Walt Disney Classics
5059876
225400894
2008-07-13T14:11:21Z
Gabrielkat
1013224
{{Inappropriate tone|date=December 2007}}
'''Walt Disney Classics''' was a brand name used by [[Walt Disney Home Entertainment|Walt Disney Home Video]] on their American, Japanese, European and Australian home video releases of [[List of Disney animated features|Disney animated features]]. The first title arrived in stores on [[December 6]], [[1984]]. With the [[October 28]], [[1994]]<ref name="NAAD">This date is the official ''Nationally Advertised Availability Date'' (NAAD) that appeared in all pre-release advertising and all Disney literature. An earlier so-called ''Will Call'' date was the actual release date and the first day of sale for stores that did not have to wait for shipping. The Will Call was two days before the NAAD for ''The Little Mermaid'', and it had changed to three days before the NAAD by the time ''Peter Pan'' was released. The three-day difference remained until the last quarter of 1995 when it was changed to a one-day difference.
</ref> release of [[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]], the existing titles in the Classics series became part of the new [[Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection]] and the Classics line was retired in the United States and Canada. Cassette copies of the original Classics series became much sought-after, and are very popular with collectors, since most retailers had the first home video release for Disney animated features in their stores up to the time when the label was discontinued. {{Fact|date=September 2007}}
[[Image:Waltdisneytheclassics1984.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A shot from the 1984 Walt Disney Classics opening sequence. This would be replaced in 1988.]]
== Prehistory ==
Disney has used the word "classics" at various times to describe three types of feature-length films which include animation. The first type, identified most closely with the "Classics" label, consists of animated features which contain one continuous story. A second type are films made up of several shorter self-contained animated stories. This type includes the six package films produced from 1942 to 1949, most of which also include some live-action characters. One other film of this type was ''[[The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh]]'', released theatrically in 1977, which was a compilation of several shorter Winnie the Pooh films that had been released previously. The third type of features sometimes referred to by Disney as "classics" are largely live action, but contain fully animated sequences or characters. ''[[Mary Poppins (film)|Mary Poppins]]'', ''[[Pete's Dragon]]'', and ''[[Bedknobs and Broomsticks]]'' are some examples of this type. Some of the animated package films and live-action films featuring animation were released in the early 1980s, such as ''[[The Three Caballeros]]'' and ''[[Fun and Fancy Free]]'' in 1982, but most of them were not big sellers.
Disney's ''Classics'' category was originally defined during discussions for the [[April 18]], [[1983]], launch of the [[Disney Channel]]. While the people at Disney were looking through their inventory of films to see what was available for the new cable channel, they decided that they could show some favorite films such as ''Alice in Wonderland'' and ''Mary Poppins'', but that 15 other animated movies would never be shown.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
These 15 animated feature movies had never been shown on television at that time and had never been released on video, or anywhere else outside of a theater. These movies became ''the untouchables''.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} These 15 movies were the foundation upon which the Disney company was built. Every time they were re-released to theaters (on a roughly seven-year cycle), they earned money like new releases and it was felt that allowing them on video or on television could end their lives as theatrical releases. The 15 untouchables were the following: ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White]]'', ''[[Robin Hood (1973 film)|Robin Hood]]'', ''[[Fantasia (film)|Fantasia]]'', ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]'', ''[[Bambi]]'', ''[[Lady and the Tramp]]'', ''[[One Hundred and One Dalmatians|101 Dalmatians]]'', ''[[Cinderella (1950 film)|Cinderella]]'', ''[[The Jungle Book (1967 film)|The Jungle Book]]'', ''[[The Fox and the Hound (film)|The Fox and the Hound]]'', ''[[The Rescuers]]'', ''[[Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan]]'', ''[[Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)|Sleeping Beauty]]'', ''[[The Sword in the Stone (film)|The Sword in the Stone]]'', and ''[[The Aristocats]]''. By the time the Masterpiece Collection replaced the ''Classics'' collection in the domestic market, ''Snow White'' and ''The Aristocats'' were the only two of the original 15 Classics remaining unreleased.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
All of the single-story animated features ever made by Disney were included in the list of 15 Classics except for two. The exceptions were ''Alice in Wonderland'' and ''Dumbo'', both of which had been shown on television at the very earliest opportunity. The [[Disney anthology television series|''Disneyland'' TV series]] began with ''The Disneyland Story'', but the very next episode, broadcast on [[November 3]], [[1954]], was ''Alice in Wonderland'', edited to fit into the one-hour TV time slot. The following season kicked off [[September 14]], [[1955]], with a one-hour version of ''Dumbo''. Both of these movies were released on video in the first two years of Walt Disney Home Video, at first for rental only, then for sale as well, but ''the untouchables'' remained locked in the vault.
== Domestic release history ==
By 1984, the [[home video]] market had changed, and shortly before he left office in September of that year, [[Ron W. Miller]], Walt Disney Productions' president and [[chief executive officer|CEO]], presented a long-term plan to begin releasing the Classics on video.
