Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum

Revision as of 10:42, 9 April 2022 by imported>Siaiaiak


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Background

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment began its life in 1978 through MCA DiscoVision as "Walt Disney Home Entertainment". In 1980, Disney content was made available on videocassette under its own division known as "Walt Disney Home Video". Prior to 1981, their first releases were only live action films such as Pete's Dragon and The Love Bug. Starting in 1981 with Dumbo, they began releasing their animated films and cartoons on video. The Walt Disney Home Video name was kept until 2001, when it was once again named "Walt Disney Home Entertainment". Starting in the late 1990s, the company began producing DVDs, and in 2006, they started to release Blu-ray discs. Since 2007, it is known as "Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment".

1st Logo (December 1978-July 16, 1986; October 6, 1987, 1989, 1993)

Nickname: "Neon Mickey"

Logo: Here are the two standard variants of this logo:

  • December 1978-July 15, 1984: On a black background, we see a large light blue outline of Mickey Mouse's silhouette appearing and then panning forward, leaving a trail of multiple outlines while rotating counter clockwise on its pivot. The outlines then start to change one-by-one to dark blue. As the text "Walt Disney" (in the original Disney signature script, as used on The Wonderful World of Disney) sketches on the screen in yellow, the Mickey outlines one-by-one change to red. The outlines again one-by-one change to golden yellow (which quickly changes to light yellow) as the words "Home Entertainment", in yellow, zoom up and settle underneath off center. Finally, the Mickey outlines one-by-one change to green before the logo fades out.
  • November 1981-July 16, 1986: Nearly the same as the 1978 version, but with darker colors and the Mickey graphics shifted upward somewhat, the "WALT DiSNEY" text in the current corporate "Disney" font, and with "HOME VIDEO" in a Handel Gothic-like font in orange, all usually with a drop shadow. The entire logo is also much smaller.

Trivia: The rotating "Neon Mickey" is a silhouetted image of the animatronic Mickey conductor that was used in the former Walt Disney World attraction "The Mickey Mouse Revue".

Variants:

  • The original 1983 series of Disney’s Cartoon Classics videos featured a different variant of this logo. The animation plays as normal (the standard 1981 Walt Disney Home Video variant), but without any text animation, plus the music is sped up somewhat and plays in a slightly higher pitch as a result. Once the Mickey outlines become golden yellow, the screen "flips" over to another logo, which is a still shot of "WALT DiSNEY HOME VIDEO", with "The magic lives on…” over it. The Disney text is in its corporate font in golden yellow, while the other text is light blue. The only animation in this part is the "WALT DiSNEY" text, which has glitter effects all over it, and then the text flashes when the Cartoon Classics theme begins playing. The logo then fades into the intro for the video series.
  • On the Walt Disney and You promo, a video freeze occurs towards the end of the logo (all the outlines are dark blue, except for the outline facing us which is light blue), and the text "The magic lives on... WALT DiSNEY HOME VIDEO" zooms in, along with a cartoon version of Sorcerer Mickey (as seen on the box). The promo’s announcer says "Now available from Walt Disney Home Video".
  • On some Italian tapes, we see a light blue VHS cover on a wooden table with the "WALT DiSNEY HOME VIDEO" print logo and the cartoon version of Sorcerer Mickey on it (quite possibly the way the videos were packaged there). Then it opens to reveal the logo's animation, and the whole thing plays as normal. This is very rare.
  • On some British tapes, such as the 1982 release of Bedknobs and Broomsticks and the 1983 release of Song of the South, the text does not have a drop shadow.
  • Releases of Disney Channel original programming & films from the time, such as Lots of Luck and Welcome to Pooh Corner: Too Smart for Strangers, use a special version. It is detailed on the Disney Channel Originals page.
  • A rare Swedish variant has the 1981 logo with the text in yellow and "PRESENTERAR" (in a narrow serif font) inserted below.
  • On some of Disney's 1978 theatrical releases, this logo appeared as a solid red Mickey with purple dashed outlines surrounding it, rotating a bit faster than the home video variant. The text "Congratulating Mickey Mouse on his 50th Birthday!", in white and in a fancy font, zooms in. After a few seconds, it zooms in towards the screen until vanishing from sight, and the top and bottom halves of the 1978 "Stripes" variant of the Buena Vista logo wipe in over the logo to lead into the film. This was seen on 1978 theatrical releases such as The Cat from Outer Space and Return from Witch Mountain (it is intact on current releases of the former, including the Disney+ print, but is deleted from Anchor Bay releases). There was also an Italian version, reading "Congratulazioni Topolino per il tuo Giubileo d'Oro".
  • A variant seen before previews reads "Also available from" and "WALT DiSNEY HOME VIDEO" in blue, with the edges in white, and a blue Sorcerer Mickey, on a black background.

FX/SFX: The Mickey outline spinning, and the text appearing.

Music/Sounds: A loud orchestral fanfare, composed by longtime Disney composer Buddy Baker. Some international releases, such as the 1982 UK release of Bedknobs and Broomsticks and the 1983 UK release of Song of the South, have it at a lower pitch. The "Walt Disney and You" promo had the end theme playing over the regular animation before the video freeze. On the DVD of The Cat from Outer Space, the Mickey's 50th Birthday variant is silent due to the fact they were unable to restore the audio. The Italian version of said variant does have the audio, but it is distorted, possibly due to film deterioration.

Music/Sounds Trivia: The score for this logo is intact on the first track of the Intrada release of Return from Witch Mountain titled Main Title – Pt. 1 “1978 Mickey Mouse Birthday Logo” (Buddy Baker). Oddly, it lacks the string section and the last timpani beat at the end, likely meaning it’s an alternate take.

