Ensemble from Toy Story 3

Parents, Kids, & Cowboys Welcome. Rewatch Disney & Pixar’s Toy Story Together, 30 Years Strong

September 18, 2025 | Revised: October 2, 2025

Relive every adventure from the groundbreaking original to the most recent Academy Award®-winning sequel.

“Star Command, come in. Do you read me?” In September, we celebrated Toy Story’s 30th anniversary. Whether you’re craving nostalgia or seeking a family-friendly watch, now’s the perfect time to revisit (or discover) every chapter of Pixar’s trailblazing saga. So round up the gang, grab some snacks, and get ready to head back to Andy’s room.

What Makes Toy Story Special?

Woody and Buzz standing together in Toy Story 2.
Toy Story 2, Pixar

In 1995, Pixar changed animation forever with the release of Toy Story, the world’s first computer-animated feature film. Moviegoers instantly connected with Woody, a lanky pull-string cowboy voiced by Tom Hanks, and Buzz, a bold space ranger voiced by Tim Allen, launching a franchise that continues to charm viewers of every generation. Thirty years later, the adventure still stands tall as a cultural landmark, inspiring countless sequels, shorts, and theme-park attractions. But what makes Toy Story such an enduring tale?

A Beloved Cast of Characters

In the film that started it all, Sheriff Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) forged an unforgettable duo, while Jessie the Cowgirl (Joan Cusack) brought a high-energy heart to the franchise in later chapters. Supporting favorites such as Rex (voiced by Wallace Shawn), Hamm (voiced by John Ratzenberger), and Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts) round out a cast of enduring characters that continues to expand with newcomers like Forky (voiced by Tony Hale).

Compelling Stories with a Whole Lotta Heart

Across films, the series handles universal themes of humor and heart in a way that anyone, whatever their age, can relate. Each installment explores growing up, letting go, and discovering new purpose, all through the eyes of toys determined to stick together.

Critical Acclaim

The Toy Story franchise has received 11 Academy Award® nominations, and has taken home 4 Oscars®:

  • Special Achievement Award (Toy Story)

  • Best Animated Feature (Toy Story 3)

  • Best Original Song “We Belong Together” (Toy Story 3)

  • Best Animated Feature (Toy Story 4)

Pixar Animation Studios — 30 Years after Toy Story

Woody places his hand on Buzz's shoulder.
Toy Story 4, Pixar

How the Studio Has Grown

Toy Story’s runaway success propelled Pixar from a small innovator to an industry powerhouse. The film helped catalyze Pixar’s 1995 IPO, and today more than twenty of the original crew members still work with the studio, with six of them currently working on Toy Story 5! Along the way, Pixar continues to expand its creative horizons, releasing quite the list of modern classics including; Monsters, Inc., Cars, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, WALL-E, Up, Inside Out, and Coco.

How Animation Has Evolved

Since Buzz first said “To infinity and beyond” in 1995, technological advancements have followed a similar path. A frame that once took hours to render back then can now be processed in seconds on Pixar’s modern farm, which is estimated to be 12,000 times more powerful than the one used to produce Toy Story thirty years ago. 

Celebrate Toy Story's 30th Anniversary with a Rewatch (or First Stream)

Three decades later, the franchise remains a touchstone for fans. Host a marathon, introduce the series to the kids, or simply queue up your favorite moments. There’s no wrong way to celebrate timeless tales of friendship. All the films are available to watch on Disney+, so read on and add them to your Watchlist.

Disney and Pixar's Toy Story

Buzz Lightyear flashes his laser at Woody on Andy's bed.
Toy Story, Pixar

Set in a world where toys have a life of their own, when people are not present, Toy Story takes moviegoers on a fantastic fun-filled journey, viewed mostly through the eyes of two rival toys: Woody (Tom Hanks), a pull-string talking cowboy, and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a heroic space action-figure. The comically mismatched duo eventually learn to put aside their differences when they're separated from their owner, Andy, and find themselves on a hilarious adventure-filled mission...where the only way they can survive is to form an uneasy alliance.

Awards and Nominations

  • Special Achievement Academy Award® for its pioneering animation.

  • Three additional Academy Award® nominations.

Easter Eggs and Trivia:

  • Pizza Planet was originally going to be called Pizza Putt, which would have been a combo pizzeria and miniature golf course.

  • The gas station that Andy's mom stops at in Toy Story is called “Dinoco”, which can also be seen in the Pixar film Cars as the oil company run by Tex Dinoco, and the sponsor of the Piston Cup.

  • The wallpaper in Andy’s room can also be seen in Monsters, Inc. when Randall is training and has to copy the camouflage patterns.

