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Walt Disney Television

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Logo descriptions by Jason Jones, Matt Williams, Matt Anscher, Nicholas Aczel, John Coffey and Gilblitz112 Logo captures by Eric S., wisp2007, sega3dmm, V of Doom, Logoboy95, CrazyBrandondorf, snelfu, and others Editions by Mr. Logo Lord, Shadeed A. Kelly and V of Doom Video captures courtesy of TaleSpinTV1990, CrazyBrandondorf, Tlogos, youngleader610 (Mr.Logo), PluMGMK, and Stephen Cezar

Background: Disney's TV output from 1954 until 1981 (the anthology series, Zorro, Mickey Mouse Club) had no in-credit text for "Walt Disney Productions" at all, only a copyright stamp at the end of the closing credits; also, it didn't have its own television arm until 1983 as "Walt Disney Pictures Television". The name Disney obviously required no indication, unlike other studios. Syndication of Disney's library was done by SFM Entertainment. The original Mickey Mouse Club, The Mouse Factory, and the 1970s revival of MMC were the only programs made available through syndication; in the days before the Disney Channel, the lesser movies and the short cartoons were seen only on the anthology series, while the animated films and first-tier live-action films were, of course, re-issued to theaters. When the anthology series moved to CBS however, this changed. In 2003, the Walt Disney Television Group (now the "Disney-ABC Television Group") in the U.S. was shut down and reincorporated to its television animation division (currently part of Disney Channel since 2005). The live-action division of the company was already folded into Touchstone Television (now ABC Studios) shortly after Disney reincorporated its TV output to its television animation division. Today, WDT is still active as in-name-only by producing programs internationally.

1st Logo (June 13, 1977,-November 19, 1981)

Logo: It's only in-credit text saying "WALT DISNEY TELEVISION".

Later Variants:

  • On the VHS tapes of “The Rescuers”, the text was superimposed on a dark navy-blue gradient background, with the text "WALT DiSNEY" in the corporate font and the word "TELEVISION” appears below.
  • A variant is an in-credit notice with "WALT DiSNEY" in its corporate font with "TELEVISION" below each other with a line in them. This is seen on “The Fox and the Hound”.
  • On the NBC version of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin promos in between us, and there's an in-credit notice reading "From Walt Disney Television".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Possibly none.

Availability: Rare.

  • It's seen on 1977-1981 anthology series episodes (when the show was titled Walt Disney) and on the Disney Channel Valentine's Day compilation of cartoon material entitled From Disney with Love. Since these are no longer on the Disney Channel, one must look for the commercially released (but long out of print) videotapes of the anthology series (the episodes being The Hunter and the Rock Star and The Ranger of Brownstone).
  • It can be seen been used on the few short-lived series the studio produced for CBS in 1982 and 1983 (Herbie the Love Bug, Gun Shy, Small and Frye, Zorro and Son), but these shows are never seen anymore, at least on television.
  • The Bill Cotter website has information on all TV produced by Disney and its subsidiary labels.
  • The text most likely first appeared on the Wonderful World of Disney episode "Welcome to the World".


2nd Logo (November 20, 1981)

Nicknames: "The Castle", "Blue Castle", "Magic Kingdom", "Disney", "Disney Castle"

Logo: A shortened version of the Walt Disney Pictures logo, starting with the white ball of light, then extending out to form the words "DiSNEY", but the castle moves on, and splits into 16 pieces. The parts form a castle against turning to face the viewer, and the Text settles on the main gate of the castle with the word "TELEVISION" below it instead. A white circular line is drawn over the castle.

Variants:

  • On international prints of their shows from the 1980s, the text (including the URL for the version with it) would crossfade to "Distributed by Buena Vista International, Inc.".
    • There's a slightly longer variant that starts about a second when 16 pieces appear rotating and moving, which it pans trough us, until the pieces form a castle where the screen goes to the middle and the logo

FX/SFX: The "flash", and the drawing with the line. For the later years, it's enhanced.

