I think it is silly to say that either one of these studios is better than the other because, as some have mentioned, they appeal to different audiences and are presented in different ways. I am not going to say disney is better than ghibli in my paper, or vice versa, as that would be a ridiculous statement. However, they do have certain things in common alongside their differences, and that was what i was hoping to explore with this thread.
After watching several ghibli and disney films (i've had a fun week) i've noticed that both studios have a sort of moral message, but differ in how they try to deliver it. Disney tends to target a younger audience, and as such tries to reduce moral ambiguity in their works. Disney movies, for the most part, say "here is the good guy, and this is why he's good" and "here is the bad guy, and this is why he's bad". Most kids aren't able to fully understand the concept of pros and cons when it comes to decision making, so Disney simplifies the argument and provides an answer for the younger viewers. As an adult, I enjoy Disney movies mostly for the nostalgia and I can recognize basic lessons Disney has taught me that have shaped my life, but Disney movies oversimplify complicated issues, which sometimes irks me. I noticed this especially while watching Disney movies that i had not seen as a kid, probably because I had no nostalgia as a sugar coating.
Ghibli Studio films tend to paint a fuller picture and provide all viewpoints in a moral debate. The best example of this is almost certainly Princess Mononoke. While the closest Disney counterpart (Pochahontis) all but said industrialization is bad, Mononoke showcased the benifits of the machine and presented the reasoning behind industrialization. It contrasted this however with the harmful effects overconsumption has on nature, and leaves the viewer in a sort of moral dilemna. Ghibli films, in my opinion, are better suited for adult audiences as apposed to disney films as they tend to represent real world problems more realistically than Disney will. That being said, I could never stay awake through a Miyazaki film as a child, as i always found them slow and boring. They have definitely grown on me with age, but my childhood was definitely defined by disney.