Think you know everything about our favorite toys? Here are a few Toy Story facts that we’ll bet Hamm’s savings you didn’t know:
Woody Was Supposed to Be the Bad Guy
When the first concepts for Toy Story were being pitched, Woody was supposed to be selfish and mean to the other toys. There was even a scene where he threw Buzz out the window.
That kind of still happened, but we don’t blame ya, buddy. When concerns were raised that kids wouldn’t like a mean cowboy doll, Woody was rewritten as the hero and the rest is history.
Tom Hanks and Tim Allen with Woody and Buzz Lightyear inside Toy Story Land. Photo: Walt Disney World
Buzz and Woody Rarely Met, Until…
You may already know that voice actors in animated films don’t usually record at the same time. They often don’t see each other at all during production!
But for Toy Story 3, Tim Allen and Tom Hanks insisted that they record their lines together. They’d only done it once for a single scene in the original Toy Story. We like the thought of Buzz and Woody laughing together!
Tom’s brother is the guy you actually hear on Toy Story Mania. Photo: Laurie Sapp
Property Brothers
That’s not Tom Hanks you hear once you pull the string. It’s actually Jim Hanks, Tom’s little brother who voices all the merchandise. When talk show host Graham Norton asked Tom about it, he confessed, “No, it’s my brother Jim. There are so many computer games and video things and Jim just works on those all year long.”
That includes one of our favorite works… Toy Story Mania! That’s right, it’s Jim telling you to keep shootin’.
Jack Skellington and Sally at the Magic Kingdom during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Photo: Walt Disney World
Thanks, Jack
Toy Story was greenlit for production in no small part due to the success of “A Nightmare Before Christmas”. Toy Story Director, John Lasseter, credits the Tim Burton film for breaking the mold: Before Halloween Town came to light, no other animated film had been produced for Disney outside of their own studios. You’ve got a friend in us, Jack!
Bo Peep Concept Art by Carrie Hobson and Daniela Strijleva. Photo: Disney/Pixar.
You Might Have Missed These Tidbits
There is a lot of magic that makes the Toy Story series special. Here are just a few of our favorite quirks:
- Characters never blink both eyes at once: Each eye blinks one frame apart
- In Toy Story 3, Ken changes clothes a total of 21 times
- Animators studied the moves of Star Wars’ Rey to animate Bo Peep in Toy Story 4
Buzz Lightyear doesn’t look too worse for wear at Toy Story Land. Photo: Cliff Wang
They’re A Little Beat Up These Days
For Toy Story 4, animators added something new to each toy: Wear and tear. Small scratches were added to hard plastic and cloth was frayed to show that they have been bumped around during playtime over the years. How’s that for attention to detail?
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