off by attempting to trade in his new shell for an ill-fitting larger one, there's simply not enough to fill out 'Moana 2,'" wrote Andrea Thompson for the Chicago Reader.
"The Aristocats" is essentially the tale of "Lady and the Tramp," but this time with cats. Duchess, a pristine cat and mom of three precocious kittens, meets the alley cat Thomas O'Malley and falls in love.
"Before the disastrous aughts, was there a worse decade for Disney animated features than the 1970s?" asked Matt Brunson of View From the Couch.
"Dinosaur" is the story of Aladar, a dinosaur who was orphaned and then raised by lemurs. Aladar and his adopted family join up with other dinosaurs to find a safe place after a natural disaster devastates their home.
If this sounds just like the other animated dinosaur film, "The Land Before Time," to you, you're not alone.
Michael Sragow of Salon wrote, "Well, Bambi meets Godzilla again in the new computer-cartoon epic 'Dinosaur,' but the results aren't so witty."
Notably, this was the last Disney film to be released before Walt Disney's death in 1966.
"The Sword in the Stone" is King Arthur's origin story — he meets legendary sorcerer Merlin and pulls out Excalibur, the sword lodged inside the stone.
'There is still some life in the characterizations, though the animation is turning stiff and flat," wrote Chicago Reader's Dave Kehr.
In "Meet the Robinsons," Lewis is desperate to find his birth mother, who gave him up for adoption. Instead, he's brought to the future by the mysterious Wilbur, who claims he's a time cop.
"Charming as all these surface layers are — and even in 2D, it's more than passable family fare — 'Meet The Robinsons' really flowers with the extra dimension, which makes an already neato cinematic universe feel palpably inhabitable," wrote Scott Tobias for the AV Club.
"Treasure Planet" updates the setting of the famed pirate story "Treasure Island" to the future. Instead of hitching a ride on a pirate ship, Jim Hawkins hops on a spaceship — and instead of looking for buried treasure, Jim and his friends are searching for a missing planet made entirely of treasure.
"Akin to an extremely well-made Saturday morning cartoon — great for hyperactive four-year-olds or hungover students, not worth a trip to the pictures," wrote Nev Pierce for the BBC.
Not even the A-list voice talent of Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, and Lucy Liu could save this movie — which isn't bad! — from flopping.
"Strange World" is about the Clades, a family of legendary explorers who must venture into a subterranean world to see if they can save their planet.
"So much of 'Strange World's' audaciousness is front-loaded into its concept, and so little of it comes through in the execution," wrote Alison Willmore for Vulture.
"The Fox and the Hound" is one of the rare Disney movies that doesn't have a totally happy ending. Tod, a fox, and Copper, a bloodhound, meet when they're young and become best friends. But when they grow up, they learn they're natural enemies.
It ends on a bittersweet note, as the two friends acknowledge that they probably won't see each other again, but are at peace in the forest.
"All charmingness aside, this cute but rather thinly plotted yarn exposes the cracks that were present in the pre-renaissance Disney empire," wrote William Thomas of Empire.
"Frozen II" picks up soon after where "Frozen" left off — Elsa is now queen and in control of her ice powers, Anna and Kristoff are in love, and Olaf is just happy he's not melting.
But when Elsa begins to hear a mysterious voice calling out to her, our characters leave Arendelle behind to discover the source of Elsa's power.
"The songs, perhaps not as compelling as in the original, still make the heart beat faster now and then," wrote Stephen Romei for The Australian.
"Peter Pan" is based on the 1904 play of the same name by J.M. Barrie.
In it, the Darling children are whisked away to Neverland, a magical world where children never grow up, fairy dust lets you fly, and an evil captain with a hook for a hand terrorizes the seas.
But Neverland is also home to Tiger Lily and her tribe, who are drawn in the most stereotypical way possible — so much so that Disney has added an apology before the film plays on Disney+.
"It is still a lush, bright feature that happily clicks along with rollicking songs by Sammy Cahn, Sammy Fain, and others," wrote Dolores Barclay for the Associated Press.
In this story, Basil and Dawson are the mice stand-ins for Sherlock and Watson, while Professor Ratigan (a rat) is based on Sherlock's arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty.
"'The Great Mouse Detective' reflects the energy and enthusiasm of a talented group of young artists stretching their wings for the first time," wrote Charles Solomon for the Los Angeles Times.
"The Rescuers" focuses on Bernard and Bianca, two mice who are sent to help Penny, a young orphan who has been kidnapped by the evil Madame Medusa, who plans to use her to steal a precious jewel.
"Although not one of the studio's classics, it has warmth, humor and delightful characterization," wrote Victoria Mather for The Daily Telegraph.
Based on the 1831 Victor Hugo novel of the same name, "Hunchback" centers on sweet Quasimodo, a physically deformed man who is orphaned after the villainous Judge Frollo murders his mother.
To atone for his sins, Frollo adopts Quasimodo but keeps him hidden atop Notre Dame's bell tower. But when Quasimodo catches sight of Esmeralda, he vows to enter the world below.
"You're quickly won over by the movie's subversive wit, swept along by its narrative bravado and its enormous visual energy. This new 'Hunchback' is a triumph on its own terms, and on any other terms that might come to mind." wrote Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal.
"Hercules" is a loose re-telling of the Greek myth of the hero Heracles. After getting kidnapped and turned (almost) mortal by Hades' henchmen, Hercules goes on a quest to prove to his father, Zeus, and the rest of the gods that he's worthy of immortality and godhood.
"Jumps into the ancient legends feet-first, cheerfully tossing out what won't fit and combining what's left into a new look and a lighthearted style," wrote Roger Ebert.
Based on Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," this adaptation follows Alice as she falls down the rabbit hole and meets unforgettable characters like the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the Queen of Hearts.
"If you are not too particular about the images of Carroll and [illustrator John] Tenniel, if you are high on Disney whimsy, and if you'll take a somewhat slow, uneven pace, you should find this picture entertaining," wrote Bosley Crowther for The New York Times.
At the time, "The Rescuers" was one of Disney's most popular films (even if its reputation has been somewhat diminished since its release in 1977), which is why our two favorite mice, Bernard and Bianca, returned for this film — the first sequel ever theatrically released by Disney.
This time, Bernard and Bianca are sent to Australia by the Rescue Aid Society to help a young boy who's been kidnapped.
"A gorgeously drawn myth made for plucky children and very brave mice," wrote The Washington Post's Rita Kempley.
