How To Watch The Hotel Transylvania Movies In Order

If you are worried that your kids are going to grow up to be afraid of monsters (which is fair), then there's one animated franchise you should probably show them first. Yes, we're talking about "Hotel Transylvania," the animated comedies that take place in a world full of some of the most iconic monsters in all of pop culture, including Adam Sandler's Count Dracula, Kevin James' Frankenstein, and David Spade's Griffin the Invisible Man. Since 2012, these flicks — which are some of the best Adam Sandler movies — have made fans young and old laugh and cry as we see a different, more hospitable, side to our favorite monsters.

For the littlest of kids, Dracula's hypnotic red eyes may be a bit freaky, but most will quickly fall for these lovable monsters the same way society has. However, considering that there are so many of these films, some may wonder, what's the best order in which to watch these monster comedies? Well, it's simple; release order is really the only way. The ordering is as follows:

• "Hotel Transylvania" (2012)
• "Hotel Transylvania 2" (2015)
• "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" (2018)
• "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" (2022)

With this in mind, let's dive into just why "Hotel Transylvania" must be watched in order and how each movie builds on the themes and ideas expressed in the previous entry.

In short, the reason that "Hotel Transylvania" must be consumed in release order is that, well, the plot of each movie is essential to understanding the next. No, this isn't a more serialized collection of films that build on each other in the style of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it is helpful to have seen the first film if you want to understand the second, and so on. For example, the original "Hotel Transylvania" introduces the concept that monsters exist and they want to hide from humans. After being persecuted for years, Dracula decides to finally build a place where monsters can be themselves, entirely free from the prying eyes of humanity. The 2012 picture does a great job of establishing these ideas and why they're important before throwing us into the rest of the films.

Additionally, the love story between Johnny (Adam Samberg) and Dracula's daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez), is essential to the rest of the movies. By the beginning of "Hotel Transylvania 2," the pair are married and soon have a young son named Dennis. Of course, because these movies are aimed at kids, even if one were to skip around, you could pick up on these sorts of things quickly. Nothing is terribly complex, but the emotional arcs of Dracula, Johnny, and Mavis all compound as the film series progresses, making chronological order (which is also technically the release order) the only logical choice.

Let's dive into the first "Hotel Transylvania" — if you're going to start anywhere, this is definitely where the journey must begin. This movie establishes how Count Dracula's personal tragedy at the hands of human beings has grown into a pure hatred for humanity, leading him to create Hotel Transylvania to protect not just his friends but also his daughter. However, on Mavis' 118th birthday, she wants to explore the world, believing that humans can't all be that bad (or that different from monsters). As fate would have it, this is where young Johnny stumbles in on a backpacking trip through Europe. Though he doesn't understand where he is at first, he soon discovers that monsters are real, and he fears for his life.

Eventually, Dracula and Johnny scheme to turn Johnny into a monster (a distant relative of Frankenstein) so that the young man isn't killed and he doesn't expose the existence of monsters to the world. Over time, Dracula and Johnny build a kinship as the boy and Mavis begin to "zing" (the franchise's way of saying "falling in love"). If you don't start with the original "Hotel Transylvania," you'll miss out on all these essential character-building moments as Dracula begins to realize that humans aren't all bad, a point essential to his entire growth throughout the franchise. And don't worry, there are plenty of things that only adults notice in "Hotel Transylvania," making it fun for all ages.

Taking place some time after the first film, "Hotel Transylvania 2" brings the Mavis and Johnny love story to its natural conclusion as the pair get married and start a family. Despite all his growth (and his genuine care for his son-in-law), Dracula still struggles with the human element of his grandson. In fact, he believes that Dennis will develop vampire powers by his fifth birthday (he's a "late fanger"), which is soon approaching. Wanting to spur his grandson to vampiric greatness, Dracula watches Dennis while Mavis and Johnny go visit the latter's family in California, leaving Dracula and his monster friends alone with the child. Hilarity ensues as Drac tries desperately to bring Dennis' powers to the forefront.

