It’s been a little over 20 years now since the first Toy Story hit theaters…and with a fourth installment underway, Toy Story is just as beloved today as it was nearly two decades ago.
To help celebrate the anniversary of the release of the original Toy Story movie, I’ve gathered 15 fun facts that you might not know about the Toy Story franchise…starting with the fact that the original Toy Story is—by far—my favorite Pixar movie of all time. To infinity and beyond!
15 Fun Facts You May Not Know About the Toy Story Franchise
The Pizza Planet delivery truck has appeared in every Pixar film, except The Incredibles.
During their most productive week during Toy Story production, the team only completed 3.5 minutes of animation.
Billy Crystal was originally offered the chance to voice Buzz Lightyear, but declined. After seeing the film, he said that decision was the biggest mistake of his career (he later got his chance to be a part of Pixar in the film, Monsters Inc.). Jim Carrey and Bill Murray were also considered, but were out of budget.
For the original Toy Story, Tom Hanks recorded his dialog during breaks of Sleepless in Seattle and A League of Their Own.
A sweet nod to his Home Improvement days, the toolbox on top of the milk crate that Woody is trapped under in the original Toy Story is a Binford, the same type of tool that Allen used in his TV show.
Comedian Don Rickles was the first and only actor considered for the role of Mr. Potato Head. The popular line, “What are you looking at, ya hockey puck?” is one of the actors catchphrases.
The number “95” appears frequently throughout all three Toy Story films. It’s a reference to the year the original Toy Story was released, 1995.
The character of Andy is named for Andries “Andy” Van Dam, a Brown University professor and computer science and animation pioneer who taught many of the makers of this film series.
Toy Story 3 is the first sequel to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar without any of its predecessors being nominated.
Toy Story 3 is also the first animated movie to make over $1 billion at the box office worldwide. It’s the #5 highest grossing movie of all time, behind Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Titanic, and Avatar.
Animators had to strap boards to their feet to figure out how to animate the toy soldiers.
The first Toy Story was completed on a $30 million budget using a staff of 110 people. In comparison, The Lion King, released just one year prior, required a budget of $45 million and a staff of 800 people.
Toy Story 2 is the best reviewed movie of all time on Rotten Tomatoes. The original Toy Story comes in at #4.
The Barbie and Ken dolls in Toy Story 3 actually existed! Barbie is modeled after “Great Shape” Barbie (1984) and Ken is based on “Animal Lovin” Ken (1988), which I’m pretty sure I had when I was little!
Tom Hanks’s brother, Jim, voices Woody on all Woody toys and video games. Sneaky, sneaky, Tom…
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