Add Disney and Pixar's Toy Story to Watchlist

Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 2

Woody dancing with Jessie and Bullseye on a record player in Toy Story 2.
Toy Story 2, Pixar

The toys are back in town and ready to play once again This comedy-adventure picks up as Andy heads off to Cowboy Camp, leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when obsessive toy collector Al McWhiggin (Wayne Knight), owner of Al's Toy Barn, kidnaps Woody (Tom Hanks). At Al's apartment, Woody discovers that he's a highly valued collectible from a 1950s TV show called "Woody's Roundup" and meets other prized toys from that show: Jessie the cowgirl (Joan Cusack), Bullseye the horse, and Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer). Back at the scene of the crime, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the gang from Andy's room, Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Slinky Dog (Jim Varney), Rex (Wallace Shawn), and Hamm (John Ratzenberger), spring into action to rescue their pal from winding up as a museum piece. The toys get into one predicament after another in their daring race to get Woody home before Andy returns.

Awards and Nominations

  • Academy Award® nomination for Best Original Song, “When She Loved Me.”

Easter Eggs and Trivia:

  • The cleaner who comes to repair Woody in Toy Story 2 is Geri, star of Pixar’s short film Geri's Game. His tool box even has a drawer full of chess pieces.

  • Al’s Toy Barn is located at 1001 W. Cutting Blvd. — Pixar’s original address.

  • The painting over the couch in Al McWhiggin’s living room in Toy Story 2 is an abstract painting of A Bug's Life characters.

Add Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 2 to Watchlist

Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 3

Buzz Lightyear charges forward with Woody, Jessie and Bullseye.
Toy Story 3, Pixar

Jump back inside the toy box for a heartwarming and hilarious movie you'll never forget. Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of the toys return for an all-new adventure, along with a few new faces, some plastic, some plush, including Barbie's counterpart, Ken (Michael Keaton), thespian hedgehog Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton), and strawberry-scented Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear (Ned Beatty). As Andy prepares to depart for college, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of Andy's faithful toys wonder what will become of them. But when a mix-up lands them at Sunnyside Daycare, they meet a host of new toys and soon discover a wild new adventure is just beginning.

Awards and Nominations

  • Academy Award® wins for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, “We Belong Together.”

Easter Eggs and Trivia:

  • In Pixar's Up, Lotso can be seen sitting on the floor of a little girl’s bedroom as Carl’s house flies past her window.

  • Sunnyside is sprinkled with toy versions of familiar faces of past Pixar characters, including Lightning McQueen (Cars) and Mr. Ray (Finding Nemo).

  • Sid makes a cameo in Toy Story 3, wearing his signature skull t-shirt. Sid’s cameo is voiced by then 27-year-old Erik Von Detten, who at the age of 13 was the original voice of Sid in Toy Story.

Add Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 3 to Watchlist

Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 4

Ducky and Bunny with Woody And Buzz.
Toy Story 4, Pixar

Pixar Animation Studios proudly presents the adventure of a lifetime! When Woody, Buzz, and the gang join Bonnie on a road trip with her new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky, the innocent little spork’s hilarious antics launch Woody on a wild quest filled with unexpected new characters — and one long-lost friend! Toy Story 4 is a soaring masterpiece stuffed with spectacular animation, humor, and heart.

Awards and Nominations

  • Academy Award® win for Best Animated Feature.

Easter Eggs and Trivia:

  • Duke Caboom was animated almost exclusively by Pixar animators from Canada. He was animated with a stiff back and bowed legs to make him seem as if he had been a real-life action star who’d been through one too many crashes.

  • New Stanton Beach is named after Andrew Stanton, one of the film’s screenwriters, and the director of Finding Nemo, WALL•E and Finding Dory. Stanton is also the director of Toy Story 5.

  • The antique mall in Toy Story 4 contains a lot of references and easter eggs to other films, and Pixar history including:

    • Neon Sign "Dinoco" from Cars

    • Dinoco Pump from Cars

    • Dinoco Air Pump from Cars 2

    • A picture of Geri, from Geri's Game

    • Ken’s Dream House from Toy Story 3

    • A Pixar Image Computer, Pixar’s original hardware product

Add Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 4 to Watchlist

Explore the Complete Toy Story Collection on Disney+

From specials like Toy Story: That Time Forgot to the frightening fun of Toy Story of Terror!, the Toy Story Collection extends far beyond the four feature films. Dive into shorts, holiday tales, and behind-the-scenes adventures that spotlight your favorite characters in new ways. It is all waiting to be added to your Watchlist.

Check out the Toy Story Collection on Disney+!

As the toys gear up for their next chapter in Toy Story 5 (coming to theaters in 2026), now is the perfect time to relive every laugh, tear, and epic rescue. Round up the crew, press play on each classic, and celebrate 30 years of friendship that goes to infinity and beyond

What to Watch