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Walt Disney Animation Studios facts for kids

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Walt Disney Animation Studios
Subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios
Division of Walt Disney Pictures
Industry Animation
Motion pictures
Traditional animation
CGI animation
Flash animation
Founded October 16, 1923 (1923-10-16) (as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio)
Founder Walt and Roy Disney
Headquarters 2100 W Riverside Dr
Burbank, California U.S.
Key people
Ed Catmull, President
John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer
Andrew Millstein, General Manager
Products Animated films
Parent Walt Disney Pictures
Divisions Disney Television Animation
DisneyToon Studios

Walt Disney Animation Studios (often called Disney Animation) is a famous American animation studio. It creates amazing animated movies and short films for The Walt Disney Company. You might recognize its logo, which shows a scene from its very first cartoon with sound, Steamboat Willie (1928).

This studio was started on October 16, 1923, by two brothers, Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney. It is the oldest animation studio still running in the world! Today, it's part of Walt Disney Studios and is located in Burbank, California. Since it began, the studio has made 62 feature films. These include classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and newer movies like Wish (2023). They've also made hundreds of short films.

The History of Disney Animation

How Did Disney Animation Start?

Kingswellstudio
The building on Kingswell Avenue in Los Feliz, where the studio was located from 1923 to 1926.

Walt and Roy Disney, who were from Kansas City, Missouri, started their company in Los Angeles in 1923. It was first called Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. They began by making silent short films called Alice Comedies. These films mixed a real child actress with animated characters.

Later, the studio made another cartoon series called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. In 1926, the studio changed its name to Walt Disney Studio. By 1929, it became a bigger company known as Walt Disney Productions.

The Birth of Mickey Mouse and Sound Films

Mickey Mouse in Plane Crazy (1928)
Mickey Mouse in Plane Crazy, his first short film.

The first two Mickey Mouse cartoons, Plane Crazy and The Galloping Gaucho, were shown in 1928. But for the third Mickey cartoon, Disney added sound! They worked with musician Carl Stalling and businessman Pat Powers.

This third cartoon, Steamboat Willie, was Disney's first cartoon with synchronized sound. It was a huge hit when it came out in November 1928. The Mickey Mouse cartoons with sound quickly became super popular across the United States. In 1929, Disney also started another series of sound cartoons called Silly Symphonies, beginning with The Skeleton Dance.

From Short Films to Feature Films

For many years, the studio focused on making short films. But in 1934, they decided to make a full-length movie. This led to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. It was one of the very first full-length animated movies ever made and the first one in the U.S.

In 1986, the company changed a lot. Walt Disney Productions, which had grown into a huge international media company, was renamed The Walt Disney Company. The animation studio then became Walt Disney Feature Animation to show it was different from other parts of the company. Its current name, Walt Disney Animation Studios, was chosen in 2006 after Disney bought Pixar.

How the Studio Logo Changed Over Time

Before 2007, Walt Disney Animation Studios didn't have its own special logo. It just used the regular Walt Disney Pictures logo. But starting in 2007, they added a new logo based on Steamboat Willie.

This logo shows Mickey Mouse in his classic look, being drawn on a beige paper background. As the pages flip like a flip book, Mickey starts whistling, just like in the Steamboat Willie cartoon. The camera then zooms out to a yellow-gold background, and the studio's name appears below the scene.

This logo has been shown on every film since Meet the Robinsons (2007). For special movies, they sometimes change the logo a bit. For example, Tangled (2010) and Encanto (2021) had text saying "50th Animated Motion Picture" and "60th Animated Motion Picture." Mickey's whistling was also muted in some films, like Frozen (2013) and Moana (2016), so that the movie's opening music could play.

Even though Steamboat Willie became available for everyone to use (entered the public domain) on January 1, 2024, the studio still uses this logo.

Where is Disney Animation Located?

Walt Disney Animation Studios South Side
The south side of the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California.

Since 1995, Walt Disney Animation Studios has been based in the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California. This building is right across from the main Walt Disney Studios.

The lobby of the Disney Animation Building has a huge version of the famous hat from the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" part of Fantasia (1940). Because of this, people sometimes call it the "hat building."

Other Important Disney Animation Locations

Before the mid-1990s, Disney Animation worked out of old airplane hangars and offices in Glendale, California. The Disneytoon Studios unit was also located there.

