History Sequelitis / Disney

* Neither of the two sequels to ''Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids'' were anywhere near as popular as the first, although some fans consider ''Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves'' to be a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel compared to ''Honey, I Blew Up the Kid''.

Creator/{{Disney}} has produced many classic films in their near century long existence...but they've also produced a notoriously large number of [[{{Sequelitis}} underwhelming follow-ups]] to their classics along the way.

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* In the ''Franchise/StarWars'' series, this started with ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', which wasn't considered quite as good as the [[Film/ANewHope two]] [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack movies]] before it, but still a classic. Then came ''pre''quelitis, with ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' and ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' widely considered the two weakest films in the series. Revenge of the Sith, however, was generally thought to be an improvement, but [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel that's not saying much given the competition]]. Fortunately, the next in the series, ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', is generally believed to be a return to form, and ''Film/RogueOne'' is widely regarded as being a worthy prequel to ''A New Hope''. Unfortunately the same can't be said about ''Film/TheLastJedi'', which received [[ContestedSequel mixed receptions]] that [[BrokenBase divided the fanbase]] once again despite [[CriticalDissonance solid critical praise]].

*** ''WesternAnimation/Planes'', a spinoff of ''Cars'' made by Disneytoon Studios, managed to come off of as even more cliché and toyetic than the franchise it was spun off of, having not much heart or purpose outside of being The Merch to four-year-old boys.

* Franchise/{{Disney|AnimatedCanon}}'s run of DirectToVideo sequels produced by Creator/DisneytoonStudios (sometimes derisively termed "cheapquels") from 1994 to 2008 are some of the most infamous examples of {{Sequelitis}} in all of media. After ''Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' enjoyed reasonable success, it opened the floodgates. After Creator/JohnLasseter became Chief Creative Officer of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, he unplugged any future DTV Disney sequels and prequels that were still on the drawing board[[note]]including a ''Disney/{{Dumbo}}'' sequel that was announced on that film's 2001 DVD but had ended up in DevelopmentHell[[/note]], and only allowed films that were already in production (such as ''Cinderella III'' and ''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'', which became the last two of Disney's 14-year slate of DTV sequels) to continue. While not all of them were disasters, there were far more poor and mediocre sequels than you should expect from their franchises.

* Franchise/{{Disney|AnimatedCanon}}'s run of DirectToVideo sequels produced by Creator/DisneytoonStudios (sometimes derisively termed "cheapquels") from 1994 to 2008 are some of the most infamous examples of {{Sequelitis}} in all of media. After ''Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'enjoyed reasonable success, it opened the floodgates. After Creator/JohnLasseter became Chief Creative Officer of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, he unplugged any future DTV Disney sequels and prequels that were still on the drawing board[[note]]including a ''Disney/{{Dumbo}}'' sequel that was announced on that film's 2001 DVD but had ended up in DevelopmentHell[[/note]], and only allowed films that were already in production (such as ''Cinderella III'' and ''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'', which became the last two of Disney's 14-year slate of DTV sequels) to continue. While not all of them were disasters, there were far more poor and mediocre sequels than you should expect from their franchises.

* The page quote itself was a long time slogan for Disney. With ''WesternAnimation/ThreeLittlePigs'' being the best selling WesternAnimation/Silly Symphonies cartoon, and thus a ToughActToFollow, it's unsurprising to think about how ''The Big Bad Wolf'', ''The Three Little Wolves'' and ''The Practical Pig'' fared in comparison.

* For a [[Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon canon example]], ''Disney/Fantasia2000'', while enjoying quite a good reception, is not as well regarded as the original ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}''; [[LighterAndSofter a lighter tone]] stemming from celebrity hosts and more cartoony pieces speaks of lower artistic ambition.

