What if Don Bluth stayed at Disney?/Once Upon a Studio

***Once Upon a Studio*** is a 2023 American live-action/animated fantasy comedy crossover short film written and directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Made in honor of the studio's centennial on October 16, 2023, the short film was described as a "love letter" to Walt Disney Animation Studios by Correy and Abraham.

In the film, Disney characters come to life from pictures hanging on the walls of the Roy E. Disney Animation Building following the end of a usual work day. The short's art style combines computer graphics, traditional animation and live-action, and features characters from almost all of the studio's works made up to that point, including all sixty-two feature films, numerous short films, and some live-action Disney films featuring animation produced by the studio such as *Mary Poppins* (1964), *Bedknobs and Broomsticks* (1971) and *Pete's Dragon* (1977). The film was dedicated to Burny Mattinson, the company's longest serving Disney employee, who appeared in the short and died eight months before its release.

*Once Upon a Studio* premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 11, 2023, and had its first public showing on ABC on October 15, 2023, as part of *The Wonderful World of Disney: Disney's 100th Anniversary Celebration*, hosted by Kelly Ripa, along with the television premiere of *Encanto*. The short film was added to Disney+ and Hulu on October 16, 2023, and also aired that day on Disney Channel, as part of *Once Upon A Monday Movie Marathon*, FX, FXM and Freeform. The short was also shown theatrically in front of the *Moana* Disney100 limited re-release. It received widespread acclaim from critics, audiences and Disney fans, all of whom praised the animation (particularly those of the traditionally animated characters), ambition, concept and overall sense of nostalgia.

## Plot

The employees at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California are leaving as their workday is done. A Disney intern converses with Burny Mattinson about the studio turning 100, Mattinson wondering, "If these walls could talk."

Inside the studio, Mickey Mouse, as seen in a production cel for *Mickey's Birthday Party*, comes to life, and calls Tinker Bell. Mickey asks her if all of the employees are gone, in which she nods. Excited, Mickey and Minnie Mouse jump out of the cel, and Minnie gets many of the characters from the studio's filmography to all meet in the lobby. During that, several gags of the characters interacting do happen such as:

* Sisu running happily down the hall, followed by Jim Hawkins riding on his Alponian Solar Cruiser, Maui flying in his hawk form, Aladdin and Abu sliding down the railing with them ending up with the trolls, Vanellope von Schweetz, Charlie B. Barkin, and Dodger riding on her candy kart, Elliott taking Cody on a fun ride, and Wayne and Lanny sliding down their ropes.
* Moana searching for water for Flounder, and with help from Merlin (who was at the Snuggly Duckling coffee area with his sugar bowl, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, Jaquimo, Bartok, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Dr. Krunklehorn), he uses his magic to summon water in the Mad Hatter's hat for Flounder to swim in.
* Elsa freezing Hans from his frame after Anna asks her if she thinks that all of the villains will be show up (most likely because she would be worried about seeing Hans again after he tried to kill them) after seeing an angry Stromboli trying to get a candy from the studio's snack machine.
* Flash taking his time walking to the elevator, much to the chagrin of Donald Duck, Rocko, Carface Carruthers, Humphrey, Ranger Woodlore, Terk, Carl, and Mother Gothel, with Baymax squeezing in the elevator after he makes it.
* Olaf drawing on a desk as Jane Darling, Anne-Marie Moskowitz, Timon and Pumbaa walk by, with Timon telling him to shake a leg (in which Olaf replies that the leg won't make a difference and that it's all in the wrist) when Genie bursts out of the drawing, sending Olaf into pieces and he uses his magic to put Olaf back together.
* While Prince John, Thomas O'Malley, Chicken Little, Milo Thatch, Crazy Legs, Happy, the Headless Horseman, and Gaston are freshening up in the men's room, the Cheshire Cat appears in front of Gaston's face, laughing, when Minnie comes in while covering her eyes and tells them to move it.
* While Christopher Robin, Kanga, and Eeyore try to free Winnie the Pooh from his picture, Antonio Madrigal is seen speaking to Cinderella's bird friends, Meeko, Cri-kee, Pascal, and Pua while stopping Joanna the Goanna from eating Jaq and Gus before getting spooked by a barking Pluto.
* While MacBadger, Ratty, Mole, Itchy Itchiford, Merida, Chanticleer, Enmoud, Ryder, Honeymaren, Sven, and Kristoff walk by, Kristoff warns some Dalmatian puppies, who are watching "Night on Bald Mountain" on a TV, that it'll give them nightmares when Chernabog pops out of the TV, scaring the puppies and they run away, while running over Scrooge McDuck, who drops his sacks of money, and Robin Hood and Little John grab them.
* Ursula was being followed and annoyed by a love struck Splat. Cinderella and Prince Charming follow down the stairs, where the prince is the one to drop his shoe, much to their humor. Max picks up the shoe and runs off with it. Charming calls for Eric while Cinderella cheers for Max. Mickey was amused by this when he sees Kaa leading Clarabelle Cow with his hypnosis. He tries to get him to stop, but Rapunzel has it covered, hitting Kaa with her frying pan offscreen.

While all of this is happening, Mickey looks up at a photograph of studio co-founder Walt Disney and takes his hat off to fondly remember his legacy. Minnie reminds Mickey that everyone is at the lobby as Mickey speaks to the picture saying that he has to go.

Everyone goes outside to take a group photo for the 100th anniversary with Mickey getting them together. However, Goofy accidentally falls off his ladder, breaking the camera. Everyone starts to leave in disappointment as the group photo is cancelled, but as they are leaving, Alan-a-Dale plays "When You Wish Upon a Star" on his lute joined in by Scat Cat on his trumpet and Mirabel Madrigal on her accordion as Hathi Jr. makes a trumpeting sound. As the characters sing, the brooms from *Fantasia* sweep up Goofy's camera, Fix-It Felix, Jr. fixes the camera, Hercules puts the ladder back in position, and the Fairy Godmother uses her magic to help Goofy up the ladder while setting the camera up for the photo.

As everyone sings the end of the song and smiles for the photo, Tinker Bell then uses her wand to cut the scene to the group photo, and the film ends with a tagline "To all who have imagined with us, laughed with us, and dreamed with us, Thank You." At the end of the credits, a dedication to Mattinson reads, "For our pal Burny and his 70 years of legendary storytelling at Disney Animation."