"The Princess and the Frog" updates the setting of the Brothers Grimm fairytale "The Frog Prince" to 1920s New Orleans. Tiana is a determined young woman who wants more than anything to open her own restaurant.
When she kisses prince-turned-frog Naveen to revert him back to humanity, the opposite happens: Tiana turns into a frog, too.
"This has a lot to commend it, and it isn't just nostalgia for the Disney past. It's a visual treat," wrote The London Evening Standard's Derek Malcolm.
In "The Emperor's New Groove," David Spade stars as Kuzco, the self-absorbed, clueless Incan emperor, who is turned into a llama by his evil advisor Yzma, who wants to steal the throne for herself. To get his throne back, Kuzco must team up with the kindly peasant Pacha, whose house he has marked for destruction.
CNN's Paul Tatara called Kuzco's tale "a silly little movie that's smarter than most of the self-important features that came out this year."
Newly orphaned sisters Lilo and Nani are struggling to adjust to their new normal when Lilo adopts Stitch, a rambunctious alien who she thinks is just a weird dog. When two agents of the Galactic Federation come looking for Stitch, chaos erupts on Kauai.
"It's one of the most charming feature-length cartoons of recent years — funny, sassy, startling, original, and with six songs by Elvis," wrote Roger Ebert.
"Wreck-It Ralph" is the story of Wreck-It Ralph, the villain in the classic arcade game "Fix-It Felix Jr." But when Ralph is sick of being the bad guy in everyone's story, he goes on an epic journey visiting other video games to become a hero.
"'Wreck-It Ralph' is a must-see for anyone who grew up playing 1980s arcade games — and their kids will love it too," wrote Larushka Ivan-Zadeh for Metro UK.
This film is based on the Rudyard Kipling book of the same name, published in 1894 — and was the last film Walt Disney himself worked on. He died during its production.
It's the simple story of Mowgli, an orphaned human raised by wolves. But when it becomes clear that the evil tiger Shere Khan will stop at nothing to kill Mowgli, a panther named Bagheera and a bear Baloo agree to take Mowgli back to the human village he came from.
"It's a slight tale, of course, and incredibly short, but the characters and songs are pretty much perfect viewing time and again," wrote Empire's Ian Nathan.
Six years after "Wreck-It Ralph," in which Ralph discovers that even though he's a villain in his game, he doesn't have to be a bad guy; he's on another adventure with his friend Vanellope. This time, our duo heads to the internet to find a part that's needed to fix Vanellope's game, "Sugar Rush."
"'Ralph Breaks the Internet' works because it doesn't pander, and it doesn't simplify," wrote Brian Tallerico for RogerEbert.com.
22 (tie). "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1949)
Running at just 68 minutes long, this is an anthology film. First up is "The Wind in the Willows," which is the story of J. Thaddeus Toad, who is trying to save his home from bankruptcy.
The second story is "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," in which Ichabod Crane arrives in Sleepy Hollow and is stalked by the terrifying Headless Horseman.
Chicago Reader's Jonathan Rosenbaum called this film "engaging and lively."
"Tangled" is a classic Disney princess film, but made with modern 3D animation, a first for the studio. It tells the tale of Rapunzel, a teenager with magical hair who longs to see the world outside her tower — and when the charming thief Flynn Rider happens upon her home, she seizes the chance to break free.
"If this is what old-fashioned means, then bring it on," wrote Derek Malcolm of The London Evening Standard.
While it doesn't seem like it now, a Disney princess story where the true love story is between two sisters was groundbreaking. Add in some of the catchiest songs ever written by the House of Mouse and a lovable (if somewhat grating) snowman, and you have one of the studio's biggest and most beloved films, raking in more than $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office.
"'Frozen' feels like it's breaking new ground in telling a story where the women are actually in control, and where the clichés of their narratives are turned inside out, almost as a sly commentary on what has come before," wrote Jason Bailey for Flavorwire.
Based on the 1912 novel "Tarzan of the Apes" by Edgar Rice Burroughs, "Tarzan" tells the story of the titular character being raised by apes after his parents are killed. Although he feels out of place, he doesn't know any different until Jane and her crew of explorers arrive at Tarzan's jungle and begin to show him a different way.
"Tarzan" is a fun time at the movies, but its lasting legacy is the multiple songs on the soundtrack written and performed by Phil Collins.
In June 1999, Peter Stack of The San Francisco Chronicle called it "so far, the most entertaining film of the year."
For all the talk about how poorly this relationship has aged — sure, it's true love's kiss, but can someone under a sleeping curse really consent? — this movie is a wonder to look at. Maleficent, the evil witch, remains a high point of Disney's character designs.
"'Sleeping Beauty' is a masterpiece. In my opinion, it's not just the best animated film to ever come out of Walt Disney Studios, but it is also the finest animated motion picture I've ever seen, period," wrote Sara Michelle Fetters for MovieFreak.
In the 16 years since its release, it seems like "Bolt" has been somewhat forgotten. But it's fun! It stars John Travolta as the voice of Bolt, the star of a hit TV series who doesn't realize his superpowers on the show aren't real. When he believes his owner is kidnapped — but really, it's just a cliffhanger in the show — he embarks on a cross-country journey to rescue her.
"While it may lack a certain amount of bite, there's plenty of bark to recommend this winning animated adventure," wrote The Sydney Morning Herald's Eddie Cockrell.
Everyone's favorite honey-loving bear, who starred in 1977's "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh," returned to the big screen in "Winnie the Pooh."
This time, Pooh and the rest of the Hundred Acre Wood crew team up to save Christopher Robin from a monster they're calling the Backson — in reality, Christopher Robin is just at school and will be "back soon."
"It's a pleasure to sink into an animated family movie from Disney that radiates charm with a gentleness that seems damn near revolutionary," wrote Peter Travers for Rolling Stone.
After years of criticism regarding its Disney princesses and their lack of agency, audiences were given Mulan, a young woman who secretly takes her father's place in the Chinese Imperial Army by disguising herself as a boy.
Mulan is a warrior through and through. No one could ever call her a typical damsel in distress.
"Overall, this is a lovely film, ranking with the best of Disney's animated features while taking on rather serious issues of war, honor, gender roles and family pride," wrote Moira MacDonald for The Seattle Times.
"Bambi" is a straightforward story about a young deer growing up in the forest and learning how to protect the forest creatures from hunters known only as Man.