* The first of the sequels, ''[[Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar The Return Of Jafar]]'', was intended as the multi part pilot episode for the ''Aladdin'' cartoon series, but was hastily converted into a direct-to-video feature late in its production. While it does have a fanbase, its universally considered to be a blatantly inferior follow up to the original ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', mainly due to the ridiculously OffModel LimitedAnimation throughout it and the replacing of Creator/RobinWilliams with Creator/DanCastellaneta.
* Franchise/{{Disney|AnimatedCanon}}'s run of DirectToVideo sequels produced by Creator/DisneytoonStudios (sometimes derisively termed "cheapquels") from 1994 to 2008 are some of the most infamous examples of {{Sequelitis}} in all of media. After ''Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'', the first of the direct-to-video sequels[[note]]which was actually the first few episodes of the then-upcoming [[WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries Aladdin cartoon series]] [[PoorlyDisguisedPilot stitched together into a feature]] at the 11th hour[[/note]], enjoyed reasonable success, it opened the floodgates. After Creator/JohnLasseter became Chief Creative Officer of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, he unplugged any future DTV Disney sequels and prequels that were still on the drawing board[[note]]including a ''Disney/{{Dumbo}}'' sequel that was announced on that film's 2001 DVD but had ended up in DevelopmentHell[[/note]], and only allowed films that were already in production (such as ''Cinderella III'' and ''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'', which became the last two of Disney's 14-year slate of DTV sequels) to continue. While not all of them were disasters, there were far more poor and mediocre sequels than you should expect from their franchises.

* The first of the sequels, ''Disney/TheReturnOfJafar'', was intended as the multi part pilot episode for the ''Aladdin'' cartoon series, but was hastily converted into a direct-to-video feature late in its production. While it does have a fanbase, its universally considered to be a blatantly inferior follow up to the original ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', mainly due to the ridiculously OffModel LimitedAnimation throughout it and the replacing of Creator/RobinWilliams with Creator/DanCastellaneta.

Creator/Disney has produced many classic films in their near century long existence...but they've also produced a notoriously large number of [[{{Sequelitis}} underwhelming follow-ups]] to their classics along the way.

Creator/Disney has produced many classic films in their near century long existence...but they've also produced a notoriously large number of [[{{Sequelitis underwhelming follow-ups]] to their classics along the way.

Franchise/{{Disney|AnimatedCanon}}'s run of DirectToVideo sequels produced by Creator/DisneytoonStudios (sometimes derisively termed "cheapquels") from 1994 to 2008 are some of the most infamous examples of {{Sequelitis}}. After ''Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'', the first of the direct-to-video sequels[[note]]which was actually the first few episodes of the then-upcoming [[WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries Aladdin cartoon series]] stitched together into a feature at the 11th hour[[/note]], enjoyed reasonable success, it opened the floodgates. After Creator/JohnLasseter became Chief Creative Officer of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, he unplugged any future DTV Disney sequels and prequels that were still on the drawing board[[note]]including a ''Disney/{{Dumbo}}'' sequel that was announced on that film's 2001 DVD but had ended up in DevelopmentHell[[/note]], and only allowed films that were already in production (such as ''Cinderella III'' and ''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'', which became the last two of Disney's 14-year slate of DTV sequels) to continue. While not all of them were disasters, there were far more poor and mediocre sequels than you should expect from their franchises.

* ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' has two sequels. The first one, ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeastTheEnchantedChristmas'', is considered slightly above average for the Disney sequels, but the plot has little to do with the fairytale, being more of a standard Christmas movie. The second one, ''Disney/BellesMagicalWorld'', is unanimously loathed by many, being a series of disjointed episodes clearly written to try and kick off a TV series which did not happen. As of 2016, ''Belle's Magical World'' stands as the only ''Beauty and the Beast'' installment without a UsefulNotes/BluRay, or even behind-the-scenes DVD bonus features.
* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea'' is again, accused of reusing the first film's ideas only telling the story in reverse (a human character wanting to become a mermaid) with a few new characters thrown in. [[Disney/TheLittleMermaidIII A prequel to the first one]] was also created, and it was the last installment released.
* ''Disney/PocahontasIIJourneyToANewWorld'' brings the title character slightly closer to her historical, real-life counterpart (her romance with John Rolfe, visiting England), and also shows her making more mature decisions. However, the quality of the movie itself was met with more varied opinions. It is particularly disliked because Pocahontas has a relationship with a different man in the sequel, destroying her romance with John Smith (though granted, she did think Smith was dead for most of the movie). The original was far enough removed from historical accuracy as it was.
* ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' has the first sequel, ''[[Disney/CinderellaIIDreamsComeTrue Dreams Come True]]'', which was perceived as weak and rather episodic. This is because, like ''Atlantis 2'' and ''Belle's Magical World'', it's made up of episodes for a planned TV series that never got off the ground.
* ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameII'' was criticized for inferior animation, generic songs, and how many of the characters were incompetent. It was also heavily panned for its villain, widely considered one of Disney's worst in a followup to the film that gave us Judge Claude Frollo, who's widely lauded as one of Disney's deepest villains. One of the complaints included that Victor Hugo's novel couldn't have had a sequel because close to none of the characters survived. It was largely created to [[ThrowTheDogABone give Quasimodo a girlfriend]], but Madellaine was not a popular character.

