Disney has released a new short film called “The Magic of Movies: Jessie Saves the Day” — a heartwarming Toy Story 5-themed story created specifically to bring comfort and joy to children receiving care in hospitals across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The film arrives just days before Toy Story 5 opens in cinemas on June 19, 2026, and it is part of a long-running Disney initiative designed to put the power of storytelling to work for kids when they need it most.
What Happens in the Film
The short follows a young child in a hospital waiting room, clutching her Mr. Potato Head and Jessie toys as she is brought by wheelchair to an X-ray. Once the journey begins, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of the Toy Story gang spring into action with a single mission: help their young friend feel brave. Through humor, friendship, and reassurance, the beloved characters turn what could be a frightening experience into something filled with smiles. The film is a quiet, deeply sincere demonstration of what Disney storytelling can do when it is aimed directly at a child in a difficult moment. https://www.youtube.com/embed/SAsIN3Fp34I
The Disney Movie Moments Programme
The short is the newest piece of Disney’s broader “Magic of Movies” campaign, which operates under the Disney Movie Moments programme across EMEA. The initiative works with charitable partners to bring film experiences directly into children’s hospitals and pediatric care settings. That can mean large-scale cinema screenings, mobile movie theaters brought into wards, or Disney+ subscriptions for smaller and more personal viewings. The goal is consistent: give seriously ill and socially isolated children moments of joy, comfort, and togetherness that break through the day-to-day reality of a hospital stay.
Disney has been supporting children and communities around the world through social purpose programmes for more than 100 years, and Movie Moments is the continuation of that legacy in a very direct and tangible form.
How Fans Can Nominate a Hospital
Disney is inviting fans to play a direct role in expanding the programme’s reach. Anyone can visit thewaltdisneycompany.eu/moviemoments to nominate a hospital for a chance to receive Disney magic. Nominated hospitals have the opportunity to receive Toy Story: Take a Look artwork — the same kind seen in the short film — which is designed specifically to bring comfort to children in care.
Lee Jury, Senior Vice President of Marketing for The Walt Disney Company EMEA, put the initiative in plain terms: “For generations, audiences have connected with Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and the rest of the Toy Story gang because of the friendship, loyalty and sense of belonging at the heart of their stories. As excitement builds for Toy Story 5, we’re proud to use the power of these much-loved characters to help bring comfort and joy to children who need it most.”
Toy Story 5 in Cinemas June 19
The short film arrives as the full feature looms. Toy Story 5 opens in theaters on June 19, 2026, and this initiative is a meaningful way for Disney to channel the anticipation around that release into something that serves children who may not be anywhere near a movie theater right now. It is a reminder that the Toy Story characters have always been most powerful when they are doing exactly what they do in this short: showing up for someone who needs them.
Disney’s “Jessie Saves the Day” Short Film Brings Toy Story 5 Magic to Children’s Hospitals
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