=== 1984: ''Robin Hood'' ===
In mid-1984, Walt Disney Home Video began a big campaign to really develop the collector's market for their video product, with the release of the "[[Walt Disney Cartoon Classics|Cartoon Classics]] Limited Gold Edition" collection of animated shorts at $29.95 each. The packaging for these differed in several ways from previous Disney video releases and they set a precedent for the feature-length Classics to follow. While previous Disney movies were packaged in a white clamshell case, the "Limited Gold Edition" tapes were packaged in black cases. They also featured gold-stamped packaging and cassettes and an extensive advertising campaign warned consumers that "When they're gone, they're gone". The seven 1984 Limited Gold titles sold 610,000 copies and greatly raised awareness of the idea of some video titles being available for a limited time only.
The first of the untouchable ''Classics'' on video was '''''Robin Hood''''', released on [[December 6]], [[1984]]. It was a risk to release any of the Classics on video, because it could end future theatrical re-releases, but ''Robin Hood'' was one of the least risky titles to release as a first experiment, since it wasn't held in such high esteem as some of the other titles. A writer in ''The New York Times'', discussing this "first title of the much-trumpeted new Walt Disney 'Classics' home-video label", described it as "hardly one of the great triumphs of Disney storytelling",<ref>
{{cite news
|first=Glenn
|last=Collins
|title=New cassettes: From Disney to Mussorgsky's 'Boris'
|page=2
|publisher=[[The New York Times]]
|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E1DC1539F934A25751C0A963948260
|date=[[February 17]], [[1985]]
|accessdate=2006-09-04
}}
</ref> though recommending it as a possibility for younger children.
The cassettes, priced at $79.95, sold more to rental stores and hard-core collectors than to general consumers.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The [[Laserdisc]] version at $34.95 was more affordable for consumers.
Richard Fried, marketing director for WDHV, said that ''The Sword in the Stone'' would probably be the next title available.<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Disney will release 'untouchable' 'Robin Hood' for home video
|page=E13
|publisher=[[The Seattle Times]] on [[Factiva]]
|date=[[December 20]], [[1984]]
|accessdate=2006-09-04
}}
</ref>
==== "Wrapped and ready to give" promotion ====
In contrast to subsequent years, in which one of the ''Classics'' titles was always featured as the core of a promotion during pre-Christmas sales period, there was no major push in 1984 for sales of ''Robin Hood'', which at $79.95 was out of reach of all but the most dedicated fans. Disney's music video series, ''[[D-TV|DTV]]'' at $29.95 per cassette, was the core of Disney's Christmas promotion. Remaining inventory of the "Limited Gold Edition" of shorts were also available at the same price.<br style="clear:both;"/>
=== 1985: ''Pinocchio'' and ''Dumbo'' ===
'''''Pinocchio''''' was very successful in the 1984 theatrical release, grossing over $26 million at the domestic box office. Discussions began at the highest levels of Disney on whether to release it next on video. On one side were the conservative long-time Disney executives who argued that they might be gambling away future theatrical revenues by releasing Pinocchio to home video. On the other side, was the new Disney management under [[Michael Eisner]] who argued that the title was making nothing sitting in the vault and immediate video release could capitalize on the recent advertising for the theatrical release. Eisner had come from Paramount, who was experimenting with some daring low price experiments, but he compromised with the conservative faction, who wanted it to be "available" but not "too available" and it was priced at $79.95 on cassette and $34.95 on Laserdisc in ''Classics'' packaging, just as ''Robin Hood'' had been. ''Sword in the Stone'', previously thought to be next on the video list, was shown on the Disney Channel instead.
In May 1985, Disney announced a [[July 16]] release date for ''Pinocchio'' with a $1 million advertising campaign which they claimed was the first national network TV spot campaign for a single video title.
==== "Making Your Dreams Come True" promotion ====
About 125,000 copies of ''Pinocchio'' were sold in July and August at the $79.95 price, but at the beginning of September Disney announced a temporary price drop to $29.95 for ''Pinocchio'' and 20 other titles including '''''Dumbo''''' now also in ''Classics'' packaging and reduced from its $84.95 price. ''Robin Hood'' was also back at the lower price, making a total of three titles in black ''Classics'' packaging.
The announcement of the unexpected price drop caused public relations problems for WDHV, who ended up offering to buy back full-priced new copies from stores and used copies from consumers at the full retail price.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The price reduction was valid from [[December 3]], [[1985]] until [[January 31]], [[1986]]. This promotion made ''Pinocchio'' a bestseller. Disney extended the cut-off date for ''Pinocchio'' to [[February 28]], [[1986]] declaring that it had exceeded their expectations. ''Home Viewer'' magazine in Philadelphia estimated the total shipments of ''Pinocchio'' at 250,000 copies. After it was withdrawn from video production the first time in 1986, the Disney Channel started showing it.<br style="clear:both;"/>
=== 1986: ''The Sword in the Stone'', ''Alice in Wonderland'', and ''Sleeping Beauty'' ===
'''''The Sword in the Stone''''' was released next at $79.95, in March 1986, joining ''Robin Hood'' and ''Dumbo'' on store shelves and becoming the fourth ''Classic'' on video.
