TOY STORY is one of Disney/Pixar’s most successful franchises, but did you know the series has generated a whopping $51 billion for the global economy?
“This is our No. 1 animated franchise,” Asad Ayaz, Disney’s chief brand officer, told Variety. “I don’t think there’s many other franchises that have been embraced by audiences and critics over the course of three decades. People who were kids when the first movie came out are taking their own children to the new TOY STORY.”
The #ToyStory franchise has generated $51 billion in economic activity, according to a study commissioned by Disney. Nearly $25 billion occurred in the U.S.
“This is our No. 1 animated franchise,” says Disney’s chief brand officer Asad Ayaz. “I don’t think there’s many other… pic.twitter.com/hMJZPzpqWc
— Variety (@Variety) July 15, 2026
The study that revealed this number, conducted by Steward Redqueen, stated that “much of” the $51 billion “comes from consumer product sales, which…lifts suppliers, retailers, small businesses and service providers.”
“That includes everything from salaries to the sales of clothing, dolls and games touting TOY STORY characters,” Variety reported. “It also factors in transportation, tourism, manufacturing, and utilities revenues related to seeing the movies, visiting theme park attractions and producing TOY STORY merchandise.”
The franchise recently celebrated a new addition — TOY STORY 5, which saw the movie’s beloved cast of characters face off against a new enemy: Lilypad, the tablet.
“The battle against tech — Lilypad, bless her,” Tom Hanks, who voices Woody, told D23. “The difference between being engaged in tech or playing with toys is as different as, I don’t know, apples and doorknobs. There’s no comparison.”
When asked if he hopes the movie generates discussions between parents and children about technology, Tim Allen, who plays Buzz Lightyear, said, “I don’t want a discussion; I want engagement. I want the kids to think, ‘I should play with all those toys I’ve got in my room that I got for Christmas or birthdays,’ instead of them getting stuck on the endorphin rush [of technology]. The toys in this film are saying, ‘Come take me off the shelf!’ See how your imagination works.”
“I’d love for the parents to put their phones down,” Hanks said. “When you sit down at dinner, everybody’s got to put their phones in the bowl and it goes on the other side [of the table] — leave them alone and just talk. And if the conversation doesn’t start right off the bat, just wait; something will come. It really can start with the parents.”
Greta Lee, who joined the TOY STORY universe as Lilypad, told TIME, “I have been on my own journey of constantly trying to recenter my family’s priorities. I recognize the parents in this movie. Nobody buys an educational tablet thinking, well, my child is never going to speak to me again.”
“Sometimes it even feels like a social responsibility: I need to arm my kid to live in a tech-first world, especially for girls with STEM. It gets all wrapped up in this messy web. I’m so glad the movie does not back away from that,” she continued.
It’s been over 30 years since TOY STORY first premiered, but the franchise is still generating major economic activity all over the world.
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