For more than 90 years, the Disney brand has been associated with family-friendly entertainment. A large part of that legacy is due to its animated characters and films, which have been the cornerstone for Disney’s ever-growing enterprise. All over the world, Disney characters are instantly recognizable, inspiring people of all ages to believe in happy endings. Artists also find inspiration in Disney characters and stories, using them as stepping stones to creating characters and artwork full of magic and mystery.

This Snippet will focus on Disney animated characters and includes:

• a brief history of Disney Animation Studios
• box office successes and failures
• Disney’s work with Pixar Animation Studios
• the main categories of Disney characters
• major influences for Disney characters and stories
• the "life" of Disney characters outside of feature films
• what the future holds for Disney stories