==== "Disney's Wonderland Sale" promotion ====
On [[May 28]], [[1986]], Disney brought back several titles from moratorium, headlined by '''''Alice in Wonderland''''' which became the fifth title in ''Classics'' packaging. This promotion, which was planned to run through the summer of 1986, included packaging that was unusual for WDHV product at the time. The titles, which had all previously been released in plastic clamshells, were re-packaged this time in cardboard slipcases instead.
==== ''Sleeping Beauty'' and the "Bring Disney home for good" promotion ====
On [[October 14]], [[1986]], '''''Sleeping Beauty''''' became the sixth ''Classic'' on video. It was the first title to be released in VHS Hi-Fi. Unlike the previous titles, which were released at $79.95 or $84.95 and reduced in price later, ''Sleeping Beauty'' was released for the first time on video at only $29.95.
''Sleeping Beauty'' was also the first Disney Classics video to be digitally processed (or "digitally mastered", as described on post-1988 videos) and in stereo sound, labeled as a "VHS Hi-Fi Stereo Videocassette."
The "Wonderland Sale" was extended until the end of 1986, and ''Sleeping Beauty'' became the centerpiece of a new $6 million promotional campaign entitled "Bring Disney home for good", the biggest campaign ever in the home video business. The promotion featured all six animated ''Classics'' released to that point (including ''Sword in the Stone'', reduced in price for the first time, and ''Pinocchio'', back from a short 8½ month moratorium) and five favorite live action features at $29.95, all in white clamshells with slide-in artwork. All six animated ''Classics'' collection titles were also available in a limited edition box set for $179.70. This promotion included assorted Christmas-themed titles at $19.95 and $14.95, and Disney sold almost 5 million tapes that Christmas season, more than any other studio.
After the sale price ended on [[February 28]], [[1987]] (extended from the originally announced [[January 31]]), 1.2 million copies of ''Sleeping Beauty'' had been sold and it became the best-selling videocassette of 1986, although it couldn't knock Paramount out of the top three spots on the all-time top-sellers list.
At the end of January, ''Pinocchio'' and ''Robin Hood'' were withdrawn from production and the prices of the three remaining animated ''Classics'', besides ''Sleeping Beauty'', as well as the live action titles from the "Wonderland Sale" changed to $84.95 at the end of the sale. In practice, many stores still had stock left from the $29.95 price, so very few would have been sold at the higher price.<br style="clear:both;"/>
=== 1987: ''Lady and the Tramp'' and "Disney...Absolutely Irresistible" promotion ===
The seventh ''Classics'' video, '''''Lady and the Tramp''''' was also released at $29.95 to follow the success of ''Sleeping Beauty''. Disney spokespeople confidently predicted that they expected to sell double the 1.2 million copies that ''Sleeping Beauty'' achieved. ''Lady and the Tramp'' had 2 million pre-orders, and eventually sold 3.2 million copies, making it the best-selling videocassette of all time, edging out [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]'s ''[[Top Gun (film)|Top Gun]]'' and [[20th Century Fox]]'s ''[[Die Hard]]''. Disney's total Christmas [[sell-through]] promotion shattered industry records with 5.5 million units ordered by prebook time and a total of 7.5 million units sold. ''Lady and the Tramp'' was also the last Classics release to be released with the original 1984 logo.
''Lady and the Tramp'' and ''Sleeping Beauty'' were withdrawn on [[March 31]], [[1988]] leaving ''Dumbo'', ''Alice in Wonderland'', and ''The Sword in the Stone'' remaining as the active ''Classics'' collection titles.<br style="clear:both;"/>
=== 1988: ''Cinderella'' ===
The next limited release was '''''Cinderella''''' on [[October 4]], [[1988]], released on video after a $35 million box office success the previous year. It was clearly announced in advance that the title would be withdrawn from distribution on [[April 30]], [[1989]].
A special $26.99 price was available until the end of November only, after which the price went up to the $29.95 price point of the other ''Classics''. A limited edition lithograph, created by animator [[Marc Davis]] was available to anyone who pre-ordered the title between [[July 11]] and [[October 3]].
This video release also introduced a new animated Disney Classics opening sequence, a variation of the then-current "Sorcerer Mickey" [[Walt Disney Home Video]] opening, and on the cover artwork, "Walt Disney's" turned into "Walt Disney's Classic" and "Walt Disney Productions'" (which was only on the original ''Robin Hood'' video) turned into "A Walt Disney Classic".
