The summer season is underway, and Disney is one of the major studios that is joining the big box office battle.
As the iconic Hollywood studio has brought many franchises to life over its history, only a few have become billion-dollar winners while serving as one of the brand’s main faces. With animation being a massive success for them, Disney is now finding new success with one of its most iconic properties in the world of streaming.
The Toy Story franchise is set to continue with another installment this year, but as the sequel hasn’t even come out yet, the first four movies are finding new success on Disney+, as they are currently dominating at the top of the charts. The entire franchise has surged worldwide, including Toy Story 5: A Special Look, which is performing at #2 for the platform in the United States.
1995’s Toy Story is currently holding the #1 slot for the Disney-branded digital service in #2 in Australia, France, Monaco, #3 in Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Salvador, San Marino, Slovakia, and Venezuela. But the success doesn’t stop there for the Toy Story franchise.
Toy Story 2, which was released in 1999, is trending at #3 in Mexico, Jamaica, Hungary, Guyana, Haiti, Grenada, Guatemala, Dominica, Belize, Barbados, Bahamas, Australia, as well as in Antigua and Barbuda. The sequel is also performing at #4 on Disney+ in Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Salvador, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, the Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ireland, Serbia, and Monaco.
Andy’s Room · Tri-County Area How Well Do You Know Toy Story? “To infinity… and beyond!”
WoodyReach for the sky
BuzzInfinity & beyond
The AliensThe claaaw
ForkyI’m trash!
Andy’s ToysPlayed with love
01
When Pixar released Toy Story in November 1995, it didn’t just launch a franchise — it changed the medium forever. What historic distinction did the original film claim?
✓ Howdy, partner! Toy Story was the world’s first feature-length film made entirely with computer-generated imagery — eighty-one minutes of CG when nobody had done more than a few-minute short. John Lasseter received a Special Achievement Oscar for it. (Best Animated Feature didn’t exist as a category until 2001; no animated film has ever won Best Picture; and the first $1 billion film was Titanic, two years later.)
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is: first feature-length computer-animated film. Eighty-one minutes of pure CG in 1995, when nobody else had managed more than a short. John Lasseter received a Special Achievement Oscar for it. Best Animated Feature didn’t exist as a category until 2001, no animated film has won Best Picture, and Titanic was the first billion-dollar film two years later.
02
Sheriff Woody, Andy’s pull-string cowboy doll, has been voiced by the same Oscar-winning actor across all four Toy Story films — the role helping cement him as the unofficial voice of Pixar. Who is he?
✓ Howdy, partner! Tom Hanks has voiced Woody across all four Toy Story films, the spinoff shorts, and the Disney Parks. Tim Allen is his co-lead as Buzz Lightyear. Robin Williams was actually Pixar’s first choice for Buzz, but scheduling conflicts pushed him out — he later did the genie cameo in Lightyear. Steve Carell has never been in the franchise.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Tom Hanks — Woody across every Toy Story film, short, and theme-park appearance. Tim Allen is the other half of the duo as Buzz Lightyear. Robin Williams was actually Pixar’s first choice for Buzz but had scheduling conflicts; Steve Carell has never been in the franchise.
03
Buzz Lightyear’s rallying cry is one of the most quoted lines in all of animation. He delivers it the moment he flips open his wrist communicator. Complete it: “To infinity…”
✓ Howdy, partner! “To infinity… and beyond!” The line got its own American Film Institute nod, was adopted (in slightly altered form) by an actual NASA mission, and even traveled to the International Space Station in 2008 on a real Buzz Lightyear action figure as part of an educational program. It’s the franchise’s most quoted line, hands down.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is “…and beyond!” Buzz’s tagline got an AFI nod, was adopted in spirit by NASA, and a real Buzz action figure even flew to the International Space Station in 2008 on a STEM education mission. It’s the most quoted line in the franchise.
04
The toys all live in the bedroom of a boy named Andy, whose name is written in marker on the bottom of each of their feet. What is Andy’s last name, shown on the family mailbox and on his college acceptance envelope?
✓ Howdy, partner! Andy Davis — his last name appears on the family mailbox, on the “Davis” minivan, and on the college envelope in Toy Story 3. His mom is Mrs. Davis (first name never officially revealed in-film, though a fan theory says “Emily,” aka Jessie’s old owner). Bonnie, the toys’ eventual new owner, has the last name Anderson.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Davis. It’s on the family mailbox, the minivan, and Andy’s college envelope in Toy Story 3. Bonnie (who inherits the toys at the end of TS3) is Bonnie Anderson — close, but a different family.
05
“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” opens the first Toy Story and has been reprised in every sequel. The same singer-songwriter composed the score for all four films — one of Hollywood’s most decorated film composers. Who is he?
✓ Howdy, partner! Randy Newman wrote “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and scored every Toy Story film — he also did Monsters, Inc., A Bug’s Life, Cars, and The Princess and the Frog. He’s a 22-time Oscar nominee with two wins. Michael Giacchino is Pixar’s other regular (The Incredibles, Up, Inside Out), Menken is Disney’s Renaissance musical guy, and Zimmer handles Lion King territory.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Randy Newman. He wrote “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and scored every Toy Story film (plus Monsters, Inc., Cars, and A Bug’s Life). Michael Giacchino is Pixar’s other regular composer (The Incredibles, Up, Inside Out); Alan Menken handled Disney’s Renaissance musicals; Hans Zimmer did The Lion King.
