Walt Disney Pictures

Background
Walt Disney Pictures (branded and credited as simply Disney since 2011) is The Walt Disney Company's flagship producer of live-action feature films, based at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Animated films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, and the former DisneyToon Studios are also released under this banner. Originally formed as the live-action film division of Walt Disney Productions (now the Walt Disney Company) in 1983, today it is one of Hollywood's "Big Five" studios, alongside Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Pictures. Its films are distributed through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution until 2007).

1st Logo (October 7, 1983-December 25, 1998)
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Logo: Just text reading "WALT DISNEY PICTURES", but applied differently depending on the movie.

Variants:
 * Typically, the text (in, , or white) is against a black background.
 * Return to Oz features the "WALT DiSNEY" script logo in (and is the first to do so), on a space-like background.
 * Never Cry Wolf and pre-theatrical versions of Splash have the text in a rectangular box with a white outline around it.
 * On Squanto: A Warrior's Tale, the word "presents" fades in below the logo.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the film. On A Far Off Place and The Three Musketeers, and at the end of Mighty Joe Young, it's silent.

Availability: Seen on some Disney movies from the era.
 * Used on live-action films, often to denote more serious, older-skewing fare, and was sometimes preceded or plastered by the 1985 logo. However, it returned on trailers in 1990.
 * Also seen on The Rocketeer, A Far Off Place, The Three Musketeers, Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (only at the beginning; the next logo appears at the end), Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, and Mighty Joe Young (the next logo appears on trailers and TV spots for said film).
 * Also seen on trailers for White Fang, Shipwrecked, Newsies, Hocus Pocus, Cool Runnings, Iron Will, Angels in the Outfield, Jungle 2 Jungle, Rocketman, and George of the Jungle (all of which use the next logo instead).

2nd Logo (June 21, 1985-December 12, 2006)
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Logo: On a background, a shower of light descends from the top of the screen, forming a stylized, segmented Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty castle. The segments seem to be spaced farther apart by the time the light reaches the bottom. Through the main gate of the castle, a white ball of light forms, then extends out to form the words "Waltograph" in the familiar corporate font. The word "Courier New" (in Lubalin Graph Book) fades in underneath. A ray of light then draws a circular line over the castle. Three main variants of this exist:


 * June 21, 1985-November 17, 1989: The castle has a lavender/white gradient, and the background is . However, some prints of The Black Cauldron show the castle in pure white.
 * Some versions of this variant show the castle with a light blue/white gradient. In this variant, the semi-circular line is drawn all the way to the bottom left. Also, there is a pause after the initial glow before the shower of light descends, and the flash from the castle gate starts immediately after the castle has been formed.
 * August 3, 1990-April 14, 2006: The castle is now sky blue, and the background is in a deep shade of . Also, the semi-circular line ends just above the "W" in "WALT DiSNEY".
 * February 15, 2002-December 12, 2006: Same as the 1990 variant, but a seventh flag is added to the castle. This variant appeared exclusively on films produced by DisneyToon Studios.

Trivia:
 * The castle seen in this logo was actually first used by Disneyland in 1985 to promote the theme park's 30th anniversary.
 * Although Disney switched its newer animated movies from traditional cel animation to digital ink-and-paint via CAPS (Computer Animation Production System) in 1990, the cel-animated version of this logo continued to be used until at least mid-2005, even though two digitally animated versions debuted in 1994 and 2002, respectively.

Variants:
 * The size of the logo may vary.
 * The traditional ink-and-paint version of this logo was used from 1985 to 2005, whereas the digital ink-and-paint version was used from 1994 to 2006.
 * There is a variation used from 1994 to 2006, in which the light forming the castle and the curved line's reflection are a little transparent, the flash forming the words "WALT DiSNEY" is a little brighter, and the word "PICTURES" fades in more quickly.
 * There is another variation which has a lower frame rate for most of the animation except the line drawing over the castle, which has smoother animation. A more refined version of this variant debuted in 1991.
 * When classic Disney shorts were re-released in the 1990s, the text "A FULLY RESTORED ORIGINAL/ANIMATED CLASSIC", in the font used for "PICTURES", is shown before the logo. On The Old Mill, the text reads "A FULLY RESTORED ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING ANIMATED CLASSIC", with a drawing of an Oscar statue to the left and copyright for the AMPAS on the bottom.
 * There is a variant in which the flash that forms the "Walt Disney" text is a little slower and is shaped like an oval. The arc above the castle is slightly larger than normal as well. This can be found on 101 Dalmatians (1996), the widescreen version of Lady and the Tramp (1998 WDMC release), Endurance, and the 2004 release of Mary Poppins, plastering the Buena Vista logo.
 * A short version also appeared on very early Touchstone Home Video releases.
 * The original 1988 print of Oliver & Company uses the 1985 variant of the logo, while the 1996 video release uses the 1990 variant.
 * There's an even shorter version that starts after the "WALT DiSNEY" text is formed. This can be seen on mid-2000s releases of some classic films, plastering the RKO and Buena Vista logos. This strangely (and silently) appears on post-2006 prints of Lady and the Tramp and the 2007 print of The Jungle Book before the Buena Vista logo.
 * There is a variant in which the "WALT DiSNEY" text has a drop shadow. It is unclear whether this is a result of film deterioration or distortion, or if this was indeed an actual variant.
 * A variation of the logo as a still image can be found at the end of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and on 1990s re-releases of some 1940s-1950s Disney cartoons, plastering the 1953 Buena Vista logo.
 * On a few 2003-2006 animated films and The Shaggy Dog (as a variant), "PICTURES" appears with "WALT DiSNEY" instead of fading in after.
 * On the Disney+ print of the 1940 adaptation of Swiss Family Robinson, the 1990 version of this logo is in black and white.
 * On the 1996 UK VHS release of Pocahontas, the entire logo is still while the line above the castle glows.