==== "Give the Gift That Lasts a Lifetime" promotion ====
The Disney Christmas ad campaign included a $10 million joint promotion with [[Coca-Cola]] USA and another $20 million to $25 million funded by Disney itself. The 35-title Christmas promotion broke the industry record set by Disney's 1987 promotion. By the [[September 1]], [[1988]] pre-order deadline, Disney had orders for 7.4 million tapes, including 5.3 million copies of ''Cinderella''. ''Cinderella'' finished second on the all-time best sellers list at a final 7.2 million units, however, due to competition from what was then the highest grossing film of all time ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' which eventually sold 14 million copies. Final sales for the holiday promotion was 11.5 million units in total.<br style="clear:both;"/>
=== 1989: ''Bambi'' ===
'''''Bambi''''', which Disney claimed was their highest-grossing film ever, was released on [[September 28]], [[1989]]. ''Bambi'' was the first Disney video to have a cross promotion, with [[Crest (brand)|Crest]] toothpaste. The new lower price of $26.99 could be further reduced if consumers took advantage of a $3.00 rebate (available from release day until [[November 30]]) by sending in proofs of purchase of two tubes of Crest.
A $60 million advertising campaign (again the industry's biggest campaign ever) promoted both ''Bambi'' (on the Disney label) and ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'' (on the Touchstone label). Unlike Disney's two biggest competitors that year, Universal's ''[[The Land Before Time]]'' and MGM's ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'', both of which had ads on the cassettes, the two big Disney titles had none, Disney's [[Bill Mechanic]] saying that it "wasn't appropriate".
While announcing the video release of ''Bambi'', Disney refused to say when, or even if, it would ever be shown on television, but they did announce the [[Disney Channel]] debut of ''Cinderella'' for [[October 14]], [[1989]], followed by four more showings that month.
By prebook day, ''Bambi'' was already the second biggest seller of all time at 9.8 million units. It and the other 51 titles in the promotion had pre-orders of 14.7 million units.
Disney was originally planning to release their less successful 1985 film ''[[The Black Cauldron]]'' to video in the Classics series around this time period, which was the first of the post-''Untouchables'' Disney movies being released by this time. A tape master was even prepared, but did not get released due to the wild success of ''The Little Mermaid'' released that year.
When ''Bambi'' was released in 1989, ''Dumbo'' and ''The Sword in the Stone'' were repackaged in different covers. ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'' was back on video after a moratorium.<br style="clear:both;"/>
=== 1990: ''The Little Mermaid'' and ''Peter Pan'' ===
Ever since ''Sleeping Beauty'' in 1986, there had been a new title in the ''Classics'' collection every year in the months just before Christmas, but none at any other other time of year. Partly because of that, Disney's announcement in early March, 1990, of the coming release of '''''The Little Mermaid''''' was a surprise to many. Not only was the [[May 18]] release date unusual, but the film was still playing in 1076 theatres at the time. All the previous ''Classics'' were many years old, but it had only been 4½ months since ''The Little Mermaid'''s [[November 17]], [[1989]] theatrical release, and it might never be able to be released theatrically for a second time if the video release took its audience away. Disney found that many people wanted to buy the movie and they didn't want to wait until the traditional Christmas shopping period. ''The Little Mermaid'' was the first post-''untouchable 15'' title to come to the ''Classics'' video collection.
The pricing was $26.99, the same as ''Bambi'', but this time a $3.00 rebate was available from Disney itself with no additional purchase required, and there were no commercial tie-ins involved. Disney promised its biggest TV advertising campaign ever, along with extensive print advertising.
By [[July 30]], [[1990]], ''The Little Mermaid'' had sold 7.5 million cassettes, and it eventually sold 10 million units, making it the top-selling video release of 1990.
==== NAAD and MAP ====
''The Little Mermaid'' introduced a new policy at Disney, called the Retailer Profit Protection Plan. This was primarily designed to put all retailers of Disney product on an equal footing. Retailers violating the policy would be denied co-op advertising allowances from Disney. The first provision was a "minimum advertised price" (MAP). Retailers were not allowed to advertise any price lower than $18.75 inclusive of any rebates and value-added offers. In addition, Disney established a rule regarding the "nationally advertised availability date" (NAAD). Any advertising appearing before the NAAD had to clearly show the NAAD. Along with the NAAD of [[May 18]] went a Warehouse Release Date of [[May 14]], the earliest ship date for distributors and [http://www.answers.com/topic/rack-jobbers rackjobbers], and a Will Call date of [[May 16]], the last being the first allowable day for sales to the public. This difference between the official advertised date and the first actual date of sale continued for several years on every Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood, and Buena Vista video release.
