The Walt Disney Signature Collection

[DisneyFan09]

Not necessarily. The clouds have been restored.

OK, fair enough.

Unsurprisingly enough, Luke haven't reviewed this release yet.

[Disney Duster]

How did people get the Bambi art? I didn't buy it, but I was just wondering how you get the art since when I bought Snow White, I didn't get the exclusive art with Snow White and a bird on her finger drawn by...that one guy...I don't remember. Does anyone remember what I'm talking about?

[Matt]

How did people get the Bambi art? I didn't buy it, but I was just wondering how you get the art since when I bought Snow White, I didn't get the exclusive art with Snow White and a bird on her finger drawn by...that one guy...I don't remember. Does anyone remember what I'm talking about?

If you bought the blu-ray it should be in your Disney Movie Rewards account under the "Unlocked Offers" once you click on that link scroll down and look for it. Once you find it you click on it and it will open up for you and even send you a email with the picture as well.
Hope this helps.

[unprincess]

^the Bambi art was a print that came boxed in the Blu-rays

like Matt explained, the Snow White art is actually digital, you unlock it when you put in your rewards code at disneymovierewards.com. (they made one for Lion King too)


I really dont care for getting the art digitally...Id rather get it the way they did the Bambi one.

[Jules]

I am getting seriously annoyed with blu-ray.com reviewers skipping over the video and audio section in their reviews of these Signature Edition discs. Just because they reuse a transfer from an earlier release does not mean it should not be re-evaluated, especially after a freaking seven or eight years!

Home theatre standards get higher and higher. Surely, any faults on the original blu-ray transfers (and believe me there are) are increasingly visible on today's wall-filling screens with their retina-scorching contrast ratios (I'm looking at you, Bambi).

[Disney Duster]

Oh, I don't have Disney Movie Rewards. That's why I didn't get the Snow White art.

Agreed Jules.

[Matt]

What is the next title and date to be released?
I'm guessing some time in January?

[Sotiris]

What is the next title and date to be released?

Fantasia is the next title but we don't know if Fantasia 2000 is going to be included.

I'm guessing some time in January?

We don't know yet for sure but going by the releases of Snow White & Pinocchio, I'm guessing late January/early February.

[pikachufan1336]

Does anyone have any proof Fantasia is next? I know about the book and that it's on the official website but A. the book doesn't really prove anything and B. Disney has announced Fantasia before on their Vault line up multiple times and it's never happened.

I'm not saying I'm against it, I would love to see Fantasia next! But I would love some proof.

[Sotiris]

I know about the book and that it's on the official website...but I would love some proof.

Aside from those, there's this post by a member at Blu-ray.com who claims a Disney Movies Anywhere rep told him that Fantasia and Lady and the Tramp being the next titles for release. If that's not good enough for you either, then you'll just have to wait until the official announcement by Disney, whenever that will be.

[JeanGreyForever]

Fantasia, much like The Lion King, was butchered when it came to bonus features. I've heard mixed reviews on the restoration as well with apparently half the segments having incorrect colors. As such, I'll look forward to seeing if any of those problems are fixed in this new edition. Lady and the Tramp already had amazing Diamond and Platinum editions, so I don't have any interest in that since it's safe to say that the new bonus features will be both measly and uninspiring.

[pikachufan1336]

Does anyone know if they are going to release Fantasia as a double bill with it's sequel?

I hope not, not that Fantasia 2000 is AWFUL but the first one is the only one I really care about.

[bruno_wbt]

The new trailer for The Walt Disney Signature Collection confirms all the movies that are going to be in this collection:

https://youtu.be/9pp4B7aJ1tQ

Now Available:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Beauty and the Beast
Pinocchio
Bambi
The Lion King

Comming Soon: (Not in order)
Fantasia
Lady and the Tramp
The Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Sleeping Beauty
Cinderella
Peter Pan
The Jungle Book
101 Dalmatians



In this trailer they say that Aladdin is "Now Available", which is an error... they might be talking about the Diamond Edition, but it's not the same collection...