Closing Variant: Either the full animation plays, or the logo fades in when the "WALT DiSNEY" text is formed.

Technique: 2D animation, done by the animation division of Walt Disney Productions, now Walt Disney Animation Studios. It is unknown whether the digital variants were produced on Sun 3, Silicon Graphics IRIS 31XX, or DEC MicroVAX II computers (all three of which were preferred terminals for CAPS according to this patent).

Music/Sounds: A rendition of "When You Wish Upon a Star", originally from Pinocchio. It opens with a synthesized chorus and a quiet brass rendition of the song's first bar, with sparkles evoking pixie dust, followed by an uprising flute and a reversed cymbal crash, then a full orchestral finish of the song's first bar, ending with a synthesizer. This was arranged by John Debney.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * The original version of the fanfare was used from 1985 to 1990, and was enhanced or re-recorded in 1990.
 * There exist some re-orchestrated variants of the fanfare:
 * A slightly re-orchestrated variant on the 1998 VHS release of The Black Cauldron.
 * Another version exists with the choir mixed in for the short variant. Some late 1980s theatrical trailers have a voice-over saying "From the name that means magic in entertainment".
 * The theme is re-orchestrated in a dramatically different key on 1994's White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf. This version was also arranged by John Debney.
 * Some films use a more dramatic re-orchestration.
 * The short Runaway Brain has it sounding more like the 1987 Walt Disney Television theme and the White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf variant.
 * Sometimes the logo is silent or has the opening theme of the film.
 * At the end of the film, this logo is usually silent or has the film's ending theme playing over it.
 * On some 1980s trailers, an entirely different fanfare is heard.
 * Some films have the music off-sync with the logo's animation.
 * On some films, the film's opening score incorporates the first few bars of "When You Wish Upon a Star" when the logo appears.
 * On re-releases of Disney animated shorts in the 1990s, the logo is silent until the end, when the 1950s Buena Vista music is heard.
 * On one print of Old Yeller, the film's custom Buena Vista fanfare is heard over the end of the logo due to a plastering error.
 * On the 2003 DVD of The Rescuers, a thunderclap is heard at the end of the logo. This is because the film originally had the Buena Vista logo at the start, but on the 1999 VHS of said film, the logo is silent.
 * On the 2002 Brazilian VHS of Sleeping Beauty, the first part of the logo is silent. The second half of the logo, along with the film's variation of the Buena Vista logo, had the logo's music play. This is mostly due to an editing error.
 * On the 1996 UK VHS release of Pocahontas, the normal audio is replaced by John Sachs saying, "Keep watching after the Pocahontas feature for an exclusive preview of Disney's 34th animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame."
 * On 102 Dalmatians, the logo's music was played during a scene where the dalmatians and Waddlesworth (voiced by Eric Idle) began watching Lady and the Tramp on VHS, in which it's the 1998 print of the film, as Kevin (played by Ioan Gruffudd) and Clohe (played by Alice Evans) head to Tony's Restaurant for dinner.