Disney Animation also has a special place called the Animation Research Library (ARL) in Glendale. This library holds over 64 million pieces of animation artwork dating back to 1924! It's so important that visitors have to agree not to tell anyone its exact location.

In the past, Disney also had animation studios in Paris, France, and near Orlando, Florida. The Paris studio closed in 2002, and the Florida studio closed in 2004.

In 2014, the main Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank got a big upgrade. It took 16 months to make the inside better and more open for all the employees.

Filmography: Disney's Animated Movies

Since 1937, Walt Disney Animation Studios has made many movies with Walt Disney Pictures. The first one, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, came out in 1937. The most recent film, Wish, was released in 2023.

Released Films by Walt Disney Animation Studios

# Film Release date Director(s) Writer(s) Based on/Inspired by Producer(s) Composer(s)
1 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs December 21, 1937 Supervising Director:David HandSequence Directors:Billy Cottrell, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, & Ben Sharpsteen Dorothy Ann Blank, Richard Creedon, Merrill De Maris, Otto Englander, Earl Hurd, Dick Rickard, Ted Sears & Webb Smith Snow Whiteby Brothers Grimm Walt Disney Frank Churchill, Paul Smith and Leigh Harline
2 Pinocchio February 7, 1940 Supervising Directors: Hamilton Luske & Ben Sharpsteen

Sequence Directors:Norman Ferguson, Jack Kinney, Wilfred Jackson, T. Hee, & Bill Roberts

Aurelius Battaglia, Billy Cottrell, Otto Englander, Erdman Penner, Joseph Sabo, Ted Sears & Webb Smith The Adventures of Pinocchioby Carlo Collodi Harline and Smith
3 Fantasia November 13, 1940 James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe, Norm Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, & Ben Sharpsteen See segments The Sorcerer's Apprenticeby Johann Wolfgang von Goetheinter alia Walt Disney & Ben Sharpsteen Various
4 Dumbo October 23, 1941 Supervising Director: Ben Sharpsteen

Sequence Directors:Samuel Armstrong, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, & Bill Roberts

Joe Grant & Dick Huemer Dumbo, the Flying Elephant by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl Walt Disney Churchill and Oliver Wallace
5 Bambi August 13, 1942 Supervising Director:David Hand

Sequence Directors:James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Graham Heid, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, & Norman Wright

Chuck Couch, Carl Fallberg, Larry Morey, Mel Shaw, Vernon Stallings & Ralph Wright Bambi, a Life in the Woodsby Felix Salten Churchill and Edward H. Plumb
6 Saludos Amigos February 6, 1943 Norm Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, & Bill Roberts Homer Brightman, Joe Grant, Dick Huemer, Harold Reeves, Roy Williams & Ralph Wright Various Disney staff members' expedition through Latin America, via goodwill funding Smith and Plumb
7 The Three Caballeros February 3, 1945 Supervising Director:Norm Ferguson

Sequence Directors:Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, & Harold Young