[Sotiris]

^The same movies were shown in the zoetrope trailer that focused on Bambi.

[Matt]

The new trailer for The Walt Disney Signature Collection confirms all the movies that are going to be in this collection:

https://youtu.be/9pp4B7aJ1tQ

Now Available:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Beauty and the Beast
Pinocchio
Bambi
The Lion King

Comming Soon: (Not in order)
Fantasia
Lady and the Tramp
The Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Sleeping Beauty
Cinderella
Peter Pan
The Jungle Book
101 Dalmatians



In this trailer they say that Aladdin is "Now Available", which is an error... they might be talking about the Diamond Edition, but it's not the same collection...

I think they’re advertising the diamond edition since they haven’t put it in the vault yet. They will probably skip this as a signature edition too lol.

[pikachufan1336]

The new trailer for The Walt Disney Signature Collection confirms all the movies that are going to be in this collection:

https://youtu.be/9pp4B7aJ1tQ

Now Available:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Beauty and the Beast
Pinocchio
Bambi
The Lion King

Comming Soon: (Not in order)
Fantasia
Lady and the Tramp
The Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Sleeping Beauty
Cinderella
Peter Pan
The Jungle Book
101 Dalmatians



In this trailer they say that Aladdin is "Now Available", which is an error... they might be talking about the Diamond Edition, but it's not the same collection...

I'm sorry can I rant for a second (If you don't want to hear this just don't look, I just want to do some immature venting)
I understand why they would keep up the line up.
And I understand that this "line up" of theirs is pretty superfluous has no meaning.
But can I just say something.
They finally allow Fantasia in this line up and skip up on Alice and Dumbo.
First of all: WHY?
If your going to include one B list vault movie why not the other two. Isn't the whole point of including Fantasia at all is to increase the line up? And don't tell me "oh it's been officially vaulted" The film and it's meh sequel was on Netflix since 2013 (I think).
This vault system is close to death and everyone knows is pointless and instead of utilizing and taking advantage of what little they have left they have of this they are just going to take one step and continue to beat this dead horse. Even if they do stop vaulting these movies? It's not like Alice and Dumbo are not successful

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-market/ ... sales/2011

Bluray.com's "Movie collections" as of April 18, 2017
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: 14,467
Pinocchio: 11,647
Fantasia: 7,794
Dumbo: 9,194
Bambi: 9,800
Cinderella: 10,730
Alice in Wonderland: 10,186
Peter Pan: 8,937
Lady and the Tramp: 8,836
Sleeping Beauty: 13,616
101 Dalmatians: 7,254
The Jungle Book: 8,946
The Little Mermaid: 12,064
Beauty and the Beast: 19,050
Aladdin: 12,081
The Lion King: 19,387

I mean I like Fantasia and 101 Dalmatians but those two BARLEY edged in there I imagine. It's not like they'd be wedging these two in for superfluous fill in space anyway. Anyone want to bang their fist on the table and tell me that of all of these movies Alice and Dumbo are the weak ones out? Sure they might sell as FAST but that's not the point.

Second: If you're not going to give it a signature edition: what was the point of the DMC exclusive Blu ray/Digital exclusive, and then not give them wide releases like they did with Mulan and Pocahontas. Are you releasing them in a new pack? Why are you waiting so long then? You re-release the Fox and the Hound movie before Dumbo and Alice? What are you waiting for then? What was the point of all that?

Third: I know exactly WHY they are not in the lineup and not vaulted like the rest. I know it's because they were released on the Disneyland TV show and despite being successful in theaters, TV, and Home video (I know Alice was initially a disappointment). Therefore due to arbitrary reasons (tradition) they were among the first available on Home Video. Now they are so saturated in the market that Vaulting it is pointless. I get that. I get why they were never released on Platinum or even Diamond. But now?
Cinderella has been around for so long, unless they don't release it again for another 10+ years or so, that the sales are going to be embarrassing compared to the last time. As are the others. Hell basically all of them except for a few of them at this point (Peter Pan was only available for a year). At this point, even The Little Mermaid and Aladdin are no better than Alice and Dumbo at this point. Increasing the line up would increase the time span between movies, and then increase demand, etc. I know it won't be a big difference, but it's something. Again, taking advantage of what left they have. It's not like theirs going to be much investment in these releases anyway (the Alice and Dumbo blu rays had enough content and marketing that it might as be a Diamond anyway).