Availability: Common.
 * This was seen on most films from the studio released between 1985 and 2006, and was used in tandem with the next logo until December 12, 2006. For a while it became harder to find due to extensive plastering, but it isn't too hard to spot nowadays.
 * The shortened 1985 version debuted on Return to Oz (released on June 21, 1985); the full version debuted on The Black Cauldron (released on July 24, 1985), and made its last appearance on original prints of The Little Mermaid (released on November 17, 1989).
 * The 1990 version debuted on DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (released on August 3, 1990), and made its final appearance (albeit as a variant) on The Shaggy Dog (released on March 10, 2006); it made its final closing appearance on The Wild (released on April 14, 2006).
 * The 2002 version debuted (albeit as a variant at the beginning and normally at the end) on Return to Never Land (released on February 15, 2002), and made its final appearance at the end of The Fox and the Hound 2 (released on December 12, 2006).
 * Starting in the late 1980s, it was also used on newer prints of classic films, among others.
 * It was seen on trailers for Toy Story as well, but the film itself uses the 4th logo (plastered by the 6th logo on current prints). The sole Pixar feature to actually use this was the 2000 DTV film Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins.
 * The current Blu-ray/DVD release of The Great Mouse Detective uses the 1994 variant of this logo.
 * It also appeared on pre-2002 prints of The Lion King, as the 2002 IMAX version uses the 5th logo (the original 1995 VHS preserves this logo, however).
 * While most recent prints of classic films use the 6th logo, it is strangely seen on the 2008 release of The Aristocats, the Diamond Edition DVD of Lady and the Tramp, and the Bambi: The Story Behind the Story feature on the DE DVD of Bambi (with the RKO Pictures custom theme playing underneath). However, some airings (such as on HBO Asia) of certain pre-2006 movies still use this logo.
 * It's also preserved on VHS releases, earlier DVD releases, TV airings, DVD/Blu-ray/digital releases, and theatrical reissues of Hocus Pocus.
 * The 1985 version of the logo also appears on some foreign Blu-ray releases and a SYFY UK 2020 airing of Flight of the Navigator (1986), including a German release from Splendid Entertainment and the 2012 and 2019 releases from Second Sight Films, which presumably use US prints as Disney does not hold video rights overseas.
 * The restored version of this logo was seen on the 2014 reissue of the Netflix print of Hercules, while the other prints use the 6th logo, and on the page on the Herbie: Fully Loaded opening credits on the website of yU+co, the designer of the 2006 logo.
 * When the Disney+ streaming service launched, the 1990 version of this logo made a surprise appearance (in black and white) preceding the RKO logo on current prints of the 1940 adaptation of Swiss Family Robinson, which Walt Disney acquired around the time he produced his own, more well-known adaptation in 1960.
 * The lower-framerate variant was featured on the 1991 theatrical re-release and Walt Disney Classics VHS of 101 Dalmatians, as well as several other WDC tapes. It was also seen at the end of the 1991 Australian VHS of Fantasia.
 * Also appeared on the 2017 UK theatrical re-release of The Muppet Christmas Carol, due to it being re-released by Park Circus and not Disney themselves.
 * This was used in tandem with the 6th logo until December 12, 2006. However, this logo was revived in 2021 as part of a merchandising line for ShopDisney, based on its original incarnation.
 * Many recent prints of the company's core titles (both TV and home media) have plastered this with the 2006 logo, but it is still intact on older home media and newer prints of its lesser-known films. However, thanks to the launch of Disney+, this logo became a bit easier to find, as many films on the service preserve their original logos, even those using variants.

Legacy: Easily one of the most beloved logos out there, due to its longevity and presence at the front of a myriad of classic films.

3rd Logo (April 15, 1988)
Logo: On a black/navy blue gradient background, the regular "Waltograph" script, in a textured baby blue hue, writes itself onscreen (just like the 1986 Walt Disney Home Video logo). The word "PICTURES" fades in below the script in a Times font, with each of the letters spaced out. A dot of light appears below the script and extends to form a line between the script and text.

Technique: Typical animation for the time period.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultra rare. Only appeared at the end of Return to Snowy River, which was originally titled The Man from Snowy River II (the previous logo appears at the beginning). Also seen on a TV spot for said film.

4th Logo (Pixar custom variant) (November 19, 1995-June 29, 2007)
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Logo: On a background, the camera flies out through the gate of a CGI castle (in  and light blue), with flags waving on the top. When the logo zooms out, the logo proceeds as normal, but the "Waltograph" text is more three-dimensional, and the ball of light drawing the line over the castle drops what seems to be pixie dust, which is much slower than the 2nd logo.

Variants:
 * On original prints of Toy Story, the logo zooms out to reveal Andy's room once the ball of light finishes drawing the line over the castle.
 * Sometimes, the logo is shortened to when the arc is formed over the castle.
 * On the Malaysian VCD of The Incredibles, the logo is slightly stretched horizontally, along with the Pixar logo and the opening interviews, except for the last one with Elastigirl.

Closing Variant: The full animation as transcribed above, albeit onscreen for a few more seconds.

Technique: CGI by Pixar themselves, who also animated their own logo. As with other things Pixar at the time, this was animated on a Silicon Graphics Indigo2 Extreme and rendered on a farm made of Sun SPARCstation 20 units.

Music/Sounds: A bombastic/majestic fanfare composed by Randy Newman, based on "Andy's Birthday" from the Toy Story soundtrack. On A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and Finding Nemo, the theme trails into the Pixar logo.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * On the Toy Story variant, a more bombastic version of the fanfare is used, and once the line finishes being drawn over the castle by the ball of light, only the rest of the notes to the third to last note of the fanfare play, with the last two notes played on a trumpet, seguing into the opening theme.
 * It was even included on both the original soundtrack of the film (on the track "Andy's Birthday") and on The Legacy Collection complete score album (as the track "Opening").
 * Later, post-2009 prints kept the two trumpet notes from the logo's score that segues into the opening scene, following the Pixar logo.
 * An early workprint version of A Bug's Life uses the music from the 2nd logo, but the final film has the normal fanfare.
 * On Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles, and Ratatouille, the opening theme of the movie is used instead.
 * On original prints of Cars, the fanfare is re-orchestrated to put a little more of the logo in at the same duration of the logo's closing re-appearance.
 * At the end of the movie, we hear flapping flags and the sound of pixie dust as the ball of light draws the line over the castle. Sometimes, the ending theme of the film is used instead.

