See also Modern animation in the United States#The Return of Disney.

Disney's Renaissance (1989–1999) was an era when the Walt Disney Animation Studios returned to making successful animated films mostly based on fairy tales, recreating a public and critical interest in the Disney studio. These animated films include The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan and Tarzan.

History

Before the Renaissance

During production of The Fox and the Hound long-time Disney animator Don Bluth pitched The Secret of NIMH to the Disney board members. The board rejected the idea, judging it to be too dark for children. Bluth, along with other Disney employees, subsequently left the studio in 1979 and founded Don Bluth Productions, producing The Secret of NIMH, released by United Artists in 1982. The studio eventually became Disney's main competitor in the animation industry during the 1980s and early '90s.

In 1986, the Disney Studios released The Great Mouse Detective and Universal released Don Bluth's An American Tail. However, An American Tail defeated The Great Mouse Detective and became the highest-grossing film on its first release. Two years later, the studios released Oliver & Company and The Land Before Time on the same weekend. The latter's opening weekend gross of over $7,526,000 broke all records, becoming the top grossing opening weekend for an animated feature. The film out-grossed An American Tail and became the highest-grossing animated film at that time