I know you (the reader) is probably thinking "oh you want special treatment" The answer is no. Sure a part of my blu ray collector OCD would LIKE that, but it's practically like wishing for a blu ray I already have be released by Criterion. And I'd be lying if once upon a time 10 years ago I did believe in this special treatment marketing trick. So I get it sure. But this has nothing to do with my satisfaction as a blu ray collector and more to do with my Disney/Business interest being confused and frustrated as hell. It's almost like watching a musical where the best singer is given two lines of a song. I don't plan to accomplish anything with this post. I know what everyone's answer is. I've heard it before. And I know you all think I'm being immature. I know I am, that's the point, and that's why I put this in the spoiler. I just wanted to rant. This line up is stupid as hell.
That said I do get annoyed by the people who take it personally if their favorite Disney movie is not in this "sacrilegious" line up, for obvious reasons: It doesn't make a difference. It's a marketing tool based on how well that particular movie does in that particular market, not popularity. Who cares? Besides even the guys who made these films will tell you they are't THAT great. (Walt was so frustrated by Sleeping Beauty he yelled at his animators). Similarly to how I get annoyed by people who take the Princess Line up seriously ("Why isn't Megara a princess?!"), and again I don't let it influence my opinion, (Find someone who will say Pocahontas is a superior movie to The Incredibles based on the former being a Princess: see no one). But I get the princess line up. It's still a very successful lucrative marketing tool. But the Disney Vault? No. I explained that already.
I would have been annoyed earlier since I know they put this on the official site. But because Fantasia has been announced every time that it would be in the line up (again, like Alice and Dumbo have at some point) and it never happens. I didn't think it would go through (especially since Sleeping Beauty is not in this line up). This.....this is just stupid.

Anyway, thank you internet for letting me vent and complain about something stupid. Again I know this is immature but, if I may quote from Harold and Maude: "Everyone has the right to make an ass out of themselves you can't let the world judge you too much."

[JeanGreyForever]

Here are the same 16 films listed in decreasing order, so highest selling at the top with lowest at the bottom.

The Lion King: 19,387
Beauty and the Beast: 19,050
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: 14,467
Sleeping Beauty: 13,616
Aladdin: 12,081
The Little Mermaid: 12,064
Pinocchio: 11,647
Cinderella: 10,730
Alice in Wonderland: 10,186
Bambi: 9,800
Dumbo: 9,194
The Jungle Book: 8,946
Peter Pan: 8,937
Lady and the Tramp: 8,836
Fantasia: 7,794
101 Dalmatians: 7,254

I'm a little surprised at some of the rankings actually. Surprised that Sleeping Beauty is so high but I guess that it being released on Blu-Ray twice has something to do with that, not to mention the Maleficent movie which may also have increased hype. But it's an interesting change from the VHS days when all the other fairy tale/princess films (Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin) were 5/6 of the top selling Disney films alongside The Lion King. Now Cinderella ranks at the bottom. I blame the Disney Princess franchise for that because out of all those films, Cinderella has probably suffered the most. Reusing the same botched restoration from the Platinum DVD probably didn't help matters either, so Disney really shouldn't act so surprised that Cinderella didn't sell as well as they hoped on Blu-Ray. Very glad that Aladdin is high because I know Disney was dismayed with how it sold on Platinum. I wonder if the long gap between DVD to Blu-Ray (in the US at least) had any effect on that.

Alice in Wonderland and The Jungle Book (especially The Jungle Book) are both lower than I expected so I wonder if that is in part because people opted for the live-action films instead. Especially in Alice's case.