Availability: This was common during its usage, but it's uncommon nowadays, due to mostly being plastered with the 6th logo.
 * It was first seen on Toy Story and made its final appearance on Ratatouille (although TV spots and 3D prints have the 6th logo).
 * After this logo retired, this began to be plastered by the 6th logo for 3D theatrical re-releases of earlier Pixar films from 2009-13, a trait which all current home media prints and most TV airings carry forward. The first two Toy Story films (in 2009 with its 3D re-release), Monsters, Inc. (in 2012), Finding Nemo (also 2012), and Cars (in 2013) all got the plaster treatment - though the logo is still intact on current prints of A Bug's Life, The Incredibles, and the aforementioned Ratatouille (except for 3D prints), as well as prior prints of the affected films.
 * The logo was last used in the teaser trailer for WALL-E (released the same day as Ratatouille as it was attached to it theatrically), as the film itself uses the 6th logo (the first Pixar film to do so).
 * It also appears on various shorts based on Pixar films. Others from this era do not have this logo.
 * This logo also made a surprise appearance on an Amazon Instant Video print of Monsters, Inc., likely because it was using the 2009 master.
 * This was also found in the Walt Disney Pictures website until late 2012, starting with the drawing of the arc, then the waving of the flags loop.
 * The DTV feature Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins is the only contemporary feature-length Pixar production to not use this logo, instead using the 2nd logo.

Legacy: A CGI update of the 2nd logo, which is fondly remembered by fans of older Pixar films.

5th Logo (May 19, 2000-April 14, 2006)
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Logo: On a black background, we see the company name (in the same design as the 2nd and 4th logos) wiping in from left to right. Then we see an light/flare shining on the logo, illuminating it with a trail effect that rises from the top of the letters "E" and "Y" in "DiSNEY", making its way around to reveal the castle from the 2nd logo in metallic. The entire logo wipes away as soon as the light trail effect illuminates away.

Variant:
 * On trailers, the logo appears to be in a bronze-like color and is leaving behind the arc.

Closing Variants:
 * The logo is still and has the castle in a gradient scheme, albeit different from the trailer version.
 * Sometimes, the full animation is used.

Technique: CGI effects which are rather unique for their time.

Music/Sounds: None or the opening/closing theme of the movie.

Music/Sounds Variant: On The Pacifier, a marching band plays a suspenseful rendition of "When You Wish Upon a Star".

Availability: Fairly common.
 * Seen on most live-action Disney films from the era, such as 102 Dalmatians, Sky High, National Treasure, Holes, Glory Road, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Disney's The Kid, The Rookie, The Pacifier, Tuck Everlasting, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. (only at the end, there are no logos at the beginning)
 * Also seen on some animated films from Disney, such as Dinosaur (which was the first film to use this logo), Brother Bear (the next logo is used at the end on current prints though), and the 2002 IMAX re-release and 2003 2-Disc DVD release of The Lion King (1994).
 * However, most recent prints plaster it with the next logo; as before, however, the logo is intact on VHS and DVD releases of these films. This logo made its final appearance on the animated film The Wild (only at the beginning, the ending of the film uses the 2nd logo).
 * It was also seen on trailers of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, but the film itself uses the next logo.

6th Logo (June 24, 2006-)
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Logo: We see a view of a night sky, with a star somewhere on the screen and the clouds on the bottom. We then start flying down through the clouds with the camera. We then pan with the camera down to a very clear view of a river (including a sailboat), with a train running down a railroad track and some buildings nearby. We then fly with the camera past a flag with the Disney coat of arms and pan down as we see some fireworks going off, only to find the castle completely redone in CGI. The fireworks are almost finished when we almost reach a comfortable position in front of the castle. When the fireworks finish, a very small dot appears way closer to the castle and then moves to the right side. It then draws a line over the castle, leaving behind pixie dust. "WALT DiSNEY", in its distinctive (albeit somewhat altered) script font, alongside "Times New Roman" (or in later years, just "DiSNEY") fades in front of the castle.

Trivia:
 * This logo was animated using the Pixar Renderman and Nuke software, and took nearly a year to fully complete. It was commissioned by then-Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook and then-studio marketing president Oren Aviv. The main staff responsible for the rendering were Cyrese Parrish and Cameron Smith. The 3D typography was done by John Stable and John Bias. Producer Baker Bloodworth and director Mike Gabriel were also part of the team responsible for the logo.
 * The logo contains elements from various Disney films: a starry background (either the opening shot of Pinocchio or the Second Star to the Right from Peter Pan), a cloudbank (possibly Mary Poppins), a pirate ship (either Peter Pan or Pirates of the Caribbean) and a train track (Dumbo).
 * The arc that appears over the castle is based on Tinker Bell from Peter Pan flying over the castle and sprinkling fairy dust, a hallmark of the introduction sequences of Walt Disney Presents (1958) and The Wonderful World of Disney (1961).
 * The castle is based on both the Cinderella Castle and the Sleeping Beauty Castle.
 * The coat of arms on the castle flag is of Walt Disney's family crest.