==== ''Peter Pan'' ====
The release of ''The Little Mermaid'' early in the year left space for another ''Classic'' before Christmas, and '''''Peter Pan''''' was the logical choice, coming off of a theatrical re-release the year before. The [[September 21]], [[1990]] date was announced the day ''The Little Mermaid'' hit store shelves, and the price was a low for Disney's ''Classics'' of only $24.99. A cross-promotion with Nabisco, available from the release date though the holiday season, allowed consumers to get a $5.00 rebate with the purchase of three boxes of crackers, bringing the effective retail price under $20.00.
Asked again about ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', spokesperson Tania Steele told ''The Los Angeles Daily News'', "'Snow White' will never be on video, according to Roy Disney, (Walt Disney Co chairman) Michael Eisner and (Walt Disney Studios chairman) Jeffrey Katzenberg.... It goes to the roots of the company."<ref>
{{cite news
|first=Yardena
|last=Arar
|title=Disney features are released as videos for limited periods
|page=L13
|publisher=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]
|date=[[November 1]], [[1991]] Valley Ed.
|accessdate=2006-09-23
}}
</ref>
As announced on [[May 18]], [[1990]], Disney stopped selling ''The Little Mermaid'' and ''Peter Pan'' on [[April 1]], [[1991]], and publicized this date in a "Disappearing Classics" promotion. ''Peter Pan'' had sold about 7 million copies, according to The Los Angeles Times.
The two releases got awards for their packaging and success.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}<br style="clear:both;"/>
=== 1991: ''The Jungle Book'', ''The Rescuers Down Under'', and ''Fantasia'' ===
After a theatrical run in the summer of 1990, '''''The Jungle Book''''' was released for an unspecified limited time on [[May 3]], [[1991]] at only $24.99. A $5.00 rebate was offered by [[Nabisco]], reducing the price even further.
Disney spokesperson Tania Steele explained Disney's limited release policy to The New York Times: "They are good to have on video, but they were created for the theater. When they go off sale on video, the present commitment is that they will never go back." Furthermore, she said in reference to ''Snow White'' and ''Fantasia'' which had not yet been released on video "to date the decision is to never put them on".<ref>
{{cite news
|first=Peter M.
|last=Nichols
|title=Give-and-Take Marketing
|page=24
|publisher=[[The New York Times]] on [[Factiva]]
|date=[[May 2]], [[1991]] Late Edition - Final
|accessdate=2006-09-23
}}
</ref>
No sooner was ''The Jungle Book'' out than Disney was announcing the re-release of '''''Robin Hood''''' ($24.99) at the very unusual mid-summer date of [[July 12]].<ref>
{{cite news
|title='Robin' to perk up midsummer nights; Vid to bow in 'clean' sell-thru market
|page=64
|publisher=[[Billboard]]
|date=[[May 18]], [[1991]]
|accessdate=2006-09-23
}}
</ref> The title had been on moratorium since 1987. It was an unusual time to release a major sell-through title, since many North American children are on vacation at that time of year and less likely to be staying inside watching movies. Releasing ''Robin Hood'' in July allowed Disney a head start before Fox Video's ''Home Alone'' which was expected to be released in August. It also allowed it to take advantage of the publicity surrounding Warner's ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]'' (starring Kevin Costner), which was then in theaters.
==== "The Magic Years" promotion ====
With the release of ''Robin Hood'', Disney launched a new type of TV and print advertising campaign. The campaign, worth $40 million between July and December, was the first brand-oriented campaign in the home video industry.
The specific promotion around ''Robin Hood'' allowed consumers who purchased it along with any Disney feature-length film listed at $22.99 or more between [[July 12]] and [[September 15]], [[1991]] to get a $5.00 rebate from Disney.
Also with ''Robin Hood'', Disney promoted what it now called "Year-Round Classics" ($24.99 each), including ''Dumbo'', ''Alice in Wonderland'', ''The Sword in the Stone'', ''The Three Caballeros'', ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'', and ''Mary Poppins''.
All new Disney ''Classics'' video releases in this period (except the re-releases of ''Dumbo'', ''Alice in Wonderland'' and ''The Sword in the Stone'', which all received new tape masters while keeping the 1989 artwork) were in stereo Hi-Fi and now labeled as being "mono-compatible".
There were rumors that ''The Rescuers Down Under'', ''101 Dalmatians'' or ''Fantasia'' would be Disney's pre-Christmas release, but in May Disney executives denied any plans to release ''Fantasia'' either in late 1991 or in the following spring.<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Disney's 'Robin Hood' video to do good deeds in July
|page=5
|publisher=[[Billboard]]
|date=[[May 11]], [[1991]]
|accessdate=2006-09-23
}}
</ref>
==== ''The Rescuers Down Under'' ====
At a [[July 2]] press conference, Disney officials refused to comment on ''Fantasia'', but they did confirm the release of '''''The Rescuers Down Under''''' on [[September 20]] at $24.99. A $5.00 mail-in refund from [[Procter & Gamble]] was also available. The advertising campaign from August until the end of the year was valued by Disney at $75 million and described by ''Billboard'' as "probably the most sizable multiproduct sell-through holiday campaign in the history of home video". Disney declared October 1991 "Magic Month of Video".<ref>
{{cite news
|first=Jim
|last=McCullaugh
|title='Rescuers' to join Disney's holiday sell-through biz
|page=7
|publisher=[[Billboard]]
|date=[[July 13]], [[1991]]
|accessdate=2006-09-23
}}
</ref>
==== ''Fantasia'' ====
'''''Fantasia''''' was finally released [[November 1]], [[1991]], despite all the denials, and it was a phenomenal success, particularly on Laserdisc. In the domestic market, the release was for a limited 50-day period, "never to be marketed again", while the international market got 100 days of availability. ''Fantasia'' was Disney's first animated ''Classic'' to be released simultaneously world-wide (in North America plus 46 international territories) since the [[VHS]] release of ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze]]''.