Music/Sounds:

  • standard logo: A synth section plays, with a reverse cymbal crash when is extends out to form the text that builds into a electric piano piece that gets more bombastic when it culminates into a re-orchestrated 6 note fanfare based on “When You Wish Upon A Star”. This real logo is real.
  • 1987-2003: A 6-note orchestral fanfare based on "When You Wish Upon a Star". This piece of music was previously used as a bumper for The Magical World of Disney.

Music/Sounds Variants:

  • On Disney+ prints of Hercules: The Animated Series, and on Disney Channel and Toon Disney airings of both DuckTales (also on the iTunes airings as well) and some episodes of Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears, it had a series of pings being played rapidly a la the piano due to it plastering the 3rd logo (see below).
  • Starting in 1988, a warped variant of the music was introduced. This was also used on a bumper for The Magical World of Disney.
  • On Disney's The Mighty Ducks, it used the 1995 Buena Vista Television theme.
  • Most of the time starting in 1986, the closing theme from any series is played over the logo, generic music when a series was shown on CBS from 1994 to 1996 and ABC starting in 1998 (mainly on TV specials) or the logo can be completely silent.
  • When Herbie Goes Bananas aired on The Disney Sunday Movie, the logo played at the beginning of the film to plaster the Buena Vista logo, with the film's BV music left intact.
  • When Mary Poppins aired on CBC in 1988, the logo played at the end of the film with a different fanfare using "When You Wish Upon a Star" as its basis. Said composition was commonly used as a bumper for The Disney Sunday Movie.

Availability: Uncommon.

  • The original version with the 6-note synth tune is extinct, as it has not been heard in years. DVDs do not have it as well, though recent Greek dubbed prints of the season 1 Disney's Adventures of The Gummi Bears episode "A Gummi in a Gilded Cage" leaves the theme intact over the 1995 version of the 3rd logo.
  • The 1986 version is uncommon and appears on many family programs on ABC, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Disney XD, and other Disney-produced shows on any network. It can still be found on reruns of Gargoyles on Disney XD and Recess on the direct-to-video movies on VHS and DVD. It also appears at the end of the Aladdin sequel The Return of Jafar, even on Blu-Ray copies.
  • This logo plastered over the 1995 or 1997 Buena Vista Television logo on all reruns of 101 Dalmatians: The Series in the U.S., even though when it originally aired in syndication, this logo was used (the BVTV logo or this logo was used when the show was on ABC). Oddly enough, when the logo was aired on the original ABC and syndicated episodes of said show, the end theme would play over it, slightly in-sync with the animation; however in all reruns, the logo plays after the closing theme has ended.
  • It surprisingly appears on the Goof Troop episode "Meanwhile, Back at the Ramp" on the Goof Troop: Volume 1 DVD set.
  • The 2000 logo is extremely rare, but can still be found internationally on the Disney Cinemagic network, like a few episodes of The Legend of Tarzan as well as Lloyd in Space.
  • It was also seen on Toon Disney prints of TaleSpin (except one episode, because the 3rd logo was retained, though all episodes on the iTunes and Disney+ prints keep this logo intact), Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, DuckTales (retained on the iTunes prints), Bonkers, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Marsupilami, Raw Toonage, The New Adventures of Winnie The Pooh, Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Disney's Doug, Recess, Pepper Ann, Disney's Wuzzles (retaining the Walt Disney Pictures variant), and Darkwing Duck, among other 1980s/1990s Disney cartoons, either retaining this logo from original prints or plastering the 1995 Buena Vista Television logo or the 3rd or 5th logos.
  • Starting around the mid-2000's, Disney Channel US prints of the first two seasons ofKim Possibleand first season episodes of Lilo and Stitch: The Seriesplastered this logo with the 2003 Walt Disney Television Animation logo.

Editor's Note: This is a very iconic logo and a favorite of many, especially due to the beautiful music used from 1987 onwards.

