Once Upon a Studio

Once Upon a Studio is a short film created by Disney to commemorate the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company. The film premiered on October 15th, 2023 as part of The Wonderful World of Disney: Disney's 100th Anniversary Celebration on ABC.

Synopsis[]

The film begins at Walt Disney Animation Studios, on October 16th, 2023, as its employees are leaving the Roy E. Disney Animation building after their usual workday. An intern talks with Burny Mattinson about the studio's 100th anniversary that day, and in response, he muses that he wishes the walls of the studio - on which various pictures and production cels hang - could talk. Once everyone is gone, Mickey and Minnie Mouse spring to life from a production cel from Mickey's Birthday Party, and calls Tinker Bell to help him similarly make the other pictures of animated characters come alive. Mickey, assisted by Minnie, Tinker Bell and Peter Pan, then goes around the studio to guide everyone towards the front entrance, where everyone plans to take a group photo.

While everyone is getting ready, Mickey looks up at a photograph of studio co-founder Walt Disney and, in a private moment, takes his hat off to fondly remember his legacy. Minnie reminds Mickey that everyone is at the lobby as Mickey sombrely speaks to the picture saying that he has to go. Everyone soon takes their place outside. However, things backfire when Goofy, who was instructed to set the camera, falls off the ladder he is on, breaking the camera. Everyone starts to leave in disappointment that the picture will not be taken, but just then, Alan-a-Dale plays a rendition of "When You Wish Upon a Star" on his lute, joined in by Scat Cat on his trumpet and Mirabel Madrigal on her accordion.

As everyone start joining in with music and singing, the brooms from Fantasia sweep up Goofy's camera, Fix-It Felix, Jr. fixes the camera, Hercules puts the ladder back in position, and the Fairy Godmother uses her magic to help Goofy up the ladder while setting the camera up for the photo. Soon, spurred by Jiminy Cricket, everyone sings the end of the song. Tinker Bell then uses her wand to cut the scene to the group photo. The film ends with a tagline: "To all who imagined with us, laughed with us and dreamed with us, thank you".

Featured Characters and Series[]

* = Characters that have voiced roles, via new or archival recordings.