The New York Times' Theodore Strauss wrote, "In colors that would surprise even the spectrum itself, Disney's cartoon craftsmen have re-created a woodland that shimmers and glows and darkens altogether magically."
"Lady and the Tramp" is another Disney film that now comes with a disclaimer due to the problematic nature of its two Siamese cats, Si and Am.
If you're able to move past that, though, "Lady and the Tramp" is simple and sweet. Lady is a dog who's barely left her house, but due to a misunderstanding, she ends up on the street and meets the stray Tramp.
Their spaghetti kiss is still being referenced to this day.
"The quintessential American love story — the one between the spoiled heiress and the spontaneous, fun-loving guy from the wrong side of the tracks — has seldom been more elegantly and entertainingly told," wrote The Chicago Tribune's Dave Kehr.
Disney went through a rough period in the '70 and '80s — when "The Little Mermaid" was released in 1989, it was a return to form for the studio. It's a classic love story with beloved songs like "Part of Your World," "Under the Sea," and "Kiss the Girl."
"'The Little Mermaid' — impudent, grandiose, a multilevel crowd-pleaser — almost returns the Disney animated features to their glory traditions of the '30s and '40s," wrote the Los Angeles Times' Michael Wilmington.
"Encanto" is about the Madrigal family, who each receives a magical power when they turn 5 — all except Mirabel, who was mysteriously skipped over. When the magic in their home starts failing, Mirabel makes it her mission to save her family, powers or not.
"You will be humming 'Welcome to the Family Madrigal' — expositional but infectious — all the way home. The characters are infectious, too, and well-drawn, enriching 'Encanto's' world with gifts that extend far beyond their bestowed powers," wrote Time Out's Whelan Barzey.
"The Lion King" combined breathtaking visuals, amazing songs composed by Elton John, Tim Rice, and Hans Zimmer, and an epic coming-of-age story to cruise to $978 million at the box office.
Jay Carr wrote in The Boston Globe, "Make no mistake, the magnitude of the achievement here far outweighs any shortcomings. 'The Lion King' is both populist blockbuster and royal treat."
Kelly Marie Tran stars as Raya, a young woman who goes on a quest to find the last dragon to reunite her fractured country, Kumandra.
"As an overall throwback, and as a return to the streamlined storytelling upon which Disney built its supremacy, 'Raya and the Last Dragon' is a welcome expansion of the Disney universe," wrote Pajiba's Roxana Hadadi.
"Beauty and the Beast" is based on, well, a tale as old as time: a French fairy tale from the 1700s. In it, Belle is taken hostage by a prince-turned-beast who lives in a castle filled with talking furniture.
When you take it out of context, as with many animated films, it's … weird. But songs like "Be Our Guest," "Beauty and the Beast," "Gaston," and "Belle" are all-time favorites. And the Academy agreed — it was the first animated movie to ever be nominated for best picture.
"The set pieces are narcotically pleasing, especially the Busby Berkeley-style dancing-kitchenware spectacular, 'Be Our Guest,' and the romantic ballroom centerpiece that brings Beauty and her Beast together," wrote Lisa Schwarzbaum for Entertainment Weekly.
"Dumbo" has some problematic elements, including a flock of stereotypical crows — one of whom was originally named Jim Crow — a drunk baby elephant, and "Song of the Roustabouts."
But Dumbo's design makes him one of the cutest characters in the Disney canon, and "Baby Mine" is a tearjerker.
"Perfection, thy name is Dumbo," wrote Slant Magazine's Rob Humanick.
"Moana" is another modern Disney princess film that eschews a love story for a story of personal growth. Moana ventures out to the sea to save her island and, along the way, learns that she's capable of leading her people and exploring the open ocean.
Victoria Luxford called "Moana" "great fun" and "a traditional Disney Princess film but with a little more depth to it, being about personal discovery and bravery" for BBC CWR.
"Aladdin" is anchored by the iconic voiceover performance by Robin Williams as the Genie. But there's lots of other stuff to love, like Princess Jasmine and her pet tiger Rajah, the bumbling Sultan, and the sweet "street rat" Aladdin.
While its depiction of the Middle East has been criticized, as the BBC noted, "Aladdin" remains one of the most loved Disney films of the last 40 years.
"The magical, the mystical, the mysterious — all those powers that lurk within movies but are rarely tapped are unleashed in Disney's latest magnificent animation, 'Aladdin,'" wrote Duane Byrge for The Hollywood Reporter.
Almost 90 years later, the tale of Snow White, her seven dwarf friends, the Evil Queen, the Huntsman, and her handsome (unnamed) prince, remains the blueprint — it was the first Disney movie, after all.
"It was the dearest picture I have ever seen. The characters were so sweet that I just wanted to hug them," wrote the Miami Herald's Elizabeth Hemphill.
"Cinderella" is one of the most frequently adapted fairy tales of all time, but Disney's animated version of the rags-to-riches story is the most beloved. And it's been said that Cinderella's transformation was one of Walt Disney's favorite pieces of animation.
"The musical numbers woven into the fantasy are generally solid, with at least two or three likely hit tunes standing out in the half-dozen songs," Variety wrote in 1949.
This movie did more for Dalmatians than any best-in-show title could — and its villain, the puppy-napping, fur-obsessed Cruella de Vil, is still one of Disney's best-known villains.
"Among the many contributions of Disney and his team to the cinema, this is perhaps the strangest: they have made us watch with heart in mouth the adventures of beings who exist only as the projection of photographs and colored drawings," wrote Dilys Powell for the Sunday Times.
"Zootopia" takes place in a world without humans, where anthropomorphic mammals have built their own society, complete with laws, organized crime, and tax evaders like Nick Wilde (a fox voiced by Jason Bateman).
"The fictional universe it presents — a human-free world where mammals have evolved into a bustling, civilized society — is vividly realized, richly detailed, and very funny," wrote John Nugent for Empire.
1 (tie). "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1977)
"The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" is three shorts starring Pooh as he combats a blustery day, bees, Heffalumps, and Tigger's inability to stop bouncing.
"You'll enjoy reuniting with childhood friends, and for the next-generation fans of The Book of Pooh, this batch of honey couldn't be sweeter," wrote Entertainment Weekly's Dalton Ross.
"Pinocchio" is based on an Italian children's story from 1883. It's a heartwarming (if a bit creepy) story of a wooden puppet who comes to life after its creator, Gepetto, wishes upon a star.