* ''Disney/AtlantisMilosReturn'', sequel to ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', actually ''is'' three episodes from a planned TV series based on the movie that fell through. It's painfully obvious, too, despite how desperately they try to connect the three completely unrelated stories together.
* ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'' had two sequels. One of them was ''Tarzan II'', a midquel featuring a young Tarzan. The other was ''Tarzan & Jane'', a straight sequel. ''Tarzan & Jane'' is considered at best mediocre, but ''Tarzan II'' is largely seen as even harder to sit through, due to basically being the first twenty minutes of the original film stretched to fit a 90-minute runtime. Its only remarkable feature is an ape played by Creator/GeorgeCarlin, who seems to spend the entire movie holding back a swear. Neither of them received a Blu-ray release, though the latter is available on Netflix.
* ''Disney/MulanII'' is decently animated, but is largely overlooked and ultimately criticized for the even greater liberties taken in its portrayal of Chinese culture, one character [[TookALevelInJerkass taking a level in jerkass]], and for leaving the plot in which Mulan must save China once more unresolved; specifically, it was Mulan's mission to escort the Emperor's three daughters to a powerful lord in order to marry his sons, which would secure a union that would safeguard China from an impending invasion by the Mongols. Instead, shocked at the very idea of an ArrangedMarriage, Mulan teaches the princesses to [[MarryForLove follow their own paths]]. This would be a meaningful lesson except for the fact that in doing so such a union apparently never took shape by the end of the film, which despite ending on an uplifting note with Mulan's wedding [[InferredHolocaust does not address the Mongol invasion that is now sure to happen]] due to these actions.
* ''Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' manages to really break the mold in terms of Disney animated movies, but its sequel, ''Kronk's New Groove'', was rather generic, playing out more like three episodes of a TV show strung together than an actual movie. Fittingly enough, there actually was later a TV series called ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewSchool'', complete with a [[TheOtherDarrin new voice actor for Kuzco]] and apparently having all of the soul of the first movie surgically removed and replaced with more slapstick.
* ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' has a [[Disney/BambiII direct-to-video midquel]] which was released just shy of the original's 65th anniversary. While it fares better with fans than most other Disney sequels, it is still usually regarded as average at best. The main complaints stem from that it either [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks adds too little new to the universe of the original]], or the changes it did make (i.e. playing up contemporary humor, humanizing the characters' personalities, and using contemporary folk songs mixed in with an orchestrated soundtrack) [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks were not for the better]]. It is generally praised for having good animation and visuals among the Disney sequels, however. Its high budget even garnered it a theatrical release in some regions.
* ''Disney/TheFoxAndTheHound2'' is hated as well, due to being almost completely InNameOnly, and the entire thing is accused of being a case of TastesLikeDiabetes. The original film was one of Disney's darkest and most somber works; the sequel runs completely against that by having the eponymous duo join a ''country band.'' And, to quote WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick, no matter where it finishes, you are where you left off in the original -- being torn apart by the roles of society. Though as with some others on this list, some people do think there are some silver linings, among them the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeArt well-done art and animation]], Music/RebaMcEntire as one of the members of the aforementioned band, and Creator/RobPaulsen's flawless Pat Buttram impersonation in the role of Chief. This is one of the last DirectToVideo sequels to the canon produced.
* In general, the "cheapquels" all suffer from this, simply by virtue of being lower-budget DirectToVideo sequels of polished, famous classics. Almost none are considered worthy followups, and even then, only in the cases where [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel the original film was considered poor to begin with.]] In general, the ones considered watchable films in their own right (if not compared to the original) include the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' [[Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar sequ]][[Disney/AladdinAndTheKingOfThieves els]], the ''[[Disney/TheLionKing Lion King]]'' [[Disney/TheLionKingIISimbasPride sequ]][[Disney/TheLionKingOneAndAHalf els]], ''Disney/LadyAndTheTrampIIScampsAdventure'', and [[ContestedSequel maybe]] ''Disney/ReturnToNeverland'', ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeastTheEnchantedChristmas'', ''Disney/BambiII'', or ''Disney/BrotherBear2''[[note]]The last DTV Disney sequel with a story set entirely after the original movie, save flashbacks[[/note]]. ''Disney/CinderellaIIIATwistInTime'' is likely the only one that many consider to be as good as, if not better than, the original movie.
* ''WesternAnimation/MickeysTwiceUponAChristmas'' suffers from ugly CGI animation, Donald and Max coming off as UnintentionallySympathetic (with Daisy and Goofy being Unintentionally Unsympathetic as well), and an overall lack of interest.
* One of the conditions Creator/{{Pixar}} put when they joined with Disney was that they wouldn't be [[ExecutiveMeddling required]] to make sequels. In fact, because one of the parts of the merger was putting Pixar's people in charge of Disney's animation studio, one of the first things they did was halted production of Disney's own ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', shutting down the studio that was making it (which got labeled as Pixaren't) and then they began working on the title in-house. Consequently, both ''Toy Story 3'' and the entire ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' trilogy have been lauded as cinema classics. They did, however, make a sequel to ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'', already considered one of their weaker movies, resulting in what is widely considered their ''worst'' movie, ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', and shattered their nearly spotless artistic reputation[[note]]the Cars series makes a ''lot'' more money than their other movies thanks to merchandising[[/note]]. The 2013 prequel to ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'', called ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'', didn't help matters, despite several good reviews. As of this writing, the only Pixar sequels outside of the ''Toy Story'' series to get a near-unanimously positive reception are ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' and ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2,'' both of which still tend to be seen as slightly lacking compared to [[ToughActToFollow their respective]] [[WesternAnimation/FindingNemo first]] [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles movies.]]
** ''WesternAnimation/Planes'', a spinoff of ''Cars'' made by Disneytoon Studios, managed to come off of as even more cliché and toyetic than the franchise it was spun off of, having not much heart or purpose outside of being The Merch to four-year-old boys.
* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in regard to the ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' movies. Due to the unique nature of the franchise, and the fact ''Winnie The Pooh'' in general lends itself well to the simpler storytelling of DirectToVideo projects[[note]]The franchise had in fact already had two long running TV series by that point[[/note]], these movies [[QuietlyPerformingSisterShow tend to be viewed separately from the rest of the sequels, and are thus exempt from the scorn thrown at the others]]. ''WesternAnimation/PoohsGrandAdventure'' and ''Disney/TheTiggerMovie'' in particular are seen as some of the finest works in Pooh's name. However, [[ToughActToFollow later Pooh films never achieved the heights set by those movies]], even if they rarely earn the same bile some of the other Disney sequels do.

