The Walt Disney Company has owned and operated several animation studios since the company's founding on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio; the current Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California is the company's flagship feature animation studio and claims heritage from this original studio. Adding to the growth of the company and its motion picture studio division the Walt Disney Studios, several other animation studios were added through acquisitions and through openings of satellite studios outside the United States. These expanded the company's animation output into television, direct-to-video, and digital releases, in addition to its primary feature animation releases.

Currently Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Lucasfilm Animation (through Lucasfilm) and 20th Century Studios's animation division are parts of the Walt Disney Studios unit. This article does not include other animation studios whose films were released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (the company's distribution unit) and not acquired by the company, nor does it count the Laugh-O-Gram Studio (1921–23), Disney's first animation studio, which predated the founding of the Walt Disney Company. For example, certain Studio Ghibli films were distributed by Disney internationally but never owned by the company. Also, Miramax, an independently operating unit of the Walt Disney Studios, also purchased US rights to foreign animated movies.

Full list Current animation studios Studio Established Parent unit Animation: Theatrical feature films and short films in hand-drawn and CGI Former names: Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio (1923),Original name for the Walt Disney Company, founded in Burbank, Hollywood, by Walt Disney and Roy Disney. Walt Disney Studios (1926),2nd name for the Walt Disney Company Walt Disney Productions (1929–1985),3rd & original incorporation name for Walt Disney Studios partnership Walt Disney Feature Animation (1986–2006)name for the main feature theatrical animation division Former Units: The Secret Lab (1999–2001), Disney Circle 7 Animation (2004–2006)subdivision of the main feature animation studio, founded to produce sequels to individual Pixar films owned by Disney before acquiring Pixar outright in 2006. No films were ever released by this division. Disneytoon Studios (2003–2006; 2008–2018) Former satellite studios: Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida (1989–2004) Disney Animation Australia (1988–2006) Disney Animation Canada (1996–2000) Disney Animation France/Paris (1989–2003) Disney Animation Japan/Walt Disney Television International Japan (1989–2004) Disney Animation U.K. (1986–1991) Animation: Television seriesOriginally a part of the Disney animation group, Disney TV Animation was transferred into Disney Television and later to the Disney Channels Former names: Walt Disney Pictures Television Animation Group (1984), Walt Disney Television Animation (1987–2011) Former satellite studios: Disney Animation Australia/DisneyToon Studios Australia (1988–2006) Disney Animation Canada (1996–2000) Disney Animation France/Disney Animation Paris (1989–2003) Disney Animation Japan/Walt Disney Television International Japan (1989–2004) Disney Animation U.K. (1986–1991) Disney MovieToons (1990–2003; theatrical name)/Disney Video Premieres (1994–2003; direct to video) Jetix Animation Concepts (2004–2009) Animation: Computer generated animated theatrical feature films and short filmsAcquired in 2006. Former satellite studios: Pixar Canada (2010–2013) Animation: animated theatrical feature filmsAcquired in 2019 in the 21st Century Fox acquisition. Former names: Fox Family Films, Fox Animation Studios, 20th Century Fox AnimationFormer units: Fox Animation Studios (1994–2000), Blue Sky Studios (1987–2021) Animation: animated TV seriesAcquired in 2019 in the 21st Century Fox acquisition.

Divested or defunct animation studios Studio Established status sold in 2000Animation: Television series and Feature films Founded in 1971 and was acquired with the purchase of Capital Cities/ABC in 1996. Founder with investment firms backing purchased the company in 2000. closed in 2009Founded in France by Haim Saban and Jacqueline Tordjman in 1977 as Saban International Paris. Acquired alongside parent company Saban Entertainment in 2001 as part of the Fox Family Worldwide buyout. Eventually Split from parent company, leaving Fox Family Worldwide holding 49%, to become an independent studio in the same year with Disney purchasing Fox Family Worldwide and renamed to its current name in 2002. Closed in 2009. Former names: Saban International Paris DormantFormed in 1984 as Saban Entertainment by music and TV producers Haim Saban and Shuki Levy. Acquired as part of Fox Family Worldwide on October 24, 2001, and renamed to BVS Entertainment alongside other subsidiaries. One portion that worked on the English dub of Digimon was renamed to Sensation Animation and was closed when Disney lost the rights to dub the series. Currently dormant after Disney sold off the Power Rangers franchise and related shows back to Haim Saban and his company Saban Capital Group in 2010. Units: Saban International Paris (sold off in 2001), BVS International N.V. BVS International Services, Inc. closed in 2021Animation: animated CGI theatrical feature filmsAcquired in 2019 in the 21st Century Fox acquisition. Closed in 2021 with its Intellectual Property absorbed into 20th Century Animation. closed in 2000Founded by Jim Jinkins and David Campbell and acquired by Disney in 1996. closed in 1996Live production unit of ABC that dabbled in TV and feature film animation. discontinued animationFounded in 1997 by stay-at-home mom and former teacher Julie Aigner-Clark, Acquired by Disney in 2000. Discontinued making videos in 2009. Now owned by Kids II, Inc. merged in 1999VFX & animated unit acquired in 1996 and merged into Secret Labs in 1999. closed in 2006Also known as: Circle 7 Animation a short-lived division of Walt Disney Feature Animation specializing in CGI animation and was originally going to work on making sequels to the Disney-owned Pixar properties. closed in 2011Joint venture between Disney and ImageMovers, venture cancelled after two films.

