Last weekend was he D23 Expo and some amazing information came out of it. I was watching the tweets come live off of Twitter and was totally geeking out. My husband and I actually did a 30 minute podcast where we talked about some of the things we were excited – Star Wars Land! Toy Story Land! – but we really didn’t share what upcoming Walt Disney World Animation and Pixar Studios movvies we are excited about. This is what this post is for though! Here’s 7 upcoming Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Studio films I’m excited about.

John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, led the presentations, calling on a host of filmmakers from both studios to introduce the upcoming slate of films. “We really have an unbelievable range of movies in production at our studios right now,” said Lasseter. “The stories are dynamic, fresh and so much fun; the characters new and old are so appealing. I’m excited to share some of our long-held secrets for the first time at the D23 EXPO.”

The Good Dinosaur

Hayden is really excited for The Good Dinosaur and I have to admit that I am too! I love those “what if” movies and this one looks to be a lot of fun!

A the D23 Expo, Director Peter Sohn and Producer Denise Ream shared breathtaking sequences with fans, including never-before-seen footage of a trio of T-Rexes in action.

In theaters on November 25, 2015, the film introduces audiences to Arlo, a sheltered Apatosaurus who finds himself far from home, and Spot, Arlo’s unlikely human friend. “Arlo and Spot journey through a world that has been greatly inspired by the American Northwest,” said Sohn. “It is epic in scope, soul-enriching and simultaneously beautiful and treacherous. In this world, we meet up with a very special family of T-Rexes, who help Arlo find a way through his personal fears and ultimately teach Arlo what he’s truly made of.”

MOANA

Chatter was big on Twitter while talking about the film Moana. Even more exciting was that Dwayne Johnson {The Rock} came onstage while they shared early test footage and revealed plans for the film’s inspired music and the extraordinary team behind it.

ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 14: Actor Dwayne Johnson of MOANA took part today in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Dwayne Johnson

Moana is a sweeping, CG-animated adventure about a spirited teenager who sails out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest. During her journey, she meets the once-mighty demi-god Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), and together, they traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous fiery creatures and impossible odds. Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “The Princess & the Frog”), “Moana” sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.

Zootopia

We have actually watched the trailer for Zootopia a few times, Hayden is excited for the movie and so are Heath and I! {I’m a big Jason Bateman fan} In addition to Baeman, characters will be voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin and Shakira.

ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 14: (L-R) Director Byron Howard, actress Ginnifer Goodwin, director Rich Moore and producer Clark Spencer of ZOOTOPIA took part today in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Ginnifer Goodwin; Byron Howard; Rich Moore; Clark Spencer

Hilarious new scenes from the film were unveiled at D23, plus a tease of the all-new original song, “Try Everything,” written by singer-songwriter Sia and songwriting duo Stargate, and performed by Shakira.

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia,” a comedy-adventure directed by Byron Howard (“Tangled,” “Bolt”) and Rich Moore (“Wreck-It Ralph,” “The Simpsons”) and co-directed by Jared Bush (“Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero”), opens in theaters on March 4, 2016.

Coco

Director Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”) and Producer Darla K. Anderson (“Toy Story 3”) revealed the title of their upcoming film: Disney·Pixar’s COCO is the celebration of a lifetime, where the discovery of a generations-old mystery leads to a most extraordinary and surprising family reunion.

“As artists and filmmakers, we couldn’t help but be drawn to the striking visuals of Dia de los Muertos,” said Unkrich and Anderson. “But it was the celebration’s core themes of family, remembrance and connection across generations that resonated within and truly inspired us. Dia de los Muertos is as singular as the Mexican culture, while at the same time completely universal in its message. 

“In our story,” they continued, “the celebration of Dia de los Muertos serves as the perfect backdrop for our main character to ask where he comes from, what his place is within his family, and how families stay woven together across time through the simple act of remembrance.”

Gigantic

GIGANTIC is Disney’s unique take on “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and will feature music from Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who greeted D23 EXPO fans in signature style—in song—alongside Director Nathan Greno (“Tangled”) and Producer Dorothy McKim (“Get A Horse!”).

Set in Spain during the Age of Exploration, Disney’s GIGANTIC follows adventure-seeker Jack as he discovers a world of giants hidden within the clouds. He hatches a grand plan with Inma, a 60-foot-tall, 11-year-old girl, and agrees to help her find her way home. But he doesn’t account for her super-sized personality—and who knew giants were so down to earth? GIGANTIC hits theaters in 2018. 

People that were in the room were tweeting abut how excited they were to hear music from Gigantic! This is another movie we can’t wait to see!

Finding Dory

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 12 years since the release of Finding Nemo! It’s a beloved classic in this household, in fact our 2 year old twins went nuts over Nemo during our past Walt Disney World trip and had to have a plushie. That’s why we were excited when we heard that Finding Dory was being made!

Ellen DeGeneres, the voice of everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, took a dip with D23 EXPO attendees this afternoon, celebrating Disney·Pixar’s upcoming film FINDING DORY. Joining DeGeneres on stage this afternoon were Ed O’Neill (“Modern Family”), who lends his voice to Hank, a cantankerous octopus; Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”), the voice of Bailey, a misguided beluga whale; and Kaitlin Olson (“Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), who voices Destiny, a kind-hearted whale shark. Oscar®-winning Director Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL•E”), co-director Angus MacLane and Producer Lindsey Collins (co-producer “WALL•E”) offered details about the all-new story, which reunites Dory with friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?

Said Stanton, “In FINDING DORY, we can expect to address the one emotionally open-ended issue that remained from the first movie: Where is Dory’s family, and will this overly-optimistic fish with short-term memory loss ever be able to find them again? Her issue has also given us the opportunity to travel to very different locations, on land and sea, and meet a variety of new sea creatures that expand the world of Nemo, Marlin and Dory.”

Also featuring the voices of Albert Brooks, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton, Disney·Pixar’s FINDING DORY swims into theaters June 17, 2016.

Toy Story 4

I’ve saved the best for last!!!! Toy Story 4!! The Toy Story trilogy are some of my favorite movies EVER so when I heard there was another one coming, I wasn’t disappointed. I felt like the last one ended perfectly but I don’t doubt Pixar a bit in creating new stories and adventures for our favorite toys.

ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 14: Director John Lasseter of TOY STORY 4 took part today in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** John Lasseter

Pixar Animation Studios marks the 20^th Anniversary of TOY STORY this year. Said Lasseter, “All the characters from ‘Toy Story’—especially Woody and Buzz—are so close to us. They seem more like family members than just creations. Not only do we dearly love the characters, but we also love the world of ‘Toy Story’—the world where toys come to life when people are not in the room has always been rich with many story possibilities.”

Also joining in the celebration were TOY STORY 4 co-director Josh Cooley (“Cars 2,” “Ratatouille”) and Producer Galyn Susman (“Toy Story OF TERROR!”).Screenwriters Rashida Jones and Will McCormack (“Celeste & Jesse Forever”) joined Buzz, Woody and Bo Peep for the celebration. “I’m very proud of our films,” said Lasseter. “When we made the first three TOY STORY films, we didn’t realize what we had done was to change the genre of each of the films’ story. For TOY STORY 4, we are doing a type of story we have not done before: a love story. It’s a story about a relationship between Woody and Bo Peep. ”

TOY STORY 4, which will be directed by Lasseter and produced by Susman, is slated for release on June 16, 2017.

Which Walt Disney Studios Animation or Pixar film are you most excited for?