Almost a decade after his death, Robin Williams' voice once again will bring joy to Disney audiences. In a tribute to a century of storytelling and magic, Disney Animation brought together an ensemble of 543 beloved characters from over 85 films for their animated short, “Once Upon a Studio.”

Directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy, the project sought to honor Disney's legacy without artificial intelligence.

To begin with, a dedicated team of artists, led by Eric Goldberg and Andrew Feliciano, meticulously brought these characters to life for over 8 months. It blended iconic figures like Snow White, Genie, Ariel, and more. 80% of the characters were hand-drawn, with the remainder created using computer-generated techniques. The goal was to make each character appear as though they had just stepped out of their respective films.

The short unfolds at the end of a workday at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank. This is where the studio transforms into a magical place as Disney Legend Burny Mattinson, who worked there for 70 years, departs. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and other characters step out of a photo for a 100th Anniversary Studio portrait.

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Now, the voices of these characters were thoughtfully selected. There were over 40 original voice actors. Some who were enthusiastic to reprise their roles were. Like Jodi Benson as Ariel, Kristen Bell as Anna and more.

The directors even managed to involve Robin Williams' voice for his iconic Genie character. Since it's without AI, Disney reportedly used previously unreleased outtakes.

Surprisingly, bringing these voices and characters together in a nine-minute short proved challenging. This is after the initial cut exceeded 13 minutes. Selecting the characters was a substantial challenge as well, as the directors had to choose who would take center stage in this magical celebration.

Regardless, with Robin Williams' voice, Richard Sherman re-recording ‘Feed the Birds' from May Poppins and other iconic roles, it's a Disney tribute to remember.