This year marks the 20th anniversary of Toy Story, the first feature-length animated film. Throughout all of 2015 to date, mentions of the milestone have popped up here and there, the most notable being the events at the D23 Expo in August. Now, with the film’s actual anniversary date approaching on November 22, I’m finding more and more.
Back in May, the Disney Parks Blog announced that six new Enchanted Windows would be added to Main Street, USA at Disneyland, as part of the park’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration. Elaborate, moving displays, showcasing popular animated films in the windows of the Emporium, have been a long-standing tradition, and the latest additions were set to include Peter Pan, Cinderella, The Princess and the Frog, Frozen, Aladdin, and Toy Story. Several of the windows have been in place for a while, but just yesterday, the new Toy Story window was unveiled! Although I haven’t seen it in person, I was able to find a fantastic video of it, as well as a few photos.
Ever since the Toy Story 4 announcements at the D23 Expo this past August, my excitement has been tempered with a little bit of fear. What could possibly scare me about Toy Story? Well, it’s the fact that in everything I’ve heard about the plot of the movie, only Woody and Buzz Lightyear are mentioned as going on the quest to find Bo Peep. From statements made by John Lasseter over the course of the Expo weekend, to articles about Pixar President Jim Morris’s presentation in Australia, only those two characters are consistently listed as heading out on the film’s epic journey.
Pixar’s President, Jim Morris, was in Australia yesterday for a presentation of the studio’s upcoming slate of films. While The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory received the most attention, as would be expected, Toy Story 4 was touched upon briefly. Here’s what I’ve been able to find, from various sources…
As a guest on Conan this week, Tim Allen talked a little about Toy Story 4 and revealed to host Conan O’Brien that voice recording for Buzz Lightyear starts soon!
In last week’s throwback post, I shared some images and clips of Jessie in a sequin-and-glitter-encrusted outfit for the 2000 Oscars. But that wasn’t the only occasion my favorite cowgirl got dressed up for that year. Did you know that, also in 2000, Jessie was honored with the Patsy Montana Entertainer Award by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame? According to the museum’s website, the award was named for Patsy Montana – an entertainer and “yodeling cowgirl” herself – and it recognizes those whose work in the entertainment field continues the tradition of the cowgirl. Jessie is even listed on the site as a recipient!
Rumors aren’t as rampant for Toy Story Land as they are for Toy Story 4, but even so, I thought it would be useful to have a recap of what we know all in one place. Toy Story Land has been a dream of mine for some time – ever since I learned that such lands existed both at Disney Studios Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland, I often thought how great it would be to have one in the United States, but figured the chances were pretty slim. That was before I heard of John Lasseter’s visit – with other Disney executives – to Disney’s Hollywood Studios last fall, when we missed being in the park at the same time as him by only a week (I was not amused by my unlucky timing). The most important detail, though, was the location where he was spotted – right by Toy Story Mania, and also in the area of the Backlot Tour, which was slated to close within a few days. The buzz was that new Pixar content was coming – and thus my obsession with Toy Story Land began.
Even though the next Academy Awards are still a while away, I thought that – with the Emmys this weekend and all – it might be a good time to revisit some of my very favorite archival material relating to the Toy Story films. I usually don’t make a big fuss over awards shows myself, unless there’s a movie (or a television show, or a musical performer) that I care especially about – needless to say, anything Toy Story would definitely get me to watch! And I’m no film critic or analyst, by any means, so don’t expect any discussion of the merits of nominations or statistical facts from me here. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s take a look at the toys’ presence at the Oscars back in 1996, 2000, and 2011…
I felt the need to write this post for myself as much as for the other Toy Story fans out there. There have been so many unfounded rumors going around lately about Toy Story 4, that I often end up searching through past articles and interviews for a reminder of what we truly know about the movie to date. I thought it would be helpful to have all the relevant quotes – from reputable, official sources – saved in one spot for future reference. So, grab a cup of coffee (or whatever your choice may be), get comfy, and travel back with me through the past ten months to review what the Toy Story 4 cast and crew have given us – there’s more than you might think!
Toy Story Fangirl 