Divested or defunct animation units Studio Established status Closed in 1991Established in 1986; worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit and a few other Disney projects. Closed in 2006Also known as: DisneyToon Studios Australia Established in 1988; worked on several Walt Disney Television Animation and DisneyToon Studios projects. Closed in 2004Also known as: Walt Disney Television International Japan Established in 1988; worked on several Walt Disney Television Animation and DisneyToon Studios projects. closed in 2004Domestic division created to be an active attraction at Disney-MGM Studios and for additional output. closed in 2018Animation: theatrical, direct to video, short and television films and Wrap-around animationBegan as a sequel theatrical unit of Disney Television Animation and adding direct to video features before being transferred to Features Animation in 2003 and Disney Studios from 2006 to 2008 Former names: Disney MovieToons (1990–2003; theatrical name), Disney video premieres (1994–2003; direct to video) Former satellite studios: Disney Animation Australia/DisneyToon Studios Australia (1988–2006) Disney Animation Canada (1996–2000) Disney Animation France (1989–2007) Disney Animation Japan/Walt Disney Television International Japan (1989–2004) Disney Animation U.K. (1986–1991) Closed in 2000Established in 1996, mostly working on several Disney Video Premiere projects. Closed in 2003Former name: Brizzi Films, Disney Animation Paris Acquired in 1989 for use on certain Walt Disney Television Animation and Disney MovieToons projects, then shifted to Walt Disney Feature Animation projects in 1995. closed in 2001Formed from the merger of Dream Quest Images and Disney Feature Animation's Computer Graphics division. Closed in 2013This was a wholly owned subsidiary of Pixar Animation Studios. It was located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The studio was tasked to produce short films based on Pixar's feature film characters.

Walt Disney Studios

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida

Disneytoon Studios

Disneytoon Studios, formerly Disney Movietoons, was an American animation studio owned by the Walt Disney Company, responsible for producing direct-to-video and occasional theatrical films for Disney Animation Studios, a part of the Walt Disney Studios.

Disney Circle 7 Animation

Circle 7 Animation, or Disney Circle 7 Animation, was a short-lived division of Walt Disney Feature Animation specializing in CGI animation and was originally going to work on making sequels to the Disney-owned Pixar properties, leading rivals and animators to derisively nickname the division "Pixaren't". The company released no movies during its tenure.

Steve Jobs, Pixar CEO, announced in January 2004 that Pixar would not renew their agreement with Disney and would seek out other distributors for releases starting in 2006. In 2004, Disney Circle 7 Animation was formed as a CG animation studio to create sequels to the Disney-owned Pixar properties. In late January 2006, new Disney CEO Bob Iger and Jobs agreed to have Disney purchase Pixar which led to Disney closing Circle 7.

The Secret Lab

The Secret Lab was an American special effects company that operated from 1979 to 2002, and was the result of a merger between Dream Quest Images and Walt Disney Feature Animation's Computer Graphics division.

Dream Quest was founded in a Santa Monica, California garage in 1979 by Hoyt Yeatman, Scott Squires, Rocco Gioffre, Fred Iguchi, Tom Hollister and Bob Hollister. Initially, they did piecemeal work on Escape from New York, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and One From the Heart before moving to Culver City. DQ Films, the company's television commercial production division, remained in Santa Monica. In 1987, DQI model-making operations moved into a Simi Valley industrial park with most of the company following them later on. Their work on The Abyss and Total Recall each earned the company an Academy Award

The Walt Disney Company purchased the company in April 1996 and subsequently moved it to Burbank, California. DQI was purchased to replace Buena Vista Visual Effects. Soon after 1997, Andrew Millstein was appointed general manager of the company.

In October 1999, Dream Quest Images merged with Walt Disney Feature Animation's computer graphics division to form The Secret Lab, with Millstein continuing as general manager and vice president. The DQI and WDFA units were moved into a new location at Disney's Northside facility on Thornton Avenue just east of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport, Lockheed Corp.'s former Skunk Works Building 90 until it was renovated for WDFA's headquarters in 1995. DQI's physical production facilities remained in Simi Valley.

The Secret Lab produced one CG animated motion picture, Dinosaur, in 2000. After Dinosaur, the Lab and WDFA began working on Wildlife, which was canceled that September.

The Lab being passed over for Disney work (and general industry decline) led to the unit being closed in 2002. The Secret Lab's last work with Disney was for the Touchstone Pictures/Spyglass Entertainment film Reign of Fire and the Castle Rock Entertainment/Warner Bros. comedy Kangaroo Jack. An artist at The Secret Lab purportedly confided to Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News that the studio was shut down by Disney when it proved to be too expensive.

VFXography Con Air The Rock Armageddon Mighty Joe Young Inspector Gadget Bicentennial Man Gone in 60 Seconds Mission to Mars 102 Dalmatians Shanghai Noon Tennessee Dinosaur Disney's The Kid Unbreakable Bubble Boy The Princess Diaries Golden Dreams Snow Dogs Big Trouble Reign of Fire Kangaroo Jack

Pixar