Pixar showed the completed film at CalArts on November 12, 1999, in recognition of the school's ties with Lasseter and more than 40 other alumni who worked on the film. The students were captivated. [31] The film held its official premiere the next day at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles — the same venue as Toy Story — and was released across the United States on November 24, 1999. [1] [38] The film's initial theatrical and video releases include Luxo Jr., Pixar's first short film released in 1986, starring Pixar's titular mascot. [39] Before Luxo Jr., a disclaimer appears reading: "In 1986 Pixar Animation Studios produced their first film. This is why we have a hopping lamp in our logo". [39] On December 25, 1999, within a month of the film's theatrical release, a blooper reel was added to the film's mid-credits, [40] [41] which features the characters, Flik and Heimlich, from A Bug's Life. Orr, Gilliar (May 17, 2012). "Pixar's billion-dollar delete button nearly lost Toy Story 2 animation". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018.

Desowitz, Bill (January 24, 2008). "Toy Story Franchise Going 3-D". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 22, 2015 . Retrieved September 23, 2012. As on the Ultimate Toy Box, two short deleted scenes and a shorter contextual introduction (0:47) by co-director Ash Brannon are included here. With a mix of storyboards and unfinished animation, the first, "Godzilla Rex" (1:28), offers an overly coincidental way to make Woody a part of the yard sale. The second, "Crossing the Road" (1:56), contains mostly finished computer animation, which makes sense since it is much like the dangerous cones-in-traffic scene in the film, only here it is set in the suburbs. Both scenes are presented in non-anamorphic widescreen and two-channel stereo.

Making Toy Story 2" (8:10) is a new featurette culled entirely from '90s footage, plenty of which appeared in a pair of Ultimate Toy Box featurettes that have been dropped. The bulk of it features interviews with the creative crew. In addition to plenty of film clips, it also provides a glimpse of voice recording sessions. One wishes there was more of that good stuff and some newly-filmed retrospection. But as the brief running time suggests, this is not an all-encompassing making-of piece or satisfying as a document of this stellar sequel's production. At least, though, it does reveal some of the rationale which sparked the movie's creation and drove it to excellence, such as the makers' maximizing of technological advances, respect for the original's quality and world, and retooling of the good ideas they previously had discarded for the first film.

Toy Story, were apparently game for a follow-up. Like the sequels for Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, and The Lion King that had either been released or in the midst of production, Toy Story 2 was intended to debut on VHS with a marketing campaign of something much more significant. Toy Story 2' will feature 'outtakes' Christmas Day". Palladium-Item. December 20, 1999. p.A9. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020 . Retrieved November 17, 2020– via Newspapers.com. Chen, David (October 12, 2009). "Lee Unkrich Announces Kristen Schaal and Blake Clark Cast in Toy Story 3; Toy Story 3D Double Feature To Stay in Theaters". /Film. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018 . Retrieved September 23, 2012. Pixar Films on DVD: Toy Story • A Bug's Life • Toy Story 2 • Monsters, Inc. • Finding Nemo • The Incredibles • Cars • Ratatouille • WALL•E • Up • Toy Story 3 Toy Story-inspired Hawaiian shirt in front of a tons of cool toys from the three movies he has directed). He welcomes you to the set in an amusing fashion, with Buzz, Woody, and Wheezy making cameos (in toy mode). This brief clip does not automatically play, but that's fine, since it's not something you'd need to see every time.AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains Nominees" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on November 4, 2013 . Retrieved August 18, 2016. a b c d Lasseter, John; Unkrich, Lee; Brannon, Ash etal. (2010). Toy Story 2. Special Features: Making of Toy Story 2 ( Blu-ray Disc). Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Riders in the Sky Music Medley" (3:08) delivers, as promised, a medley of songs featuring the quartet of costumed old cowboys. The act begins with the Riders at what appears to be Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Saloon on a stage designed like the set of the puppet TV show. This makes its theme song (and the group's only tune in the movie) "Woody's Roundup" a perfect place to start. They follow with "Act Naturally" and then, joined by a cowgirl whose boots were made for dancing, sing "Jesse the Yodelin' Cowgirl." After crooning "Hey Howdy Hey", they head outside for their "nighttime at the ranch"-themed finale, a Western-style take on "You've Got a Friend in Me." Conveniently enough, all of these songs emanate from the Riders' 2000 album Woody's Roundup, a fact that does not go unnoticed. Clips from Toy Story 2 are sprinkled throughout the fast-moving, impressively-designed performances. Gray, Brandon (December 5, 1999). "Weekend Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023 . Retrieved May 15, 2023. BROADCAST FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2013 . Retrieved November 23, 2013.