Why has "Pinocchio" remained at the top of the pack? Well, "When You Wish Upon a Star" is Disney's official theme, distilling everything we love about Disney movies into a 3-minute and 15-second song.
Otis Ferguson wrote in The New Republic that "Pinocchio" is "a delight and at times will take your breath away, for the limits of the animated cartoon have been blown so wide open that some of the original wonder of pictures — wonder and terror too, as when that train roared up into the camera — is restored."
Helicopters like the Soviet-era Mi-8 have been key for both Russia and Ukraine, but have been very vulnerable.
YURIY DYACHYSHYN/AFP via Getty Images
Ukraine's special operations forces said they downed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter with a long-range strike drone.
They said the move was a first and that they're "changing the rules of the game: now we hunt!"
Both sides need helicopters in this war, but they are increasingly vulnerable to drones and other threats.
Ukraine's special operators said Saturday they took down a Russian Mi-8 helicopter with a long-range "deep strike" drone for the first time.
The update didn't say where it happened, but it stressed the significance. They described the move as "changing the rules of the game: now we hunt!"
Video released by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces appears to be footage from the drone as it flew over an enemy helicopter, drawing steadily closer before the clip cuts off. Business Insider could not independently verify the SOF’s account of the engagement, and the video did not show the final moments for the helicopter.
You can watch the video here:
For the first time, a russian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down in mid-air by a Ukrainian Special Operations Forces “deep-strike” drone!
Every mission requires creativity — from the technical characteristics of the system to planning and pilot training.
Ukraine's own defense industry has developed new types of deep strike drones, along with a host of other drone types, that it has used to target Russian troops and weaponry, to gather intelligence, and to hit deep into Russia. Now, apparently, they're taking on other missions.
Russian Mi-8 Soviet-era helicopters have often been tasked with hunting Ukrainian drones in this war. They also fly troop transport and air assault missions, cargo and logistical support flights, evacuation runs, and armed support missions.
Ukraine also flies the Mi-8 and uses its helicopters to hunt Russian drones. It is forming a new helicopter unit dedicated to stopping them.
Helicopters, in this war, have been used for air defense and for low and fast missions, including ones where they may fly just a few feet above the ground. The counter-drone mission for these helicopters has been critical for Ukraine as it battles huge barrages amid persistent shortages in overall air defense capacity.
Ukraine's military commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said in September that helicopters can shoot down up to 40% of the Russian drones in their coverage areas, depending on the weather.
Russia has used both Mi-8 helicopters and Ka-52 attack helicopters regularly in this war, but their use has come at a cost, as it has for Ukraine. These aircraft are slower than fighter jets and vulnerable to not just traditional air defenses, but also other threats. Ukraine previously claimed a strike against a Ka-52 Alligator with a US-made rocket artillery system.
New technology created during this war has also proved deadly for Russian helicopters. Ukraine said last year that it destroyed a Russian Mi-8 with a missile that was launched from a naval drone, a weapon Ukraine developed initially for hunting Russian warships. It said that it was also a battlefield first when it engaged the helicopter.
(L-R) Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, and Cynthia Erivo on the set of "Wicked: For Good."
Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "Wicked: For Good."
Director Jon M. Chu revealed how he got Colman Domingo involved and why he hid Dorothy's face.
He also explains how the movie's final shot pays homage to the iconic poster of the musical.
For more than four years, "Wicked" director Jon M. Chu has lived every waking hour inside the land of Oz. He shot 2024's critical and box-office success "Wicked" simultaneously with its sequel, "Wicked: For Good," which cultivates a cinematic conclusion he hopes will live up to the beloved Broadway musical it's based on.
Crafting that conclusion required a delicate balancing act between adapting Act II of the Broadway musical and adding additional flourishes like new songs and character-building flashbacks to round out the story. "Wicked: For Good" kicks off as Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) sets out on a mission, determined to reveal the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) as a fraud. Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) is torn between fame and her friendship with Elphaba. It all leads to the dramatic emergence of Dorothy — or at least, a silhouette of her.
Now that "Wicked: For Good" is in theaters, Chu is ready for spoiler-heavy chat about everything that went into making the smash hit, from guiding Ariana Grande's career-best performance to how a discovery in rehearsals led to one of the movie's most dramatic moments.
On making Elphaba a badass, casting Dorothy, and sliding into Colman Domingo's DMs
Cynthia Erivo returns as Elphaba Thropp in "Wicked: For Good."
Universal Pictures
Business Insider: You open "Wicked: For Good" with a scene that's not in the musical: Elphaba saving animals who are building the Yellow Brick Road. What was behind that choice?
Jon M. Chu: I'm a big fan of "Batman," the Tim Burton version, so I love a cold open. I also wanted to show that the Yellow Brick Road that we think of that's so iconic actually had to be built by somebody, or some animals. That it was not just this pristine idea. That the building of it was poisoned, and that Elphaba was this badass who, on her own, had this mission to free the animals and expose the truth.
Some main characters from "The Wizard of Oz" appear this time around, though you only show Dorothy in far shots, silhouettes, or just her feet. How tempting was it to shoot her face?
We had opportunities to show more, and we shot some things where you could see her face, but our intention, from the beginning, was not to show her face. But was I sure of that choice? We did get options for it, but every time, it was a distraction.
The thing we went by the whole time was something from the stage show. They told us, "It's about the girls!" Whatever is happening, it's about the girls. So every time it drew us to, "What does Dorothy think?" we reminded ourselves of that.
Even though the plan was to show a limited amount of Dorothy, was it still a long audition process to cast the role?
Oh, yeah. At the auditions, we would put a sheet up, looking at the performer's silhouette. Through that, I was looking at how she could walk, but also, could I guide her in that way? The person had to have youthful energy, so we ultimately chose a dancer.
What's the dancer's name?
Bethany Weaver.
We also get a cameo from Colman Domingo. How did he come to play the Cowardly Lion?
We have this amazing team of movement actors on set playing the animals, but we always knew we would replace their voices. There was a point this past year where we were cutting the movie together and we needed the voice because it was throwing me off.
I had a bunch of names, but I kept seeing Colman on the award circuit. And I felt he would be really fun. So I DMed him. I don't even have his phone number. I DMed him on Instagram and said, "Hey Colman, I know we've met a couple of times, but there's this role of the Cowardly Lion, there's not a lot of lines, it's not a lot of money, but it could be iconic." And he was like, "Why the fuck not." So we did it.
How long did he work on the movie?