I wasn't expecting Peter Pan to be so low actually, but as someone who can't stand it, I'm quite pleased to see that it ranks so low on the list. Interesting, especially since it wasn't part of the Platinum line originally alongside Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, and Pinocchio, and thus wasn't considered one of Disney's top ten sellers. Yet Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio are both really high now, whereas Peter Pan is extremely low. Fantasia's low number at least makes sense considering it was only on sale for a few months (not to mention that it has always been a niche title unlike the others), but Peter Pan has no such excuse. That means if Disney was ever to go back to making a special line that only featured their top ten selling titles, the new line would be the following:

The Lion King
Beauty and the Beast
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Sleeping Beauty
Aladdin
The Little Mermaid
Pinocchio
Cinderella
Bambi
and then either Alice in Wonderland or The Jungle Book.

Since Alice in Wonderland and Dumbo have never followed Disney's vault system, I'm guessing even though Alice and Dumbo both sell more than The Jungle Book, it would still be The Jungle Book that would take that coveted 10th position. This line would be pretty similar to Disney's original Platinum line except that Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio would replace Lady and the Tramp and 101 Dalmatians. I also wonder if Sleeping Beauty's dramatic rise has to do with not just being released on Blu-Ray twice as well as the popularity of Maleficent (both the character and somewhat the movie), but also because since the early 2000s when the Platinum line first started, the Disney Princess franchise really thrived so that raised Sleeping Beauty's status as a top-seller. I'm just glad that it and Pinocchio are in the top ten now, especially with Peter Pan still not there.

I wish Lady and the Tramp was higher. 101 Dalmatians too which I wasn't expecting to be so low. I still remember that the late 90s/early 2000s had a lot of Dalmatian merchandise probably because of the live-action films so I guess this film has really sunk in popularity. Interesting that both of the two Disney features that prominently feature dogs are no longer in the top ten.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to analyze the data of Disney's top-selling films. Especially as someone who really loved the Platinum Line at least when it was first conceived. After they started adding titles and their schedule was bumped up, it was clear that Disney was no longer really interested in quality releases anymore and there were clearly many non-Platinum releases that were better stocked with bonus features and just in general got better treatment than many of Disney's own Platinum releases (Peter Pan I think is generally considered the worst Platinum edition, probably because it was only pushed up for release to tie-in with a Tinker Bell film that ended up getting delayed anyway). The Diamond Line sounded like it was planning on returning to what the Platinum Line originally was but after Beauty and the Beast, even that clearly was not the case. Actually with Beauty and the Beast, because at this point it seemed like they cared more about releasing their big hits in 3D, which caused all types of restoration errors.

[pikachufan1336]

Here are the same 16 films listed in decreasing order, so highest selling at the top with lowest at the bottom.

The Lion King: 19,387
Beauty and the Beast: 19,050
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: 14,467
Sleeping Beauty: 13,616
Aladdin: 12,081
The Little Mermaid: 12,064
Pinocchio: 11,647
Cinderella: 10,730
Alice in Wonderland: 10,186
Bambi: 9,800
Dumbo: 9,194
The Jungle Book: 8,946
Peter Pan: 8,937
Lady and the Tramp: 8,836
Fantasia: 7,794
101 Dalmatians: 7,254

I'm a little surprised at some of the rankings actually. Surprised that Sleeping Beauty is so high but I guess that it being released on Blu-Ray twice has something to do with that, not to mention the Maleficent movie which may also have increased hype. But it's an interesting change from the VHS days when all the other fairy tale/princess films (Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin) were 5/6 of the top selling Disney films alongside The Lion King. Now Cinderella ranks at the bottom. I blame the Disney Princess franchise for that because out of all those films, Cinderella has probably suffered the most. Reusing the same botched restoration from the Platinum DVD probably didn't help matters either, so Disney really shouldn't act so surprised that Cinderella didn't sell as well as they hoped on Blu-Ray. Very glad that Aladdin is high because I know Disney was dismayed with how it sold on Platinum. I wonder if the long gap between DVD to Blu-Ray (in the US at least) had any effect on that.

Alice in Wonderland and The Jungle Book (especially The Jungle Book) are both lower than I expected so I wonder if that is in part because people opted for the live-action films instead. Especially in Alice's case.

