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By Movieguide® Staff
TOY STORY 5 smashed records with a $160 million domestic debut last weekend, and now every family with a Disney+ subscription is asking the same thing: when does this one come home?
“TOY STORY 5 is a wonderful and funny animated ride,” Movieguide® wrote in its four-star review. “Everything leads to a delightful grand adventure with loads of cheers, laughs and tears. The ending is very redemptive and concludes with a surprise church wedding.”
The Pixar sequel, directed by Andrew Stanton, opened June 19, earning the biggest debut in franchise history and the second-largest animated opening weekend on record — trailing only INCREDIBLES 2’s $182.7 million bow. Globally, TOY STORY 5 cleared $312 million its first weekend, making it the year’s biggest movie and then some.
Despite the record-breaking numbers, Disney is not expected to deviate from its standard distribution playbook. Conventional wisdom in Hollywood holds that a massive opening means a longer theatrical run, not a shorter one. Disney has no obvious incentive to leave box office revenue behind.
Disney’s typical theatrical window for major animated releases runs 60 to 100 days before streaming opens up. Pixar’s HOPPERS hit Disney+ 89 days after its March 6 debut; ZOOTOPIA 2, a massive worldwide performer, cleared 100 days before landing on the platform. Given that trajectory, TOY STORY 5 — with an even bigger opening — seems likely to lean toward the longer end of that window.
PVOD comes first — TOY STORY 5 is expected to become available for purchase and rental on platforms like Apple TV and Prime Video around the 45-day mark, pointing to early August. Purchases are expected to run $19.99 to $29.99, with 48-hour rental windows in the $14.99 to $24.99 range, though Disney has not confirmed an official date.
The free Disney+ window most likely opens between October and November 2026, depending on how the box office holds through the summer.
While families wait, Movieguide® makes the case for getting to a theater first. The villain of TOY STORY 5 is Lilypad, a scheming tablet device that draws Bonnie away from her toys and the kind of real friendships that screen time can’t replicate. Pixar lands its warning about tech addiction without making it feel like homework — Movieguide® praised the movie for stressing that physical play is essential to children’s emotional health and development, a topic Movieguide® has reported on for years.
Movieguide® notes a potent streak of redemption running through TOY STORY 5, with Lilypad ultimately recognizing the harm she’s caused and making amends. The movie promotes traditional marriage — that church wedding at the end earns its moment — along with friendship, good parenting and repentance.
Rated PG, TOY STORY 5 has brief potty humor involving a toddler-training device and a few tense moments that may unsettle very young children. For families across most age groups, Movieguide® recommends it.
TOY STORY 5 is in theaters now. For those content to wait on the couch — early October is a reasonable bet, but Thanksgiving may be more realistic.
Read Next: Box Office Predicts TOY STORY 5 Will Be the Biggest Movie of the Year
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