He came in for a day, and we had a lot of fun with it. I didn't know how the character would sound. It was very collaborative. I told him, "I'm not going to tell you anything, let's just do the scene." And we did it over and over until we found it.
On staging that Elphaba/Glinda fight for the big screen and his favorite set piece
(L-R) Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in "Wicked: For Good."
Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
The scene with Elphaba and Glinda having their spat on the Yellow Brick Road post-tornado is a highlight because it plays with the darker tone of the movie, yet it's playful enough to indicate they are still friends. How did you develop that sequence?
That is the center of our movie in terms of how difficult and how technical it was for these two women to navigate our tone. I never called the movie darker; I called it deeper. I think the power of the musical isn't the song and dance razzle-dazzle. I think, if done right, it gives you access inside their minds. You get closer and more intimate in the emotions of the characters.
So for this moment, though there's song and dance, we had permission to get closer to them because of the journey we've taken with them to this point. So, yes, you get the nod of the tornado, the falling house, Dorothy, you get the fun of that. But if you watch Ariana Grande's face, watch when she turns, it becomes very personal to her. Nessarose was a person she knew that turned wicked that has passed away, and it might be her fault. But she can't show that. Then comes in Elphaba, and they are both mourning the loss of Nessarose. And then that transitions from a real fight to jokes.
There was a moment when I thought the fight wouldn't work in the movie. The jokes of the "farm girl" and the "house falling on you," those are all jokes in the show, but in the movie they play stronger. And then when the slap happens. We kept it all in because we came to the conclusion that the only way these two can communicate is how they did as kids, which was fighting. So even though it's a fight, it's a connecting point for them.
(L-R) Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Jon M. Chu on the set of "Wicked: For Good."
Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
What's your favorite set piece in "Wicked: For Good"? One you feel you knocked out of the park.
I think the "For Good" musical number. The restraint that both of the girls earned from both movies to be able to do "For Good," and not doing the big flashy ending, but make it so intimate. Because ultimately, what the movie is about is giving them the steering wheel, to have them earn the moment. To me, that was one of my proudest moments. We even revisit "Defying Gravity" in the middle of "For Good," which could have been a no-no — and believe me, the amount of conversations and debates to do that — but because it's coming from a place of her strength, it allows us to go there.
And then you have to get right the lead-up of Dorothy's entrance to destroy Elphaba.
I think that scene is the most emotional pivot point of the movie. The shot of Elphaba outside of the closet and Glinda in it, that was not scripted; they did that in rehearsals. I was weeping when I saw them do that. I had to figure out a way to put it in the movie.
So that comes from understanding the characters and their journey, and then us taking a bet it would work. And even when we shot it, the shot of the door between the two of them, I had to take out a wall to get the shot. The production designers were freaking out because if you take out that wall, that set, you can't shoot anymore. We couldn't come back to that set. And I was like, screw it, it's worth it. This is the moment. We had to go into the darkness, not knowing the answer. Just trusting our instincts.
On tweaking the Wicked Witch's death scene and hiding the movie's final shot from Universal
"Wicked: For Good."
Universal Pictures
Talk about the POV shot of Glinda inside the closet, seeing Elphaba's demise. How did you get there?
We storyboarded, but I never stick to it. It's pretty different from the storyboard. When you have Ariana and Cynthia and they are living in these characters, you have to listen to what the movie is telling you. The show does the Dorothy silhouette for the Elphaba melting, and I thought it was always brilliant. We know the melting, but to see it through a new perspective, to actually enter the closet Glinda is hiding in, it just plays the whole scene differently.
Even the close up of Dorothy's feet afterward, she looks like a villain. We actually, for a time, had her dance around. She took the broomstick and jumped around and celebrated. It was a little too much.
"Wicked" poster.
Universal
Was it always the plan to have the last shot of the movie be an homage to the musical's poster?
Yes. It was always the plan. I was always going to end on the whisper.
Do you know how hard it was to force Universal to never use it in any marketing material? [Laughs.] They even had a poster of it for the first movie, and I was like, "Why are we releasing this poster? We should never acknowledge the whisper. Never. Never." I wanted it to feel like we didn't care about it, then suddenly it's the last shot in "For Good." So the studio never saw that final shot. I imposed a huge thing: "Do not show this shot!" They wanted it so badly.
That poster is one of the most brilliant posters ever made. You don't know what Glinda's saying, because they never actually do that in the musical. But it's sort of the key to friendship. That we have these secrets. And the girls got to choose what they are actually saying in the scene. I don't even know what they said.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
I wouldn't plan trips around some of the major US tourist attractions.
Emily Hart
I've visited all 50 states and most major US tourist attractions — some of which I found overrated.
I wouldn't plan trips around the Four Corners Monument or Mount Rushmore.
I'd also recommend avoiding Salem, Massachusetts, in October due to the immense crowds.
I love visiting kitschy or unique tourist landmarks on a road trip or weekend getaway. In fact, after visiting all 50 states solo, I've enjoyed my short visits to nearly all the major tourist attractions in the United States.
However, in retrospect, I've found some to be overrated and not places I'd plan an entire trip around.
The Four Corners Monument doesn't offer much beyond a photo opportunity.
Emily Hart
For geography enthusiasts, the Four Corners Monument — where visitors can stand in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico simultaneously — is likely a bucket-list attraction.
However, although the quick stop makes for a fun photo opportunity, there's not much more to do in this relatively remote area.
It's worth visiting this unique attraction once, but I'd much rather stick to the nearby Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, known for its tall sandstone buttes.
In New Orleans, I'd recommend visiting Frenchmen Street over Bourbon Street.
Emily Hart
New Orleans is one of my all-time favorite cities, and the iconic French Quarter neighborhood is always a must-see when visiting. Despite that, I don't recommend a trip to the city just to see Bourbon Street.
While it can be interesting to walk along in the morning or pop in quickly at night, the overwhelming crowds of tourists do not, in my opinion, best represent the city or its culture.
If I want to escape the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter, I prefer the more low-key Frenchmen Street — which some tour guides call a "local's Bourbon Street."
Although Frenchmen Street has become more popular over the years, I still don't find it as overwhelming as Bourbon Street.
South Dakota's Black Hills region offers more than just Mount Rushmore.
Kurt Nichols/Shutterstock
Like most spots on this list, I'd revisit Mount Rushmore if I were in the Black Hills area of South Dakota, but I wouldn't center an entire trip around it.
