Act I
Opening Image
Immersive "bank-heist" play-fantasy shows toys in heroic action; snap to reality: they're boxed and dusty.
This beat in 16 films →Ordinary World / Setup
Andy (now 17) packing for college; toys lament being ignored.
This beat in 16 films →Inner Pressure / Wound
Fear of abandonment first planted in TS1, now acute: life without a kid.
This beat in 15 films →Inciting Incident
Andy puts most toys in a garbage-bag for attic; bag is mistaken for trash and ends up at the curb.
This beat in 16 films →Refusal / Debate
Woody insists it was an error; rest conclude Andy trashed them and opt for daycare donation box.
This beat in 16 films →Guide / New Information
Sunnyside's Lotso & Ken promise eternal playtime paradise.
This beat in 15 films →Break into Act II (Stunning Surprise #1)
Group chooses to stay at Sunnyside; Woody, loyal to Andy, departs alone.
This beat in 16 films →Act II-A
Secondary / Parallel Thread
Woody meets Bonnie and her gentle toy troupe, hinting at a new home.
This beat in 16 films →Fun & Games
Buzz's gang endure chaotic toddler play; Woody enjoys creative play with Bonnie.
This beat in 16 films →First Pinch Point
"Caterpillar Room" mauling + Lotso's night-shift prison routine reveal real stakes.
This beat in 16 films →Approach to Inmost Cave
Chuckles recounts Lotso's tragic backstory; Woody resolves to rescue friends.
This beat in 16 films →Midpoint
Woody sneaks back into Sunnyside; mission to break comrades out is set.
This beat in 16 films →Act II-B
Renewed Drive / Plan-in-Motion
Woody returns and the toys execute their Sunnyside escape, accidentally switching Buzz into Spanish mode along the way.
This beat in 13 films →Reversal / Betrayal
Lotso stops them at the dumpster; when Woody exposes his lie, Big Baby throws Lotso into the trash.
This beat in 14 films →Bad Guys Close In
Lotso pulls Woody into the dumpster, the others follow, and the garbage truck carries everyone to the landfill, restoring Buzz on impact.
This beat in 16 films →Second Pinch Point
The conveyor, magnet, and shredder force the toys into increasingly desperate choices with no route back to Andy.
This beat in 14 films →All Is Lost / Apparent Defeat
Woody saves Lotso and helps him reach the emergency stop, but Lotso abandons the toys to the incinerator.
This beat in 12 films →Act III
Dark Night of the Soul
After surviving together, the toys return to Andy’s house knowing that rescue cannot restore his childhood.
This beat in 15 films →New Resolve / Break-into-Three
Woody leaves Bonnie's address on college box, steering Andy.
This beat in 14 films →Final Preparations / Road Back
Andy, touched by the note, loads toys for a "donation drive."
This beat in 15 films →Final Battle / Climax
Front-yard handoff: Andy plays one last time with Bonnie and the gang, giving each toy a loving send-off.
This beat in 16 films →Self-Revelation / Final Choice
Woody relinquishes lifelong bond, choosing Bonnie's room over college shelf.
This beat in 16 films →Denouement / Return with Elixir
Toys embraced by Bonnie's imaginative play; new purpose.
This beat in 16 films →Final Image
From Bonnie's porch, Woody and Buzz watch Andy drive away, content in their new "forever" home.
This beat in 16 films →