Disney Vault

The "Disney Vault" is the term used by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for its policy of putting home video releases of Walt Disney Animation Studios's animated features on moratorium. Each Disney film is available for purchase for a limited time, after which it is put "in the vault" and not made available for several years until it is released again.

History
The practice is the modern version of Disney's practice of re-releasing its animated films in theaters every ten years, which began with the reissue of 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. During the 1980s and 1990s, when the home video market was dominated by VHS systems, Disney films would be reissued every ten years (a time gap equal to that of their theatrical reissues). With the transition to DVD technology, the moratorium period was continued.[1] Television commercials for Disney home video releases will alert customers that certain films will be placed on moratorium soon, urging them to purchase these films before they "go back into the 'Disney Vault'", in the words often spoken by Mark Elliot. Some direct-to-video Disney films, among them Bambi II, have also been released with a pre-established window of availability.[2]

As of fall 2011, after the release of The Lion King once again, Disney is expecting to increase up to four more of its animated feature-length films under their Diamond Edition banner each year, but for the rest of the Diamond titles by 2012/2013 (which is because of their first-generation non-Disney Vault line of 37 full releases worth of over 40 animated features on DVD & Blu-ray Disc and was finally being planned for creation and titled the Walt DIsney Special Editions line by 2013), and all of these animated features from Walt Disney Animation Studios are being escaped from the Disney Vault after that.

Controls
The Walt Disney Company itself states that this process is done to both control their market and to allow Disney films to be fresh for new generations of young children.[3] A side effect of the moratorium process is the fact that videos and DVDs of Disney films placed on moratorium become collectables, sold in stores and at auction websites such as eBay for sums in excess of their original suggested retail price. The practice also has made the Disney films a prime target for counterfeit DVD manufacturers.

Producers
Disney's live-action films, Pixar films, DisneyToon Studios flims, and films released by Disney's other film divisions/labels (Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax Films, Dimension Films) are not held to this rule, generally only being discontinued when a newer edition is released (or in the cases of Doug's 1st Movie or Recess: School's Out, when the show the movie is based on is cancelled)

However, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 (which are from Pixar) were once in the "Disney Vault" until 2005 where newer editions were released for those particular films. A 10th anniversary edition for Toy Story and a special edition for Toy Story 2.

Certain Disney animated sequels are part of this rule, though not all the time.

Films
The following films are currently considered as being in the cycle of movies which are subject to the rules of the Disney Vault.[4]
 * Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
 * Pinocchio (1940)
 * Fantasia (1940)
 * Bambi (1942)
 * Cinderella (1950)
 * Peter Pan (1953)
 * Lady and the Tramp (1955)
 * Sleeping Beauty (1959)
 * 101 Dalmatians (1961)
 * The Jungle Book (1967)
 * The Little Mermaid (1989)
 * Beauty and the Beast (1991)
 * Aladdin (1992)
 * The Lion King (1994)

Variations
In the US, Aladdin was originally included, but this has now been replaced by Fantasia. In Germany[5] and Canada,[citation needed] Alice in Wonderland is additionally included.

United States
Main article: Walt Disney Platinum Editions

In October 2001, with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney started releasing these films on DVD in "Platinum Edition" sets. This continued until 2005, when the release rate was increased to two films per year. The range, then containing Aladdin instead of Fantasia was completed in March 2009 when Pinocchio was released. This, and the previous release Sleeping Beauty, were also released on Blu-ray.

Main article: Walt Disney Diamond Editions

In October 2009, again beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney relaunched the range for Blu-ray under the banner "Diamond Edition". These releases will be released alongside "Special Edition" DVD sets.

United Kingdom
Main article: Disney Special Editions

Curiosities
An edition of Saturday Night Live's TV Funhouse[6] lampooned the Disney Vault with exaggerated claims, such as Walt Disney's head preserved cryogenically in the vault and an imprisoned Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets that were evidently purchased by Disney in 2004.