Availability: Uncommon. Seen on Disney videos from the period, almost exclusively used in the United States and Canada.

  • The best way to find it is to look for a Disney video (usually VHS, but some on Betamax, and also LaserDisc and CED Videodisc) with white clamshell packaging (designed so that the inner sheets are impossible to remove without cutting the packaging) and the Sorcerer Mickey print logo on the cover. The early "Home Entertainment" variant from 1978 can be found on several early 80s tapes where the Sorcerer Mickey takes up nearly half the box (with red/orange lines in the center), but there are several tapes with this artwork style that use the 1981 "HOME VIDEO" variant as well. Later copies from November 1985-1986 using the "HOME VIDEO" variant have a smaller Sorcerer Mickey on top of the border (surrounding the cover art). As Neon Mickey tapes were in print as late as 1991 in some cases, some tapes with Neon Mickey packaging may have the Sorcerer Mickey logo.
  • The versions on the Cartoon Classics series as well as the "Walt Disney and You" promo are extremely rare, since that promo was only seen between 1982 and 1986. The original releases with this logo from 1978-1979 were exclusively MCA DiscoVision laserdisc releases (appearing right after the DiscoVision logo), with a print logo featuring Mickey Mouse switching on an old laserdisc player with "Walt Disney Presents" underneath, but these are even harder to find than the VHS tapes!
  • This logo was also present on the Disney Cartoon Parade CED Videodiscs released and manufactured by RCA in 1981, following the RCA Selectavision logo on side 1, and by itself on the second side. It has also showed up following the RCA SelectaVision logo on various Disney feature films released by RCA from 1981-82 (from 1982 to 1986, Disney released CEDs under their own label). It also showed up on the earliest prints of the Classics releases of Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, and The Sword in the Stone, but some later prints prior to October 1986 replace it with the first Walt Disney Classics logo from 1984.
  • The original variant made its last appearance on The Castaway Cowboy and Son of Flubber (though it later made a surprise appearance on the 1985 release of Gus), with the later variant, previously exclusive to international releases, making its American debut on The Incredible Journey.
  • The 1981 variant (with the music at a slightly lower pitch) appears on early Australian releases from Syme Home Video (usually preceding a promo reel), including the 1982 Australian VHS of Night Crossing, along with the next logo.
  • The 1981 variant also appears on the earliest UK releases from late 1981, such as Cartoon Festival III, and appeared until at least April 1983.
  • This doesn't appear on the VHS release of Trenchcoat (in fact, the only mention of Disney in any shape or form is on the tape label). It is also not featured on the VHS releases of Never Cry Wolf and Something Wicked This Way Comes (likely due to the mature content of said films).
  • This also appears on the very first batch of Spanish-language tapes released in the United States by Disney in 1985, including Dumbo, Mary Poppins, Mi amigo el dragón (Pete's Dragon), and Los Tres Caballeros (The Three Caballeros); however, Spanish-dubbed tapes released after March of the next year used the next logo--the only context in which Disney used that one in the United States.
  • The last tapes to use this were Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N., One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing, Unidentified Flying Oddball, and Moon Pilot.
  • This makes a surprise appearance on the 1987 "Absolutely Irresistible" promotion re-release of Pete's Dragon, as well as the 1989 Israeli VHS of Popeye.
  • This logo also appears on select reprints of Disney VHS releases from this era that lacked updated tape masters, including a 1993 reprint of Treasure of Matecumbe.

Editor's Note: This is a favorite of many, particularly those who grew up in the early 1980s with Disney and amongst collectors of rare Disney tapes. Others may have not-so-fond memories of it, thanks to the loud and dramatic music.

2nd Logo (International Variant) (1983-March 1987)

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Nicknames: "Walt Disco Home Video", "The Wonderful World of Disney Home Video"

Logo: A flash occurs. The face of Mickey Mouse in his then current drawing style as seen at the start of his cartoons, zooms in, which quickly turns neon, then we see brief snippets from Disney films and shorts such as Steamboat Willie, Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, Zorro, Old Yeller, Treasure Island, The Country Bear Jamboree, and The Absent Minded Professor. Donald Duck's neon head zooms in, then a wall of light appears, Mary Poppins floats down with her parasol, then Tinkerbell flies up with sparkles forming. We see a picture of a neon castle (that of the castle at Walt Disney World), with fireworks in the background. We zoom into it, then we zoom in to a vector-like rendition of Spaceship Earth, a ride at Epcot. Afterward, we go to a black/dark red gradient background. The "WALT DiSNEY" text in blue, zooms into the screen out from the top, then "HOME VIDEO" appears below, cheaply inserted. The whole thing sparkles and glows a little bit.

Trivia: This is a shortened version of the US intro of the 1981-83 version of The Wonderful World of Disney back when it was called, quite simply, Walt Disney.

