Once Upon a Studio: Where to Watch Disney Short Guide

Mickey Mouse stands in the lobby of Walt Disney Animation Studios, waving in characters who’ve been waiting on canvas for decades. Once Upon a Studio crams 543 characters from more than 85 films into nine joyful minutes—a reunion that doubles as a love letter to a century of animation.

Release Year: 2023 · Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios · Runtime: 15 minutes · Platform: Disney+ · Purpose: Disney 100th anniversary celebration

Key production and release details for Once Upon a Studio are summarized in the table below.

Where can I watch Once Upon a Studio?

The short streams on Disney+ as an exclusive title, with a 15-minute runtime that makes it a perfect coffee-break watch (Disney+ streaming page). Subscriptions start at $12.99/month for the basic plan. Disney Animation also uploaded the full short to its official YouTube channel at no cost (YouTube official upload), meaning viewers without Disney+ can still experience the reunion.

Availability on Disney+

Streaming options and platform availability are detailed in the following table.

The Disney+ listing confirms the short as part of the platform’s Disney 100th anniversary collection. The page lists co-directors Dan Abraham and Trent Correy alongside a voice cast that includes Josh Gad, Dwayne Johnson, Kristen Bell, Ariana DeBose, Jodi Benson, and Paige O’Hara (Disney+ cast details).

Other streaming options

Beyond Disney+ and YouTube, the short had a limited theatrical run at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood as part of an Oscar-qualifying run (Dexerto watch guide). No other streaming platforms currently carry it.

Is Once Upon a Studio a tribute?

Unambiguously yes. Walt Disney Animation Studios produced Once Upon a Studio as a direct tribute to the Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary (Disney Wiki overview). The studio framed it as a love letter to animation itself and a thank-you to audiences who have them across a century of storytelling.

Purpose and celebration

The official description calls it “an all-star ensemble of beloved characters” coming together for a “joyful, entertaining and emotional reunion” (Disney+ official description). It celebrates 10 decades of Disney storytelling, artistry, and technology—covering everything from hand-drawn classics to modern CGI feats (YouTube official upload).

Anniversary context

The Walt Disney Company officially began on October 16, 1923, when Walt Disney signed a contract in his uncle’s Hollywood home (Motion Picture Association historical account). That founding contract enabled production of the Alice Comedies silent cartoons, launching a century of animation history (Motion Picture Association founding details). The short’s story is set on October 16, 2023—exactly 100 years later—at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California (Wikipedia encyclopedia entry).

What happens in Once Upon a Studio?

Mickey Mouse wanders through the Roy E. Disney Animation Building after hours, discovering that the characters from decades of films have come alive from their pictures and animation frames (Wikipedia encyclopedia entry). The plot centers on him assembling everyone for a centennial group photo—a simple premise that carries enormous emotional weight.

Plot summary

The short blends live-action footage with traditional hand-drawn animation and CGI, creating a visual language that mirrors Disney’s own evolution. Characters pour out of frames, interact across decades, and converge in the studio lobby for that group shot. Heroes, villains, princes, princesses, sidekicks, and sorcerers all appear (Disney Wiki overview).

Key scenes

The emotional peak comes when the characters assemble for the group photo, mirroring the classic “When You Wish Upon a Star” sequence. The film is dedicated to Burny Mattinson, Disney’s longest-serving employee, who died eight months before the short’s release (Wikipedia encyclopedia entry). Key animators and voice talents returned to recreate their iconic characters, lending authenticity to the reunion (Disney Wiki overview).

Is Mary Poppins in Once Upon a Studio?

The short only includes characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios productions—both feature-length and short films. Mary Poppins, produced by Disney but as a live-action production, does not appear (Disney Wiki character list). Every character in Once Upon a Studio originated from the animation studio’s catalog.

Featured characters

The 543 characters span more than 85 Disney Animation productions, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs through recent releases. The complete character list on Disney Wiki confirms all appeared physically in the short (Disney Wiki character list).

Notable appearances

The ensemble draws from every era: classics like Pinocchio and Bambi, Renaissance hits like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, Pixar crossovers managed by Disney Animation, and modern hits like Encanto. The cast listing on Disney+ includes Josh Gad, Dwayne Johnson, Kristen Bell, Ariana DeBose, Jodi Benson, and Paige O’Hara among those returning to voice their iconic roles (Disney+ cast details).

What is Once Upon a Studio?

Once Upon a Studio is a live-action/animated fantasy comedy short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios (Wikipedia encyclopedia entry). It runs 15 minutes and serves as the studio’s primary contribution to the Walt Disney Company’s centennial celebration.

Production details

Co-directors Dan Abraham and Trent Correy helmed the project, with Walt Disney Animation Studios producing. The short premiered on October 15, 2023, during ABC’s The Wonderful World of Disney: Disney 100th Anniversary Celebration broadcast (Dexerto premiere report). It then entered an Oscar-qualifying run at El Capitan Theatre before landing on Disney+.

Cast and crew

Beyond the directors, the production relied heavily on original voice actors and animators returning to their roles. Jodi Benson (Ariel), Paige O’Hara (Belle), and others from Disney’s golden age reprised their performances, lending continuity that fans recognize instantly (Disney+ cast details).

The pattern: Each returning voice actor carries decades of fan connection, making the group photo feel less like a cameo parade and more like a genuine family reunion.

Once Upon a Studio works because it doesn’t try to be clever—it just lets the weight of a century speak. For Disney fans, watching 543 characters converge in one lobby is less a plot event than a family gathering, complete with the bittersweet knowledge that some familiar faces (like Burny Mattinson) won’t be at the next one.