https://www.cartoonbrew.com/streaming/walt-disney-animation-studios-restored-shorts-disney-plus-229767.html 

https://www.animationscoop.com/disney-to-debut-28-restored-classic-shorts-on-july-7th/ 



The same team is also currently working on a new restoration for Snow White.

This is big, really big. These should look really good, and its the first time in years their adding classic shorts. Really looking forward to this, especially since Eric apparently doesn't kid around in his supervising role with the team. Hearing their doing the upcoming Snow White release is also great

Great news, but where's the studio's first series pilot "Alice's Wonderland" (1923)?

The only source material on it ends short. Disney has recreated this footage before, so I get why. I wouldn't ask "where's this cartoon" over so many, especially since its nice that this is happening and many more could potentially happen in the future

Super excited that they're at least adding shorts to Disney+ for their 100th! Off-topic but I wish Warner would to the same with their already average batch of cartoons. (Which would be adding all 256 cartoons from 1951-2004 back to their service.) One question that's back on topic, is Fiddling Around gonna have its original titles and not the WDT ones?

The first batch went onto Disney+ today and I spent my evening after dinner watching through them. These were all game changers compared to the terribly quality of the HD transfers done on roughly 100-150 titles a decade ago. They have grain, accurate color, and no modern corrections. Some thoughts on all the shorts presented.

AQUAMANIA: Nicely designed, funny, but highly economical in the Wolfgang tradition. I don't have much to say on its presentation, honestly

BATH DAY: Okay, not as comedic as other studio's shorts but it entertains. The Figaros were on the recent Disney Shorts blu ray and looked better than the rest of the batch, same copy and looking splendid

BUILDING A BUILDING: May of been done from a preservation element as it was noticeably grainier than the other shorts. Still looked very good, puts the HD transfer of STEAMBOAT WILLIE to shame. Has 70s reissue titles, which is whats on the master elements. I didn't mind this, though I am seeing people say they'd rather a recreation, which I understand. See Erik's upload of the titles here 

FIGARO AND FRANKIE: Tries to be like Tom and Jerry more than the other Figaro but is very uneven. I didn't even remember Frankie disturbed Figaro's cat nap by short's end. I would've substituted this for a Silly Symphony or a Donald, but that's me. Also looks really good

GOOFY GYMNASTICS: Beyond being very funny, it also looks remarkable. Lots of cel shadows which were usually suppressed in the HD transfers of Disney shorts a decade ago, amazing to see them leave it in. Soundtrack clear as day

THE SKELETON DANCE: Stunning to the point of mouth dropping. The most recommended watch of the batch. Being recorded with the poor Cinephone system, the sound team also gets my respect for doing a great job getting it up to date, given what they likely were up against. Crop also looks better than usual

In conclusion, go seek these out if you can. I'll get photos on here another time. Looking very much forward to future batches if they maintain the high standard set here. I hope future BD releases will only use the transfer presented here and that the shorts that have looked botched in HD for a decade now may be redone. Let's see what the future holds

These remasters were all so good. I was especially proud of The Skeleton Dance, Goofy Gymnastics and Aquamania. The grain and cel shadows actually made me smile, and I think I actually saw the camera stand photographed in one scene from the latter.

I do have a few gripes, though. Building a Building probably had its soundtrack sourced from the 1990s LaserDisc master, if the recreated opening music cue is anything to go by (same thing with the current print of Ye Olden Days). Also, Goofy Gymnastics has an early-40's RKO end title ("In Technicolor") tacked on despite having Buena Vista reissue titles at the beginning, plus the cel error of Goofy's unpainted eyes following the buzzing fly seems to have been "fixed".

But otherwise, I'm very happy with these restorations. Those earlier HD (Have a Laugh!) masters really bugged me, especially with the "recreated" titles. I'm fine if the real originals couldn't be found, but I'd prefer they be left alone.

These sound very intriguing - are any of the new restorations available online? Not a Disney+ subscriber unfortunately…

You'll have to ask someone who does ripping. Can't help


Here are some photos from SKELETON DANCE. I'll get photos of others momentarily

Some photos from BUILDING A BUILDING. I hope you all can see what I've said about BUILDING being from a preservation element. I've also determined several of these from the new team, including the 4K Cinderella, are reusing SD audio transfers. Not a dealbreaker since unlike Turner tracks, they still sound crisp and clean

In relation to the restored shorts, is the recent restoration of "Cinderella" (1950) that the same team did also on Disney+ yet?

It's coming August 25th. 

Here are some photos of Goofy Gymnastics. I have no time to compare to cel fix done on this short, someone else will need to provide that image

Here you go:

I can confirm that was fixed, strangely. I can't understand how that happened, it did fool me though so they did a pretty good job, even if inaccurate and unfaithful

Yup, it defiantly looks touched up. I don't get why they decided to fix that mistake. It isn't that noticeable.

Next batch dropped today:

Barnyard Olympics (1932).

Donald's Cousin Gus (1939).

Donald's Nephews (1938).

The Flying Jalopy (1943).

Goofy and Wilbur (1939).

Mickey's Steamroller (1934).

Looks like they used a genuine master positive for the title card in BARNYARD OLYMPICS. In fact, this appears to hypocritically be the same element used in the Treasures sets for every Columbia title card recreation. Nice to see it in high definition many, many years later!

Finally have assess to the new batch and will post some photos in the coming days. Some thoughts

BARNYARD OLYMPICS: The real deal for the titles although it seems a fake iris in was adding at the very beginning, no dealbreaker. Good image quality, one scene (Mickey going over line) seemed a little soft but could be a camera issue. Very interesting to compare to BUILDING A BUILDING in terms of using nitrate vs perservation element. Soundtrack was a little poor but its Cinephone so this is expected to me. Usually not one for B/W Mickeys but found this one more exciting than usual.

MICKEY'S STEAM ROLLER: 1970s titles and Minnie's Yoo Hoo music for titles (they could recreate the original in the future). Absolutely stunning image and sound. Nearly bored me to death with being way too cutesy and not so funny; the kinda plot they did better with at Fleischer with Popeye and Swee'Pea.

DONALD'S NEPHEWS: Particularly nice to see. RKO end card added at end like several color titles do. Rich colors throughout and nice sound although my tastes found the music track not very powerful. I thought it was funny but the "child psychology" idea would be done much, much better at other studios (as with many ideas the Disney studio did first or made popular)

DONALD'S COUSIN GUS: Same with comments above. Funny stuff, but again, the scenario was taken further with BILLY BOY and Gus himself would be copied by Famous to become Baby Huey, their best series in the 1950s (in my opinion)

GOOFY AND WILBUR: One of the best during the period of the shorts being the most lush. Effects are beautiful and sound is clear. Huemer was a talent who never lost the feeling of a NY guy, even after decades at Disney later on. This short shows his interest in doing good gags with plenty of character and emotion, something he excelled at

THE FLYING GALOPY: An interesting choice for the selection, especially since Ben Buzzard changed his name to Buzz and moved to Lantz after a few years. Good cartoon, and it looked very good, didn't notice anything special, but its nice to see one from Donald V2 get a good upgrade, and what an upgrade at that!

My first exposure to Gus Goose was a 1970's digest reprint of a comic book story that I assume was written and drawn by Carl Barks. Gus tags along when Donald and Daisy go to a rodeo. I remember Daisy saying "He idolizes you Donald.". Gus talks in the comic book story, so when I watched "Donald's Cousin Gus" for the first time on the Disney Channel in the 1980's, I thought it was weird that Gus didn't talk.