Variants:
 * On 3D releases, the text zooms in more to create a three-dimensional illusion. This variant was also used on eight regular format films (at least one of which doesn't even have a 3D version): Mars Needs Moms, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, both Planes films, Cinderella (2015), Aladdin (2019), Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and the Disney+ film Noelle.
 * For Walt Disney Animation Studios films between 2007 to early 2012, the logo is much brighter and tinted purple.
 * Another variant has the text already formed while the curved line is drawn; this is mostly seen on trailers, as well as at the beginning of the current prints of Monsters, Inc.
 * An open matte version exists in both fullscreen and widescreen formats.
 * A 4:3 variant was seen on the 2008 DVD of 101 Dalmatians in open matte format (current home media prints since the 2010s and the Disney+ print omits it), and the Disney+ print of Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves! in standard format, plastering the Walt Disney Home Video logo. This was also spotted on the iPad app Disney Animated. In that variant, the logo of the application was shown at the start as it pans to a city background. At the end, the logo pans up, as frames of Walt Disney Animation Studios films and shorts flying as pages, transitioning to the app's main menu. Furthermore, this was also shown at the end of the introduction of the first section "Art in Motion", transitioning from a picture of the Roy E. Disney Animation Building at the Walt Disney Studios at night.
 * A full 16:9 open matte version was seen on WētāFX's video of the Enchanted variant and might be seen on HDTV prints thereof.
 * On TV airings of Cars, an ABC print of Toy Story 3, and a Freeform print of Finding Dory, the logo starts with the flag being revealed.
 * Sometimes, the "DiSNEY" version of the logo has the text off-center.
 * On 3D prints of Ratatouille, the logo starts as when we first see the pixie dust. This was to help time the opening logos correctly as the opening score, while the 2D prints use the 4th logo.
 * On Indian films, the logo is brighter, with the sky in a lighter blue color, the clouds in a pinkish color, and the castle in a slight tint of.
 * For later 2021 Chinese releases of Disney films, and to commemorate Shanghai Disneyland's fifth anniversary, the castle was replaced by Shanghai Disneyland's Enchanted Storybook Castle (seen in the logo variant from the 2020 live-action remake of Mulan), the flag's icon was replaced by the park's fifth anniversary logo, and the "Disney" text is golden. While the arc is drawn, the Chinese text for "Year of Magical Surprise" (奇妙连连 惊喜一整年) appears on the top of castle, in orange. There are also some minor changes, like the textures of the grass and the water reflections; also motion blur was not used on the castle when the highest sphere is shown.
 * On ABC airings of Moana, another shortened variant exists that starts when the castle is almost at the final angle.
 * A sped-up portion of this logo, starting at the camera rotating the castle and with the logo moving upwards in static, then transitioning to its movie counterpart before the arc is drawn, was shown on Disney's brand page on the Disney+ website. A frame of the logo with the text shifted upwards to fit the page's style is shown afterwards.
 * For Disney Investor Day 2020, transitioning from the Disney+ Originals panel with the white static text with the silhouette of the castle with fireworks in the background, the castle (except for the sky background) zooms into the right side of the gate as it's turning into a blue gradient background, where the president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Sean Bailey, is standing. It then cuts to the left, as Sean was standing on the gate, then the camera pans to the left side then again a little bit to the right, as Sean was standing on the gate once again, as the castle would zoom in again to show the Disney+ logo then the background would be replaced by photos of films from the Disney+ library. Also, during the FX on Hulu panel, a streak of particles create the castle as fireworks burst against a black background, then it dissolves to form the FX logo.
 * This was also used on the intro of The Wonderful World of Disney from 2006 to 2022, albeit without the text.
 * The 2006 version has the castle shown at the end of the intro, transitioning from the homepage of the new Disney website via Tinker Bell tapping her wand and flying away. At the end, Tinker Bell flies in and taps her wand, then flies away.
 * The 2007 version has the castle shown at the start and end of the intro, with the usual fanfare and firework sounds from the logo played in the background, albeit with the first seven notes played two times, along with archival audio of Walt Disney saying "I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse." At the start, Tinker Bell flies to the castle gate as the camera follows her. At the end, Tinker Bell flies in, taps her wand then flies away.
 * The 2015 and 2020 versions had the castle shown at the end of the intro. The music for both versions is "Heaven's Triumph" by Q-Factory's Robert Etoll.
 * The 2015 version starts from the fireworks bursting in the air. As the castle is reaching its position, The Wonderful World of Disney logo is shown.
 * The 2020 version starts from the camera reaching its position. As it does, The Wonderful World of Disney logo fades in. As the arc is almost drawn, the "Presented by Disney+" tagline (with the animated Disney+ logo) fades in.
 * A frame of the logo (with the fireworks before the arc is drawn) was shown in a door-shaped mirror in the Disney100 teaser site in Japan.

