"The Magic of Disney Animation" Retrospective: In Conclusion.

And we've finally reached the end of the story. For over eight decades Disney Animation Studios has enchanted us and captivated us time and time again, and with their very busy 2016 now being over, we'll next be looking ahead to their offerings in the future.

So what more does the Disney Revival have in store. Sadly, they won't have any output ready in time for 2017, but the next year will be a different story. First we'll see Rich Moore returning to the universe of Wreck-It-Ralph with its awaited sequel, which I hope I'm less apathetic to than its predecessor. Then later that year, they'll be returning yet again to the musical mold with Gigantic, their new take on the Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale, and will feature the returning talents of Frozen songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Ropert Lopez. After that, it's anybody's guess, with several planned films yet to be announced securing release dates, the upcoming sequel to Frozen, and if rumors are to be believed, a secret project pairing Zootopia director Byron Howard with Moana songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda (the latter being kept particularly busy by Disney).

Who knows what else Lasseter's tenure has in store? Will we see more stellar instant classics, and more Pixar level original stories? Will their hot streak eventually fizzle out, and return them to another age of stagnation? All I know is that no matter what happens, it'll be yet another fascinating story behind the history of the studio. No other studio can boast the same eclectic and wildly varying filmography they've had, and gone through such a sheer number of peaks and valleys to get where they are today. Whether they struck out with a critical dud or financial bomb, or helped define a decade and medium with more imaginative gems, they've always kept to a high standard of quality, both in endearing storytelling and beautiful animation. It's no less to the same golden standards that their very own pioneering founder stood for, embodying all of his spirit and desire to make great entertainment for families, and true to the always warm and wonder-filled presence he left, making a lasting impact with the ideals he instilled during the company's inception. I don't know how long or how far they'll go down that long road, but though not every stop will be a winner, as long as they keep going on that journey, I'm with them until the end.

Thank you for reading, and may you all live happily ever after...



Ranking all of their films:

1. The Lion King

2. Beauty and the Beast

3. Aladdin

4. Fantasia

5. Bambi
6. Lilo & Stitch
7. Frozen

8. Alice in Wonderland

9. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
10. Pinocchio

11. Lady and the Tramp

12. Sleeping Beauty
13. Zootopia
14. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

15. The Little Mermaid

16. The Princess and the Frog

17. 101 Dalmatians
18. Big Hero 6

19. The Rescuers Down Under

20. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

21. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

22. The Emperor's New Groove
23. The Fox and the Hound
24. Moana
25. Tangled

26. The Jungle Book
27. Bolt
28. Fantasia 2000
29. Mulan
30. The Great Mouse Detective

31. Tarzan
32. Treasure Planet
33. Winnie the Pooh

34. Peter Pan

35. Cinderella
36. Wreck-It Ralph
37. Meet the Robinsons

38. Melody Time

39. Hercules

40. Robin Hood

41. Dinosaur
42. The Three Caballeros

43. Fun and Fancy Free
44. The Rescuers

45. Pocahontas

46. Atlantis: The Lost Empire

47. The Sword in the Stone

48. Brother Bear

49. Dumbo
50. The Aristocats

51. Oliver & Company
52. Make Mine Music

53. Saludos Amigos

54. The Black Cauldron
55. Home on the Range
56. Chicken Little

56.5. The Wild