Variants:

  • Sometimes, at the end, the screen flips to the left like if you were turning a page in a book. It would either flip to reveal the intro to the program (like on the 1985 UK VHS of The Adventures of Chip 'N' Dale), or it just flips to a black screen (like on the 1986 US Spanish-language VHS of Winnie Pu y Tigger and on certain Venezuelan tapes, the latter as a clip-on).
  • On the 1986 Japanese VHS of Make Mine Music, a version was found with a copyright notice saying "© Walt Disney Productions" in the Walt Disney font.
  • Sometimes, "presents", in lowercase or uppercase, will fade in below, written in the language of the country in which it was released. The font of the text will also depend on the country. Italian tapes used "PRESENTA" in a bold, narrow font. Spanish tapes also used "PRESENTA", but in a cheaper narrow font. Finnish tapes used "ESITTÄÄ" in the same font as the Spanish version. There is another font that is bold, friendlier, and more Disney-like. It is used on Swedish tapes ("presenterar"), Norwegian tapes ("presenterer"), Danish tapes ("præsenterer"), French tapes ("présente"), and German tapes ("präsentiert"). The font for the latter is smaller. A version with "presents" in English was announced to have appeared on tapes from Australia and the United Kingdom (and most likely New Zealand and South Africa as well).
  • On some tapes, "HOME VIDEO" is omitted. This variation has some clips at the end replaced by other clips. It was used on the airings of the TV series from 1981 to 1983.
  • Another version has more clips and a neon Pluto head added, extending it to being a minute long. This one appeared on two tapes, and was the opening for the first showings of the Walt Disney TV series (1981-83). "HOME VIDEO" doesn't appear here either.
  • A variant of the TV series opening version (that is to say, the version without the words "HOME VIDEO") is made up of clips from the extended version. At the end, after "WALT DiSNEY" slides in, the word "PRESENTS", in a glowing white Disney font, zooms into the screen from the bottom.
  • For the 1980s syndicated series "Disney Magic" (with the title logo replacing the tail end of this logo after the zoom into the castle), the logo featured a few different clips and a neon flying Dumbo added, along with a short preview of the following movie.
  • Sometimes, during the zoom into the castle, the logo changes to the 6th logo (see below). This variant can be seen on some Scandinavian Disney tapes released in 1986 and 1987 (examples are the 1986 Finnish and Swedish VHS releases of The Sword in the Stone). Another version of this variant, as seen on a European Spanish promotional VHS release for the Disney Channel, ends with simply the logo shining.
  • A textless version of the logo is seen on the UK VHS releases of Night Crossing, The Last Flight of Noah's Ark, and Escape to Witch Mountain.
  • In the Norwegian VHS of Donald Duck's 50 Crazy Years, titled in Norwegian as Donald Duck 50 År, the text "DONALD DUCK'S 50 CRAZY YEARS" and "DONALD DUCK 50 ÅR" appear.

FX/SFX: The whole Slit scan and Oxberry animation accompanied with the clips! Spaceship Earth was a vector CGI model animated on an Hewlett Packard desktop computer at Northrop Corporation (now Northrop Grumman). Very good design by Harry Marks.

Music/Sounds: A powerful disco version of "When You Wish Upon a Star", arranged by Frank Gari. On the first airings of the Walt Disney TV series, this track was extended. The ending to the music in the "HOME VIDEO"-less variant is slightly different. On the 1984 UK VHS of Goin' Quackers, when the WDHV logo itself appears at the end, Ludwig von Drake says "Walt Disney Home Video presents" and cuts to his introduction to the program.

Availability: Uncommon. Was mainly seen on tapes released outside the United States and Canada, usually from the UK, Europe, and Latin America, but also from Asia, Australia, and even South Africa.

  • The United States used this logo briefly on mid-late 1986 Spanish-dubbed tapes, such as Saludos Amigos (which wouldn't see an English-language release in North America for 14 more years), Winnie Pu y el árbol de miel (Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree), and Winnie Pu y Tigger (Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too).
  • The "flipping" variant appears on the aforementioned tapes of Winnie Pu y el árbol de miel, Winnie Pu y Tigger, and The Adventures of Chip 'N' Dale, and the tail end appears during a series of trailers at the end of a Spanish-subtitled Venezuelan tape of El abismo negro (The Black Hole) as a clip-on.

Editor's Note: Like the previous logo, this is a favorite of many, though mostly outside of the United States and Canada.

3rd Logo (Australia and New Zealand Variant) (1984-1989)

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Nickname: "Walt Disco Home Video II"

Logo: We see clips from the 1983 opening of the Disney Channel (first as a premium channel), Walt Disney anthology series and Disney films, including Fantasia, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, The Black Cauldron, Sleeping Beauty, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Black Hole, Dumbo, Condorman, The Journey of Natty Gann, Fuzzbucket, Return to Oz, and Tron. After a brief clip of Sorcerer Mickey from Fantasia, we fade into the WDHV logo on a space background, with the logo in a blue/purple gradient. The logo shines and zooms out after.

Variants:

  • Most tapes would have this logo ending with the 6th logo, starting with the spark animation.
  • The tail end of the 6th logo variant can be seen at the end of a late 1980s Japanese VHS promo.
  • The archive footage may be slightly different in some tapes.
  • Rarely, the archive footage may be very different and could contain parts of the 2nd logo.
  • Sometimes, the logo is on a blue/black gradient background and doesn't zoom out.

FX/SFX: The archivial footage, the logo shining and zooming out.

Music/Sounds: A synthesized instrumental version of "Casey Jr." from Dumbo.

Music/Sounds Variants:

  • The gradient background variant has a repeating synth sound.
  • A Latin American version has an announcer say "¡Ahora, la magia de Disney puede ser sus en vídeo! ¡La clásica animación, además de excelente filmes par la familia de hoy, de Walt Disney Home Video!" ("Now, the magic of Disney can be on video! The classic animation, in addition to excellent films for today's family, from Walt Disney Home Video!").
  • On New Zealand tapes, an announcer is heard at the end of the logo saying "Bring Disney home today for the finest in family film entertainment. Walt Disney Home Video." Another variant exists where the announcer says "Walt Disney Home Video presents outstanding feature programming for today's family."