James Bodrero, Homer Brightman, Del Connell, Billy Cottrell, Bill Peet, Elmer Plummer, Ted Sears, Ernest Terrazas, Roy Williams & Ralph Wright Plumb,Smith and Charles Wolcott
8 Make Mine Music April 20, 1946 Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, Joshua Meador, & Robert Cormack James Bodrero, Homer Brightman, Erwin Graham, Eric Gurney, T. Hee, Sylvia Holland, Dick Huemer, Dick Kelsey, Dick Kinney, Jesse Marsh, Tom Oreb, Cap Palmer, Erdman Penner, Dick Shaw, John Walbridge & Roy Williams Casey at the Bat by Ernest Thayer & Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofievinter alia Eliot Daniel, Ken Darby, Wolcott, Wallace and Plumb
9 Fun and Fancy Free September 27, 1947 Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, William Morgan, & Bill Roberts Homer Brightman, Eldon Dedini, Lance Nolley, Tom Oreb, Harry Reeves & Ted Sears Little Bear Bongo by Sinclair Lewis & Jack and the Beanstalk by Benjamin Tabart Wallace, Smith, Daniel and Wolcott
10 Melody Time May 27, 1948 Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, & Hamilton Luske Ken Anderson, Homer Brightman, Billy Cottrell, Winston Hibler, Jesse Marsh, Bob Moore, Erdman Penner, Harry Reeves, Joe Rinaldi, Ted Sears, Art Scott & John Walbridge The life of Johnny Appleseed, Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky, Trees by Joyce Kilmer& Pecos Bill Daniel, Smith and Darby
11 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad October 5, 1949 James Algar, Clyde Geronimi, & Jack Kinney Homer Brightman, Winston Hibler, Erdman Penner, Harry Reeves, Joe Rinaldi & Ted Sears The Wind in the Willowsby Kenneth Grahame & The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving Wallace
12 Cinderella February 15, 1950 Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, & Hamilton Luske Ken Anderson, Homer Brightman, Winston Hibler, Bill Peet, Erdman Penner, Harry Reeves, Joe Rinaldi & Ted Sears Cinderella by Charles Perrault
13 Alice in Wonderland July 28, 1951 Milt Banta, Del Connell, Billy Cottrell, Joe Grant, Winston Hibler, Dick Huemer, Dick Kelsey, Tom Oreb, Bill Peet, Erdman Penner, Joe Rinaldi, Ted Sears & John Walbridge Alice's Adventures in Wonderland& Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
14 Peter Pan February 5, 1953 Milt Banta, Billy Cottrell, Winston Hibler, Bill Peet, Erdman Penner, Joe Rinaldi, Ted Sears & Ralph Wright Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
15 Lady and the Tramp June 22, 1955 Don DaGradi, Erdman Penner, Joe Rinaldi & Ralph Wright Joe Grant's pet English Springer Spaniel Lady, Happy Dan, the Cynical Dog & Lady and the Tramp: The Story of Two Dogs by Ward Greene
16 Sleeping Beauty January 29, 1959 Supervising Director:Clyde Geronimi

Sequence Directors: Les Clark, Eric Larson, & Wolfgang Reitherman

Erdman Penner Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault, Little Briar Rose by Brothers Grimm & The Sleeping Beauty by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky George Bruns
17 One Hundred and One Dalmatians January 25, 1961 Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, & Wolfgang Reitherman Bill Peet The Hundred and One Dalmatiansby Dodie Smith
18 The Sword in the Stone December 25, 1963 Wolfgang Reitherman The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White
19 The Jungle Book October 18, 1967 Ken Anderson, Larry Clemmons, Vance Gerry & Ralph Wright The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
20 The Aristocats December 24, 1970 Ken Anderson, Larry Clemmons, Eric Cleworth, Vance Gerry, Julius Svendsen, Frank Thomas & Ralph Wright The Secret Origin of The Aristocats by Tom McGowan & Tom Rowe Winston Hibler & Reitherman
21 Robin Hood November 8, 1973 Ken Anderson, Larry Clemmons, Eric Cleworth, Vance Gerry, Dave Michener, Julius Svendsen & Frank Thomas The legend of Robin Hood Reitherman
22 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh March 11, 1977 John Lounsbery & Wolfgang Reitherman Ken Anderson, X Atencio, Ted Berman, Larry Clemmons, Eric Cleworth, Vance Gerry, Winston Hibler, Julius Svendsen & Ralph Wright Winnie-the-Pooh book series by A. A. Milne Walt Disney & Reitherman Buddy Baker
23 The Rescuers June 22, 1977 John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, & Art Stevens Ken Anderson, Ted Berman, Larry Clemmons, Vance Gerry, Fred Lucky, Burny Mattinson, David Michener, Dick Sebast & Frank Thomas The Rescuersbook series by Margery Sharp Reitherman and Ron W. Miller Artie Butler
24 The Fox and the Hound July 10, 1981 Ted Berman, Richard Rich, & Art Stevens Berman, Larry Clemmons, Vance Gerry, Steve Hulett, Earl Kress, Burny Mattinson, David Michener & Peter Young The Fox and the Hound by Daniel P. Mannix Ron W. Miller, Wolfgang Reitherman & Stevens Baker
25 The Black Cauldron July 24, 1985 Ted Berman & Richard Rich Berman, Vance Gerry, Joe Hale, David Jonas, Roy Morita, Rich, Art Stevens, Al Wilson & Peter Young The Chronicles of Prydain book series by Lloyd Alexander Joe Hale & Ron W. Miller Elmer Bernstein
26 The Great Mouse Detective July 2, 1986 Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, David Michener & John Musker Clements, Vance Gerry, Steve Hulett, Mattinson, Michener, Bruce M. Morris, Musker, Matthew O'Callaghan, Melvin Shaw & Peter Young Basil of Baker Streetbook series by Eve Titus Mattinson Henry Mancini
27 Oliver & Company November 18, 1988 George Scribner Jim Cox, Timothy J. Disney & James Mangold Oliver Twistby Charles Dickens Kathleen Gavin J. A. C. Redford
28 The Little Mermaid November 17, 1989 John Musker & Ron Clements The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen Howard Ashman & Musker Alan Menken
29 The Rescuers Down Under November 16, 1990 Hendel Butoy & Mike Gabriel Jim Cox, Karey Kirkpatrick, Byron Sampson & Joe Ranft The Rescuersbook series by Margery Sharp Thomas Schumacher Bruce Broughton
30 Beauty and the Beast November 22, 1991 Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise Linda Woolverton Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont Don Hahn Menken
31 Aladdin November 25, 1992 John Musker & Ron Clements Clements, Musker, Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio Aladdin and the Magic Lamp from One Thousand and One Nights Musker & Clements
32 The Lion King June 24, 1994 Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts& Linda Woolverton Africananimals & Hamlet by William Shakespeare Don Hahn Hans Zimmer
33 Pocahontas June 23, 1995 Mike Gabriel & Eric Goldberg Carl Binder, Susannah Grant& Philip LaZebnik The lives of Pocahontasand John Smith James Pentecost Menken
34 The Hunchback of Notre Dame June 21, 1996 Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise Story: Tab Murphy

