For five years, Disney’s steamboat mouse has been docked. Mere minutes of creativity and heart-wrenching content has ceased to hit production. That is, until now. Disney’s first theatrical short in over five years was released exclusively in theaters attached to Raya and the Last Dragon.

“Disney announced today that Us Again, a brand new short film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, will be released exclusively in theaters attached to Raya and the Last Dragon. But don’t worry, if you don’t feel safe visiting a theater right now, you’ll be able to watch Us Again on Disney+ in June,” said Collider.

Disney shorts have been missed by many, especially during this time with few theatres.

“It has been a little difficult not going to any movie theaters or seeing any Disney movies lately, like in a movie theatre where you can see the shorts, so it has been kind of weird,” said Kynleigh Hilton, a freshman dance major.

With this being a big return for Disney Shorts, the vibrant setting of “Us Again” seems only fitting.

“This new short is set in a vibrant city pulsating with rhythm and movement and tells the story of an elderly man and his young-at-heart wife, who rekindle their youthful passion for life and each other on one magical night when the years fade away as the joy of dancing propels them across the exciting cityscape of their youth and revives fond memories and ambitions,” said What’s On Disney Plus.

Along with lively animation, Disney had some well-known choreographers on staff.

“Award-winning choreographers/dancers Keone and Mari (whose collaborations include Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish), and acclaimed composer Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel) brought their unique talents to this experimental and musical fantasy, providing the soundscape for the dialogue-free story,” Collider said.

The music, art, and dancing set the environment of this short.

“Bringing in these experts had a noticeable impact on the short as the characters move so smoothly and naturally. If you enjoy “Dancing With The Stars” or “Strictly Come Dancing”, this short can’t be missed. The music is also another fantastic part of this film, making you want to shake those hips and join in,” What’s on Disney Plus said.

The director of this short, who was also known for his animation in “Big Hero Six”, pulled ideas from his own life experiences.

“When I was coming up with ideas, we pitched four ideas actually in the development process, but this idea, in particular, came from a time in my life when I was kind of struggling with the changes that go along with aging. I kind of, you know, bemoaning my aging body. I’m not a super old person, but I was starting to recognize those changes in myself and it kind of led me to these conversations with my mom…I realized that I kind of had my priorities wrong,” said Director Zach Parrish in a youtube interview.

Realizing the role of aging in everyone’s lives, Parrish decided to put it on the screen.

“‘The story itself was inspired by my own grandparents, who faced getting older in different ways, along with my own physical limitations in playing sports resulting from getting older and injuries. I started thinking about how someone might look at the world differently as things change and they grow older,” Parrish said on Collider.

With this latest return, viewers are looking forward to reconnecting with their childhood.

“I just remember as a kid and I would be something like Cars and all of the Disney shorts that would come before it, which is like a good memory from my childhood,” Hilton said.

Parrish leaves audiences with a simple yet impactful reminder.

“If I’m always looking in the past then I’m going to miss the beauty in the now,” Parrish said.