Disney Reportedly Wanted Toy Story to Be a Musical, But John Lasseter Said No

Disney reportedly pushed for Toy Story to be a musical, but John Lasseter refused, and that single decision may have saved the film from becoming something very different.

This is a fun piece of animation history for anyone who grew up with Woody and Buzz, since it shows how close Pixar's first feature came to following a completely different formula.

Disney Wanted Toy Story to Follow the Animated Musical Trend

According to the story, most animated films at the time were musicals, and Disney thought that approach would work better for Toy Story as well. That was the standard formula for animated features in that era, so it made sense that Disney would push for songs to be part of the film.

John Lasseter Declined to Make Toy Story a Musical

Despite Disney's preference, John Lasseter declined and said that he would not make Toy Story into a musical. That decision went against the typical animated movie format of the time and set Toy Story apart from its contemporaries.

Buzz Lightyear Was Named After Astronaut Buzz Aldrin

Another detail worth knowing is that Buzz Lightyear was actually named after Buzz Aldrin, one of the first men to walk on the moon. The connection between the toy space ranger and a real astronaut adds another layer to why the character was designed the way he was.

Why Skipping the Musical Format Mattered

Looking back, it is clear the choice to avoid turning Toy Story into a musical worked out for the best. "I'm really glad that they did not make this into a musical because it would have been a disaster."

Do you think Toy Story would have worked as a musical, or did John Lasseter make the right call?