Disney DVD en Español - The American Releases Guide

[Ric-Mx]

Disney DVD en Español – The Animated Classics Guide – American Releases

>>INTRODUCTION<<

This article tries to make reference to every animated classic by its type of release, centers on the American Region 1 discs, pointing some facts about the Mexican and Latinamerican releases.

This might serve as a guide for latin or spanish speakers US residents or anyone who is interested on learning this language and wants to practice by watching their favorite movies with this track on.

ABOUT THE REGION CODE, most of the Disney DVD’s, even if they were sold exclusively in United Stated are encoded Region 1 and 4. Every latinamerica release is encoded this way. The ones that are only Region 1 are: all the platinums, all the CE’s and some of the 2-disc Special Editions.

COMING SOON:
Stay on for the Mexican and Latinamerican Releases Guide.
Also check the list and description of the movies that lost their original spanish track and feature a new dub that might not be appealing for hardcore fans.

To get a clearer view about the different type of releases check this section: http://www.ultimatedisney.com/releasetypes.htm

>>PLATINUM TITLES<<

The first three titles of this line do not contain neither spanish audio track nor subtitles. This was odd since most of the animated classics released by Disney in the United States feature both, Spanish and French, language tracks, credited as special features.

The only way for the american market to get Snow White with an spanish language track was to get a copy from Latinamerica. There was a single disc release and also a double disc with the blue digipak. In this case all the supplemental features were in english with no subtitles, so disc 2 was basically the same in the american versions. NOTE: This movie was released with a new spanish audio track, dissapointing lots of fans.

Two versions of Beauty and the Beast were avaliable in the United States, although it’s hard to tell how scarce was the one with the spanish track. The main difference of this release is that it didn’t feature the “work in progress” presentation of the film and didn’t have a slipcover. The supplemental features were just subtitled, and the menues for disc 2 can only be seen in spanish or portuguese. This disc was not labeled “Platinum Edition” as it had the very same cover made for Mexico and Latinamerica.

The Lion King was also available in the US in two versions, and the DVD with the spanish track was also not labeled as Platinum. There are no differences on these sets, other than the audio tracks. No gift set was available with the spanish dvd version.

The Aladdin release marked the debut of the spanish tracks on the platinum line, so there are no longer two versions. We hope this will be the definite solution for the latin market on US, as Bambi also featured the original spanish track.

>>SPECIAL EDITIONS<<

Peter Pan and Pinocchio were the only two titles of the Limited Issue line that did not include an spanish audio track.

Later Peter Pan was re issued as an Special Edition and this time it did feature the spanish track. The only difference of the latinamerica release is that the supplemental features are subtitled, but they can be turned off. The original spanish track was included.

By this time Oliver and Company debuted on DVD as a Special Edition, but considered to be not so special, it also featured a spanish 2.0 track.


In 2003 Pinocchio was re issued as an Special Edition ONLY IN LATINAMERICA, featuring the same video restoration that the european version had and the same supplemental features. The original spanish track for this movie was included. So, the only way for the american market to get a dvd with an spanish track for this film is to get an import (most likely from a Mexican or Argentinean online retailer) or wait for the Platinum Edition reissue.

The Special Edition that caused a big, really big deception for latinamerican fans was Sleeping Beauty. This was due to the fact that it features a new spanish version of the film, that does not resemble the original cast at all. This was a 2 disc set and had the same cover that the UK version had. It was released five months before the the US discs, which were the ultimate edition that featured more stuff than anywhere else in the world. The US version also included a 2 channel mix of the spanish track on the fullscreen presentation of the film.

As for other recent releases, Alice in Wonderland – The Masterpiece Edition and Mulan - Special Edition, both feature the original spanish track. The Mulan SE release in Mexico and Latinamerica is identical to the US version, without a cardboard. Alice was released on january 2005, but not as a 2-disc set.


>>LIMITED ISSUE <<

There were nine titles on this collection, most of them featured the spanish audio track, advertising it as a “Bonus Feature”. These titles are:

The Little Mermaid
101 Dalmatians
The Jungle Book
The Lady and the Tramp*
The Lion King 2: Return of Simba
Mulan
Hercules
Peter Pan **
Pinocchio **

* Not the original spanish track.
** Did not feature Spanish track.

>>GOLD COLLECTION<<

Every Animated Classic from the gold collection, except Pinocchio, featured and spanish language track, at least mono or a Dolby Digital 2.0 mix.

These are the very exact discs released in Mexico and Latinamerica. The supplemental features were not dubbed or subtitled. The international releases of this titles were not available during the same time as the american ones.

This collection featured the following animated classics:

• Pinocchio
• Saludos Amigos
• The Three Caballeros
• Make Mine Music
• Fun and Fancy Free
• Melody Time
• Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad*
• Alice in Wonderland
• The Sword in the Stone
• The Aristocats
• Robin Hood
• The Fox and the Hound
• The Black Cauldron
• The Great Mouse Detective**
• The Rescuers Down Under
• Pocahontas ***
• Hercules ***
• Mulan

* Not released in Mexico and Latinamerica
** Released until 2005
*** This titles were released twice in Mexico and Latinamerica, with different covers, but the very same discs released before.

>>CE’s and STANDARD RELEASES<<

Tarzan and Tarzan CE both featured spanish audio tracks and subtitles.

The Emperor’s New Groove US release does not feature the Spanish language. There was a single disc release in Mexico, this was the only way to obtain this movie with the spanish track, which is pretty good.

Atlantis The Lost Empire features the spanish track on the single disc release but not in the Collector’s Edition.

