Alice's Balloon Race (1926): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1926, Alice's Balloon Race is an animation film directed by Walt Disney, running about 8 minutes.

What it’s about. Alice and Julius, as a team, are one of four entrants in a $10,000 balloon race. The bad guy takes out one balloon quickly. It's not clear what kind of balloons these are, since they are sealed like hydrogen/helium balloons, but a good thwack on the top by the bad guy sends Alice and Julius plummeting to the ground, balloon still intact. Julius makes some attempts to re-launch, but they fail. He spots a hippo, smoking nearby, and has an idea: using some pepper, he creates a massive sneeze that re-launches them. But he wasn't onboard. Alice throws down a rope ladder, but it isn't anchored; Julius eventually pulls himself up with a rope. They are then immediately under attack by a lightning storm, which deflates the balloon. Julius makes substitutes from, first, a weiner dog and a couple of empty thought balloons, then, an elephant with extra air pumped in. He grabs a passing bird and catches up to the bad guy, then finds himself in another battle with lightning.

Who’s in it. Alice's Balloon Race stars Margie Gay as Alice.

How it landed. With an audience score of 4.2/10, Alice's Balloon Race has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Alice's Balloon Race page.

If you liked it. Fans of Alice's Balloon Race tend to enjoy Spirited Away, Your Name., Grave of the Fireflies and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.