It’s hard to believe, but The Walt Disney Company is officially 100 years old. In 1923, Walt Disney moved to Burbank, California, with nothing more than a suitcase and a dream. It was in Burbank that he would create a company that would change the world. Walt Disney, alongside his brother Roy, created some of the most memorable movies and gorgeous theme parks the world has ever seen.
Related: Disney at 100. How Two Brothers and Their Movie Studio Took Over the Entertainment World
To celebrate 100 years of wonder, Disney animators created a brand-new short called Once Upon a Studio. The 10-minute film showed what happens when the characters are left alone in Disney’s animation building. The short film featured a whopping 543 Disney characters, from Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Walt’s first character) to Mirabel Madrigal from Encanto.
Related: Fans Are Losing It Over Disney’s Newest Short Film!
Once Upon a Studio premiered on October 15, Disney’s actual anniversary. It premiered on ABC during its Disney centennial celebration, and fans were quick to share how much they absolutely loved what they saw.
I’m going to admit it full out here… I just watched #Disney‘s Once Upon a Studio and blubbered through the whole thing – from Burny Mattinson to the finale group photo. I’m sure it won’t hit others as it affected me, but I’ve believed in the magic of #animation for a lifetime.
I'm going to admit it full out here… I just watched #Disney's Once Upon a Studio and blubbered through the whole thing – from Burny Mattinson to the finale group photo. I'm sure it won't hit others as it affected me, but I've believed in the magic of #animation for a lifetime. pic.twitter.com/tc7fWtk2i7
— Kevin Lima (@GoofyMovieDir) October 16, 2023
Seeing so many classic — and a few forgotten — characters made so many viewers remember how many incredible characters Disney has created over the past century.
god why did i watch once upon a studio when i’m already super emotional i will literally cry nonstop for the rest of the day fr
https://twitter.com/interstxllar_/status/1714401219857326426
If you are a big Disney fan, then you may know that Disney has recently altered Mickey Mouse’s look. The new look came with the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While Once Upon a Studio used Mickey’s classic design, they also used the voice actor for the new Mickey Mouse.
The thing about ‘Once Upon a Studio’ that surprised me was the fact that they kept Mickey’s VA from the Rudish shorts. It’s a short dedicated solely to mainline Disney films but in some way, it’s carrying over (part of) the legacy of Disney TV with it. Unexpectedly smart choice.
The thing about 'Once Upon a Studio' that surprised me was the fact that they kept Mickey's VA from the Rudish shorts. It's a short dedicated solely to mainline Disney films but in some way, it's carrying over (part of) the legacy of Disney TV with it. Unexpectedly smart choice. pic.twitter.com/n0pE3z1VN0
— 🍉Delhi 2024 SWEEP(?!)🍉 (@DelhiWacky) October 17, 2023
One scene that viewers found particularly moving was when Mickey looked adoringly at the picture of Walt on the wall. The music playing in the background — “Feed the Birds” — was from the classic Disney film, Mary Poppins. The music was written by the Sherman Brothers, who would come to Walt’s office every week to play music for him.
What made me cry was knowing that the music in the back was Richard Sherman playing Feed the Birds on the piano in Walt’s office that they specifically recorded on a Friday afternoon for this because that’s when Walt would call them up to play the song for him every week 🥹🥹🥹
What made me cry was knowing that the music in the back was Richard Sherman playing Feed the Birds on the piano in Walt’s office that they specifically recorded on a Friday afternoon for this because that’s when Walt would call them up to play the song for him every week 🥹🥹🥹 https://t.co/hrcMSyXFfs
— Age°o° (@HoneyIShrunkAge) October 16, 2023
Disney also took time in the short to honor the late Robin Williams. Williams voiced the Genie in Disney’s 1992 film, Aladdin. Williams died by suicide in 2014, after suffering from Lewy Body Dementia.
In Once Upon a Studio, the Genie appeared out of a drawing, speaking to Olaf from Frozen (2013). However, Disney did not use another actor to provide the voice for Williams. Instead, they used old audio footage they had from when he was working on Aladdin. The audio was not used in the film’s final cut, so they used it for the short. Williams’s family gave permission to Disney to use the precious material.
Once Upon a Studio is currently available to stream on Disney+. If you have not yet watched it, we highly recommend you do so!
