Sep 23, 2026 · 26 min · 10 segments
Pixar is everywhere in the Disney Parks today — but it wasn't always part of the Disney family. In this episode, we trace Pixar's journey from outside collaborator to theme park powerhouse, with a…
Pixar was formed back in 1986 after Steve Jobs, of Apple fame, purchased the computer division of Lucasfilm and incorporated it as a separate company.
It was heavily focused on computer technology.
And one of the companies it worked with was Disney.
Beginning in 1986, Pixar and Disney collaborated on CAPS, C-A-P-S, the Computer Assisted Production System.
Disney used caps to modernize parts of its traditional animation pipeline, and the system was used on films including The Rescuers Down Under, The Lion King, and Tarzan.
Disney and Pixar had already been technological partners before they became feature film partners.
Then, in May of 1991, that relationship took a massive step forward.
Only one was ultimately made under that particular agreement.
Obviously, we know what happened next.
It became the first feature-length film made entirely with computer-generated animation, and it introduced characters who have now been part of popular culture for more than 30 years.
But there's an important distinction here.
And that's become increasingly difficult to remember because the brands are now so intertwined.
There's also an interesting contractual detail.
Under the original feature film agreement, Disney owned the proprietary rights associated with the first Toy Story film.
Pixar was formed back in 1986 after Steve Jobs, of Apple fame, purchased the computer division of Lucasfilm and incorporated it as a separate company.
It was heavily focused on computer technology.
And one of the companies it worked with was Disney.
Beginning in 1986, Pixar and Disney collaborated on CAPS, C-A-P-S, the Computer Assisted Production System.
Disney used caps to modernize parts of its traditional animation pipeline, and the system was used on films including The Rescuers Down Under, The Lion King, and Tarzan.
Disney and Pixar had already been technological partners before they became feature film partners.
Then, in May of 1991, that relationship took a massive step forward.
Only one was ultimately made under that particular agreement.
Obviously, we know what happened next.
It became the first feature-length film made entirely with computer-generated animation, and it introduced characters who have now been part of popular culture for more than 30 years.
But there's an important distinction here.
And that's become increasingly difficult to remember because the brands are now so intertwined.
There's also an interesting contractual detail.
Under the original feature film agreement, Disney owned the proprietary rights associated with the first Toy Story film.
The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode
No account is needed to search Radar.