Closing Variants:
 * Just the final seconds of the logo, where the line draws over the castle and the text fades in. This was also used as an opening logo on current prints of Monsters, Inc., replacing the 1995 Pixar-exclusive logo, albeit with the text already shown, just like in the trailer version.
 * On Pixar movies starting with Finding Dory (except Onward), WDAS films from Moana to Encanto (except Ralph Breaks the Internet), and the 2019 remake of The Lion King, the full animation is used as a closing logo, very possibly to make the international dubbing credits sync with the music.
 * This is even more evident by the fact that the international prints of these movies up to Raya and the Last Dragon had the short closing variant right after the dubbing credits, with the syncing of the music intact.
 * For Luca, Encanto, and Turning Red, the full logo was kept on dubs and the credits were moved to after the logos. For Lightyear, the dubbing credits are moved back to before the logo, but after that, we fade into the logo right when the fireworks start.
 * On current prints of Aladdin (1992), Hercules, and Brother Bear (despite the previous logo being used at the beginning of the third title), the tail-end of the logo plays.
 * In some cases, no closing logo appears at all.

Technique: CGI by WētāFX in collaboration with yU+co.

Music/Sounds: A piano/string piece in which more instruments and a choir join in and build into an orchestral and choir rendition of "When You Wish Upon a Star". This version was arranged by Mark Mancina, co-arranged and orchestrated by David Metzger, and overseen by then-Walt Disney Music president Chris Montan. Firecracker sound effects are heard when the fireworks go off. An alternate version of this fanfare is subtly different, having louder and clearer sound effects. This all closes out with a long, bombastic, drum-rolled orchestral and choir note. This theme would eventually be rearranged for the next logo.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * On most movies after the logo's initial years, the film's opening theme is used instead, with no sound effects whatsoever. Some of these have the firework sounds as part of the opening theme, and in very rare eworks) cases, the logo is completely silent. Additionally, different sound effects are sometimes used with the opening theme for some films.
 * Some films have the sound effects (particularly those of the fireworks) being different. A recurring case of the same sound effects (especially the fireworks) being used more than once can be heard in G-Force, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (albeit with the opening theme playing over it) and The Muppets (along with Muppets Most Wanted).
 * The closing variant is either silent, has music from any given soundtrack, or uses the ending theme of the film. When there are sounds, there is the sound of fairy dust over the logo.
 * A high tone variant exists, which is heard on PAL prints of films and main hub section of Disney Movies VR.

Availability: Current and extremely common. This was used in tandem with the 2nd logo until December 12, 2006, and with the 4th logo until June 29, 2007.

General information
 * Seen on all Disney films since Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (trailers for the film use the previous logo).
 * It also appears on all Pixar films starting with WALL-E. It was also seen on some TV spots and 3D prints of Ratatouille, (even though the film itself and 2D prints used the 4th logo as that logo's final appearance).
 * The version with the full company name was last used theatrically on Winnie the Pooh (2011) and on the DTV film Treasure Buddies (2012), but it later made a surprise appearance at the end of The Lone Ranger (2013, theatrical prints only). It was also found in the Walt Disney Pictures website in 2006.
 * Even though the 2011 variant was actually first used for the Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment logo back in 2007, it would later replace the original variant (with the full company name) starting with The Muppets, and all movies following it. The change was also made to fit into mobile phones and other devices, like the iPod.
 * Despite the introduction of the next logo, this logo will remain in use for some films and shorts for the near future. It most recently appeared on Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again.