3rd Logo (1985-2003)

Nicknames: "Abstract Castle", "Multicolored Kingdom", "Disney Castle II", "Rainbow Disney Castle"

Logo: On a shady indigo blue background, we see the familiar Disney stylized, segmented castle (as seen in the 1985 Walt Disney Pictures logo), but shaded (from top to bottom) red, orange, and yellow. The white circular line is already there, as is the "WALT DiSNEY" corporate text below, but with "Television". A spark flies around the circular line from right to left (in the same vein as said movie logo) as the words fade to the Buena Vista Television text.

Variants:

  • There is a variant with no animation and no text fading when the "WALT DiSNEY Television" text stays on screen. Most Winnie the Pooh videos had this still logo, though other shows (such as several shows on Disney+ and overseas airings of Recess & season 3 of Timon & Pumbaa, and iTunes releases of Darkwing Duck) may have animation but no text fading.
  • The "WALT DiSNEY Television" text would cross-fade to the text reading as "Distributed By Buena Vista Television" or (for non-U.S. prints and most DVD prints) "Distributed By Buena Vista International Inc..".
  • Some showings of this logo have it fade out before the Buena Vista Television text fades in.
  • There is a variation where the background is black, the castle and curved line do not appear, and only the text appears and does not fade. This was used on the 1995 made-for-TV remake of Escape to Witch Mountain.

FX/SFX: The "spark" flying, and the text fades. In other cases (mainly VHS tapes or Betamax tapes), it's completely still.

Music/Sounds: A series of ascending pings sounding like when you move your hands rapidly on the keys of a piano. There was also a variant where it used different-sounding pings (sounding like a super high-pitched version of the theme), the 1985 synth theme or the 1988 long and warp-speed themes from the previous logo (both likely due to plastering jobs), the closing theme of the show as was the case of most shows (such as Raw Toonage, Marsupilami, and other Disney shows, starting in 1988), or none as was the case with the DVD's and Disney+ prints of Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears.

Music/Sounds Variants:

  • On seasons 1-4 of The Raccoons, a chime gliss is heard.
  • On the fifth season of The Raccoons, the ending customized song is heard.

Availability: Rare, despite being used for 18 years. However, this is also becoming easier to find in more recent years.

  • It appeared at the end of Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? and Bill Nye the Science Guy last aired on Univision, and before every Disney movie shown on TV outside the U.S.
  • Most shows on Toon Disney (now "Disney XD") would replace it with the 2nd Walt Disney Television or the 1997 Buena Vista Television logo, sometimes with the original music preserved.
  • However, this logo was found on the Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears, TaleSpin, DuckTales, Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers, Goof Troop, and Darkwing Duck DVDs.
  • This was seen on one episode of TaleSpin on Toon Disney (though it's plastered with the 2nd logo on the iTunes and Disney+ releases).
  • The non-animated version of this logo was found on the first three Winnie the Pooh Learning videos, while the animated version with no text fading appears on the first three Winnie the Pooh Playtime videos.
  • The animated non-fading version of this logo was used on overseas airings of some episodes of Recess, and on most season 3 episodes of Timon & Pumbaa and is intact on several Disney series on Disney+ and the iTunes releases of Darkwing Duck.
  • This logo is seen on Smart Guy on Disney+.
  • It's mostly seen outside the U.S.
  • The variant with the different ping tune is extremely rare and appeared on a Russian broadcast of Darkwing Duck.
  • Strangely, this and the Buena Vista International TV logo, followed the Touchstone Television logo on the Home Improvement season 2 episode I'm Scheming of a White Christmas, and the Boy Meets World season 5 episode Heartbreak Cory, both can be seen on their DVD releases.
  • TVP1 airings of Sidekicks also used this logo.


4th Logo (1987-December 25, 1988)


Nicknames: "Sixty Years of Mickey with You", "Happy Birthday Mickey!"

