Toy Story 5 has already become a global streaming hit on Disney+ despite the fact that it only recently arrived in theaters, but the animated movie's newfound success comes with a twist. When looking at the best animated movie franchises of all time, the Toy Story movies have to either be at the very top of the list or close to it.
Everything about the franchise is perfect. The Toy Story movies present a unique concept, exploring the lives of toys when no one is keeping an eye on them, and surprisingly deal with topics like abandonment and found family. The Toy Story movies are some of the most emotional out there, with plenty of heartbreaking moments and scenes that will leave fans smiling wide.
It is that balance that has kept the franchise a box office phenomenon for decades. Additionally, Toy Story 5's cast keeps many of the same actors who have been with the franchise since the very first movie was released back in 1995. This helps keep the bond between viewers and characters like Woody and Buzz tight as the franchise modernizes itself.
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
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Andy’s favorite — or destined for the yard sale?
Now, the animated franchise has just seen the arrival of its latest movie. Toy Story 5 was released in theaters on June 19. While the film might have just come to theaters around the world, the audience can already watch a special release on Disney+, and it has helped make Toy Story 5 a streaming hit as its box office run begins.
Toy Story 5 Has Surged On Disney+ With A Preview
Toy Story 5's full streaming release should still take a few months, but audiences can already turn to Disney+ to watch Toy Story 5 | A Special Look, which currently stands as the most-watched movie on Disney+ worldwide, according to FlixPatrol. In the United States, it ranks lower, at 6th, but is still trending on the streaming service, showing the power of the animated franchise. The preview for the animated movie that is now playing in theaters is just 2 minutes long, which means fans can quickly get done with it and get excited about the film.
Toy Story 5 Review: Pixar’s Oldest Franchise Delivers Its Funniest & Most Emotional Adventure Yet
Toy Story may be over 30 years old, but this Pixar franchise still has plenty left to teach us about the world children are growing up in.
Toy Story 5 | A Special Look focuses on the movie's battle between toys and technology, setting up the crew's new adventure and the franchise's brand-new villain, Lillypad, the tablet. The preview is also not the only release from the animated franchise to rank high on Disney+ worldwide, as all Toy Story movies are currently trending on the streaming service's global chart. Toy Story is at 3rd, Toy Story 2 is at 5th, Toy Story 3 is at 7th, Toy Story 4 is at 4th. Right now, Toy Story 5 | A Special Look is trending in 76 countries.
Will Toy Story 5's Disney+ Success Help The New Pixar Movie In Theaters?
Toy Story 4 ended its box office run with $1.073 billion back in 2019. That made it a massive hit, and with seven years having passed between the Pixar franchise's latest movie and its new release, all signs point to Toy Story 5 becoming an even bigger box office sensation. Now that Toy Story 5 | A Special Look has proven itself a global streaming hit on Disney+, the projections only look better, as it stands as a clear sign that viewers from all over the world are interested in it, or at the very least aware that Toy Story 5 is now playing in theaters.
Additionally, not only is the Toy Story 5 preview the most-watched movie worldwide on Disney+, but the whole franchise is trending, which means that rewatches pre/post watching the 2026 film are happening. All of those factors should contribute to more viewers going to theaters to watch Toy Story 5, and it also suggests that the new Pixar movie will become a global streaming hit on Disney+ later this year when the full movie, not just the preview, arrives.