Individual appearances and plasters
 * It also started to appear on current prints of classic Disney films and shorts, as well as pre-2008 Pixar films (with the exceptions of A Bug's Life, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille (except for 3D prints)) in the late 2000s (however, many others like those aforementioned films still use their old logos). It even plasters the Touchstone Pictures logo on post-2006 prints of The Nightmare Before Christmas (the company is still listed in the closing credits).
 * Also seen on some Indian films produced by the company, with the UTV Motion Pictures logo appearing on select international releases until 2017.
 * It also appears preceding the Studio Ghibli logo on the 2010 DVD releases of their output, and is even surprisingly retained at the end of both UK and Australian DVD releases of Ponyo, even though Optimum Releasing (now StudioCanal) (for the UK) and Madman Entertainment (for Australia) distributed the film there.
 * It also appeared on the demo VHS release of Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, marking the only time the logo appeared officially on VHS.
 * Also appears on a few Disney games since the closure of Disney Interactive Studios in 2016, including Disney Infinity 1.0 (as a variant), but otherwise the print Disney wordmark is used. It also appears on LEGO games published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and based on Disney properties, such as LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, LEGO The Incredibles (as a variant), and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. This logo did not appear on Cars 3: Driven to Win, which uses the Disney Consumer Products logo instead.
 * The logo usually appeared in ABC shows and specials, such as Dancing with the Stars and American Idol during Disney Night, which occurred once each season, with a variant created for these shows, respectively. For example, in Season 24 of Dancing with the Stars, the logo without the Disney text was shown on the video walls in the stage, and the logo precedes the BBC Worldwide Productions logo. Furthermore, the same skybox was used in Mickey's 90th Spectacular (albeit using a variant at the start of the show) during the show's finale.
 * The castle was also shown in the Disney section of the main hub of Disney Movies VR, albeit with the music in PAL toned, with different firework sounds playing in the background, even after the music stops. Different fireworks are also shown in the background.
 * The 4:3 open-matte variant was also spotted on the Korean VHS and many VCD releases of WALL-E. It was also spotted on a Russian TV broadcast of Cars 2.
 * This logo also appears on some 20th Century Animation films produced for Disney+, rather than the 20th Century Studios logo (however, the company is mentioned as the copyright holder).
 * On a side note before the acquisition, this does not appear on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, as 20th Century Fox distributed that film instead, due to budgetary disputes between Disney and Walden Media.
 * The China-specific version of the logo is rare, and was only seen on Mainland China's releases of the 2021 films Luca, Jungle Cruise (as a variant) and Encanto. There were also no picture/video captures nor mentions of this variant online until the following year.
 * During the end of the Disney 100th anniversary promotional video, through a transition of Tinker Bell tapping the Disneyland castle with her wand (from the 1950s intro of The Wonderful World of Disney), various variants (including one without the text in the Tomorrowland variant, and with the arc drawing after the flying machine zooming past) are shown, along with different fireworks bursting as the arc is drawn higher than usual. The star draws the "D" in the Disney logo, then the "1" in "100" to reveal the Disney100 logo. In the 2022 edition of The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration, the transition was cut very short, in which was transitioned to the fairy dust revealing the highest sphere of the castle with fireworks in the standard logo and the arc drawing and fireworks along with the castle at the end of the promo are shown before transitioning into the tail end of the next logo, starting from the Disney script drawing. In the latter, it cuts to a scene from Steamboat Willie.
 * This logo was also seen on the trailer for Strange World, with the film itself using the next logo.
 * Some rumors that either the Jungle Cruise or Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers variants would become the new main logo persisted in the logo's final years, only for the next logo to be unveiled instead.

Legacy: Considered a rightfully iconic logo. However, it has gained some infamy among some for its continual plastering of Disney's previous logos. Outside the logo community, it's regarded by some as a metaphor for the company's sheer size and force over the industry (for better or worse). Nonetheless, it's still a favorite of many.

7th Logo (November 23, 2022-)
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Logo: It starts off with an enhanced version of the night sky from the previous logo, which turns out to be reflected in a river as the largest star jumps out of the river, causing the scene to ripple around it (a la the current Paramount Pictures logo). Instead of panning down, the camera pans up and zooms past an updated version of the river and buildings as the train passes by on a bridge, now with a waterfall, trees and other elements, as we follow the star around the landscape. Once the camera gets to the waterfall, we pan up to reveal a metallic Cinderella Castle from the back before the star flies across it and fills it with color. The camera rotates to the left and then works its way to the front of the castle (similar to the 20th Century Studios logos since 1994) while multiple colored fireworks are seen going off from all directions. The camera then reaches its standard position, revealing a new sunrise/sunset background and a new river, and the arc (now colored in and wider and brighter) draws from the left of the castle rather than from the right, with a star twinkling when it reaches its highest point as the coloring of the castle is finished. As the camera slowly zooms out, the "DiSNEY" script, in chiseled, writes in (which is once again in the 1985 font), then the camera comes to a stop before the logo fades out or cuts to black.