Screenplay:Murphy, Irene Mecchi, Bob Tzudiker, Noni White & Jonathan Roberts

Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo Don Hahn
35 Hercules June 27, 1997 John Musker & Ron Clements Clements, Musker, Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw & Irene Mecchi The Greek myth of Heracles Alice Dewey, Musker & Clements
36 Mulan June 19, 1998 Barry Cook & Tony Bancroft Story: Robert D. San Souci

Screenplay: Rita Hsiao, Chris Sanders, Philip LaZebnik, Raymond Singer & Eugenia Bostwick-Singer

Ballad of Mulan by Guo Maoqian Pam Coats Jerry Goldsmith
37 Tarzan June 18, 1999 Kevin Lima & Chris Buck Tab Murphy, Bob Tzudiker & Noni White Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs Bonnie Arnold Mark Mancina
38 Fantasia 2000 December 16, 1999 James Algar, Paul & Gaëtan Brizzi, Hendel Butoy, Francis Glebas, Eric Goldberg, Don Hahn, & Pixote Hunt See credits The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen & Noah's Arkinter alia Roy E. Disney & Donald W. Ernst Various
39 Dinosaur May 19, 2000 Ralph Zondag& Eric Leighton Story: John Harrison, Robert Nelson Jacobs, Thom Enriquez & Zondag

Screenplay:Harrison & Jacobs

an original screenplay by Walon Green Pam Marsden James Newton Howard
40 The Emperor's New Groove December 15, 2000 Mark Dindal Story: Chris Williams & Dindal

Screenplay:David Reynolds

Inca mythology & the cancelled original version Kingdom of the Sun by Roger Allers and Matthew Jacobs Randy Fullmer John Debney
41 Atlantis: The Lost Empire June 15, 2001 Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise Story: Wise, Trousdale, Joss Whedon, Bryce, Jackie Zabel & Tab Murphy

Screenplay:Murphy

The legend of Atlantis Don Hahn Howard
42 Lilo & Stitch June 21, 2002 Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois An unpublished children's book by Sanders Clark Spencer Alan Silvestri
43 Treasure Planet November 27, 2002 John Musker & Ron Clements Story: Clements, Musker, Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio

Screenplay:Clements, Musker & Rob Edwards

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Roy Conli, Musker & Clements Howard
44 Brother Bear November 1, 2003 Aaron Blaise & Robert Walker Tab Murphy, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton, Steve Bencich & Ron J. Friedman Inuit cultures Chuck Williams Mancina
45 Home on the Range April 2, 2004 Will Finn & John Sanford Story: Finn, Sanford, Michael LaBash, Sam Levine, Mark Kennedy & Robert Lence

Screenplay: Finn & Sanford

The original version Sweating Bullets by Mike Gabriel Alice Dewey Goldstone Menken
46 Chicken Little November 4, 2005 Mark Dindal Story: Dindal & Mark Kennedy