101 Dalmatians - Pongo, Perdita ,Dalmatian Puppies, Roger Radcliffe, Anita Radcliffe, Nanny, Cruella De Vil
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad - J. Thaddeus Toad, Cyril Proudbottom, Angus MacBadger, Mole, Water Rat, Brom Bones, Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, The Headless Horseman
Aladdin - Aladdin*, Abu*, Princess Jasmine, Magic Carpet, Genie*, Jafar, Iago*
Alice in Wonderland - Alice, The Mad Hatter*, The March Hare, Cheshire Cat*, Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, The Queen of Hearts
The Aristocats - Duchess, Thomas O'Malley, Toulouse, Marie, Berlioz, Edgar
Atlantis - Milo Thatch, Kida, Vinny, Audrey Ramirez, Sweet, Gaetan "Mole" Molière, Wilhelmina Packard, Cookie
The Ballad of Nessie - Nessie
Bambi - Bambi, Flower*, Thumper*, Friend Owl
Beauty and the Beast - Belle*, Beast*, Gaston*, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Fifi
Bedknobs and Broomsticks - King Leonidas
Ben and Me - Benjamin Franklin, Amos
The Black Cauldron - Taran, Eilonwy, Fflewddur Fflam, Hen Wen, Gurgi, Creeper, The Horned King
Big Hero 6 - Hiro Hamada, Baymax, Aunt Cass, Go Go Tomago, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Fred
Bolt (Disney) - Bolt, Penny, Mittens, Rhino*
Brother Bear - Kenai, Koda, Rutt, Tuke
Chicken Little - Chicken Little, Abby Mallard, Runt of the Litter, Fish out of Water
Chip 'n' Dale - Chip, Dale
Cinderella - Cinderella*, Prince Charming*, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia Tremaine, Drizella Tremaine, Lucifer, Jaq*, Gus*, Fairy Godmother, Cinderella's Bird Friends
Dinosaur - Aladar, Plio, Yar, Suri, Zini
Donald Duck - Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, J. Audubon Woodlore, Ludwig Von Drake
DuckTales - Huey, Dewey, Louie
Dumbo - Dumbo
The Emperor's New Groove - Kuzco*, Pacha, Yzma, Kronk
Encanto - Mirabel Madrigal, Bruno, Luisa Madrigal, Antonio Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal, Alma Madriga, Dolores Madrigal, Félix Madrigal, Julieta Madrigal, Isabela Madrigal
Fantasia - Magic Brooms, Bacchus, Jacchus, Brudus, Melinda, Madame Upanova, Ben Ali Gator, Hyacinth Hippo, Chernabog, Duke, Joe, Flying John
Feast - Winston
The Fox and the Hound - Tod, Copper, Big Mama, Dinky, Boomer
Frozen - Anna*, Elsa*, Grand Pabbie, Prince Hans*, Kristoff*, Sven, Olaf*, Honeymaren, General Mattias, Bruni
Fun and Fancy Free - Bongo the Bear
Goofy - Goofy*, Humphrey the Bear
The Great Mouse Detective - Basil of Baker Street, David Q. Dawson, Fidget the Bat
Hercules - Hercules, Hades*, Philoctetes, Megara, Zeus
Home on the Range - Maggie, Mrs. Calloway, Grace
The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Quasimodo, Victor, Hugo, Laverne, Esmarelda, Djali, Frollo
Inner Workings - Paul
John Henry - John Henry
The Jungle Book - Mowgli*, Bagheera, Baloo*, Kaa*, Shere Khan, King Louie, Colonel Hathi, Winifred, Hathi, Jr., Shanti
Lady and the Tramp- Lady, Tramp, Jock, Trusty*
Lambert the Sheepish Lion - Lambert Lion
Lilo & Stitch - Lilo Pelekai, Stitch*, Nani Pelekai, David Kawena, Jumba
The Lion King - Simba, Nala, Timon*, Pumbaa, Scar*, Rafiki*, Zazu, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed
The Little Mermaid - Ariel*, Flounder*, Ursula*, Scuttle*, Max
Make Mine Music - Casey, Ivan, Johnny Fedora, Alice Blue Bonnet
Mary Poppins - Penguin Waiters
Meet the Robinsons - Lewis Robinson, Wilbur Robinson, Carl*, Bowler Hat Guy*, DOR-15, Lucille Krunklehorn
Melody Time - Jenny, Joe, Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, Widowmaker
Mickey Mouse - Mickey Mouse*, Minnie Mouse*, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, Clara Cluck
Moana - Moana*, Maui*, Heihei, Pua
Mulan - Mulan*, Li Shang, Mushu, Cri-Kee, Yao, Ling, Chien Po
Oliver & Company - Oliver, Dodger*, Einstein, Francis, Georgette
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit - Oswald
Paperman - George
Peter Pan - Peter Pan*, Tinker Bell, Wendy Darling, John Darling, Michael Darling, Nana, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee
Pete's Dragon - Elliott
Pinocchio - Pinocchio*, Geppetto, Figaro, Cleo, Jiminy Cricket*, The Blue Fairy, Honest John, Gideon, Stromboli
Pluto - Pluto
Pocahontas - Pocahontas*, Meeko, Flit, Chief Powhatan, Nakoma, John Smith, Governor Ratcliffe
Prep & Landing - Wayne, Lanny
The Princess and the Frog - Tiana*, Charlotte La Bouff, Dr. Facilier, Louis, Mama Odie, Juju
Raya and the Last Dragon - Raya, Sisu*, Tuk Tuk, Namaari, Boun, Noi
The Reluctant Dragon - The Reluctant Dragon
The Rescuers - Bernard*, Miss Bianca, Madame Medusa, Mr. Snoops, Cody*, Jake, Joanna the Goanna
Robin Hood - Robin Hood*, Little John, Maid Marian, Francis, Alan-A-Dale, Lady Kluck
Saludos Amigos - José Carioca
Silly Symphonies - Skeletons, Fifer Pig, Fiddler Pig, Practical Pig, Big Bad Wolf
Sleeping Beauty - Aurora, Fauna, Flora, Merryweather, Maleficent, Prince Phillip
The Small One - Small One
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Snow White, Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, Dopey, The Queen (in hag form)
Strange World - Searcher Clade, Ethan Clade, Splat, Jaeger Clade, Meridian Clade, Callisto Mal, Legend
The Sword in the Stone - Merlin*, Merlin's Sugar Bowl, Madam Mim
Tangled - Rapunzel*, Flynn Rider, Pascal, Mother Gothel, Maximus
Tarzan - Tarzan, Jane, Clayton, Kala, Kerchak, Terk
Treasure Planet - Jim Hawkins*, Dr. Delbert Doppler, Captain Amelia, John Silver, Morph, B.E.N.
Us Again - Art, Dot
Winnie the Pooh - Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh*, Eeyore, Kanga, Gopher
Wish - Asha
Wreck-it Ralph - Wreck-it Ralph*, Fix-It Felix Jr., Sergeant Calhoun, Vanellope von Schweetz, Taffyta Muttonfudge, King Candy, KnowsMore, Shank, Yesss
Zootopia - Judy Hopps*, Nick Wilde*, Gazelle, Clawhauser, Chief Bogo, Bellwether, Flash, Koslov, Mr. Big, Fru Fru Big