** The page quote itself was a long time slogan for Disney. With ''WesternAnimation/ThreeLittlePigs'' being the best selling WesternAnimation/Silly Symphonies cartoon, and thus a ToughActToFollow, it's unsurprising to think about how ''The Big Bad Wolf'', ''The Three Little Wolves'' and ''The Practical Pig'' fared in comparison.

* In the ''Franchise/StarWars'' series, this started with ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', which wasn't considered quite as good as the [[Film/ANewHope two]] [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack movies]] before it, but still a classic. Then came ''pre''quelitis, with ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' and ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' widely considered the two weakest films in the series. Revenge of the Sith, however, was generally thought to be an improvement, but [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel that's not saying much given the competition]]. Fortunately, the next in the series, ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', is generally believed to be a return to form, and ''Film/RogueOne'' is widely regarded as being a worthy prequel to ''A New Hope''. Unfortunately the same can't be said about ''Film/TheLastJedi'', which received [[ContestedSequel mixed receptions]] that [[BrokenBase divided the fanbase]] once again.

* * ''Disney/MulanII'' is decently animated, but is largely overlooked and ultimately criticized for the even greater liberties taken in its portrayal of Chinese culture, one character [[TookALevelInJerkass taking a level in jerkass]], and for leaving the plot in which Mulan must save China once more unresolved; specifically, it was Mulan's mission to escort the Emperor's three daughters to a powerful lord in order to marry his sons, which would secure a union that would safeguard China from an impending invasion by the Mongols. Instead, shocked at the very idea of an ArrangedMarriage, Mulan teaches the princesses to [[MarryForLove follow their own paths]]. This would be a meaningful lesson except for the fact that in doing so such a union apparently never took shape by the end of the film, which despite ending on an uplifting note with Mulan's wedding [[InferredHolocaust does not address the Mongol invasion that is now sure to happen]] due to these actions.