Screenplay:Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman & Ron Anderson

Henny Penny Randy Fullmer Debney
47 Meet the Robinsons March 30, 2007 Stephen J. Anderson Jon A. Bernstein, Michelle Spritz, Don Hall, Nathan Greno, Aurian Redson, Joe Mateo & Anderson A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce Dorothy McKim Danny Elfman
48 Bolt November 21, 2008 Chris Williams & Byron Howard Dan Fogelman & Williams The cancelled original version American Dog by Chris Sanders Clark Spencer John Powell
49 The Princess and the Frog December 11, 2009 John Musker & Ron Clements Story: Clements, Musker, Greg Erb, & Jason Oremland

Screenplay:Clements, Musker & Rob Edwards

The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker& The Frog Prince by Brothers Grimm Peter Del Vecho Randy Newman
50 Tangled November 24, 2010 Nathan Greno & Byron Howard Dan Fogelman Rapunzel by Brothers Grimm Roy Conli Menken
51 Winnie the Pooh July 15, 2011 Stephen J. Anderson & Don Hall Anderson, Clio Chiang, Don Dougherty, Hall, Kendelle Hoyer, Brian Kesinger, Nicole Mitchell & Jeremy Spears Winnie-the-Pooh book series by A. A. Milne Peter Del Vecho & Clark Spencer Henry Jackman
52 Wreck-It Ralph November 2, 2012 Rich Moore Story: Moore, Phil Johnston & Jim Reardon

Screenplay:Johnston & Jennifer Lee

Various video and arcade games, including Donkey Kongand Pac-Man Clark Spencer
53 Frozen November 27, 2013 Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee Story: Buck, Lee & Shane Morris

Screenplay: Lee

Scandinavian and Sámi cultures & The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen Peter Del Vecho Christophe Beck
54 Big Hero 6 November 7, 2014 Don Hall & Chris Williams Robert L. Baird, Dan Gerson & Jordan Roberts Big Hero 6by Man of Action Roy Conli Jackman
55 Zootopia March 4, 2016 Byron Howard & Rich Moore Story: Howard, Moore, Jared Bush, Jim Reardon, Josie Trinidad, Phil Johnston & Jennifer Lee

Screenplay:Bush & Johnston

Buddy cop films Clark Spencer Michael Giacchino
56 Moana November 23, 2016 John Musker & Ron Clements Story: Clements, Musker, Chris Williams, Don Hall, Pamela Ribon, Aaron & Jordan Kandell

Screenplay:Jared Bush

Polynesian cultures & the Hawaiian myth of Māui Osnat Shurer Mancina
57 Ralph Breaks the Internet November 21, 2018 Rich Moore & Phil Johnston Story: Moore, Johnston, Jim Reardon, Pamela Ribon & Josie Trinidad

Screenplay:Johnston & Ribon

eBay, YouTube, BuzzFeed, & Disney Consumer Productsinter alia Clark Spencer Jackman
58 Frozen II November 22, 2019 Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee Story: Buck, Lee, Marc E. Smith, Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez

Screenplay: Lee

Scandinavian and Sámi cultures & The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen Peter Del Vecho Beck
59 Raya and the Last Dragon March 5, 2021 Don Hall & Carlos López Estrada Story: Paul Briggs, Hall, Adele Lim, López Estrada, Kiel Murray, Qui Nguyen, John Ripa & Dean Wellins

Screenplay:Nguyen & Lim

Southeast Asian cultures and mythology Osnat Shurer & Peter Del Vecho Howard
60 Encanto November 24, 2021 Jared Bush & Byron Howard Story: Bush, Howard, Charise Castro Smith, Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse & Lin-Manuel Miranda

Screenplay:Smith & Bush

Colombian culture Yvett Merino& Clark Spencer Germaine Franco
61 Strange World November 23, 2022 Don Hall Qui Nguyen Pulp magazines Roy Conli Jackman

Upcoming Films from Disney Animation

# Film Release date Director(s) Writer(s) Based on/Inspired by Producer(s) Composer(s)
62 Wish November 22, 2023 Chris Buck & Fawn Veerasunthorn Jennifer Lee 100th anniversary of Disney TBA Julia Michaels

Franchises: Disney's Popular Worlds

This section lists the popular movie worlds (franchises) created by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It does not include movies made directly for video or TV by other Disney animation groups.