In "Hotel Transylvania 2," Dracula is once again forced to come to terms with his prejudices toward humanity, and it's only when he finally accepts Dennis "as is" that the boy develops his powers. There is also some greater worldbuilding that takes place here concerning the Dracula family — namely the introduction of his "very traditional" father, Vlad (Mel Brooks) — so the 2015 sequel isn't one to miss. That being said, you should still watch the original film first.

A few years later, the franchise became a trilogy with "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation," which was not only the final film to be directed by Genndy Tartakovsky (yes, the same legend of animation known for the beloved series "Samurai Jack"), but also the last to feature Adam Sandler and Kevin James as Dracula and Frankenstein, respectively. Inspired by Tartakovsky's own miserable family vacation, "Summer Vacation" follows the Dracula-Loughran family as they take to the high seas for a luxury cruise. How do they get around the sun? The film finds clever ways, but the real draw of "Hotel Transylvania 3" is that it introduces Dracula to a new love interest in Kathryn Hahn's Ericka Van Helsing. Yes, the great-granddaughter of his sworn enemy.

Building off Dracula's continual grief from the first two films, the vampire count finally comes to terms with the idea that he can love again beyond his beloved lost bride. Somehow, the plot also involves a mechanized Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan) and the lost city of Atlantis, but it all comes together. Since Adam Sandler didn't return as Dracula after this, the film is a nice send-off for the character and shows just how much he has actively grown across all three films. To watch them out of order would be to miss out on that.

The fourth film in the franchise, "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" (sometimes called "Hotel Transylvania 4"), takes the series in quite a different direction. Here, Dracula (now voiced by Brian Hull) decides it's time for him to retire, desiring to hand over the hotel to his daughter and son-in-law. The problem is, when Johnny hears about this, he gets excited about potential renovations that Dracula believes would compromise its integrity. The count tells Johnny that only monsters can run the hotel, leading Johnny to work with Abraham Van Helsing to turn into a monster. When Johnny becomes a dragon, Dracula tries to change him back — but is turned human, instead. So, the two head to South America to find a way to change themselves back.

"Transformania" may not be as instantly lovable as the first three entries in the franchise, but it remains essential viewing for any "Hotel Transylvania" fan. The fourth feature echoes some of the themes from the very first film, particularly Dracula's struggle to accept Johnny as a human, but it does so in unique ways that don't feel like a complete rehash of what's come before. Because of the way this one ends, it must be viewed last in the watch order — otherwise it would spoil the whole thing. If you're not so worried about spoilers, read our "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" review first.

In addition to the "Hotel Transylvania" films, there are some other animated projects that fans should know about. Chief among them is "Hotel Transylvania: The Series." This 2D animated show takes place a few years before the original 2012 film, following a younger Mavis (Bryn McAuley) and her monster friends as they run around the hotel while her father is away at Vampire Council. Unlike the films themselves, "The Series" is not essential viewing. However, fans may still enjoy this Mavis-centric adventure, which ran for two seasons (and 52 episodes) on Disney Channel between 2017 and 2020. If you are to watch "Hotel Transylvania: The Series," feel free to do so in whatever order you like. Though it's a prequel (and should therefore come before the first film, technically speaking), it can be enjoyed as its own separate entry.

Additionally, there are a series of "Hotel Transylvania" short films out there that fans can sink their teeth into. Featuring a unique 2D art style, 2012's "Goodnight Mr. Foot" takes place before the events of "Hotel Transylvania," but it doesn't connect at all to the film, so you can watch this whenever you like. The 2017 short "Puppy!" returns to the 3D animation of the films and leads right into the events of "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation," so it's wise to watch this between the second and third entries. 2021's "Monster Pets" (a five-minute short that marks the first time Brian Hull voiced Dracula) takes place sometime before "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania," so stick this on between the third and fourth films. None of these are essential viewing so you won't really miss out on anything major by skipping them, but they're all fun additions to the "Hotel Transylvania" saga.