I wasn't expecting Peter Pan to be so low actually, but as someone who can't stand it, I'm quite pleased to see that it ranks so low on the list. Interesting, especially since it wasn't part of the Platinum line originally alongside Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, and Pinocchio, and thus wasn't considered one of Disney's top ten sellers. Yet Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio are both really high now, whereas Peter Pan is extremely low. Fantasia's low number at least makes sense considering it was only on sale for a few months (not to mention that it has always been a niche title unlike the others), but Peter Pan has no such excuse. That means if Disney was ever to go back to making a special line that only featured their top ten selling titles, the new line would be the following:

The Lion King
Beauty and the Beast
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Sleeping Beauty
Aladdin
The Little Mermaid
Pinocchio
Cinderella
Bambi
and then either Alice in Wonderland or The Jungle Book.

Since Alice in Wonderland and Dumbo have never followed Disney's vault system, I'm guessing even though Alice and Dumbo both sell more than The Jungle Book, it would still be The Jungle Book that would take that coveted 10th position. This line would be pretty similar to Disney's original Platinum line except that Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio would replace Lady and the Tramp and 101 Dalmatians. I also wonder if Sleeping Beauty's dramatic rise has to do with not just being released on Blu-Ray twice as well as the popularity of Maleficent (both the character and somewhat the movie), but also because since the early 2000s when the Platinum line first started, the Disney Princess franchise really thrived so that raised Sleeping Beauty's status as a top-seller. I'm just glad that it and Pinocchio are in the top ten now, especially with Peter Pan still not there.

I wish Lady and the Tramp was higher. 101 Dalmatians too which I wasn't expecting to be so low. I still remember that the late 90s/early 2000s had a lot of Dalmatian merchandise probably because of the live-action films so I guess this film has really sunk in popularity. Interesting that both of the two Disney features that prominently feature dogs are no longer in the top ten.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to analyze the data of Disney's top-selling films. Especially as someone who really loved the Platinum Line at least when it was first conceived. After they started adding titles and their schedule was bumped up, it was clear that Disney was no longer really interested in quality releases anymore and there were clearly many non-Platinum releases that were better stocked with bonus features and just in general got better treatment than many of Disney's own Platinum releases (Peter Pan I think is generally considered the worst Platinum edition, probably because it was only pushed up for release to tie-in with a Tinker Bell film that ended up getting delayed anyway). The Diamond Line sounded like it was planning on returning to what the Platinum Line originally was but after Beauty and the Beast, even that clearly was not the case. Actually with Beauty and the Beast, because at this point it seemed like they cared more about releasing their big hits in 3D, which caused all types of restoration errors.

I'm glad there's someone else of interest in this! Here is an updated list:
The Lion King: 21,493
Beauty and the Beast: 20,032
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: 14,895
Sleeping Beauty: 14,010
Aladdin: 12,898
The Little Mermaid: 12,615
Pinocchio: 12,432
Bambi: 11,530
Cinderella: 11,087
Alice in Wonderland: 10,640
Dumbo: 9,636
The Jungle Book:9,439
Peter Pan: 9,248
Lady and the Tramp:9,156
Fantasia:8,154
101 Dalmatians: 7,615

Just for Clarification:
-This is just one site, this is not official by any means, but because Disney will never release their sales, it's a good start.
-I did not include the release of blu rays between 2008-present day. It's not fair to hold the movie's first time release sales to a release of a movie that is much older, since, of course, the first home video release of a movie will be it's peak.
-Just in case you're wondering, no I did not exclude any other non vault movies, the highest "collecting" non vault movie is Mulan (6,329) which is significantly lower to even the lowest "vault" movie.

This proves my point: Alice, a movie that was released on blu ray in 2011, and never officially vaulted. Made more than the Jungle Book, a movie released 3 years later on blu ray and only available for a limited time, even with a live action remake.
I don't particularly care what makes the most money and what doesn't.
I still hate the Lion King
Beauty and the Beast is still the Kids Bop version of the Jean Cocteau film (though the Disney version is still pretty awesome).
So no offense I'm not "satisfied" by any rankings, like you seem to be, unless... you're being sarcastic :\
And I do think that the princess thing is THAT influential, the best seller is not a princess movie.

