History CashCowFranchise / Disney

** The first four films of ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' series are this for 20th Century Fox and Creator/BlueSkyStudios, each installment generating at least six times its budget, [[{{Sequelitis}} despite steadily declining critical reception]] (only the first film is certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes). And then [[FranchiseKiller the fifth film]] rolled out, which was savaged by both critics and audience, grossing only three times its budget. Still, $3 billion in total series gross ain't bad.

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' seems to be this as well, though on a smaller scale. All the games released on the UsefulNotes/{{P|layStation2}}S2 are labeled as Greatest Hits, and the series doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon, especially with ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' being a much awaited title that finally got released. Since ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' is Square ''and'' Disney, the cash-cow...ing of the game was inevitable.

Creator/{{Disney}} is such a titan of entertainment with so many Cash Cows, it needs its own page.

Creator/{{Disney}} has so many Cash Cows, it needs its own page.

** ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' makes Disney an insane amount of money each year. A settlement at one point for 2% of profits between Disney and the Creator/AAMilne estate was said to be around ''$300 million''. In fact, it is considered ''the'' highest-grossing media franchise according to the Wikipedia article at an estimated $48.5 billion.

** ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' makes Disney an insane amount of money each year. A settlement at one point for 2% of profits between Disney and the Creator/AAMilne estate was said to be around ''$300 million''. In fact, it was once considered ''the'' highest-grossing media franchise according to the Wikipedia article at an estimated $73.7 billion. However, it's since been succeeded by [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} the previous record holder]].

** ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'', even if [[http://www.plaidstallions.com/kenner/alien.html a lot is]] MisaimedMarketing given how [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids kid-unfriendly the whole deal is]].

** After ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' became the highest-grossing film at the time and the only film that came close to grossing $3 billion at the box office before ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' arrived, Disney has installed ''Ride/PandoraTheWorldOfAvatar'' in their Animal Kingdom location in Florida (even before they bought 20th Century Fox) and factory-issued 2 to 4 more sequels.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'': For WesternAnimation/TheDisneyAfternoon, the show was the first and biggest success, which inspired other shows to be greenlit. It's success and inspiration was such that it became the first property to be rebooted in ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017''.

* Though they've largely faded from [[WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts their original format]], Creator/{{Disney}}'s mascot characters have secured successful comic series, with wide arrays of spin-offs and sometimes even graphic novels, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in countries other than the US]] (Italy and Brazil in particular). Especially WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, who for ''several decades'' has been more popular than Mickey Mouse in Europe and Latin America.

* ''Franchise/{{Tron}}'': is a unique one despite it was highly advertised, saw a computer programming fandom, and the movies being a non-success in theaters, it has expanded uniquely into tie-ins, merchandise, video games, a comic miniseries, score albums, roller coaster attractions it's animated series ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' and the soon Tron: Ares sequel it still lives as a successful Science fiction franchise.

* ''Franchise/{{Tron}}'': is a unique one despite it was highly advertised, saw a computer programming fandom, and the movies being a non-success in theaters, it has expanded uniquely into tie-ins, merchandise, video games, a comic miniseries, score albums, roller coaster attractions it's animated series ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' and the soon Tron: Ares sequel as a successful Science fiction franchise.

* ''Franchise/{{Tron}}'': is a unique one despite it was financially promoted, a computer programming fandom, and the movies being a non success in theaters, it has expanded uniquely into tie-ins, merchandise, video games, a comic miniseries, score albums, roller coaster attractions and the animated series ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' and the soon Tron: Ares sequel as a successful Science fiction franchise.

* ''Franchise/{{Tron}}'': is a unique one despite it was financially promoted, large fandom and the movies being a non success in theaters, it has expanded uniquely into tie-ins, merchandise, video games, a comic miniseries, score albums, roller coaster attractions and the animated series ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' and the soon Tron: Ares sequel as a successful Science fiction franchise.

* ''Franchise/{{Tron}}'': is a unique one despite it was financially promoted and then after being a non success in theaters, it has expanded uniquely into tie-ins, merchandise, video games, a comic miniseries, score albums, roller coaster attractions and the animated series ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' and the soon Tron: Ares sequel as a successful Science fiction franchise.

* ''Franchise/{{Tron}}'': is a unique one despite it was financially promoted and then after being a non success in the theaters, it has expanded uniquely into tie-ins, merchandise, video games, a comic miniseries, score albums, roller coaster attractions and the animated series ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' and the soon Tron: Ares sequel as a successful Science fiction franchise.

* ''Franchise/{{Tron}}'': is unique despite it was financially promoted and then after being a non success in the theaters, it has expanded uniquely into tie-ins, merchandise, video games, a comic miniseries, score albums, roller coaster attractions and it's animated series ''[[WesternAnimation/Tron Uprising'']] as a later-on successful Science fiction Disney franchise.