The monument is impressive, but in its immediate vicinity, there isn't much more to do than hike a couple of very short trails.
I'd instead plan a trip around the entire Black Hills Region, with stops at Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and Badlands National Park.
The Las Vegas Strip is near the top of my list of overrated destinations.
Paparacy/Shutterstock
Although the Las Vegas Strip is a sight unlike any other, its artificiality puts it near the top of my list of overrated tourist destinations.
Despite that, I've enjoyed my time on the nearby Fremont Street and in the surrounding natural areas near the city, such as the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
I wouldn't visit Times Square more than once on a New York City trip.
Benjamin Lebrun/Shutterstock
Similar to the Las Vegas Strip, Times Square is one of the most iconic US landmarks. Although I'd visit if I were nearby, there are so many other spots in New York City that I prefer.
In my opinion, spending time walking around smaller neighborhoods in Manhattan or Brooklyn gives visitors a much better understanding of the local culture.
For those looking for a more touristy experience, I recommend checking out The High Line, which offers great views of Manhattan, or Little Island, which is an artificial island within Hudson River Park.
The line for photos at the Southernmost Point of the US in Key West, Florida, is often extraordinarily long.
Emily Hart
Key West, Florida, is one of my favorite cities in the US. Despite all the city has to offer, many visitors first make a beeline for the Southernmost Point.
As the title implies, it's a simple monument that marks the southernmost point of the US, just 90 miles north of Cuba. Although I visited the point and thought it was a fun photo opportunity, the line for pictures was extraordinarily long.
There are many other places in the area where I'd rather spend that time, with Key West's exciting culture, museums, history, food, and excellent outdoor-recreation opportunities.
I recommend avoiding Salem, Massachusetts, in October.
Heidi Besen/Shutterstock
I first visited Salem, Massachusetts, on a whim while traveling nearby one October. However, I didn't realize the city is inundated with visitors throughout the entire month — not just on Halloween.
Infamous for the Salem Witch Trials, the city has become a tourist destination for lovers of everything spooky, especially as Halloween approaches.
Most of my visit was spent finding a parking spot, with the hoards of crowds limiting the appeal for me.
I'd love to visit outside October and recommend only spooky-season fanatics plan a trip during that time frame.
This story was originally published on September 26, 2024, and most recently updated on November 24, 2025.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says he's uneasy that a few unelected tech leaders hold the power to shape humanity's AI future.
Chance Yeh/Getty Images for HubSpot
Anthropic launched Claude Opus 4.5, calling it its most advanced and intelligent AI model to date.
Claude Opus 4.5 excels at generating code, spreadsheets, and workplace documents for users.
Anthropic is seeking new funding from Google, potentially raising its valuation to $350 billion.
Anthropic is once again raising the bar in the AI race.
On Monday, the company unveiled Claude Opus 4.5, which it calls its most advanced AI model yet, just three months after its previous release.
Anthropic says the latest version delivers major improvements in generating computer code and workplace documents, such as Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. It also includes new capabilities for creating more sophisticated, long-running AI agents.
"It's the most intelligent model in the world for the things that we really care about," Alex Albert, Anthropic's head of developer relations, told Business Insider.
The launch completes the Claude 4.5 family, following recent updates to the Sonnet and Haiku models. Opus models are built for advanced reasoning and complex problem-solving, while Sonnet and Haiku are optimized for speed and efficiency. It also comes a week after Google debuted its Gemini 3 model.
Anthropic's Claude models are primarily designed for business users. A July report from Menlo Ventures found that Anthropic now leads in enterprise AI adoption, capturing 32% of the market. That puts it ahead of OpenAI, which holds 25%—about half of its share from two years ago. Google followed with 20%, and Meta came in fourth at 9%. (Menlo Ventures is an investor in Anthropic).
While Albert declined to make direct comparisons to competitors, he said Opus 4.5 was designed for the "hardest tasks" and the "most intelligence-demanding experiences." The model, for instance, can now generate spreadsheets of "expert human-level quality" similar to those used by financial analysts, he said.
Anthropic said the new model scored higher than Google Gemini 3 Pro and OpenAI's GPT 5.1 on SWE-Bench Verified, the popular coding evaluation test set.
"The theme is operating at a very high velocity right now and continuing to put out the best models we can," Albert said.
Google did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on the performance of Gemini 3 Pro on SWE-Bench Verified compared to Opus.
Last week, Anthropic unveiled plans to spend $30 billion to secure access to Nvidia chips through Microsoft's cloud platform. As part of the arrangement, Nvidia committed up to $10 billion in investments in Anthropic, while Microsoft pledged as much as $5 billion. The deal has fueled concerns about circular investments among AI companies that could artificially inflate valuations.
Anthropic is in talks to raise new funding from Google, a deal that could value the company at $350 billion, Business Insider previously reported. That would more than double its $138 billion valuation from September, when it raised $13 billion.
HR pro Rachel Lockett said that "engaging in the hard conversation" about employee performance can "lead you to the clarity that you need to take action."
vittaya pinpan/Getty Images
Former Stripe and Pinterest HR leader Rachel Lockett said there's a key question managers should ask about employees.
Lockett's question: "Would you enthusiastically rehire this person for the same role?"
"You have an immediate reaction that is honest to that question that provides clarity," she said on "Lenny's Podcast."
Did you hire the right talent? For HR pro Rachel Lockett, it comes down to one question.
Lockett worked as an HR leader at major tech companies, including Stripe and Pinterest, before founding her own executive coaching consultancy. On a recent episode of "Lenny's Podcast," Lockett gave a peek behind the curtain for her talent strategy.
It's difficult for managers to accept that their talent is underperforming, Lockett said. She suggests asking: "Would you enthusiastically rehire this person for the same role?"
Lockett always asked that question at Stripe, she said.
"When the answer is no to that, no matter how many difficult conversations you have, this is not going to work," she said.
The question is clarifying, she said, because it is a binary choice.
"Even engaging in the hard conversation and seeing what happens can lead you to the clarity that you need to take action on talent that's not working," Lockett said.
As tech companies strive for "talent density," they can employ various methods to determine whether their teams have the desired makeup — and whether talent should stay.
Lockett's question is reminiscent of Netflix's famous "keeper test." It's evolved over the years, but it asks Netflix managers to consistently ask themselves: "If X wanted to leave, would I fight to keep them?" or, "Knowing everything I know today, would I hire X again?" If the answer is no, the employee is given "generous severance" and cut so that a stronger replacement could be found.