Trivia:
 * According to an official D23 article, the flying star that jumps out of the river is meant to represent Tinker Bell from Peter Pan.
 * The pan up/zoom shot to a castle through a forest/waterfall background is an homage to Beauty and the Beast, which opened with a similar shot. The castle being filled with color homages a scene in film where the enchantment is broken and light and color spreads across the castle. The castle, however, was shown in the reflection in that scene.
 * Like the previous logo, the train seen halfway through the logo is Casey Jr. from Dumbo, reusing the design from the 2019 live-action remake of said film.
 * At the end of the logo, Matterhorn Mountain from Third Man on the Mountain (and the Disneyland attraction Matterhorn Bobsleds) and Pride Rock from The Lion King can be seen on opposite sides of the castle. You can also see the lanterns from Tangled in the river, and the Will O' the Wisps from Brave on the grass.
 * Three Mickey Mouse head-shaped fireworks are shown when the castle appears. Two more of those are also shown as the camera pans across the castle. This references the hidden Mickeys. Overall, there are five Mickey Mouse head-shaped fireworks in total.
 * The castle's color that starts off platinum references the company's 100th anniversary in 2023, as platinum is a recurring color across the company's anniversary branding.
 * The arc, which traditionally appears from right to left, appears from left to right in this logo, possibly in homage to the 2005 Hong Kong Disneyland logo, the 2006 print logo and the animated logo of Disney+. The arc, as well as the star's trail, is also in blue, the main color of Disney+.
 * This was also used in the intro for The Wonderful World of Disney since 2022, albeit without the text forming. This version of the intro was based on the 2020 version of the intro, in which it starts as the castle is reaching its position, albeit being shown before the archival audio of Walt Disney saying "...here we go.". Similar to the previous versions, the castle was shown at the end of the intro. As the castle reaching its position, the Wonderful World of Disney logo along with the "Presented by Disney+" tagline (with the animated Disney+ logo being shown as the arc is being drawn), was fading in. After that, it transitions to the print Disney100 logo. A few months later, the intro was updated as the print Disney100 logo was removed, as the "Presented by Disney+" tagline will remain shown for the rest of the intro. This was most likely due to the addition of films from 20th Century Studios, as in which a scene from the featured movie was shown. Just like the 2015 and 2020 versions of the intro, the music is "Heaven's Triumph", composed by Q-Factory's Robert Etoll.
 * A frame of the finished logo (without the text) is shown in a door-shaped mirror in the Disney100 teaser site in all supported regions and languages besides Japan, albeit with the US English version of the site as one of the rotating images until around the end of December 2022.

Variants:
 * A short variant exists where it starts on the arc drawing and the star twinkling when the arc reaches the highest sphere, albeit with the castle is already colored, as the text is already formed. This can be seen on trailers (without the "100 YEARS OF WONDER" text below the Disney100 logo in films from late 2022 to 2023), and periodically at the end of the credits (with the "100 YEARS OF WONDER" text below the Disney100 logo in films from late 2022 to 2023), starting with the international dubbed versions of Strange World, then later appeared in the international version of teaser trailer of Elemental.
 * At the end of the Disney100 special look video, the logo (without the "100 YEARS OF WONDER" text below the Disney100 logo) fades out besides the arc after that is drawn with the words "YOU MADE THIS DREAM COME TRUE" fading in. Furthermore, the US English version of the updated Disney100 teaser site featured the finished logo (without the "100 YEARS OF WONDER" below the Disney100 logo) is shown.
 * For the logo's debut and its first official year (2023, even though it actually debuted in 2022), after the text is drawn, a "100" is drawn in the same fashion. Then, the text "100 YEARS OF WONDER" (in spaced out letters to fit the width of "DiSNEY100") fades in below.
 * A 30fps version exists in Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl.

Closing Variant: So far, the full animation as transcribed above. The shortened version is used at the end of international releases of Strange World, transitioning from the dubbing credits, which appear after the Walt Disney Animation Studios logo and appear along with the music, just like most animated films released between 2016 to 2022 with the previous logo.

Technique: CGI by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) in collaboration with Disney Studios Content.

Music/Sounds: A longer, more majestic and powerful re-orchestration of the "When You Wish Upon a Star" theme from the previous logo, this time composed by Christophe Beck. We also hear the sounds of a whistling train as the train passes by, as well as the sounds of the waterfall rushing as we get close to it, and the choir vocalizing towards the end (albeit more audible). Also, the firework sounds are different and louder, syncing to the notes.

Availability: Brand new.
 * This logo made its first appearance at the Disney Studios & Animation and Pixar panel at the 2022 D23 Expo, and appears in the trailers of the Disney+ original films Hocus Pocus 2 and Disenchanted (both use the previous logo in the actual films, albeit using variants, as well as trailers on Disney+), and the studio's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid (2023), which were all released on September 9, 2022 at the Expo, as well as the Day 1 livestream of D23 Expo Daily on Disney+, hosted by Jordan Fisher (known for voicing Robaire, one of the members of 4*Town in the 2022 Pixar film Turning Red) and Ashley Eckstein (known for voicing Ahsoka Tano in the Star Wars franchise, most notably the Star Wars: The Clone Wars series).
 * It then appeared on the teaser trailer for Elemental, released on November 17, 2022.
 * It then made its official theatrical debut with Strange World on November 23, 2022, also the first Walt Disney Animation Studios film to use it. The previous logo appears on the trailer.
 * It then appeared at the beginning of the Disney+ concert special Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl on December 28, 2022, also the first Disney+ original to use that logo.
 * This logo is currently being used in tandem with its predecessor, but it still remains unknown if it will replace it as the main logo in the future.

Legacy: Many consider this logo a love letter to Disney's filmography, and an appropriate successor to the previous logo.

Copyright stamps
Here is some information about the copyright stamps on the Disney films:
 * 1983-1986: Copyright © by Walt Disney Productions
 * July 2, 1986-March 8, 1996: Copyright © by The Walt Disney Company
 * April 12, 1996-present: Copyright © by Disney Enterprises Inc
 * November 25, 1998-present: Copyright © by Disney Enterprises Inc/Pixar Animation Studios (on Pixar films)