Yes of course a re-release will upgrade this list, but not enough to justify that it's a staggering difference. Pinocchio didn't make that much of a difference even though this last release was the first time out of the vault in (I think) 8 years.

But, once again, this does help explain my frustration and confusion that I ever so maturely explained earlier.

[JeanGreyForever]

Thanks for updating the list. It seems consistent with the last one except Bambi ranks up higher than Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland now, which is probably because of the re-release.

Do you have a link to where these sales figures can be found? I'd love to see what other non-vault Disney films make, such as Pocahontas and Tarzan and where they rank. It'd be interesting to compare Disney's "lesser" classics.

I've never really understood why Disney doesn't put Alice and Dumbo in the Signature line. Yes, I know they have that home video tradition reason, but frankly at this point, it's just as antiquated as the Vault. If you're going to group together what the company considers to be their most classic films, then Alice and Dumbo shouldn't be excluded. Especially when their theme park commercials usually showcase these two the most.

I wouldn't say I'm satifised by these rankings, but I found them interesting to look at. I was pleased to see that Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio are much higher than I thought, especially because, as I said before, Sleeping Beauty was never as big a seller as the other fairy tale/princess films. I was also pleased to see that Peter Pan, the only film on this list that I outright can't stand, is far lower than I expected, at least when it ranks against the other classics. Now if only Lady and the Tramp could overtake it

However, I did grow up with the Platinum line, so I have always somewhat prescribed to Disney's practice of elevating certain titles over others. I didn't find it that problematic in the beginning, because Disney still made efforts with their other "lesser" titles such as Tarzan, The Emperor's New Groove, Atlantis, Lilo & Stitch, etc. Meanwhile, I loved how the Platinum films were also such huge events. Obviously that tapered down quickly to the point that non-Diamond releases like Dumbo and Alice were superior to Diamond releases like The Lion King and Bambi. To be fair, the latter two were released early on when Disney actually put effort in their blu-ray releases, but it goes to show that a label, whether Diamond or Signature, is just arbitrary.

And frankly, while I agree with the current Signature lineup (all except one), there are certainly films I would add to it. Alice and Dumbo certainly, but also The Rescuers and Tarzan because both were huge hits for Disney even if neither are much remembered now. Disney likes to pretend that after Walt's death with The Jungle Book, up to the start of the Disney Renaissance with The Little Mermaid, it had no huge box-office hit but that isn't true. Similarly enough, they like to pretend that after The Lion King, Tangled was their first big hit (maybe making an exception for Lilo & Stitch), but Tarzan was definitely one and even Pocahontas would be considered one if it hadn't come after The Lion King. Pocahontas, to me, feels like the new Sleeping Beauty, a very "highbrow" film that focuses more on the art and music, perhaps at the detriment of the characters, and ended up receiving mixed reviews from critics while not doing well at the box-office. Yet, one was raised up by Disney and is now considered one of their best films, while the other remains a company embarrasment. And frankly, I still think that if Disney didn't hide Hunchback away so much, the film would be better received and even considered a masterpiece of sorts, much like Walt's earlier films which "did not do well." But in general, I think the line should just be abolished because it hasn't really done much for most of the films in it, besides rampant merchandising for six months and even that really only applies to the six fairy tale/princess films and The Lion King, all of which probably don't need those massive advertising campaigns anyway.

[pikachufan1336]

Thanks for updating the list. It seems consistent with the last one except Bambi ranks up higher than Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland now, which is probably because of the re-release.

Do you have a link to where these sales figures can be found? I'd love to see what other non-vault Disney films make, such as Pocahontas and Tarzan and where they rank. It'd be interesting to compare Disney's "lesser" classics.

I've never really understood why Disney doesn't put Alice and Dumbo in the Signature line. Yes, I know they have that home video tradition reason, but frankly at this point, it's just as antiquated as the Vault. If you're going to group together what the company considers to be their most classic films, then Alice and Dumbo shouldn't be excluded. Especially when their theme park commercials usually showcase these two the most.

