Walt Disney Pictures

Walt Disney Pictures refers to several different entities associated with The Walt Disney Company:

Walt Disney Pictures, the film banner, was found as a designation in 1983, prior to which Disney films since the death of Walt Disney were released under the name of the parent company, then named Walt Disney Productions. Another label, Touchstone Pictures, was created in 1984 to enable Disney to release films with a more mature content than what was associated with the Disney name.

Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studio Entertainment and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney Studios, acquires and produces output that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures banners. Their most commercially successful production partners in later years has been Jerry Bruckheimer, Spyglass Entertainment, Walden Media and Yash Raj Films.

Animated features produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, and DisneyToon Studios are usually released by Walt Disney Pictures. Exceptions include Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Nightmare Before Christmas which were originally released by Touchstone Pictures.

Logo
One of the most recognized designs featured a castle based on their famous theme park structures in Disneyland and Walt Disney World. With a blue background or a blue/black gradient background, a glowing arch flies over the white castle with the titles on the bottom.

In 2000, Disney introduced a different logo, in which the screen was black and a glowing beam appeared on the screen and shone light on a gold version of Sleeping Beauty's castle and the Disney logo. The beam then arched over the castle, and faded out. It was seen on live-action movies made by Disney, as well as the animated Disney film, Brother Bear, and a reissued version of The Lion King.

In 2006, on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Disney introduced a new logo, which begins with a glowing star shining in the night sky. The view then heads down to what appears to be a town with a sailing ship in the distance and a steam train crossing a bridge over a river, before flying high over the tallest spire of Sleeping Beauty's castle, which features fireworks and a white flag with the Disney family crest on it. Eventually it settles in front of the castle while the glowing arch flies over it, and the title appears at the bottom. The music in this logo is the modified version of "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio. Dead Man's Chest was the first live action film to receive the new logo, while Meet the Robinsons was the first animated film to receive it. Mark Mancina composed the music. The logo has received universally positive praise from moviegoers and Disney fans.

Distribution
Walt Disney Pictures distributes most all of their own films internationally, with a few excepted movies to Canada. Some, though not all, films by Walt Disney Pictures are distributed in Canada by another billion-dollar franchise known as Alliance Films. In Turkey, Walt Disney Pictures films had been distributed by United International Pictures.