Availability: Rare. Like with the second logo, this was only used outside of the United States and Canada, though this logo is harder to find due to its shorter lifespan. This mainly appeared on European tapes (including Italy and Germany), as well as Latin American tapes and tapes distributed in Australia by Roadshow Home Video - an example being the 1987 VHS of Pinocchio. The alternate archive footage variant can be seen on a foreign VHS of Davy Crockett: King Of The Border. The variant with a different background can be spotted on the Latin Spanish VHS of Peter Pan. This logo was also seen on releases in New Zealand well into the early 90s, including the 1993 VHS of Honey, I Blew Up The Kid.

Editor's Note: None.

8th Logo (Late 1991-October 8, 2002 [2006 in Argentina])

Nickname: "Gold Walt Disney Home Video"

Logo: On a black background, we see the golden words "WALT DiSNEY HOME VIDEO" with "WALT DiSNEY" in the corporate "signature" font. The words shine.

Trivia: Like the previous logos, this is an animated version of the 1984-2002 Walt Disney Home Video print logo. Also, prior to 1995, the logo was only in use on live-action Disney releases and on advertisements of all Disney videos. A Goofy Movie was the first animated film to have this logo.

Variants:

  • Sometimes, a gradient blue background would be used instead. It has been seen on the VHS releases of Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, The Mighty Ducks, Hocus Pocus, Cool Runnings, The Three Musketeers, Squanto: A Warrior's Tale, A Goofy Movie, The Santa Clause, James and the Giant Peach, Air Bud, The Spirit of Mickey, the 1994 and 1995 versions of the Disney Family Video Sampler, and the 1994 print of Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
  • At the beginning of The Spirit of Mickey, the text fades out, leaving the blue background before an iris transition to the main theme.
  • On the VHS promo for The Big Green, the background is a gradient green color.
  • On a 1994 promo for Disney's Bright Beginnings VHS collection (which consisted of releases of preschool-targeted shows from Jim Henson and DiC and assorted videos from Spot and Eric Carle), the background is a sliding rainbow gradient and "PRESENTS" is chyroned in below.
  • There is a still variation with the text "NOW YOU CAN OWN THESE HIT TITLES..." fading above in a Times New Roman font. This can be seen on 1992 re-prints such as Return to Snowy River, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken and The Rocketeer, and uses the 1989 FP theme ("Great Ovation" from the Bruton Music library).
  • There is a silent, still variant seen at the beginning of the Jungle 2 Jungle VHS trailer.
  • At the beginning of the home video trailer for Doug's 1st Movie, the first note of the background music is perfectly synchronized with the first "shine" of the logo.
  • On the DVD release of Recess: School's Out, the music is played at a lower volume. The VHS, however, uses the 12th logo.
  • On Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, the logo was shown at the beginning and end of the movie.
  • On TV spots for the VHS release of Tarzan, the logo is superimposed over a scene from the movie.
  • On Gativideo-distributed Argentine tapes, the logo animates as usual, but it splits at the end. This usually happens before a bumper or a commercial.

FX/SFX: The "shining".

Music/Sounds: A lilting, dreamy synthesized horn/string tune, which sounds somewhat like the "Great Ovation" Feature Presentation theme or a truck horn; also used on various bumpers from the time. None for the Gativideo variant.

Music/Sounds Variants:

  • On the 1998 DVD release of Air Bud, the logo is silent.
  • A slowed-down version of this logo's music was used sporadically around 1993 to 1998, on tapes like The Mighty Ducks (rental pressings only), Tiny Toy Stories, Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Honor to Us All, Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World, and the 1997 widescreen VHS of Sleeping Beauty.
  • On the Australian VHS releases of Hocus Pocus and Aladdin, and some Region 4 VHS releases, the music is high pitched (possibly due to being in PAL format). This was also spotted on the UK VHS of Dinosaur, as well as some Italian VHS tapes.

Availability: Fairly common, but became more common as years went by.

  • The logo's first general appearance was on TV spots for the 1991 Classics release of The Rescuers Down Under. Following the "NOW YOU CAN OWN THESE HIT TITLES..." screen's introduction in May 1992, the logo with music debuted on the September 1992 demo VHS of Newsies.
  • It was seen on most (non-Classics/Masterpiece) Disney video/DVD releases of the era, including most (if not all) Gold Classic Collection DVDs. Some of these DVDs are still in print. Most 1998 and 1999 prints of Masterpiece titles have this logo instead of the Masterpiece Collection logo, or with the Masterpiece logo, as seen on later printings of The Black Cauldron.
  • Among the last releases to use this logo were the DVD of Recess: School's Out (the VHS used the 13th logo), the first wave of Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets, and the 2002 DVD of Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves.
  • This logo can also be found on the 1998 printings of The Brave Little Toaster and its sequel The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars.
  • This logo is intact at the beginning and end of Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves on further home video, television and streaming prints (except the Disney+ print, which has a 4:3 variant of the 2013 Walt Disney Pictures logo instead). This logo also appeared on the 2009 DVD release of Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse (itself a reprint of the original 2001 DVD release).
  • It was also seen on some Australian VHS releases (mostly of live-action material and on some promos). The blue version appeared on Gordy (U.S. releases only) and Bill Nye the Science Guy tapes, as well as the trailer for Walt Disney Film Classics: The Fantastic Adventures Series. It also appeared on the 1996 Deluxe Edition laserdisc set of Toy Story at the beginning of the bonus Pixar shorts included.
  • While the "NOW YOU CAN OWN THESE HIT TITLES..." screen appears on reprints of The Rocketeer, rental pressings of the tape have no logo whatsoever.
  • Don't expect to see this on international DVD releases of the period, as they will most likely use the 1995 Disney Videos logo.
  • Strangely, VHS releases in Argentina from Gativideo still used this logo until 2006, while the 13th logo is on their corresponding DVD counterparts.