Titles Release dates Movies TV Seasons
Mickey Mouse & Friends 1928–present 7 15
Donald Duck 1934–present 3
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937–present 1 2
Fantasia 1940–present 4 0
Dumbo 1941–2019 2 1
Bambi 1942–present 1 0
Saludos Amigos 1943–2018 2 1
Make Mine Music 1946–1954 1
Cinderella 1950–2015 2 0
Alice in Wonderland 1951–present 3 5
Peter Pan 1953–present 2 4
Lady and the Tramp 1955–2019 0
Sleeping Beauty 1959–present 3
101 Dalmatians 1961–present 4 3
Winnie the Pooh 1966–present 6 10
The Jungle Book 1967–present 4 3
The Rescuers 1977–1990 2 0
The Fox and the Hound 1981–2006 1
The Little Mermaid 1989–present 1 3
Beauty and the Beast 1991–present 2 2
Aladdin 1992–present 3
The Lion King 1994–present 6
Pocahontas 1995–1998 1 0
The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1996–present
Hercules 1997–present 2
Mulan 1998–present 2 0
Tarzan 1999–2005 1 2
The Emperor's New Groove 2000–2008
Atlantis: The Lost Empire 2001–present 0
Lilo & Stitch 2002–present 2
Brother Bear 2003–2006 0
Bolt 2008–2009 1
The Princess and the Frog 2009–present 0 (1 planned)
Tangled 2010–2020 3
Wreck-It Ralph 2012–present 2 0
Frozen 2013–present
Big Hero 6 2014–present 1 4
Zootopia 2016–present 1
Moana 0 (1 planned)

Amazing Achievements and Innovations

Walt Disney Animation Studios is known for inventing many new things in the animation world. Here are some of their cool achievements:

  • Multiplane Camera: This camera made cartoons look more realistic by adding depth. It was first used in the short film "The Old Mill" and then for Snow White.
  • Realistic Animation: They were pioneers in making special effects and human characters look very real, starting with Snow White.
  • Combining Live-Action and Animation: They found advanced ways to mix real actors and animated characters using color film, as seen in The Three Caballeros.
  • Xerography in Animation: This process allowed drawings to be transferred directly to animation cels (clear sheets) using a copier, instead of being traced by hand. It was used for 101 Dalmatians.
  • All-Digital Production: They developed the CAPS (Computer Animation Production System) to paint, combine, and record animated films completely digitally.

Here are some of their other big achievements:

  • First Technicolor Animated Feature: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first animated movie made in full color.
  • First Major Film with Stereophonic Sound: Fantasia was a groundbreaking film that used advanced surround sound, called Fantasound.
  • First Animated Feature in CinemaScope: Lady and the Tramp was the first to use this wide-screen film format.
  • First Large Format Animated Movie: Sleeping Beauty was made in 70mm, a very large film size.
  • First Use of Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI): The Black Cauldron was the first Disney animated film to use some computer graphics.
  • Heavy Use of CGI: Oliver & Company was the first Disney animated movie to use a lot of CGI animation.
  • First Digital Coloring: The Little Mermaid was the first Disney film to be colored digitally using the CAPS process.
  • First 100% Digital Film: The Rescuers Down Under was the first feature film made entirely with digital processes.
  • Oscar Nomination for Best Picture: Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
  • First to Gross $200 Million: Aladdin was the first Disney animated film to earn over $200 million and was the highest-earning movie of 1992.
  • Highest-Grossing Hand-Drawn Movie: The Lion King is the highest-earning traditionally animated (hand-drawn) movie of all time.
  • Largest Movie Premiere: Pocahontas had a huge premiere with over 100,000 viewers.
  • Most Expensive Animated Movie: Tangled was the most expensive animated movie ever made at the time, costing $260 million.
  • Most Original Characters: Wreck-It Ralph created the highest number of original characters for an animated movie (188 characters).

Documentary Movies About Disney Animation

  • A Trip Through the Walt Disney Studios (1937, a short film)
  • The Reluctant Dragon (1941, a fun "mockumentary" about the studio)
  • Frank and Ollie (1995, about two famous Disney animators)
  • Dream On Silly Dreamer (2005)
  • Waking Sleeping Beauty (2010, about the studio's comeback in the 1980s and 90s)

Related Pages

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Walt Disney Animation Studios para niños

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