Pre-orders for ''Fantasia'' were nothing short of phenomenal. The company shipped 9.45 million cassettes on release day, and after receiving re-orders of over 2 million more units, it temporarily stopped accepting orders on [[November 7]]. It took until the second half of December before duplication could catch up with the re-orders from the first week of release.
It was even more impressive on Laserdisc. Wholesale shipments on release day totalled 190,000 units, breaking the previous record of about 66,000 units set by Paramount's [[Ghost (film)|Ghost]] in May of that year. ''Fantasia'' eventually sold 14.4 million copies in video cassettes and discs combined.<br style="clear:both;"/>
=== 1992: ''101 Dalmatians'', ''The Great Mouse Detective'', ''The Rescuers'', and ''Beauty and the Beast'' ===
''[[One Hundred and One Dalmatians|101 Dalmatians]]'' was released on video on [[April 10]], [[1992]]. It was oddly labeled as ''101 Dalmatians'' rather than ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'', and every other video release of the title. ''101 Dalmatians'' was another limited title, which was dropped from print in 1993.
Following ''Dalmatians'' was ''[[The Great Mouse Detective]]'' on [[July 17]], which used the 1992 re-release version of the film itself, which was titled ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' (or ''Basil, the Great Mouse Detective'' overseas). Following that was ''[[The Rescuers]]'' on [[September 18]]. Both were dropped from print in 1993.
On [[October 30]], [[1992]], the $141 million-grossing film ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' came to video. It was a huge hit, selling 20 million cassettes with $200 million revenue. It was the first Disney movie to have a widescreen Laserdisc release. Walt Disney Home Video had crossed the $1 billion mark. ''Beast'' was dropped later in 1993, but had a re-release to video and laserdisc in September of 1993.
=== 1993: ''Pinocchio'' (restored version) and ''Aladdin'' ===
After the elaborate restoration and reissue of ''Pinocchio'' in summer 1992, the new restored edition of ''Pinocchio'' was released on video on [[March 26]], [[1993]]. It was also sold in another cross-promotion with Crest toothpaste, allowing consumers to get a rebate of $4.00 from its $24.99 retail price. ''Pinocchio'' was advertised as "Available for the last time this century", which turned out to be false, for in 1999 Disney released a 60th Anniversary Edition of the movie. It also brought back the black page-curl flap on the lower-right corner like on the 1980s Disney ''Classic'' videos, except on this video it read "Restored to Its Original Brilliance!"
On [[October 1]], [[1993]], Disney released another animated ''Classic'' to videocassette and Laserdisc, '''''Aladdin'''''. It became the best-selling video release in the ''Classics'' line. It was the second Disney movie to have a widescreen Laserdisc release. Like Pinocchio, Aladdin had the black page-curl in the lower right corner which read "The original Disney Classic."
=== 1994: ''The Fox and the Hound'' and ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ===
'''''The Fox and the Hound''''' was released on March 4, 1994 to videocassette. One print had only a trailer for "The Lion King" while another had a "Return of Jafar" preview. It was also the last film to use the 1992 Walt Disney Classics logo. With the video release of '''''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''''', Disney's first animated feature, the classic of classics, the packaging of the Classics in the United States and Canada was changed. All existing titles in the line (except for ''Aladdin'', ''The Rescuers Down Under'', ''Pinocchio'', ''Beauty and the Beast'', ''The Fox and the Hound'', ''Fantasia'' and ''The Great Mouse Detective'') were re-packaged as the ''[[Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection]]''.<br style="clear:both;"/>
==Titles==
===Domestic (United States and Canada)===
====English-language releases on videocassette====
Many titles before were released in the United States and Canada earlier than their releases in Europe and Japan.