Note: Not any of these Collectors Editions were released in Latinamerca, they only could be obtained as an import.

Lilo and Sitch, Treasure Planet and Brother Bear include the spanish track on the american releases. Oddly enough Home on the Range does not, this might be due to the fact that the dvd was released on the US by the time that it premiered on theaters in México.

>>THE REST OF THE CLASSICS<< (Not part of a particular line)

All of these titles feature a spanish track and/or subtitles, the international releases are just the same, and the supplemental features don’t even have subtitles:

Fantasia – Special 60th Aniversary Edition
Dumbo - 60th Aniversary Edition
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – 25th Aniversary Edition
The Rescuers
The Hunchback of Notredame
Fantasia 2000

[Lumiere]

wow!!!!!


great research!!

exacltly what I think, about the spanish language track!

Thanks a lot!!!

[Isidour]

I couldn´t agree more with Lumiere

your research it´s a really geat job Kiddo

[Joe Carioca]

Nice list, Ric-Mx!
I think I'm going to start studying Spanish just by watching Disney DVDs, hehehe.

[clfpan]

Perfecto!!!

super chido!

¿La Dama y el Vagabundo tendrá el OLD SPANISH TRACK o será uno nuevo?
Osea me refiero a la versión Platino ke saldrá en febrero...

[sethn172]

Nice list, Ric-Mx!
I think I'm going to start studying Spanish just by watching Disney DVDs, hehehe.

Howdy!

Yes, I do watch DVDs in Spanish sound with English subtitles, but not as a replacement for studying (exercises and flashcards, etc.), but to go with studying, as well as to keep the knowledge of the language committed to memory after finishing the foreign language requirements in school!

BTW, what does the region number say on the back of Latin American Disney DVDs? Is it just a "4," or a "1, 4"? Or is the "1" like an "easter egg" on every south-of-the-border Disney DVD, much like you think the "4" is an "easter egg" on our Disney DVDs? Just making sure, because, since I live in Texas, what if I wanted to spend a Saturday taking a few hours drive to Laredo and across the border for an hour or two, finding certain DVD titles that work in both Mexican and American machines? I can't waste time and money on a DVD better than the U.S. version that won't work on an American DVD player even though you say Latin Disney releases DO work on U.S. systems!

Why do I think your releases are better than ours? Well, they have Spanish on them (ditto), and they're pretty much like the U.K. versions (release dates [take DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp for example], cover art [compare R4 NTSC art with that of R2 PAL like on the Lizzie movie], etc.)!

And BTW, I have seen the following Disney DVDs (R1) in Spanish (and in whole):
- Brother Bear
- George of the Jungle
- George of the Jungle 2
- Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
- Mickey Donald Goofy: The Three Musketeers
- The Incredibles

Those are Disney movies; it was hard to remember because I've seen so many; most of them were from Universal and 20th Century Fox!

Yes, watching DVDs in another language is so much fun!

sethn172

[Ric-Mx]

Ok, first I'll answer to CLFPAN:

La Dama y El Vagabundo fue redoblada a finales de los 90's y ese es el doblaje que traerá, solo por lógica pues Disney no ha cedido a las peticiones y no lanzará los doblajes originales.

The Lady and the Tramp was dubbed (in spanish) once again in the late 90's, and that's the track that will be available on the PE release, just because Disney is not listening to the petitions and won't bring back the original spanish tracks.

Now to SETHN172

I also think it's fun to watch the movies in other languages.
Today I watched some scenes of Cinderella on french and it was so great, but I don't understand it well.

All Disney movies are R1 and R4 free, and yes, mexican releases indicate it. You can find both [1] and [4] signs on the back of each case.

Anyway. I just feel thet Snow White DVD was better on the Latinamerica version because it came on the beautiful blue digipak.

Lately, the releases are getting kind of lame, because getting just 1 disc (Pocahontas, Alice, Brother Bear, or Cinderella) but here in México you can find:

Lilo & Stitch: 2 Disc Special Edition that hasn't even been relased on R1 and no release date has been set. Instead it came out in México late 2004.

Tarzan: 2 Disc Special Edition. This recently got released over here, about two months. It seems that the R1 re-release has lost the 2nd disc.

Plus, some titles have become REALLY cheap:

Bambi 2 Disc Set and Aladdin 2 Disc set are $129 pesos each... that's about $11 US dollars... taxes included!

You can also find 1 disc releases of Alice in Wonderland, Emperor's New Groove, Hercules, The Rescuers, The Aristocats and others for the same low price.

Anyway, I highly reccomend you get those because the movies and the supplemental materials can be watched in english too...

[ThiagoPE]

BTW, what does the region number say on the back of Latin American Disney DVDs? Is it just a "4," or a "1, 4"? Or is the "1" like an "easter egg" on every south-of-the-border Disney DVD, much like you think the "4" is an "easter egg" on our Disney DVDs? Just making sure, because, since I live in Texas, what if I wanted to spend a Saturday taking a few hours drive to Laredo and across the border for an hour or two, finding certain DVD titles that work in both Mexican and American machines? I can't waste time and money on a DVD better than the U.S. version that won't work on an American DVD player even though you say Latin Disney releases DO work on U.S. systems!

Well, at least here in Brasil (I think the same rule is valid for México) the dvd has in its cover only region 4, but putting it to play in a region 1 player it plays fine. Also i can see that SOME US dvds also play in region 4 players, I think the ones with spanish audio play, I know that Sleeping Beauty and Finding Nemo play in region 4 players