Editor's Note: It's a fine logo and a nostalgic favorite of many, but compared to the other logos on this page, it's very simple.

9th Logo (Korean Variant) (1992-2000s)

Nicknames: "The Korean Castle", "Magic Kingdom", "Disney Logo of Korea"

Logo: Just the second half of the then-current movie logo, but with a few differences. Instead of "PICTURES", we see the words "월트 디즈니 홈 비디오" ("Walt Disney Home Video" in Korean) fading in below the company name. The circular line does not even form.

Trivia: This logo is the South Korean equivalent of the 3rd logo used from 1991-2002.

FX/SFX: The second half of the then-current movie logo, minus the ball of light drawing the line.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Rare. Exclusively seen on South Korean releases. It appeared at the end of Korean Disney VHS releases since 1992, then also began appearing at the beginning of Disney tapes since 1994.

Editor's Note: None.

10th Logo (August 4, 1993-November 7, 1995; March 4, 1997)

Nickname: "Silver Walt Disney Home Video"

Logo: Same as the 8th logo, but with the logo in silver. The silver, lowercase text "presents" is seen below it, in the same font as the "presents" text in the 6th logo, and shines along with the logo.

Trivia: Instead of appearing before a tape's trailers like the previous logos, this logo appeared immediately before the start of the film or TV show featured on the tape.

Variants:

  • A completely still version of the logo was used on 1993 VHS releases of Disney TV movies, which fades out halfway through the music. Afterwards, text reading "Own This BIG HIT" (preceding a trailer for Homeward Bound) or "Now Available on Videocassette" in the blue font used for clip-ons from the time fades in as the music ends.
  • At the beginning of the trailer for Walt Disney Film Classics: The Fantastic Adventures Series, the trailer's music plays over the logo.

Music/Sounds: The same lilting horn theme from the 8th logo.

Music/Sounds Variants:

  • On the still variant, the slower version of the theme is used. When the "Own This BIG HIT" text fades in, Brian Cummings says "Now you can own this big hit." The "Now Available on Videocassette" version has Brian Cummings calmly saying "Now on videocassette." as the text fades in.

Availability: Much rarer than its gold counterpart.

  • The still variant was the first version of the logo to be used, and can be seen on 1993 VHS releases of films such as Not Quite Human, Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss, and The Ernest Green Story.
  • The logo then appeared following the trailers on the 5 Bill Nye the Science Guy tapes released between 1994 and 1995, and also appeared following the trailers on the 1995 US VHS of Gordy.
  • It strangely appears instead of the standard 8th logo during the trailer for Walt Disney Film Classics: The Fantastic Adventures Series, seen on all four tapes in that collection.

Editor's Note: Like the 12th logo, this is an odd variant of the standard gold logo. Unlike the 12th logo, which was used primarily on live-action releases, there seems to be no pattern to which tapes used this logo and which tapes used the gold version.

11th Logo (International Variant) (Fall 1994-June 14, 2005, 2015)

Nicknames: "Disney Videos", "The Purple Cubes"

Logo: On a blue/green gradient background, three black balls fall from the top of the screen and bounce off the bottom. Two of the balls form the ears of Mickey Mouse and one ball forms the head. Many purple cubes fall from above to form a rectangle. A right-slanted yellow rectangle and a green square also fall from above. The yellow rectangle slants left and settles on the left, while the green square slants right and settles on the right. The balls in the Mickey Mouse logo bounce onto the green square. The red text "DiSNEY", in the corporate font, zooms out and settles on the yellow rectangle. Below, a rectangular green banner with the white word "VIDEOS" unfolds to the right.

Trivia: This was used in international countries from the beginning of 1995 to mid-2005; for example, on 1995 releases of Pocahontas, 101 Dalmatians and One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing, on 1998 releases of Flubber, and on some Disney's Sing-Along Songs tapes. On early releases in some countries, this logo was used concurrently with the 3rd logo, then again with the "Ring" logo on early 2000's releases. It was last seen on a Mexican Tarzan VHS tape from 2005, which did NOT have "The Ring" logo. Despite being seen on a disproportionate number of PAL tapes, this logo was originated at 30p.

Variants:

  • On most UK tapes, the logo was remade with some changes. The background is solid purple (so the purple cubes don't appear) and the green square is white. The font for "VIDEOS" is also different. An announcer is often heard. This was first seen on the UK VHS release of The Return of Jafar, and appears on many other tapes from 1995 right through to 2001 (one exception being Tiny Toy Stories, which used the standard version instead). Strangely, despite the UK being a PAL country, this was animated at 24p and was not sped up to accommodate the format.
  • There was also a Japanese version of this logo where the gradient background is purple/lavender (this also appears on some UK VHS releases, e.g. My Favorite Martian).
  • The above variant also has a variant on Sing-Along Songs from Hercules, in which similar to the one on the 6th logo, the opening theme plays and the logo is sped up to fit it.
  • A variant was seen with the gradient background being light gray/white. It appears on Argentine tapes of the period, as well as before the anti-piracy video at the start of the 1994 Mexican VHS of Los tres caballeros.
  • On some German tapes, the logo is extended, with the screen flowing through the copyright notice, with differently colored rectangles being put on each other with a phrase on each separate rectangle leaving behind the following message: "Liebe Videofreunde! (purple rectangle, white text) Willkommen in der wunderbaren welt von Walt Disney! (yellow rectangle, red text) Unsere Videofilme zeichnen sich dadurch aus, daß sind für die ganze Familie gedacht sind, Spaß machen, die Fantasie anregen, und wichtige moralische Werte vermitteln! (green rectangle, white text) Wir empfehlen, daß sich Ihre Kinder nur Programme anschauen, die für ihr Alter geeignet sind.(purple rectangle, white text) Deshalb möchten wir Sie bitten, auf die Einstufung der Freiwilligen Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft (FSK) zu achten, die die Freigabe eines Films ab einer bestimmten Altersgruppe beurteilt! (yellow rectangle, red text, FSK label saying "Freigegeben ohne Altersbeschränkung gemäß § 7 JÖSchG FSK" ("Released without age restriction according to Par. 7 of FSK's Youth Protection Act") appears) Ideal wäre es, wenn Sie den Film gemeinsam mit Ihren Kinder erleben! (green rectangle, white text) Disney wünscht Ihnen dabei viel Vergnügen! (purple rectangle, white text)" ("Dear video friends! Welcome to the wonderful world of Walt Disney! Our video films are characterized by the fact that they are intended for the whole family, are fun, stimulate the imagination and convey important moral values! We recommend that your children only watch programs that are suitable for their age. Therefore, we would like to ask you to pay attention to the classification of the Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Movie Industry (FSK), which judges the release of a film from a certain age group! It would be ideal if you experience the film together with your children! Disney wishes you a lot of fun!"). At the end of the warning, the purple cubes cover the last rectangle and the animation continues normally, except that the slogan "BEGEISTERN EIN LEBEN LANG" (loosely translated, "Entertainment for a Lifetime") appears below.
  • A rare Spanish soundtrack promo has "AUDIO" instead of "Videos".
  • Three Hebrew commercials for Disney Hebrew VHS releases ("Cinderella", "Pinocchio" and "Aladdin") replace the "Videos" with "Soon on Video" in Hebrew.
  • There is also a different variant on promos from Australia and some trailers from the UK where the "VIDEOS" banner is glowing in white, there is a sparkle on the Mickey Mouse logo and on "DiSNEY", and it has darker shadows and brighter colors.
  • A singular variant found on Italian tapes has the "S" part of the "VIDEOS" banner cut off, leaving only "VIDEO".
  • A still 2-D version of this logo appears at the beginning of Disney promos on Brazilian tapes.
  • A different variant was spotted on Mexican tapes: the background is purple with a "DiSNEY" wallpaper. We see the Mickey Mouse balls (which now have a greenish tint) floating around, then many yellow pieces fall from the top of the screen and form an oval. The words "DiSNEY" and "VIDEOS" zoom out and place themselves on the oval while the Mickey Mouse logo moves to the top of the oval.
  • There is a quite rare still variant on some 1997 tapes from the U.S. where "VIDEOS" is cut off, the yellow rectangle is an oval and the Mickey Mouse logo is teal. This was seen at the end of the Timeless Classics promo during the opening previews.

FX/SFX: All the CGI animation in this logo.

Music/Sounds: A very short orchestral rendition of "When You Wish Upon a Star" (different from the versions used on the Walt Disney Pictures logos, barring the Pixar and special Incredibles 2 variants which had different themes) ending with an orchestral hit. Sometimes, the logo is seen silent.

Music/Sounds Variants:

  • On some Swedish and Italian Disney tapes, an announcer says the same announcement as the respective variants of the 6th logo, but with the following changes:
    • The Swedish version has the announcer say "Från Walt Disney Videos" instead of "Från Walt Disney Home Video".
    • The second Italian version has the "Walt Disney Home Video" name abridged to "Disney Video".
  • On UK tapes, the logo was often used as a bumper with one of the following said by a voice-over (John Sachs):
    • Available now on Disney Videos.
    • Coming soon from Disney Videos.
    • Also available from Disney Videos. (until 1997)
    • Watch out for future releases from Disney Videos. (1995 only)
    • Watch out for future releases. Coming soon, from Disney Videos. (1995 only)
  • The American variant has Mark Elliot saying, "Three/four more great reasons to visit the Disney section of your store, only from Walt Disney Home Video!"
  • On the German extended variant, a different track is heard and an announcer reads the message phrase-by-phrase. There are also other variants of the logo, more in-line with the US variant, where the same German announcer is heard for announcements.

Availability: As with the previous few logos, this is seen on releases outside the United States and Canada, so internationally, this logo is common, but in the US and Canada, it is rare. Strangely, it was seen on the 2015 Region 4 DVD reprints of Tarzan and Oliver & Company (due to them being reprints of the 2000 and 2001 releases, respectively; this is due to an exclusive promotion at Big W, as they are re-releasing most Walt Disney Pictures films on DVD with limited edition packaging as with the UK). As mentioned above, the American variant is quite rare, but can be seen at the end of the Timeless Classics promo on 1997 VHS tapes such as Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin and Sleeping Beauty. Other than that, this logo is not known to have appeared at all in the United States and Canada (the 1983 logo, at least, is confirmed to have appeared on a few Spanish-language tapes in the United States in 1986). This logo is also found on the UK DVDs of A Goofy Movie and The Tigger Movie. It also surprisingly appears in place of the "The Ring" logo on the Region 4 DVDs of 101 Dalmatians (1996 live-action remake), 102 Dalmatians and The Parent Trap possibly due to being reprints of earlier releases. It also makes a surprise appearance on a Region 4 Single Disc DVD reprint of Dinosaur. Disney's final British VHS releases have the 13th logo.

Editor's Note: None.

12th Logo (February 1998-May 8, 2001)

Nicknames: "Blue Walt Disney Home Video", "Boring Text"

Logo: On a black background, we see the Persian blue words "WALT DISNEY HOME VIDEO", which stay on-screen a few seconds, then fade out.

