The 1920s
Walt Disney Animation Studios gets started with short cartoons. The popular short, Steamboat Willie, is released (1928).The 1930s
First full-length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is released by Walt Disney Animation Studios.The 1940s
Hybrid features become popular, like the early "Alice" films released prior by Disney.Features of the Decade:
Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), Bambi (1942), Saludos Amigos (1943), The Three Caballeros (1945), Fun and Fancy Free (1947), Melody Time (1948), The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949).
The 1950s
Now-classic features are created. Deal with ABC made in 1954. Disneyland opens in 1955. Features of the Decade:
Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959).
The 1960s
Feature quality begins to go downhill after the death of Walt Disney in 1966.Features of the Decade:
101 Dalmations (1961), The Sword and the Stone (1963), The Jungle Book (1967).
The 1970s
Features are still at a low point.Features of the Decade:
The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), The Rescuers (1977).
The 1980s
Feature quality begins to slowly increase again, creating popular, world reknown characters. Disney acquires their own network in 1980.Features of the Decade:
The Fox and the Hound (1981), The Black Cauldron (1985), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989).
The 1990s
Many features are produced, all becoming very popular today. The first full-length CGI film, Toy Story, is released by Pixar Animation Studios. Disney acquires ABC network in 1995.Features of the Decade:
The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), Toy Story (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998), A Bug's Life (1998), Tarzan (1999), Toy Story 2 (1999).
The New Millenium
Modern Disney feature quality declines again, while Pixar prospers.Features of the Decade:
Dinosaur (2000), The Emperor's New Groove (2001), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), Monsters Inc. (2001), Lilo and Stitch (2002), Treasure Planet (2002), Brother Bear (2003), Finding Nemo (2003), Home on the Range (2004), The Incredibles (2004), Chicken Little (2005), Cars (2006), Meet the Robinsons (2007), Ratatouille (2007), BOLT (2008), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Princess and the Frog (2009).
Now
No official Disney features have been released. Toy Story 3 is scheduled to open on June 18, 2010. Tangled is scheduled for Novemeber 2010.