Why Disney Stopped Making 2D Animated Movies

Growing up as a kid in the late 80’s and 90’s, you cannot deny the powerhouse that was Disney. Every new animated film that got released felt like an instant classic and added a nice entry to our oversized plastic case VHS collection. The Mermaid. The Beast. Prince Ali. And the King of the Jungle himself. What did all of these movies have in common -- besides their epic sing your lungs out soundtracks? Traditional 2D animation.
Forget the theme parks, merch sales, and soundtracks topping the charts. The world of Disney was literally built on 2D animations, starting with the classic Mickey Mouse shorts and transitioning to full-color feature-length films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. And with each new Disney movie that followed Snow White, the stories and music were original -- but the essential art and design all felt like it came from the same family of animators.

Just check out any group shot of Disney Princesses -- they all have a similar style and vibe that feels so “Disney”, giving you a sense of nostalgia, comfort, and happiness which stems from the animations they originally came from. And now that’s all that remains -- the nostalgia. Why? Because Disney no longer produces 2D feature-length films. Instead, they are creating full CG movies like Moana, Frozen, and Wreck-It Ralph. Which are all great movies in their own right, but could have still existed among 2D releases as well.

It wasn’t just a style -- but an artform that has defined Disney for so many years. But the rise in technology and massive success over at Pixar led to the slow downfall of 2D movies -- eventually forcing Disney to shut down production on them all together. But what exactly happened? Learn why Disney stopped making 2D animated movies, the REAL reason for their downfall -- and how we can expect to see some type of revival in the future.

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[Soul-cry]

Why does no one ever remember Tarzan, it was such an amazing blend of 2D and 3D

[art_of_beelz]

I feel like the 2D animation was somewhat better in conveying character's emotions. That's partly the reason why the 3D and live-action remakes often seem so bland.

[chloejbraaten]

Disney 1995-2000: you get a sequel! You get a sequel! You get a sequel!

Disney 2015-2020: you get a remake! You get a remake! You get a remake!

[laureltree]

Treasure Planet? Amazing. Atlantis? Beautiful. The Emporer's New Groove? Still funny. At me

[joshualowe]

2D animation looks gorgeous, magical and full of life.

[DaddyOfTheSugarVariety]

I like 2D and CGI, but I hate remakes.

[lexslife]

Why is princess and the frog so underrated it is one of the best!!!

[mydude]

Damn 3d animation is taking over I miss the old 2d movies

[kydrafraznoir]

I would love to see a revival of traditional 2D animated films!

[ianlister]

did Screen Rant just try to explain animation to Disney?

[fuzionbeast]

I feel like 'Atlantis' & 'Treasure Planet' were ahead of their time, if it was made during this decade it'll be a hit.

[bhlakbatosai]

Disney will have to go back to their roots in 2D as all these live action remakes will fizzle.

[spideygamer]

And spider verse was a mix of 2d and 3d animation, in the Big Hero 6 sequel, they should give it the same animation style as spider verse

[katladyklawson]

I was thinking about why they aren't making NEW movies anymore, and instead making the movies more realistic

[TECfan]

Just one simple answer to this: $$$.
Same answer as to why they're remaking every animated film into live action.

[AddersOtter]

This is why I'm obsessed with Japan, I'd say. The US mostly gave up on 2d animation.

[graceriley]

Atlantis should have been more successful, and I feel like today it would have been

[Krendog]

Did he just say that Treasure Planet was a boring movie?! That movie was my childhood and still excites me to this day.

[wellitsmelbell]

The 3D animation looks cool and all but, 2D animation makes me feel calm and happy. I also like looking at the art styles of any good quarlity 2D animation films or series.

[edmg]

I unfortunately don't expect Disney 2D to come back anytime soon. Sure, 2D animation is killing it on television, and I'll even throw in anime in the mix as having some of the most beautiful animation and wonderful stories, but the problem is that when you look at what REALLY makes money in theaters you see the general populace just sees 2D animation as something for children. It's unfortunate, and I can't force people to like something they don't like, but audiences on the whole just seem to think that the more real it looks the more adult it is. I'll keep defending 2D animation as a storytelling medium, but we're not looking at a problem with Disney right now, we're looking at a problem with audience reception right now.