* ''[[Robin Hood (1973 film)|Robin Hood]]'' ([[December 6]], [[1984]],<ref>
{{cite news
|last=Salem
|first=Rob
|title=A video shopping list
|page=G11
|publisher=[[Toronto Star]]
|date=[[October 20]], [[1984]]
|accessdate=2006-08-23
}}
</ref> #228; [[October 14]], [[1986]], and [[July 12]], [[1991]])<ref name="NAAD" /> #1189)
* ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]'' ([[July 16]], [[1985]], [[October 14]], [[1986]], and [[March 26]], [[1993]]) #239
* ''[[Dumbo]]'' ([[December 3]], [[1985]], [[October 14]], [[1986]], [[September 28]], [[1989]], and [[May 3]], [[1991]]) #024
* ''[[The Sword in the Stone (film)|The Sword in the Stone]]'' ([[March 24]], [[1986]], [[October 14]], [[1986]], [[September 28]], [[1989]], and [[May 3]], [[1991]]) #229
* ''[[Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]'' ([[May 28]], [[1986]], [[October 14]], [[1986]], and [[May 3]], [[1991]]) #036
* ''[[Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)|Sleeping Beauty]]'' ([[October 14]], [[1986]] and [[October 13]], [[1987]]) #476
* ''[[Lady and the Tramp]]'' ([[October 6]], [[1987]]) #582
* ''[[Cinderella (1950 film)|Cinderella]]'' ([[October 4]], [[1988]]) #410
* ''[[Bambi]]'' ([[September 28]], [[1989]]) #942
* ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' ([[May 18]], [[1990]]<ref name="NAAD" />) #913
* ''[[Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan]]'' ([[September 21]], [[1990]]<ref name="NAAD" />) #960
* ''[[The Jungle Book (1967 film)|The Jungle Book]]'' ([[May 3]], [[1991]]) #1122
* ''[[The Rescuers Down Under]]'' ([[September 20]], [[1991]]<ref name="Presumed NAAD">
This appears to be the NAAD (see previous note for details) because copies are known to have been released 3 days earlier than this.
</ref><ref>
{{cite news
|last=McCullaugh
|first=Jim
|title='Rescuers' to join Disney's holiday sell-through biz
|page=7
|publisher=[[Billboard]]
|date=[[July 13]], [[1991]]
}}
</ref>) #1142
* ''[[Fantasia (film)|Fantasia]]'' ([[November 1]], [[1991]]<ref name="NAAD" />) #1132
* ''[[One Hundred and One Dalmatians|101 Dalmatians]]'' ([[April 10]], [[1992]]<ref name="NAAD" />) #1263
* ''[[The Great Mouse Detective]]'' ([[July 17]], [[1992]]<ref name="Presumed NAAD" />) #1360
* ''[[The Rescuers]]'' ([[September 18]], [[1992]]) #1399
* ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' ([[October 30]], [[1992]]<ref name="NAAD" />) #1325
* ''[[Aladdin (1992 film)|Aladdin]]'' ([[October 1]], [[1993]]<ref name="NAAD" /><ref>
{{cite news
|last=Nichols
|first=Peter M.
|title=The New Season: Home Entertainment; 'Beauty' Was Big, but Make Way for 'Aladdin'
|page=
|publisher=[[New York Times]]
|date=[[September 12]], [[1993]]
|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEEDC1039F931A2575AC0A965958260
|accessdate=2006-09-01
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite press release
|title=History-Making, Academy Award-Winning, $200 Million Box-Office Sensation Soars to Video in October
|publisher=Walt Disney Home Video
|date=[[1993-04-26]]
|url=
}}
</ref>) #1662
* ''[[The Fox and the Hound (film)|The Fox and the Hound]]'' ([[March 4]], [[1994]]<ref
name="Presumed NAAD" />) #2041
====U.S. Spanish-language releases====
* ''[[Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)|Alicia en El País de las Maravillas]]'' ([[June 22]], [[1994]]) #036/73
* ''[[The Sword in the Stone (film)|La Espada en la Piedra]]'' ([[June 22]], [[1994]]) #229/73
* ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocho]]'' ([[June 22]], [[1994]]) #239/73
* ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|La Bella y la Bestia]]'' ([[June 22]], [[1994]]) #1325/73
* ''[[Aladdin (1992 film)|Aladdin]]'' ([[April 14]], [[1995]]) #1662/73
* ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|La Sirenita]]'' ([[March 20]], [[1996]]) #913/73
* ''[[Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan]]'' ([[May 11]], [[1996]]) #752/73
* ''[[The Lion King (1994 film)|El Rey Leon]]'' ([[July 6]], [[1997]]) #421/73
===Europe===
The following titles were released in Europe.
