One of Disney’s best movies took 64 years to receive a sequel, but the long-awaitedBambi IIturned out to be incredibly disappointing. In recent years,Disney has increasingly focused on sequels, with this type of film mostly dominating their output. These films have been subject to varying degrees of success, though they have seen some of Disney’s most beloved stories receive a second installment. Numerous films received a theatrical release, but as a standard practice, the majority ofDisney’s sequels were direct-to-DVDtitles for over a decade towards the end of the 1990s.
Disney has seen a number offorgotten sequels to iconic moviesover the years, withBambi IIoften falling into the categorization as it was hampered by its simplistic narrative compared to the original story. In actuality,there were no remaining plot threads to tie up withBambi, nor was there any need for further character development.Bambi IIwas critically panned upon release, and now stands at a meager 44% score on Rotten Tomatoes, though its audience rating is slightly better at 60%. Despite its numerous shortcomings, one specific record setsBambi IIapart from Disney’s body of work.
Bambi 2 Came Out 64 Years After Disney’s 1942 Movie
Bambi 2 Holds A Record In Disney’s Long List Of Releases
Interestingly, the story of the young fawn saw 64 years between the first movie and its sequel. This makesBambi IIhold the record for the longest gap between a Disney movie and its sequel. The 2006 movie is branded as a “midquel,” as it takes place in the midst ofBambi, between losing his mother and growing into a buck. The sequel centers on Bambi learning the way from his father, the Great Prince of the Forest, until winter ends. In fact,Bambi IIwas originally titled “Bambi and the Great Prince,” before ultimately settling onBambi II.
64 years
52 years
Lady and the Tramp(1955)
Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure(2001)
46 years
Fox and the Hound(1981)
Fox and the Hound 2(2006)
25 years
The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Seas(2000)
11 years
Not far behindBambiisCinderella, which is Disney’s second-longest gap between an original movie and a sequel. The first film was distributed in 1950, and its sequel, Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, did not hit theaters until 2002. This marks an impressive 52 years between films, although the IP has remained popular with a number of iterations since then. That said, the story ofBambihas only two chapters, with the third movie facing cancelation shortly after the sequel. This is mostly due to Disney’s head, John Lasseter, who halted all distribution of direct-to-DVD sequels on appointment in 2006.
Bambi 2 Was One Of Many Uninspired Direct-To-Video Disney Sequels
From the early 1990s to the late 2000s, Disney released a mass of direct-to-DVD sequels, which were mostly the studio’s solution to capitalizing on their animated properties, in a relatively inexpensive way. Between the years of 1994 and 2008,Disney published 24 direct-to-video titles. These sequels were predominantly exclusive to video, though it is important to noteBambi IIhad a brief run in Argentinian theaters during January 2006. The sequel was later released as a video title in the U.S. on July 27, 2025, and was not all that impressive — but acted as one of Disney’s best-received direct-to-video sequels.
Bambi IIwas released on home video on alternating datesdue to its very limited theatrical release.
Disney’s video sequels often faced criticism for their lower budgets and simple storylines.Bambi IIwas released on home video on alternating datesdue to its very limited theatrical release. However, the title officially put an end to one of Disney’s main practices since the early 1990s. Interestingly,Bambi IIbecame one of the last Disney films to have a full opening preview on VHS. Fascinatingly, the vast majority of Disney films after this point displayed only the Walt Disney Entertainment logo before the film began to play.
