Walt Disney Animation Studios short films (2000–present) explained

This is a list of short films created by Walt Disney Animation Studios from the year 2000 onwards.

2000s

Series Title Director Release Date DVD/Blu-ray Release Notes
John Henry October 30, 2000 Disney's American Legends
Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection
Based on African American folk hero John Henry; only shown to the general public six times over three days at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre[1]
Destino Dominique Monfery October 10, 2003 Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 (two movie collection) Hybrid Animation
Was originally made for a third Fantasia film
Lorenzo April 6, 2004 Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection Was originally made for a third Fantasia film
In theaters with Raising Helen
The Little Matchgirl June 6, 2006 The Little Mermaid (Platinum and Diamond Editions)
Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection
Was originally made for a third Fantasia film
Goofy How to Hook Up Your Home Theater[2] Stevie Wermers
Kevin Deters
December 21, 2007 Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection In theaters with
To test Toon Boom Harmony
Glago's Guest June 10, 2008 Computer Animation
Pre-screened at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2008

2010s

Series Title Director Release date DVD/ Blu-ray Release Notes
Tick Tock Tale Dean Wellins June 2010 Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection Computer Animation
Pre-screened at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2010
[3]
The Ballad of Nessie Stevie Wermers
Kevin Deters
March 5, 2011 Winnie the Pooh
Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection
In theaters with Winnie the Pooh
Tangled Tangled Ever After January 13, 2012 Cinderella (Diamond Edition)
Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection
Computer Animation
In theaters with Beauty and the Beast 3D
Paperman John Kahrs June 2012
November 2, 2012
Wreck-It Ralph
Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection
Hybrid Animation
In theaters with Wreck-It Ralph
First Disney animated short to win the Academy Award in 43 years. Pre-screened at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2012
[4] [5]
Mickey Mouse Get a Horse! June 11, 2013
November 27, 2013
Frozen
Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection
Combines Hand-drawn & Computer Animation
In theaters with Frozen
Pre-Screened at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2013
Feast Patrick Osborne June 10, 2014
November 7, 2014
Big Hero 6
Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection
Hybrid Animation
In theaters with Big Hero 6
Pre-screened at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2014
[6]
Frozen Frozen Fever March 13, 2015 Cinderella
Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection
Computer Animation
In theaters with Cinderella
[7]
Inner Workings Leo Matsuda June 17, 2016
November 23, 2016
Moana Combines Hand-drawn & Computer Animation
In theaters with Moana
Pre-screened at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2016
Frozen Olaf's Frozen Adventure Stevie Wermers
Kevin Deters
November 22, 2017 Olaf's Frozen Adventure Computer Animation
In theaters with Coco

2020s

Series Title Director Release date DVD / Blu-ray Release Notes
Us Again Zach Parrish March 5, 2021 Raya and the Last Dragon Computer Animation
In theaters with Raya and the Last Dragon
Far from The Tree Natalie Nourigat November 24, 2021 Encanto Hybrid Animation
In theaters with Encanto
Once Upon a Studio Trent Correy and Dan Abraham October 15, 2023 (ABC)December 15, 2023 (with Wish in Japan)Wish Combines hand-drawn animation, computer-animation & live-action
Pre-screened at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2023In theatres with Wish in Japan and also in theaters with the Disney100 theatrical re-release of Moana.[8]

Non-theatrical shorts

Non-theatrical shorts include direct-to-video shorts, which have been released as bonus content on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and HD Digital releases of Disney features, as well as Wartime & industrial shorts, educational shorts, and theme park attractions featuring well known characters. The list also includes TV specials, produced by Disney studio and screened by ABC, and shorts released on Disney+.

Theme park shorts

Series Title Director Release date Release format Notes
Winnie the Pooh Pooh's Hunny Hunt September 4, 2000 Theme park attraction Animation produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida
Mickey Mouse Mickey's PhilharMagic October 3, 2003 Theme park attraction Computer animation

Direct-to-video shorts

Series Title Director Release date Release format Notes
One By One Pixote Hunt August 31, 2004 Was originally made for a third Fantasia Film
Home on the Range A Dairy Tale Will Finn
John Sanford
September 14, 2004 Home on the Range Direct-to-DVD short
Bolt Super Rhino March 22, 2009 Bolt Computer Animation
Direct-to-DVD short
101 Dalmatians The Further Adventures of Thunderbolt*[9] February 10, 2015 On Blu-ray/DVD with the original One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Moana Gone Fishing February 21, 2017 Moana Computer Animation
Direct-to-Blu-ray short

