Disney's rebirth: Standing tall on the shoulders of Pixar

Artist concept of San Fransokyo, the setting for Disney's "Big Hero 6" (Disney)

"We're trying to build back that Disney name," Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter recently told the Los Angeles Times.

The studio has been undergoing a huge metamorphosis since the arrival of Lasseter and Disney Animation President Ed Catsmull. The two executives are alumnus from Pixar Animation Studios, which was acquired by Disney seven years ago. At the time, Disney's hand-drawn animated pictures had become obsolete.

Lasseter and Catsmull have brought a startup environment to Disney from Pixar, which was created in Emeryville, California. The later is a small town sandwiched in between Oakland and the outskirts of the University of California at Berkeley. Emeryville is considered Silicon Valley East.

"Pixar seemed so out of the ordinary that I was a little skeptical that it could be re-created," said "Wreck-It Ralph" and "Simpsons" alumnus Rich Moore, who was wooed to Disney five years ago. Read more