Disney Releasing 28 Restored Shorts on Disney+, Including “The Skeleton Dance”

The current state of The Walt Disney Company’s brand includes everything from Star Wars to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Pixar, with fans having a wealth of properties to show their support of, but with this year marking the 100th anniversary of the studio, they are looking back at where it all started. In honor of the anniversary, the studio is releasing dozens of its beloved shorts in the coming months on Disney+, which have been restored to a pristine quality. Kicking off in July, shorts such as “The Skeleton Dance,” “Goofy Gymnastics,” and “Aquamania” will be available to stream, with new batches of shorts debuting monthly.

“We are thrilled to be working with Kevin Schaeffer and the Studio’s restoration team in presenting these beautifully restored versions of classic Disney animated shorts,” Dorothy McKim, special projects and 2D animation producer, shared in a statement. “Two of our top artistic talents have lent their expertise and passion to the project to make sure that the films look their very best and are authentic to the creative intentions of the original filmmakers. We’re very excited to be sharing these wonderful shorts with the Disney+ audience. They have never looked or sounded better.”

Per press release, “Disney+ will begin debuting a collection of 28 newly restored Walt Disney Animation Studios classic shorts starting on Friday, July 7th, featuring such iconic stars as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Chip n’ Dale, and the studio’s first star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. This year marks the centennial of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, which is being honored as part of the ongoing Disney100 celebration.

“Ranging from classics to lesser-known titles, this package of short films includes examples of Disney’s earliest theatrical shorts, as well as a wide range of entertaining shorts featuring Disney’s most beloved characters. Chips Ahoy, a 1956 CinemaScope short starring Donald Duck and his chipmunk rivals, will conclude the series in October, leading up to The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary on Monday, October 16th.

“The restorations were spearheaded by Walt Disney Studios Restoration and Preservation team, led by director Kevin Schaeffer, working in close collaboration with creative advisors from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The latter included Dorothy McKim, special projects and 2D animation producer, along with color supervision by Mike Giaimo and animator Eric Goldberg. This same team recently restored Cinderella and are currently working on a restoration of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

The release schedule of these shorts is as follows:

Friday, July 7th

• “The Skeleton Dance” (1929)
• “Building a Building” (1933)
• “Bath Day” (1946)
• “Figaro and Frankie” (1947)
• “Goofy Gymnastics” (1949)
• “Aquamania” (1961)

Friday, August 11th

• “Barnyard Olympics” (1932)
• “Mickey’s Steam Roller” (1934)
• “Donald’s Nephews” (1938)
• “Goofy and Wilbur” (1939)
• “Donald’s Cousin Gus” (1939)
• “The Flying Jalopy” (1943)

Premiering September 5th-8th

• “Trolley Troubles” (1927)
• “All Wet” (1927)
• “The Barn Dance” (1929)
• “Playful Pluto” (1934)
• “Mickey’s Kangaroo” (1935)
• “Merbabies” (1938)
• “Bone Trouble” (1940)
• “Pluto, Junior” (1942)

Friday, October 6th

• “When the Cat’s Away” (1929)
• “Fiddling Around” (1930)
• “Camping Out” (1934)
• “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” (1938)
• “Old Macdonald Duck” (1941)
• “Inferior Decorator” (1948)
• “Chips Ahoy” (1956)

The newly restored shorts will start premiering on Disney+ on July 7th.

Which short are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!