06
In Toy Story 3, the gang ends up at Sunnyside Daycare, where everything seems wonderful at first. The day-care’s leader is a pink plush bear who smells like strawberries and turns out to be the franchise’s darkest villain. What’s his name?
✓ Howdy, partner! Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear — “Lotso” for short — voiced by Ned Beatty. The backstory of how he ended up at Sunnyside (replaced by an identical bear after being left in the rain by his original owner) is one of the franchise’s saddest beats. Stinky Pete is the TS2 villain (Kelsey Grammer), Zurg is from TS2 as well, and Gabby Gabby is the TS4 antagonist who gets her redemption.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Lotso — Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, voiced by Ned Beatty. The TS3 reveal that he was replaced by an identical bear after his original owner left him in the rain is one of Pixar’s darkest beats. Stinky Pete is TS2 (Kelsey Grammer), Emperor Zurg is also TS2, and Gabby Gabby is the redemption-arc antagonist from TS4.
07
In Toy Story 4, Bonnie cobbles together a brand-new toy during a kindergarten arts-and-crafts session, sparking the whole plot when he wails “I’m trash!” and tries to throw himself away. What everyday utensil is Forky made from?
✓ Howdy, partner! Forky is a spork — with googly eyes, a popsicle-stick foot, pipe-cleaner arms, and a red plasticine mouth. He’s voiced by Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development), and his existential terror about being “trash” rather than a toy is the whole emotional engine of TS4. He got his own Disney+ shorts series after.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is a spork — with pipe-cleaner arms, googly eyes, and a popsicle-stick foot. He’s voiced by Tony Hale, and his “I’m trash!” meltdown is the heart of TS4. He even got his own Disney+ short series, Forky Asks a Question.
08
Toy Story 3 ends with one of the most emotionally devastating scenes Pixar has ever made: Andy, packing for college, hand-delivers his old toys to a new owner in her front yard and plays with them one last time. Who is she?
✓ Howdy, partner! Bonnie Anderson — the imaginative little girl Woody had met earlier in the film when she “adopted” him from her mom’s day-care lost-and-found. Andy goes through every toy with her one by one before driving off to college. It’s the franchise’s natural ending. Bonnie then becomes the toys’ new owner in Toy Story 4.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Bonnie Anderson — the imaginative little girl Woody had encountered earlier in the film. Andy goes through every single toy with her, one by one, before leaving for college. She becomes the toys’ new owner for Toy Story 4. Molly is Andy’s little sister (she gives up Barbie in TS3, but never inherits the gang).
The Toys Have Spoken · Play Time Over Your Toy Box Verdict
/ 8
Andy’s favorite — or destined for the yard sale?
2010’s Toy Story 3 has also become a worldwide streaming sensation for Disney+ at #5 in Haiti, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Barbados, Colombia, Belgium, Jamaica, Dominica, Belize, Ecuador, Brazil, Grenada, Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, and Salvador. Lastly, 2019’s Toy Story 4 is performing at #6 in Jamaica, Honduras, Guyana, Haiti, Ecuador, Dominica, Brazil, Bolivia, and Albania.
In the United States, the first project is at #4, while the 1999 follow-up is holding the #3 spot. The 2010 sequel is trending for American subscribers on Disney+ at #5, while the latest installment is sitting at #7. The Toy Story timeline will continue in less than a week, as the fifth entry will bring the property back after being away for several years.
The four projects that have been released have grossed over $3 billion at the worldwide box office and are still holding solid Rotten Tomatoes scores. Whether or not the Toy Story 5 story will be as well-received with critics and audience members remains to be seen.
In ScreenRant’s Toy Story movie review, Abigail Stevens praised how the first chapter “is an overall joyous movie about imagination, and what we see at that moment is Woody himself taking part in the same adventurous Buzz Lightyear mythology that a child is so captivated by.”
Grant Hermanns shared in ScreenRant’sToy Story 2 review how the follow-up is superior to the 1995 film, stating how “The film overcomes some of the narrative’s logic gaps to remain a rare sequel that manages to be better than the original.”
Toy Story Installment
Rotten Tomatoes Score
Audience Score
Toy Story
100%
92%
Toy Story 2
100%
87%
Toy Story 3
98%
90%
Toy Story 4
97%
94%
Vic Holterman stated in ScreenRant’sToy Story 3 review that “following the opening sequence, for a while it was “just good.” Sure, we get to see our favorite characters again and that was fun, but it seemed like more of the same. It’s not really until the prison break that the film really kicks it into high gear and becomes something very, very special.”
Lastly, Molly Freeman complimented the last adventure in ScreenRant’s Toy Story 4 review, adding how it “is a must-see for fans of Pixar, especially fans of this franchise – even those who thought Toy Story 3 was the perfect capper to the series. In fact, Toy Story 4 proves to be a much more compelling conclusion, while still leaving the door open for future adventures.”
Catch Toy Story 1-4 on Disney+ worldwide, including in the United States, while Toy Story 5 opens in theaters on June 19.
Video Game(s)
Toy Story, Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue
Created by
John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Joe Ranft
