The official trailer for Toy Story 5 reveals that Disneyland exists within the Pixar universe. The Toy Story franchise is closely tied to Disney parks, reflecting the strong partnership between Pixar and Disney. The parks include Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. At Disneyland Resort in California, Pixar Pier features Toy Story-themed attractions such as Jessie's Critter Carousel, Toy Story Midway Mania!, and many others. The franchise's long-standing connection to Disney parks extends beyond advertising; the new trailer shows that it is now directly woven into Toy Story 5.
The new official music video for Toy Story 5 made the boldest confirmation yet of Disneyland's existence in the Pixar universe. The clip featured Snappy, the purple digital camera toy, and the treasured photo she took at Disneyland, featuring Blaze, a new character voiced by Mychal-Michelle Harris, and Atlas, a talking hippopotamus with a GPS navigator.
This scene not only introduces Snappy, Blaze (pictured), Atlas, and Smarty Pants, but also directly connects the world of toys with the true magic of Disney parks. It serves as a pleasant reminder that even in the age of high technology, joy remains at the core of what makes play special. An added bonus is that this memory is directly tied to Disneyland.
Interestingly, in Toy Story 1, Andy has a Mickey Mouse clock hanging on his wall, a subtle acknowledgement of the existence of Disney products (and, by extension, the brand itself) in the Pixar universe. It's worth noting that Pixar became a subsidiary of Disney in 2006, and this early hint was a humorous precursor to the acquisition, as Disney distributed the film in 1995.
Watch the official trailer for Toy Story 5 below:
Toy Story 5 premieres in theaters on Friday, June 19.
The confirmation of Toy Story 5's screening at Disneyland has a deeper meaning.
The movie Toy Story 5 indirectly acknowledges that Disneyland, «"the happiest place on Earth", Disneyland is part of the Pixar universe, meaning children in this world experience it as a real, magical place where families create unforgettable memories, just like real people. For characters like Blaze and perhaps Bonnie and Andy, Disneyland is a real place they can visit, ride attractions, and take photos.
The confirmation of Disneyland's existence takes the franchise's world-building to a new level, as the characters of Toy Story 5 live in a world where a veritable playground for imagination is available. This could also hint that future installments in the franchise, Toy Story 6 and Toy Story 7, may eventually visit Disneyland and serve as a showcase for full-fledged references to other films in the future.
Snappy's digital camera is part of the ongoing "Tech Meets Toys" storyline in Toy Story 5, but it plays a special role because it preserves perfect photographs of memories. By displaying a photo of Disneyland to the assembled toys, who are delighted by the snapshot, Snappy highlights how even the simplest, captured adventures become living parts of the secret world of toys.
This lesson could serve as a hint of Lilypad's turn to the side of good, as she shares the same function as Snappy: preserving memories. Perhaps she will eventually understand, or help other toys understand, that technology is not inherently the enemy of imagination, but a powerful new tool that can help them coexist and make children's play more engaging.