I wouldn't say I'm satifised by these rankings, but I found them interesting to look at. I was pleased to see that Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio are much higher than I thought, especially because, as I said before, Sleeping Beauty was never as big a seller as the other fairy tale/princess films. I was also pleased to see that Peter Pan, the only film on this list that I outright can't stand, is far lower than I expected, at least when it ranks against the other classics. Now if only Lady and the Tramp could overtake it

However, I did grow up with the Platinum line, so I have always somewhat prescribed to Disney's practice of elevating certain titles over others. I didn't find it that problematic in the beginning, because Disney still made efforts with their other "lesser" titles such as Tarzan, The Emperor's New Groove, Atlantis, Lilo & Stitch, etc. Meanwhile, I loved how the Platinum films were also such huge events. Obviously that tapered down quickly to the point that non-Diamond releases like Dumbo and Alice were superior to Diamond releases like The Lion King and Bambi. To be fair, the latter two were released early on when Disney actually put effort in their blu-ray releases, but it goes to show that a label, whether Diamond or Signature, is just arbitrary.

And frankly, while I agree with the current Signature lineup (all except one), there are certainly films I would add to it. Alice and Dumbo certainly, but also The Rescuers and Tarzan because both were huge hits for Disney even if neither are much remembered now. Disney likes to pretend that after Walt's death with The Jungle Book, up to the start of the Disney Renaissance with The Little Mermaid, it had no huge box-office hit but that isn't true. Similarly enough, they like to pretend that after The Lion King, Tangled was their first big hit (maybe making an exception for Lilo & Stitch), but Tarzan was definitely one and even Pocahontas would be considered one if it hadn't come after The Lion King. Pocahontas, to me, feels like the new Sleeping Beauty, a very "highbrow" film that focuses more on the art and music, perhaps at the detriment of the characters, and ended up receiving mixed reviews from critics while not doing well at the box-office. Yet, one was raised up by Disney and is now considered one of their best films, while the other remains a company embarrasment. And frankly, I still think that if Disney didn't hide Hunchback away so much, the film would be better received and even considered a masterpiece of sorts, much like Walt's earlier films which "did not do well." But in general, I think the line should just be abolished because it hasn't really done much for most of the films in it, besides rampant merchandising for six months and even that really only applies to the six fairy tale/princess films and The Lion King, all of which probably don't need those massive advertising campaigns anyway.

The sources are Blu Ray.com
Just click on the movie and tally up the number of "collections" (not including the 'fan' portion).
For example:
http://www.blu-ray.com/Lady-and-the-Tramp/20544/

Also thenumbers.com
Take into consideration what movies made the top 100 best sellers that year. Also, don't align the first time release of a movie on blu ray to the standards of a movie that was already released on home video. As I mentioned, the first introduction of home video is when the sales will be at it's peak.

Here's what I discovered.
Despite not being Diamond, Alice and Dumbo are the only two "non diamond" movies to make the top 100 best sellers of the year they came out.

It's very important to understand that what consists of the Disney vault has nothing to do with...
How well a movie did in theaters
how commercial the movie is
how prominant it is in the parks
how popular it is
how much merchendising it has

It is VERY SPECIFICALLY: How well that particular movie did in the home media market.


The only other factor, while a small one, is critical acclaim. This is because Disney, being the giant image obsessed corporate conglomerate that they are, if they are going to promote a movie that they label as "the best of the best", they are not going to promote a movie that will make them look bad. It's a tiny thing, but relevant, be it considered a deity of animation (Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, etc ) or a B list Disney film at best (basically all the 50's Disney films).

Again my grievances with this lineup has nothing to do with my personal taste or special treatment are more to do with the relevancy of it and the dogged refusal to do anything productive with it when Disney insists on continuing it.

Tarzan and the Rescuers did do well in theaters........but on home video.......not so much.

Even though it's easy and rather fun to predict a clut following of a movie. That's not a safe bet, that is corporately irresponsible. There is no way of knowing these things. As for Pocahontas, I don't see any "following" happening any time soon.