Meta looked for so-called "low performers." Mark Zuckerberg laid off some 4,000 employees in February to "make sure we have the best people on our teams." Microsoft took a similar strategy, cutting nearly 2,000 employees who were deemed low performers.
Host Lenny Rachitsky chimed in to say that a "no" to Lockett's question doesn't always mean employees should be exited on the spot. There are other methods to address performance, he said.
"It could be, talk to them about it, put them on a performance plan, put them in a different role," Rachitsky said. "It doesn't mean you have to fire them immediately."
Lockett responded by saying that the size of the business mattered, too. "In quickly scaling businesses, it's natural that the leadership team's job will change, and that you'll have to make some evolution over time," she said.
While a performance improvement plan may be preferable to termination, employees have come to dread them. In Big Tech, PIPs took on a new name: "quiet layoffs."
Part of the question's appeal is its directness, Lockett said.
"You have an immediate reaction that is honest to that question that provides clarity," she said.
The Department of Education said in updated guidance posted to Federal Student Aid's website that it's moving forward with implementing some student-loan repayment provisions in President Donald Trump's "big beautiful" spending legislation.
The latest update pertains to the eligibility requirements for income-based repayment plans. Prior to Trump's spending legislation, IBR plans, which give borrowers monthly payments based on their incomes with forgiveness after 20 or 25 years, had to demonstrate partial financial hardship. It required that a borrower's monthly payment based on their income is less than the amount needed to pay off their full balance over a 10-year period.
That means borrowers with higher income-based payments, along with those on other repayment plans that the department is eliminating, would be eligible for IBR. Federal Student Aid's website said in its latest update that it anticipates the change will be completed in December 2025.
Borrowers who didn't have partial financial hardship and applied for IBR could get relief soon.
"In the meantime, servicers will hold IBR applications that would otherwise be denied," the guidance said. "Servicers will process those applications after the system changes are completed. We encourage borrowers who applied for the IBR Plan and were denied due to lack of partial financial hardship before we instructed servicers to hold these applications to reapply."
IBR plans give borrowers monthly payments based on their incomes with the promise of forgiveness after 20 or 25 years, depending on when they first took out the loan. The plans have been a source of contention over the past few months. Following a lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Teachers, which accused the department of delaying IBR application processing, the department agreed to continue processing forgiveness for those who reached the payment threshold.
Some borrowers who reached the payment threshold previously told Business Insider that their balances have been zeroed out.
The department is also working to implement other key repayment changes in Trump's spending legislation. It recently concluded negotiations on the repayment plan overhaul, which included replacing existing income-driven repayment plans with two options and placing new borrowing caps on graduate and professional loans.
These changes are happening as the administration moves forward with its efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. On November 18, the department announced that it is moving a series of programs to other federal agencies, including childcare programs and international education. While the announcement did not address federal student aid, some Democratic lawmakers said they're concerned about the impact of gutting the agency on student-loan borrowers.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday called on the department's Office of the Inspector General to examine "how ED's dismantling may have led to insufficient federal oversight of the student loan servicers responsible for providing critical customer service to borrowers."
Russia has been using new weapons powered by jet engines to strike Ukraine.
Scott Peterson/Getty Images
Russia has been launching jet-powered drones and guided bombs in attacks against Ukraine.
Senior Ukrainian officials said that the weapons are being used to test Kyiv, with changing tactics.
While they pose a threat to air defenses, they are not being employed in large numbers.
Russia is using high-speed drones and guided glide bombs powered by jet engines to strike Ukraine, leaving defenders with very little time to react.
Senior Ukrainian officials told Business Insider that Russian tactics appear to be evolving with the introduction of these jet-powered weapons, testing Kyiv's response, but for now, they are being used in limited numbers.
"I believe the enemy is testing our defenses and our countermeasures against these new systems to assess whether mass production is worth pursuing," said Lt. Col. Yurii Myronenko, Ukraine's deputy minister of defense for innovation.
The Geran-3, a Russian drone modeled after Iran's Shahed-238, first showed up in Ukraine early this year and has been involved in attacks over the past few months.
The long-range drone is equipped with a turbojet engine, allowing it to travel at speeds of up to 230 miles per hour. This drone is a more advanced version of the propeller-driven Geran-2, although both are designed to carry explosive warheads, dive at their targets, and detonate on impact.
Myronenko, a former drone unit commander, said that the jet-powered Shaheds have been used alongside propeller-driven strike and decoy drones in multiple large-scale Russian attacks this fall.
"For now, the enemy is employing them in limited numbers," he said, though he noted that one recent attack featured only jet-powered Shaheds — as many as 10 of them — and no propeller-driven drones at all, pointing to a potential evolution in Russian attacks.
Russia frequently uses Shahed-type drones to attack Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy/Screengrab via X
The Ukrainian military's communications department told Business Insider that several large-scale Russian attacks have featured jet-powered drones, but only very few of them, explaining that what the country is seeing right now "cannot be called massive use."
Mykhailo Fedorov, the first deputy prime minister of Ukraine and minister of digital transformation, suggested that Russia is struggling to mass-produce its jet-powered drones.
"It's still a small-enough number," he said, speaking through a translator. "They're iterating, they're testing, they're changing their tactics."
Russia's defense ministry and its US embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its jet-powered weapons and their use in Ukraine.
Glide bombs with more range
The Ukrainian military said that Russia is also periodically using jet-powered guided glide bombs against Ukraine, but not in large numbers, similar to the Geran-3 drones.
"Isolated launches of guided glide bombs with an increased flight range are observed in various areas of the front," the military said, without getting into specifics.
Glide bombs are dumb bombs equipped with special kits that turn them into precision-guided munitions. These weapons can be launched from Russian jets at a standoff range beyond the reach of Ukraine's air defenses. They have small radar signatures, non-ballistic trajectories, and short flight times, making them notoriously difficult to intercept.
Russian glide bombs are difficult for Ukrainian air defenses to intercept.
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP
Reports began to emerge last month that Russia had been using glide bombs with turbojet engines to attack Ukraine. Myronenko described the situation as "complicated."
"This significantly expands the geography of enemy attacks," he explained. "We do have countermeasures against these bombs, but they do not always result in interception, and the longer the range, the greater the threat to civilians."
The Ukrainian military said some Russian attacks have been intercepted by antiaircraft weapons, including missile systems, as well as jets and helicopters.
