From Snow White to Wish, Walt Disney Animation Studios has made some of the most timeless and beloved animated features the industry has ever known, but the unfortunate truth is that not all have lived up to expectations.

To say that 2023 was a rough year for the Walt Disney Company would be a grand and glorious understatement. While the studio did have some major hits, the year celebrating its 100th anniversary didn’t precisely deliver the triumphant return to the heights of greatness it promised.

Related: Mickey Mouse Officially Removed From Disney World

Disney’s newest animated feature, Wish (2023), was billed as a love letter to classic Disney animated masterpieces, and it undeniably delivers on that description. However, it wasn’t the critical or financial success that the studio needed to recover from its flop era. It was likely because of this reception that Disney chose to hold off on its home media release until the dust had settled.

Wish Lands on Disney+

The Walt Disney Company has been undergoing some massive changes since 2024 began, and Disney CEO Bob Iger has truly been tightening the leash on what projects get made at the studio. While it wasn’t objectively a bad film, Wish might have been the wakeup call for both the creative and corporate sides of the studio.

Related: There’s a Hidden Mickey Mouse Easter Egg in ‘Wish,’ Directors Reveal

Asha (Adriana DeBose) and her quest to rescue the wishes of Rosas from the clutches of the sorcerous King Magnifico (Chris Pine) was a new twist on the tropey Disneyfied fairytale. With it’s design choices, use of familiar themes and elements made famous by Disney Animation, and focus on traditional fantasy imagery, it seemed like Disney finally found its groove again. However, that’s not exactly how the story ended.

The film’s consensus review on Rotten Tomatoes reads as follows,

“Wish earns some tugs at the heartstrings with the way it warmly references many of the studio’s classics, but nostalgia’s no substitute for genuine storytelling magic — no matter how beautifully animated it might be.”

Although the film saw improvements at the global box office and certainly made back its budget, it wasn’t nearly the major success that both the studio and the audience were hoping for. Although not officially stated by Disney themselves, it may be because of this failure that the studio chose to release the film on streaming months after its theatrical debut.

Disney Animation Hordes Wish’s Magic

On one hand, it’s semi-understandable that the studio would want to hold off on releasing the film until the backlash quieted. On the other, it feels highly unusual for Disney to hold it back for as long as it did.

Related: Disney Animation Is Trying Too Hard, Needs to Tone It Down

Strange World (2022) is considered the studio’s biggest flop, but it still made it onto streaming just over a month of its theatrical release releasing in theatres November 15, 2022 before hitting Disney+ on December 23 that same year. In this writer’s opinion, it feels incredibly suspicious that Disney would still want to keep Wish away from fans given what has come before.

Although the film didn’t score well with critics, its fan reception has been much more accepting than the tomato ratings might have some believe. Upon its original release, Inside the Magic previously pointed out that the film was a Disney movie made for Disney fans, but it left little room for anyone else.

Related: Original Disney Princess Asks Fans for One More Wish

Wish was far from the success that the studio needed, but that’s not to say it didn’t deliver on what the trailers promised. Connections to several of Disney’s beloved animated masterpieces can be found throughout the film, resulting in a heaping, healthy, and hearty slice of fan service.

The film arrives on Disney+ April 3, 2024, and could potentially be met with a much more receptive response from subscribers. With a little luck and some much-needed Disney magic, Wish might get the second chance it desperately deserves.