Can you believe it’s been 25 years since Toy Story first launched? Yes - it made us feel old, too.
With many of us sharing the joys of Woody, Buzz and friends with our children (sometimes on a daily basis), it’s hard to think of the original film as a ‘classic’ rather than contemporary.
The charming story of misaligned toys becoming firm friends in the face of adversity doesn’t age, and the wonderful characters are as loved by our little ones as they are by us.
Lately, we’ve fallen in love with Bo Peep all over again thanks to the fourth (and last?) instalment of the franchise, which sees Woody take on new adventures and challenges in an antique store, trying to rescue his newly made (literally) companion, Forky.
To celebrate the film’s 25th birthday, Disney are hosting Pixar Fest, which will take place for a whole month (from August 6 - September 6, 2020), with lots of activities for your kids to enjoy. There will be weekly live watch parties for Toy Story, Cars, Inside Out and The Incredibles on Disney+, plus virtual Pixar-themed quizzes and unique masterclasses with Pixar animators. Find out more at the Disney Pixar UK Facebook page.
Knowing the original film is 25 years old makes us feel ancient, but sharing our love of the characters with our toddlers is so much fun.
To celebrate PixarFest, here's a Disney Toy Story activity pack that you can download for FREE; simply click on the image below:
To say ‘happy birthday’ to Buzz and Woody, we’ve rounded up our favourite Toy Story stuff – you can buy these guilt-free and pretend they’re for the kids, and we won’t tell anyone they’re secretly for you…
Indulge in a Toy Story marathon by watching all four movies on DVD in one day - perfect for a lazy Sunday or a rainy day. Which movie is your favourite?
www.disneyplus.com
Sign up to Disney+ and watch all the Toy Story films at the flick of a button (plus, all the other amazing Pixar and Disney films, too). Costs just £5.99 per month, or £59.99 for the year (saving you nearly £12).
Help your little ones make their own version of Forky with this play dough set.
www.argos.co.uk
Turn dinnertime into an intergalactic adventure with Buzz and Woody - you never know, these plates might encourage your children to eat their veggies.
We love a good jigsaw puzzle, and this box contains four different puzzles - with 12, 16, 20 and 24 pieces for increasing levels of difficulty as your child becomes more advanced.
Your children will love playing with this LEGO DUPLO Woody train set, bringing the film and their imaginations alive. We love the 'Wanted' poster of Hamm.
www.shopdisney.co.uk
Everyone's favourite character from Toy Story 4, Forky can come to life with this talking action figure toy - place him near other interactive Toy Story toys to activate special phrases.
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Toy Story Deluxe Bath Toy Set
Bathtime will be loads more fun with this set of five Toy Story bath toys, with their own bucket - helping to make tidying up a bit easier for you, too.
www.shopdisney.co.uk
As part of the Pixar Fest celebrations, Disney have introduced a brand-new range of toys to celebrate the heritage of Pixar – including a new soft toy range of Aliens from Toy Story, dressed up as some of the other characters.
PixarFest has also released some never-before-seen sketches of Buzz Lightyear:
Top Disney Pixar Toy Story facts
If you're planning a family quiz soon, why not make it Toy Story-themed? Here are 12 fascinating facts about our favourite Pixar movie:
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Toy Story actually began as “Tin Toy Christmas” - a Christmas special that was only meant to be 30 minutes long
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Toy Story premiered in 1995 as the first fully computer-animated feature film – Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley and screenwriter Stephany Folsom were just teenagers when “Toy Story” debuted in theaters
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In the original Toy Story, when Woody is sitting on the bed talking with Slinky, there is a drawing of Woody himself on the wall behind them. This is actually an early sketch of the Woody character
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42 pencil sharpeners gave their lives to make Toy Story 2
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In Toy Story 2 - Jessie was originally cast as a common desert plant named Senorita Cactus
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In Toy Story 2, Hamm the piggy bank is carrying over $6.00 in change
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68 babies were born to Pixar employees during the production of Toy Story 3 – all of which are listed during the film’s end credits
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The Buzz Lightyear Talking Action Figure is officially the number one shopDisney toy of all time
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The Pizza Planet Truck, which first made an appearance in Toy Story, has made a cameo in nearly every Pixar film including A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc., Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up, Toy Story 3, Brave, and Monsters University. For example, the truck can be seen whizzing by when the fish tank gang is escaping from the dentist’s office in Finding Nemo. In WALL•E, the infamous Pizza Planet Truck is one of the items EVE scans on earth
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Since the release of Toy Story 3, over 292,000 Lotso cuddly toys have been sold by shopDisney - if you stood them on top of one another, they would be the same height as 275 Eiffel towers
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Toy Story 3 became the highest-grossing animated film of all time when it was released in 2010
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Now widely known as Pixar’s good luck charm, John Ratzenberger is the only actor to voice a role in 11 Pixar films – including being the voice of Hamm, the know-it-all piggybank in Toy Story
How much does your little one love Toy Story? Let us know on Facebook - we'd love to hear from you
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Pixar Fest will run from 9th August - 6th September in support of charity MediCinema, with an epic collection of Pixar titles on Disney+, weekly watchalongs and new product releases. For more information, visit Pixar’s Facebook page @PixarUK