Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicDisney+ subscribers woke up to a noticeably different streaming service this week, and one of Disney’s biggest franchises is at the center of the changes.
Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 (2026) officially began streaming on Disney+ on September 23, bringing Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of the toys to the platform following the movie’s theatrical run.
But Disney didn’t simply drop the movie onto Disney+.
The company also changed part of the Disney+ experience overnight, adding new profile options tied directly to Toy Story 5 (2026). For longtime subscribers who have grown accustomed to seeing familiar Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars characters available as profile icons, there are suddenly several new choices.
And they come with some very specific changes to familiar characters.
Disney+ Adds New Toy Story 5 Options
Subscribers can find the new avatars by heading into their Disney+ profile settings and changing their existing profile image.
These aren’t simply the standard versions of the characters that fans have known for decades, either. Each avatar reflects the characters’ updated appearances connected to Toy Story 5 (2026).
Woody appears wearing his poncho. Jessie has taken on the sheriff’s badge, while Buzz Lightyear has a gold star stuck to his chest.
That means Disney+ subscribers now have another way to bring the newest chapter of the franchise into their accounts without even watching the movie.
The timing isn’t accidental.
The avatars arrived alongside Toy Story 5 (2026) joining Disney+, making the streaming debut feel more like a larger promotional event rather than another movie simply appearing in the library.
Toy Story 5 Is Now Streaming on Disney+
The biggest change, of course, is the arrival of the movie itself.
Disney officially lists Toy Story 5 (2026) as streaming on Disney+ beginning September 23. The fifth installment reunites Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and other familiar characters while introducing a much different threat to traditional playtime.
This time, the toys find themselves dealing with technology.
Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, is a frog-shaped tablet that enters Bonnie’s home and disrupts the world the toys have known. Disney describes the central conflict as “Toy meets Tech,” with Woody and the gang facing a challenge that feels especially fitting for a franchise built around the changing ways children play.
Tom Hanks returns as Woody, Tim Allen voices Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack returns as Jessie, and Tony Hale is back as Forky.
The movie also introduces Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants and Craig Robinson as Atlas.
For Disney+, its arrival also means subscribers can now make the service something of a Toy Story marathon destination.
Disney says all four previous Toy Story movies are available through the platform’s Toy Story collection, alongside related shorts and specials.
Disney+ Gets a Toy Story Makeover
The new profile avatars may seem like a small addition compared with a major movie release, but they’re one of the first things subscribers can actually change themselves.
Instead of Disney+ simply updating its movie library behind the scenes, users can now change the appearance of their individual profiles with designs connected directly to the newest movie, and we’re sure that many fans will enjoy these.
There is another interesting connection for Disney Parks fans.
The updated character looks represented in the avatars have also appeared at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The new costumes debuted at the park over the summer, bringing the updated appearances into the real world before the Disney+ profile additions arrived.
That creates some consistency between what Disney is presenting in the parks, its newest Pixar movie, and Disney+.
For a franchise that has been around for more than 30 years, Disney is clearly putting the newest versions of these characters front and center.
A Big Week for Disney+ Subscribers
There is considerably more Toy Story content available beyond the new movie, as well.
Disney+ also features Toy Story 30 Years and Beyond – A Special Edition of 20/20, a 42-minute special exploring Pixar and the history of the franchise. The special includes interviews with original cast members, including Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.
Put everything together, and Disney+ looks different than it did just days ago.
Subscribers now have Toy Story 5 (2026) available to stream, three new character avatars to choose from, the previous four movies available for a franchise marathon, and additional Toy Story programming sitting alongside them.
Disney could have treated the streaming release as a simple catalog update. Instead, the company has extended Toy Story 5 (2026) into the Disney+ profile experience as well.
So, even subscribers who haven’t started watching the newest movie yet may notice something has changed.
Woody, Buzz, and Jessie have officially taken over another corner of Disney+.
What did you think of Toy Story 5? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below if you’ll be watching the movie on Disney+ this weekend!
