While many people know about Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Studios, many forget about Disneytoon Studios. The forgotten third studio was best known for making the straight-to-video sequels to Disney classics during the 1990s and early 2000s. However, the studio also made several films over the years and released them in cinemas. Let’s take a look at some of the Disneytoon Studios’ theatrical releases on Disney+.

DUCKTALES THE MOVIE: TREASURE OF THE LOST LAMP

Scrooge McDuck takes Huey, Dewey, and Louie to Egypt to find a pyramid and a magic lamp. This was one of my favorite films as a kid. I loved the “Ducktales” series and watching a movie featuring some of my favorite characters just made sense. Plus, I’m almost always a sucker for a treasure hunt.

A GOOFY MOVIE

When Max makes a preposterous promise to a girl he has a crush on, his chances of fulfilling it seem hopeless when he is dragged onto a cross-country trip with his embarrassing father, Goofy. This is easily the most popular film released by Disneytoon Studios. There are people to this day who think this film is in the main Walt Disney Animation Studios line because of the quality of the film. Plus, it’s a nice connection to the popular “Goof Troop” television show.

RETURN TO NEVER LAND

In London during World War II, this is the story of Wendy’s daughter, Jane, who is kidnapped by Captain Hook and Peter Pan must come to the rescue. I recently reviewed this film and found it to be a very enjoyable sequel. I can see why this one got a theatrical release instead of straight-to-video like the other sequels to an animated classic produced by Disneytoon Studios.

THE JUNGLE BOOK 2

Mowgli, missing the jungle and his old friends, runs away from the man village, unaware of his danger by returning to the wild. This sequel is more in line with the studio’s straight-to-the-line video releases than the theatrical ones, but it’s still an interesting take to bring the classic characters back. Plus, who doesn’t love a good John Goodman voice role?

PIGLET’S BIG MOVIE

When Piglet comes up missing his Hundred Acre Wood friends use Piglet’s own Book of Memories to find him, discovering along the way just how big a role he’s played in their lives. Disneytoon made a lot of money releasing sequels and spinoffs connected to Winnie the Pooh. Building off “The Tigger Movie,” Piglet leads the way in this adventure.

POOH’S HEFFALUMP MOVIE

When Roo sets off on his own into the Hundred Acre Wood, he discovers a friendly and playful Heffalump named Lumpy. After the successes of Tigger and Piglet, it made sense to give the Heffalump a film of its own. Roo and Eeyore would also get their own Pooh films through the studio, but they weren’t released in theaters.

BAMBI II

The story of Bambi growing up in the care of his father, The Great Prince of the Forest. This is probably the point where Disneytoon’s theatrical releases became wholly unnecessary. While I understand making a sequel to “Bambi” in a time when all of the classics were getting sequels, this one would’ve been better suited with the straight-to-video/DVD model rather than going to theaters.

TINKER BELL

Enter the land of Tinker Bell and her four best fairy friends. Building on the success of “Peter Pan,” Disney decided to give “Tinker Bell” her series of films. This series also marked the transition from Tinker Bell away from the Disney Princess line and into her own Disney Fairies line.

TINKER BELL AND THE LOST TREASURE

Tinker Bell journeys far North of Never Land to patch things up with her friend Terence and restore a Pixie Dust Tree. Seeing some theatrical success with the first “Tinker Bell” film, Disneytoon Studios went back to the well several more times. This became the predominant series for the studio for a while.

TINKER BELL AND THE GREAT FAIRY RESCUE

Tinker Bell must team up with a rival fairy to keep their existence a secret from humans. While I haven’t seen this one personally, the description makes it look interesting. If I had a daughter, I would probably sit back and watch this with her as many times as she wanted. The premise seems interesting.

SECRET OF THE WINGS

Tinker Bell wanders into the forbidden Winter woods and meets Periwinkle. Together they learn the secret of their wings and try to unite the warm fairies and the winter fairies to help Pixie Hollow. This is one of two Tinker Bell films I’ve watched since Disney+ launched, and I rather enjoyed this one. I can see why this series appeals to little girls.

THE PIRATE FAIRY

When Zarina steals Pixie Hollow’s Blue Pixie Dust and flies away, Tinker Bell and her friends sets on a journey to get them back. This is the second of the Tinker Bell films I watched, and it was my personal favorite. I was invested in the plot of this one. While the concept of fairies may not appeal to some little boys, it would’ve held my interest as a child as it certainly did as an adult.

TINKER BELL AND THE LEGEND OF THE NEVERBEAST

When the compassionate animal fairy, Fawn, befriends the sleepy furry giant called the NeverBeast, persuading Queen Clarion and the vigilant Scout Fairies of its kindness is easier said than done. Is the peaceful Pixie Hollow in danger? This is another one I haven’t seen yet, but the description makes me interested. I would love to see how the fairies and the NeverBeast learn to co-exist.

PLANES

A crop-dusting plane with a fear of heights lives his dream of competing in a famous around-the-world aerial race. This was a cute film that was advertised as “set in the world of “Cars.” While more targeted to a younger audience than the Pixar efforts, this was still a fun film that led to a great bonding experience between my son and me.

PLANES: FIRE AND RESCUE

When Dusty learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he joins a forest fire and rescue unit to be trained as a firefighter, or else his air strip will be shut down. Not my favorite sequel they’ve produced, but Disneytoon still had something that was a bit of fun for kids with this film. It’s a shame the “Planes” series couldn’t continue in a less costly format.

Those are the theatrical releases from Disneytoon Studios available on Disney+. Which one is your favorite? Will you be watching one any time soon?

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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