Fedorov said that Ukraine is looking into jet-powered interceptor drones to respond to the Geran-3 threat, adding that this technology is in the research and development phase. Ukraine has heavily invested in interceptor drones as a cost-effective means of defending against propeller-driven strike drones.
The tradeoffs of weapons design
Russia's growing use of jet-powered weapons is part of a "strategy to impose costs on Ukrainian air defenses," said Patrycja Bazylczyk, an associate director and associate fellow with the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Propeller-driven drones can be destroyed by truck-mounted machine guns, as mobile Ukrainian air defense units have been doing for years, but these jet-powered drones, with their increased speed, make targeting and interception more difficult, she told Business Insider.
The aftermath of a Russian glide bomb and drone attack in Dobropillia, Ukraine.
Scott Peterson/Getty Images
Meanwhile, the jet-powered glide bombs, with their extended range, allow Russian planes to strike from greater distances well beyond the reach of Ukraine's air defenses, which are already struggling to counter glide bomb threats.
Jet-powered drones and bombs, however, aren't without their issues.
"Weapons design involves many tradeoffs," Bazylczyk explained. "Opting for a jet engine prioritizes speed, reducing defender reaction times. But it'll cost you: these jet-powered Shaheds are pricier and have shorter range than propeller-powered counterparts."
Myronenko said Russia might be constrained in its ability to purchase the jet engines, which are more expensive and less readily available. He said Moscow's ability to acquire the technology depends on the willingness of other countries to supply it.
While Ukraine has confirmed an overall uptick in the use of Russian jet-powered weapons, their impact on the battlefield and beyond remains to be seen, especially if the warhead size remains the same.
"Slapping a jet engine on a Shahed does not really change the weapon's effect," Bazylczyk said. "Just because you strap a motor to a bicycle doesn't make it a Harley—it's just an electric bike."
I tried Ina Garten's easy corn bread years ago. Now I make it for every Thanksgiving.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I made Ina Garten's recipe for brown-butter skillet corn bread.
It was deliciously moist, with the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors.
The corn bread was a hit at Friendsgiving years ago. Now I make the dish for every Thanksgiving.
With the help of Ina Garten's cookbooks, I've turned from a ramen-burning amateur to someone who can serve pasta dishes that her friends will actually eat.
So, when I decided to cook a few dishes for Friendsgiving, there was no question that the "Barefoot Contessa" star would be my source of inspiration.
As a huge pasta lover, I knew I had to test Garten's recipe for overnight mac and cheese. And I'm a firm believer that no Thanksgiving table is complete without carbs, so I also made her Parmesan smashed potatoes.
That already seemed like plenty. But when I stumbled on a photo of Garten's brown-butter skillet corn bread, I knew I had to add it to the menu.
Ina Garten's brown-butter skillet corn bread is a bonus recipe in the reissue of her first cookbook.
Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
I found the corn bread recipe while leafing through the republished version of "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," which originally came out in 1999, and knew it'd be perfect for Friendsgiving.
In the description of the dish, Garten says she was inspired by The New York Times' Melissa Clark's corn bread with brown butter.
"Since I can't pass up any recipe for corn bread, I decided to test mine with brown butter too," Garten writes. "Best corn bread I've ever made!"
That was all I needed to hear — time to get baking!
Garten's brown-butter skillet corn bread needs only a few basic ingredients.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
To make Garten's corn bread, which serves 10 to 12 people, you'll need:
3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 cups of whole milk
1 cup of fine cornmeal (Garten says this makes moister corn bread than medium grind)
1 cup of sugar
½ pound of unsalted butter
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons of baking powder
I began by melting my butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I continued to heat the butter until it became browned but not burned, listening to Garten's advice to "watch it very carefully!"
Once the butter was ready, I poured it into a medium bowl and added my milk.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I whisked the milk into the butter, according to Garten's recipe.
Then, I cracked my two eggs into the bowl.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I have to admit, I forgot to lightly beat the eggs together before throwing them into the mixture — but it didn't seem to affect the corn bread in any way.
I added my dry ingredients to a separate bowl.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I added the flour, sugar, and cornmeal, as well as the baking powder and some kosher salt.
I whisked all the dry ingredients together, then made a well in the middle.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Barely five minutes had passed, and my batter was almost ready.
Then, I poured the butter and milk mixture into the well.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Per Garten's instructions, I stirred everything together with a rubber spatula until it was just combined. The "Barefoot Contessa" star notes that it's OK if the batter looks a little lumpy.
My batter was almost ready! But first, it needed to rest a little (so relatable).
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Garten's recipe calls for the batter to sit for 15 minutes. She said this step is essential to getting the best corn bread possible, so don't try to skip it.
Once the 15 minutes were up, I poured my batter into the skillet.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Make sure you don't wipe out your cast-iron skillet after melting the butter. Just throw the batter right in!
I smoothed the top, sprinkled it with sea salt, and threw the cast-iron skillet into the oven.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Garten's recipe says to bake the corn bread for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After 35 minutes, I stuck a knife in the middle, and it came out clean, so I knew it was ready.
One thing to note: If you're using an 11 ½-inch skillet, Garten recommends baking your corn bread for only 25 to 30 minutes.
My corn bread came out a gorgeous golden brown.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Garten's brown-butter skillet corn bread definitely makes for a gorgeous centerpiece at the Thanksgiving table (we all know no one really cares about the turkey).
But would it taste as good as it looked?
You could feel how moist the corn bread was just by cutting into it. Everyone at the table agreed it was one of the best they had ever tasted.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I could write an essay on how much I love this corn bread. It was so moist and fluffy, with the sweet and savory elements working together in perfect harmony. We were all stuffed, but everyone at the table couldn't resist getting seconds of the bread.
"The salt really brought out all the flavors," my friend Oliver said. "10/10, would recommend."
"So delicious," my fellow taste tester Kayla added. "The outside had a nice salty and crunchy texture, while the inside was moist and sweet."
I love Garten's corn bread. Now I make it for every Thanksgiving.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
There's no doubt in my mind that Garten's brown-butter skillet corn bread was the star of Friendsgiving. It was perfectly baked and still tasted just as moist when we ate leftovers on the second and third days.
And for a novice cook like me who never bakes, I couldn't believe how easy and foolproof it was to make. Seeing that corn bread come out of the oven, so beautiful and golden, made me feel like I was about to get a Paul Hollywood handshake.
Garten's recipe has won a permanent spot in my holiday cooking repertoire.