Franchise/{{Disney|AnimatedCanon}}'s run of DirectToVideo sequels (sometimes derisively termed "cheapquels") from 1994 to 2008 are some of the most infamous examples of {{Sequelitis}}. After ''Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'', the first of the direct-to-video sequels[[note]]which was actually the first few episodes of the then-upcoming [[WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries Aladdin cartoon series]] stitched together into a feature at the 11th hour[[/note]], enjoyed reasonable success, it opened the floodgates. After Creator/JohnLasseter became Chief Creative Officer of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, he unplugged any future DTV Disney sequels and prequels that were still on the drawing board[[note]]including a ''Disney/{{Dumbo}}'' sequel that was announced on that film's 2001 DVD but had ended up in DevelopmentHell[[/note]], and only allowed films that were already in production (such as ''Cinderella III'' and ''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'', which became the last two of Disney's 14-year slate of DTV sequels) to continue. While not all of them were disasters, there were far more poor and mediocre sequels than you should expect from their franchises.

[[Films--Live Action]]

** The page quote itself was a long time slogan for Disney. With ''WesternAnimation/ThreeLittlePigs'' being the best selling WesternAnimation/Silly Symphonies cartoon, and thus a ToughActToFollow, it's unsurprising to think about how ''The Big Bad Wolf'', ''The Three Little Wolves'' and ''The Practical Pig'' fared in comparison.

* ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' has a [[Disney/BambiII direct-to-video midquel]] which was released just shy of the original's 65th anniversary. While it fares better with fans than most other Disney sequels, it is still usually regarded as average at best. The main complaints stem from that it either [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks adds too little new to the universe of the original]], or the changes it did make (i.e. playing up contemporary humor, humanizing the characters' personalities, and using contemporary folk songs mixed in with an orchestrated soundtrack) [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks were not for the better]]. It is generally praised for having good animation and visuals among the Disney sequels, however. Its high budget even garnered it a theatrical release in some regions.
* ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'' had two sequels. One of them was ''Tarzan II'', a midquel featuring a young Tarzan. The other was ''Tarzan & Jane'', a straight sequel. ''Tarzan & Jane'' is considered at best mediocre, but ''Tarzan II'' is largely seen as even harder to sit through, due to basically being the first twenty minutes of the original film stretched to fit a 90-minute runtime. Its only remarkable feature is an ape played by Creator/GeorgeCarlin, who seems to spend the entire movie holding back a swear. Neither of them received a Blu-ray release.
* ''Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' manages to really break the mold in terms of Disney animated movies, but its sequel, ''Kronk's New Groove'', was rather generic, playing out more like three episodes of a TV show strung together than an actual movie. Fittingly enough, there actually was later a TV series called ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewSchool'', complete with a [[TheOtherDarrin new voice actor for Kuzco]] and apparently having all of the soul of the first movie surgically removed and replaced with more slapstick.
*
''Disney/AtlantisMilosReturn'', sequel to ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', actually ''is'' three episodes from a planned TV series based on the movie that fell through. It's painfully obvious, too, despite how desperately they try to connect the three completely unrelated stories together.

* ''Disney/MulanII'' is decently animated, but is largely overlooked and ultimately criticized for the even greater liberties taken in its portrayal of Chinese culture, one character [[TookALevelInJerkass taking a level in jerkass]], and for leaving the plot in which Mulan must save China once more unresolved; specifically, it was Mulan's mission to escort the Emperor's three daughters to a powerful lord in order to marry his sons, which would secure a union that would safeguard China from an impending invasion by the Mongols. Instead, shocked at the very idea of an ArrangedMarriage, Mulan teaches the princesses to [[MarryForLove follow their own paths]]. This would be a meaningful lesson except for the fact that in doing so such a union apparently never took shape by the end of the film, which despite ending on an uplifting note with Mulan's wedding [[InferredHolocaust does not address the Mongol invasion that is now sure to happen]] due to these actions.

* ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' has two. The first one, ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeastTheEnchantedChristmas'', is considered slightly above average for the Disney sequels, but the plot has little to do with the fairytale, being more of a standard Christmas movie. The second one, ''Disney/BellesMagicalWorld'', is unanimously loathed by many, being a series of disjointed episodes clearly written to try and kick off a TV series which did not happen. As of 2016, ''Belle's Magical World'' stands as the only ''Beauty and the Beast'' installment without a UsefulNotes/BluRay, or even behind-the-scenes DVD bonus features.
* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea'' is again, accused of reusing the first film's ideas only telling the story in reverse (a human character wanting to become a mermaid) with a few new characters thrown in. [[Disney/TheLittleMermaidIII A prequel to the first one]] was also created, and it was the last installment released.
* ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' has the first sequel, ''[[Disney/CinderellaIIDreamsComeTrue Dreams Come True]]'', which was perceived as weak and rather episodic. This is because, like ''Atlantis 2'' and ''Belle's Magical World'', it's made up of episodes for a planned TV series that never got off the ground.
** In general, the "cheapquels" all suffer from this, simply by virtue of being lower-budget DirectToVideo sequels of polished, famous classics. Almost none are considered worthy followups, and even then, only in the cases where [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel the original film was considered poor to begin with.]] In general, the ones considered watchable films in their own right (if not compared to the original) include the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' [[Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar sequ]][[Disney/AladdinAndTheKingOfThieves els]], the ''[[Disney/TheLionKing Lion King]]'' [[Disney/TheLionKingIISimbasPride sequ]][[Disney/TheLionKingOneAndAHalf els]], ''Disney/LadyAndTheTrampIIScampsAdventure'', and [[ContestedSequel maybe]] ''Disney/ReturnToNeverland'', ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeastTheEnchantedChristmas'', ''Disney/BambiII'', or ''Disney/BrotherBear2''[[note]]The last DTV Disney sequel with a story set entirely after the original movie, save flashbacks[[/note]]. ''Disney/CinderellaIIIATwistInTime'' is likely the only one that many consider to be as good as, if not better than, the original movie.

-->--Creator/WaltDisney on the failure of the Three Little Pigs follow-up shorts

Franchise/{{Disney|AnimatedCanon}}'s run of DirectToVideo sequels (sometimes derisively termed "cheapquels") from 1994 to 2008 are some of the most infamous examples of Sequelitis. After ''Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' enjoyed reasonable success and kicked off the well-written ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries'', it opened the floodgates. After Creator/JohnLasseter became Chief Creative Officer of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, he unplugged any future DTV Disney sequels and prequels that were still on the drawing board[[note]]including a ''Disney/{{Dumbo}}'' sequel that was announced on that film's 2001 DVD but had ended up in DevelopmentHell[[/note]], and only allowed films that were already in production (such as ''Cinderella III'' and ''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'', which became the last two of Disney's 14-year slate of DTV sequels) to continue. While not all of them were disasters, there were far more poor and mediocre sequels than you should expect from their franchises.

* ''Disney/MickeysTwiceUponAChristmas'' suffers from ugly CGI animation, Donald and Max coming off as UnintentionallySympathetic (with Daisy and Goofy being Unintentionally Unsympathetic as well), and an overall lack of interest.

** One of the conditions Creator/{{Pixar}} put when they joined with Disney was that they wouldn't be [[ExecutiveMeddling required]] to make sequels. In fact, because one of the parts of the merger was putting Pixar's people in charge of Disney's animation studio, one of the first things they did was halted production of Disney's own ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', shutting down the studio that was making it (which got labeled as Pixaren't) and then they began working on the title in-house. Consequently, both ''Toy Story 3'' and the entire ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' trilogy have been lauded as cinema classics. They did, however, make a sequel to ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'', already considered one of their weaker movies, resulting in what is widely considered their ''worst'' movie, ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', and shattered their nearly spotless artistic reputation[[note]]the Cars series makes a ''lot'' more money than their other movies thanks to merchandising[[/note]]. The 2013 prequel to ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'', called ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'', didn't help matters, despite several good reviews. As of this writing, the only Pixar sequels outside of the ''Toy Story'' series to get a near-unanimously positive reception are ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' and ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2,'' both of which still tend to be seen as slightly lacking compared to [[ToughActToFollow their respective]] [[WesternAnimation/FindingNemo first]] [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles movies.]]

Franchise/{{Disney|AnimatedCanon}}'s run of DirectToVideo sequels (sometimes derisively termed "cheapquels") from 1994 to 2008 are some of the most infamous examples of Sequelitis. After ''Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' enjoyed reasonable success and kicked off the well-written ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries'', it opened the floodgates. After John Lasseter became Chief Creative Officer of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, he unplugged any future DTV Disney sequels and prequels that were still on the drawing board[[note]]including a ''Disney/{{Dumbo}}'' sequel that was announced on that film's 2001 DVD but had ended up in DevelopmentHell[[/note]], and only allowed films that were already in production (such as ''Cinderella III'' and ''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'', which became the last two of Disney's 14-year slate of DTV sequels) to continue. While not all of them were disasters, there were far more poor and mediocre sequels than you should expect from their franchises.