Variants:

  • Sometimes, the text is smaller.
  • There is a variant, also with smaller text, where the text is in a slightly different font and is two-dimensional.
  • A prototype of this logo with gold text appears on the demo VHS of RocketMan, where the text is in a slightly different font and "HOME VIDEO" is smaller than "WALT DISNEY".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 8th logo.

Availability: Scarce.

  • This logo appears on a lot of low-priority live action titles as well as movies co-produced by Caravan Pictures, such as Rocketman and Inspector Gadget. Titles that include this logo are Summer of the Monkeys (U.S. Releases only), The Parent Trap (1998 remake), Remember the Titans, and various TV movies made for The Wonderful World of Disney.
  • The two-dimensional text variant can be seen on Winnie the Pooh: A Birthday Party in the Hundred Acre Wood (which is strange, as the tape is of an animated program).
  • The last tape to use this logo was The Miracle Worker. It is also seen on some trailers, including the home video trailers for Summer of the Monkeys and Inspector Gadget.

Editor's Note: Another placeholder logo made during the existence of the 8th logo, like the silver one that came before it, albeit far more consistent on which tapes it appeared on.

13th Logo (July 17, 2001-February 5, 2008 [2001-early 2010's for Thai VCDs])

Nicknames: "The Ring", "Disney in Space"

Logo: We see a bright flash with the "D" of the gold text "WALT DiSNEY" (in the familiar signature font), both of which are zooming out on a blue (or black) space background. When everything is at a comfortable distance at the top of the screen, the flash forms an abstract shining star below "WALT DiSNEY", and the light spreads out to form a glowing arc. When this is finished, "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" fades in underneath the arc in gold.

Variants:

  • There is a short version of the logo which was used on several trailers and ads from August 2001-October 2007. This was also used on VHS and DVD piracy promos from 2001-2005.
  • German VHS tapes have the same message from the German extended version of the 10th logo scrolling upwards into the arc, this time all without rectangles and in gold, and with the FSK label replacing part of the text. After the message is done, Tinker Bell appears and touches the star, letting the rest of the logo continue before she flies offscreen. She then returns to fly into the background.

FX/SFX: All modern computer CGI graphics. The logo has a classic Disney feel to it, however.

Music/Sounds:

  • July 17, 2001-December 18, 2007: A whoosh, then an orchestral/choir note with some bells.
  • November 28, 2006-February 5, 2008: A different orchestral theme with a woodwind section. This was first used on the 2006 DVD of The Cheetah Girls 2, and it replaced the 2001 theme entirely with Invincible (however, Disney's last VHS tapes, the 2007 Blu-ray of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and the 2007 DVD of Cinderella II: Dreams Come True all used the 2001 music).

Music/Sounds Variants:

  • There is a shorter version of the 2001 tune occasionally used on the short variant. A few NTSC DVD releases from December 2001-August 2002 have this audio plastered on the real logo.
  • The German version has the same tune that was used in the German extended variant of the 10th logo.
  • Trailers and TV spots use the opening theme of the trailer.

Availability: Very common. Can be found on DVD, UMD, VCD, VHS and Blu-ray Disc releases from the era, some of which are still in print. This was first seen on the VHS release of The Book of Pooh: Stories from the Heart (although the regular WDHV logo is on the label and packaging, as well as the DVD release), and was last seen on the 2008 DVD of The Aristocats.

  • The blue background one is typically used on animated movies (although it appeared on Kermit's 50th Anniversary DVD re-releases of four Muppet movies including Muppet Treasure Island and the Region 4 DVD release of Bedknobs and Broomsticks, despite these being live-action movies) and it also appears on the Bear in the Big Blue House VHS and DVD releases from 2004 and 2005, while the black background is reserved for live action movies (however, the black background was seen on a House of Mouse single episode DVD, a trailer for the Aladdin: Platinum Edition VHS and DVD, a trailer for Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street, as well as the 2006 Disney Movie Club VHS releases of Brother Bear 2 and The Wild, which are animated releases), though the logo for some reason is skipped to the movie on Muppet Treasure Island's audio commentary feature after its introduction. This was seen on 2002 French VHS releases of The Great Mouse Detective and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
  • As for VHS, this logo appeared late in the format's life and can be seen on the first Platinum Editions, as well as on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and Baby Einstein videos released between 2002-2005; among others.
  • The last VHS releases to use this logo were the 2007 VHS releases of Cars, the Platinum Edition of The Little Mermaid, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, and the 2006/2007 demo VHS of Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, all of which were exclusively for the Disney Movie Club and thus are very hard to find.
  • Strangely, this logo does not appear anywhere on most Pixar releases; instead, the box art uses the print Buena Vista Home Entertainment logo, while the discs/tapes themselves cut straight to the opening previews or, in the case of the 2003 DVDs of Finding Nemo (disc 1) and A Bug's Life, the DVD menu. Ratatouille and The Pixar Short Films Collection: Vol. 1 also have this on their respective covers, but the former has the next logo while the latter has no Disney logo at all. However, the VHS releases of The Incredibles and Cars do have this, as well as the latter's original Blu-ray prints from 2007.
  • It also appears on the 2012 Special Edition DVD print of The Aristocats, itself a reprint of the 2008 release, and the 2013 DVD releases of the TV shows: Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin, DuckTales, Darkwing Duck, and Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears, which are all reprints from the original 2005-2007 releases. This also appears on 2003-2006 releases of Studio Ghibli titles which include My Neighbors the Yamadas and Porco Rosso, among others (the logo is removed on the 2010 reprints of Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service, alongside the Disney Blu-Ray versions of all Ghibli movies they released, all of which use the next logo).
  • The 2002 Region 4 DVD releases of The Aristocats and Oliver & Company do not have this logo, despite it being on the cover; they just use the 1995 Disney Videos logo. This logo also makes a surprise appearance on the 2015 DVD release of DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (itself a reprint of the original 2006 Disney Movie Club exclusive DVD release).
  • It also appeared on the 2015 Region 4 DVD reprints of The Rescuers Down Under, Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, The Emperor's New Groove, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Lilo & Stitch, Home on the Range, Brother Bear, Treasure Planet, Robin Hood, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Rescuers, The Sword in the Stone, Hercules, and The Great Mouse Detective (presumably reprints of their original releases dating from 2001-07; this is due to an exclusive promotion at Big W, who re-released most Walt Disney films on DVD with limited edition packaging), but cuts to the previews on Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars, the menu on A Bug's Life, and the next logo is on Ratatouille.
  • This surprisingly appeared at the start of the Mexican VHS release of Daredevil VS. Spider-Man instead of the Buena Vista Home Entertainment logo.
  • Strangely enough, this appeared on the French UMD for PSP release of The Sixth Sense (a Hollywood Pictures film!), and also on a Thai VCD release of Touchstone Pictures' Deja Vu (the Buena Vista Home Entertainment logo was however seen before the previews).
  • On Thai VCD releases, this was used up until the early 2010s on releases like Bolt.