* ''Dumbo'' (1985 and 1991)
* ''Robin Hood'' (1985 and 1991)
* ''Pinocchio'' (1985, 1991 and 1993)
* ''The Sword in the Stone'' (1985 and 1991)
* ''Alice in Wonderland'' (1986 and 1991)
* ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1986 and 1989)
* ''Lady and the Tramp'' (1988 and 1992)
* ''Cinderella'' (1988)
* ''Bambi'' (1989)
* ''The Little Mermaid'' (1990)
* ''Peter Pan'' (1990)
* ''[[The Aristocats]]'' (1990 and 1993)
* ''The Jungle Book'' (1991)
* ''The Rescuers Down Under'' (1991)
* ''Fantasia'' (1991)
* ''101 Dalmatians'' (1992)
* ''The Great Mouse Detective'' (1992)
* ''The Rescuers'' (1992)
* ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1992)
* ''Aladdin'' (1993)
* ''The Fox and the Hound'' (1994)
* ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (October 1994)
* ''[[The Three Caballeros]]'' (1995)
* ''[[The Lion King]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'' (1996)
* ''[[The Black Cauldron (film)|The Black Cauldron]]'' (1997)
* ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Mulan]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Tarzan (1999 film)|Tarzan]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Fantasia 2000]]'' (2000)
===Australia===
The following titles were released in Australia, in the VHS Disney collection.
* ''Dumbo'' (1988 and 1995)
* ''Robin Hood'' (1990, 1995)
* ''Pinocchio'' (1989, 1997 and 2002)
* ''The Sword in the Stone'' (1990)
* ''Alice in Wonderland'' (1987 and 1995, 1999)
* ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1990 and 1999)
* ''Lady and the Tramp'' (1990 and 1997)
* ''Cinderella'' (1988, 1996, 1999)
* ''Bambi'' (1990, 1997, 2007)
* ''The Little Mermaid'' (1990, 1996, 1999)
* ''Peter Pan'' (1989, 1995, 1999)
* ''The Aristocats'' (1990, 2006)
* ''The Jungle Book'' (1989, 1997, 2007)
* ''The Rescuers Down Under'' (1990, 1999)
* ''Fantasia'' (November 1990)
* ''The Great Mouse Detective'' (1992, 2000, 2005)
* ''The Rescuers'' (1993, 1999)
* ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1993, 2002)
* ''101 Dalmatians'' (1994, 2006)
* ''[[The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad]]'' (December 1994, 2006)
* ''Aladdin'' (1995, 2000)
* ''The Fox and the Hound'' (March 1997)
* ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (1994, 1996, 2001)
* ''The Three Caballeros'' (1999, 2004)
* ''The Lion King'' (1995, 2002, 2004)
* ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'' (1996, 2001)
* ''[[The Black Cauldron (film)|The Black Cauldron]]'' (1999)
* ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' (1997, 2001)
* ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]'' (1998, 2002)
* ''[[Mulan]]'' (1999, 2001, 2003)
* ''[[Tarzan (1999 film)|Tarzan]]'' (2000, 2003, 2005)
* ''[[Fantasia 2000]]'' (2000, 2005)
* ''[[The Emperor's New Groove]]'' (2001, 2004)
* ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]'' (2002, 2004, 2005)
* ''[[Lilo & Stitch]]'' (2003, 2006)
* ''[[Treasure Planet]]'' (2003, 2006)
* ''[[Oliver & Company]]'' (2004, 2005)
* ''[[Brother Bear]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Home on the Range (film)|Home on the Range]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Chicken Little (film)|Chicken Little]]'' (2006)
===Japanese releases on LaserDisc===
The following titles were released on LaserDisc in Japan<ref>
{{cite web
|title=Disney animated features available on Japanese laserdisc
|url=http://www.geocities.com/disney_laserdiscs/animatedfeatures
|date=[[January 17]], [[2004]]
|accessdate=2006-09-18
}}
</ref>.
* ''Sleeping Beauty'' ([[December 23]], [[1989]] and [[July 19]], [[1996]])
* ''Dumbo'' ([[March 27]], [[1990]])
* ''Lady and the Tramp'' ([[December 16]], [[1990]])
* ''Alice in Wonderland'' ([[March 25]], [[1991]])
* ''Peter Pan'' ([[July 15]], [[1991]])
* ''Fantasia'' ([[November 1]], [[1991]])
* ''The Little Mermaid'' ([[March 25]], [[1992]])
* ''Cinderella'' ([[October 25]], [[1992]])
* ''Beauty and the Beast'' ([[September 17]], [[1993]])
* ''Bambi'' ([[November 19]], [[1993]])
* ''The Jungle Book'' ([[March 25]], [[1994]])
* ''Aladdin'' ([[September 21]], [[1994]])
* ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ([[October 24]], [[1994]])
* ''The Three Caballeros'' ([[October 25]], [[1994]])
* ''Pinocchio'' ([[March 17]], [[1995]])
* ''The Lion King'' ([[September 29]], [[1995]])
* ''101 Dalmatians'' ([[October 6]], [[1995]])
* ''Pocahontas'' ([[November 25]], [[1996]])
* ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' ([[October 29]], [[1997]])
==Notes and references==
<!--<nowiki>
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how
to generate footnotes using the <ref> and </ref> tags, and the template below
</nowiki>-->
{{reflist}}
==See also==
*[[Walt Disney Animated Classics]]
[[Category:Disney videos and DVDs]]