Logo: On a yellow background, we see Mickey, in a tuxedo, stand on a blue filmstrip with Steamboat Willie in it, over a pink circle with the words "SIXTY YEARS WITH YOU" in it. A green banner is behind him reading "MICKEY". Underneath is the blue text "WALT DiSNEY Television", with "WALT DiSNEY" in the corporate "Disney" font. Mickey later winks and then blinks his eyes twice.

Variants:

  • There is a longer version where it zooms out from the filmstrip and Mickey jumps in wearing a top hat. He throws away the hat and goes into his position as "WALT DiSNEY Television" fades in underneath.
  • A short version (without "WALT DiSNEY Television") exists that starts with Mickey just about to pose with the text on the circle and banner starting to fade in.
  • An even longer version appeared at the end of the 1988 Disney video Mickey's Magical World. See Mickey: Sixty Years with You for more details.

FX/SFX: Mickey taking his position. The circle and banner zooming out on the long variant.

Music/Sounds: The 1987 theme from the 2nd logo or the closing theme of the show.

Availability: Extinct.

  • It was seen on the 1987 program Disney's Golden Anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when it aired on The Magical World of Disney on December 25, 1988.
  • The full version (with 1987 music) was seen on a 1988 broadcast of Dumbo.
  • The short version (with 1987 music) was spotted on the TV special Disneyland's All-Star Comedy Circus.
  • The logo also (appropriately) appeared on Mickey's 60th Birthday.


5th Logo
(1990-1996, 1998)

Nicknames: "Abstract Castle II", "Multicolored Kingdom II", "Disney Castle III", "Rainbow Disney Castle II"

Logo: On a black background, we see the castle as in the 3rd logo with the 3-D words "Walt Disney Television" (now with "Walt Disney" in the same Times New Roman Bold font as the rest of the words) below it. A spark draws the circular line, but this time from left to right. As the line draws itself, the flags appear one by one on top of the castle. The words below fade to the Buena Vista Television text.

Variants: A still version was used on the 1996-97 season of The Disney Afternoon, this faded into the 1995 Buena Vista Television logo.

FX/SFX: The spark going from left to right, the flags appearing and sometimes a spark going through the circular line. This was all done by Flip Your Lid Animation.

Music/Sounds: Bell music, but in most cases, it's silent or the finishing of the end title theme from any show plays over the logo.

Availability: Very rare.

  • It's seen on such shows like TaleSpin (including its original pilot), among others and also used on 1994 re-runs of The New Adventures of Winnie The Pooh in syndication.
  • It was also seen on the Christmas episode of Bonkers titled "Miracle at the 34th Precinct", and surprisingly appears on the Goof Troop episode "Calling All Goofs" on the Goof Troop: Volume 2 DVD set.

6th Logo

(September 6, 1991-September 4, 1992)

Nickname: "Goofy Filmstrip"

Logo: Against a white background, we see Goofy appear upside down from the top-left corner with a quizzical look on his face. As his expression changes from a confused one to an excited one, the logo zooms out to reveal it's on a white filmstrip, superimposed on a shaded blue gradient background decorated with black drawings of the typical castle. The text "WALT DiSNEY Television" (with "WALT DiSNEY" in its corporate font) can be seen below the white filmstrip, then after a few seconds it changes to the "Distributed By Buena Vista Television" text.

FX/SFX: Goofy moving. All good Disney animation.

Variant: There is a longer version where we see Goofy's legs first, then the legs, walk off, and the animation continues as normal.

Music/Sounds: None or the ending theme of the show.

Availability: Extinct. It was originally seen on the 1991-1992 season of The Disney Afternoon.

7th Logo

(December 17, 2008)

Nicknames: "The CGI Castle", "CGI Magic Kingdom", "Disney Castle IV", "CGI Disney Castle", "Cinderella Castle", "Ultra Majestic Castle", "The Happiest Place on Earth"

Logo: We see the completed 2006 Walt Disney Pictures logo, with "STUDIOS" instead of "PICTURES".

Variant: On MMC presents, the spark is red.

FX/SFX: Same as the movie logo.

Music/Sounds: TBA.

Availability: Common.

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