Editor's Note: Much like the 1st and 6th logos, this is also a popular logo among collectors.

14th Logo (November 6, 2007-2009)

Nicknames: "There is Only One Disney", "Movies. Magic. More.", "The Disney Castle"

Logo: We start out with clips from Disney movies and TV shows. It differs depending on the country or era the DVD was released in, but the first 3 always remain the same: Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan, and The Princess Diaries. The camera then zooms out, revealing a wall of hundreds of clips from Disney movies and TV shows, both animated and live-action, old and new. More and more clips fly out, replacing some others. One by one, the words "MOVIES.", "MAGIC.", and "MORE." zoom out and fade out. Then, all the clips come together to form the 2006 Disney castle. The ring gets drawn around the castle as usual, then "DiSNEY", in the famous script, fades in below.

Trivia: The appearance and positioning of the "DiSNEY" text would be used to replace the "WALT DiSNEY PICTURES" text on current films starting in 2011 with The Muppets, only it would appear out of the pixie dust coming out of the castle gate, instead of simply fading in.

Variants:

  • The clips may differ depending on the country or era the DVD or Blu-ray was released in.
  • On most releases with the 2007 variant of this logo, a black screen briefly advertising many of the films featured in the logo appears after it ends.
  • There is an uncommon closing variant seen at the end of Snow Buddies, Space Buddies, Santa Buddies and Spooky Buddies where the logo reads "WALT DiSNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT".

FX/SFX: All modern and beautiful CGI effects.

Music/Sounds: The overture from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (also used as the theme of the 1991 Morgan Creek logo). On the Pirates of the Caribbean clip, we hear Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp) say "We have our heading.", and on the Peter Pan clip, we hear the titular character (voiced by Bobby Driscoll) say "Here we GOOOOO!" After the Peter Pan clip, an announcer says "From the magic within our hearts... to the adventure beyond the horizon... there is only one Disney." After the announcer finishes speaking, the fanfare rises to a beautiful, triumphant state and ends with a majestic climax.

Availability: Although it was only used for two years, it is not hard come across this logo. First appeared on the DVD and Blu-ray releases of Ratatouille and appeared on a majority of releases from the late 2000s afterward. Some of the releases are still in print.

  • A few DVD and Blu-ray releases after Ratatouille like Cinderella II: Dreams Come True continued to use the 2001 Walt Disney Home Entertainment logo until February 5, 2008.
  • It also appears on a small number of non-Disney releases from Buena Vista, like the 2009 Irish/British DVD of The Secret of Kells.
  • This does not appear on the 2019 reissues of Ratatouille and WALL-E as they go straight to the opening previews and due to recycling content from their original DVD and Blu-Ray releases.

Editor's Note: None.

15th Logo (March 4, 2008-)

Nickname: "The Disney Castle II"

Logo: Just the tail end of the 2006 Walt Disney Pictures logo, except with the text replaced by “Disney” in the famous script, in an identical manner to the 2011 variant. It either cuts in (2008-2013) or fades in (2014-).

Variants:

  • November 16, 2010-2014: The regular 2006 Disney logo is used instead. This first appeared, in its original version, on the 2010 Blu-ray 3D release of A Christmas Carol, and was used as a home video logo sporadically for a time afterwards; the 2011 variant became the official home video logo, starting with the DVD and Blu-ray releases of Brave and lasted until sometime in 2014. This is also used for all Disney DVD and Blu-ray releases, starting with the 2013 DVD and Blu-ray releases of Mickey's Christmas Carol and Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year. On the World of Wonder demo disc, "STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT" replaces “PICTURES”.
  • 2011-2012: The logo is still and the text is changed to "WALT DiSNEY" (in the famous script) and "STUDIOS" underneath. This can also appear as a loading screen with the river flowing (with or without the company name) when the Blu-ray starts.
  • On 3D Blu-ray releases, the text "DiSNEY" zooms while fading in. This applies to this logo and the 2011 Walt Disney Pictures logo.
  • There is a Christmas variant with Christmas lights decorating the castle, a darker sky, and the "DiSNEY" text glowing.

Music/Sounds:

  • 2008-2013: The end of the 14th logo’s music, sometimes in low-pitch or high-pitch.
  • November 16, 2010-2014: The full 2006 theme.
  • 2011-2012: The logo is silent.
  • 2014-: Just the end of the 2006 theme.

Availability: Current and very common.

Editor's Note: None.

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