TV specials

Series Title Director Release date Release format Notes
Prep & Landing Prep & Landing Stevie Wermers
Kevin Deters
December 8, 2009 ABC television special Computer Animation
Tiny's Big AdventureDecember 9, 2009
Operation: Secret Santa December 7, 2010
December 5, 2011

Internet and Disney+ Original shorts

Series Title Director Release date Release format Notes
Goofy Checkin' in with Goofy[10] February 16, 2011 Webtoon Opening titles homage to golden age cartoons of the 1940s
Electric Holiday[11] November 15, 2012 Webtoon
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Oswald Holiday Greeting Card December 1, 2013 Webtoon Produced by Disney of Japan. Only 34 seconds in length.
Frozen Once Upon a Snowman Dan Abraham
Trent Correy
October 23, 2020
Frozen Myth: A Frozen Tale Jeff Gibson February 26, 2021 With two minute behind the scene introduction by director Jeff Gibson.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Oswald the Lucky Rabbit[12] December 1, 2022 Webtoon
8-Bit Strange World[13] December 27, 2022 Webtoon
Donald Duck D.I.Y. Duck[14] June 9, 2024

Short series

Note: Each series was streamed on Disney+

FranchiseTitleNetworkOriginal run
Experimental shorts Short Circuit 2020–2022 20 episodes
Goofy How to Stay at Home 2021 3 episodes
Frozen Olaf Presents 2021 5 episodes
Big Hero 6 Baymax! 2022 6 episodes
Zootopia Zootopia+ 2022 6 episodes

Disney internship program shorts

The project is under Walt Disney Animation summer internship program (CG & Art intern program), where a group of animation and computer graphics students collaborate and make shorts within two months, under the guidance of Disney animators. The shorts are around 1 minute.

Title Release date Release format
Ventana2017 Computer Animation
Voilà2018
Maestro2019
June Bug2021

Notes and References

  1. News: A black hero comes up short . . Euclid Media Group . February 22, 2001 . November 8, 2015 . Hill, Jim.
  2. Bill Desowitz. November 16, 2007. "How to Hook Up Your Animated Short at Disney." Animation World Magazine.
  3. News: Desowitz. Bill. Wellins Talks Tick Tock Tale. November 13, 2011. Animation World Network. August 20, 2010.
  4. News: Connelly. Brendon. What Is Disney's Paperman? And When Will We See It?. February 9, 2012. Bleeding Cool. Avatar Press. February 8, 2012.
  5. News: Amidi . Amid . The Poster for Disney's "Paperman" . April 26, 2012 . . April 25, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120429052639/http://www.cartoonbrew.com/cgi/the-poster-for-disneys-paperman.html . April 29, 2012 .
  6. News: Amidi. Amid. Disney To Debut 'Feast' At Annecy. April 24, 2014. Cartoon Brew. April 24, 2014.
  7. News: Graser. Marc. 'Frozen' Characters to Return in 'Frozen Fever' Animated Short. September 3, 2014. Variety. Penske Media Corporation. September 2, 2014.
  8. Web site: 『ウィッシュ』ディズニーのキャラクターたちが夢の共演!『ウィッシュ』と同時上映のオリジナル短編映画『ワンス・アポン・ア・スタジオ -100年の思い出-』劇場でしか観られない特別吹替版の予告解禁!!|映画|ディズニー公式 . 2023-11-29 . ディズニー . ja-JP.
  9. News: 101 Dalmatians: Diamond Edition Blu-ray and DVD Press Release - DVDizzy.com. November 3, 2014. DVDizzy.com. November 3, 2014.
  10. News: Beck . Jerry . Checkin' In With Goofy . November 13, 2011 . . February 19, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120215140838/http://www.cartoonbrew.com/advertising/checkin-in-with-goofy.html . February 15, 2012 .
  11. News: Karimzadeh. Marc. Cartoon Capers: Barneys, The Walt Disney Co. Team Up for Holidays. November 3, 2012. Women's Wear Daily. August 29, 2012.
  12. Web site: Zachary . 2022-12-01 . Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Stars in a New Walt Disney Animation Studios Short for Disney 100 Years of Wonder . 2022-12-01 . The Walt Disney Company . en-US.
  13. Web site: Zachary . 2022-12-01 . 8-bit Strange World . 2022-12-01 . The Walt Disney Company . en-US.
  14. Web site: Zachary . 2024-06-07 . The Walt Disney Company Kicks Off Global Celebration Honoring 90 Years of Donald Duck . The Walt Disney Company . en-US.