Toy Story 3 opens with a montage showing that Andy has grown up and is now 17 years old, getting ready to leave for college. The beloved toys—Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of the gang—have spent years being neglected as Andy’s attention shifted away from them. They feel anxious about their uncertain future, especially since most of Andy’s other toys have already been sold or given away.
The Toys’ Dilemma: Andy decides to take Woody with him to college and puts the rest of the toys in a trash bag, planning to store them in the attic. However, a mix-up leads Andy’s mom to mistake the bag of toys for garbage. The toys narrowly escape being thrown away and, feeling abandoned, decide to donate themselves to Sunnyside Daycare, much to Woody’s dismay. Woody insists they were meant to be stored, but the others feel like they’re unwanted.
Sunnyside Daycare: The toys arrive at Sunnyside, where they are greeted warmly by the toys there, including Lotso (short for Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear), the friendly and seemingly kind leader of the daycare toys. The gang is excited about the idea of being played with by children again, and Sunnyside seems like a paradise where toys are always loved. Woody, however, tries to convince the others to return to Andy, but they refuse.
Woody, still loyal to Andy, attempts to leave alone but gets caught in the playground by a little girl named Bonnie, who takes him home and introduces him to her toys. Meanwhile, the toys left behind at Sunnyside soon realize the daycare isn’t the paradise they thought. They are placed in the “Caterpillar Room,” where rough and destructive toddlers play with them, leading to chaos and injury.
Lotso’s Dark Side: Buzz tries to ask Lotso to move them to the safer “Butterfly Room,” but he quickly discovers that Lotso runs Sunnyside like a prison. Lotso, embittered by his own experience of being abandoned by a child, rules the daycare with an iron fist, using Buzz and the other toys as pawns to maintain his control. Buzz is captured and reset to factory settings, becoming loyal to Lotso.
At Bonnie’s house, Woody learns from her toys about Lotso’s past. Lotso was once loved by a girl, but after being accidentally left behind, he was replaced. This betrayal turned Lotso bitter and vengeful. Woody realizes he must rescue his friends from Sunnyside and return to Andy.
The Great Escape: Woody returns to Sunnyside and, with the help of the other toys, devises an elaborate escape plan. After resetting Buzz back to his normal self and disabling the security measures put in place by Lotso, the toys make a daring escape through the daycare at night. They face numerous obstacles, including getting past the daycare’s night guards and avoiding being caught by Lotso’s minions.
During their escape, Lotso tries to stop them one last time, but he gets caught in the trash chute, where Woody and the others end up as well. They are taken to a garbage dump, where they narrowly avoid being incinerated. In a tense and emotional moment, the toys find themselves trapped on a conveyor belt heading toward a furnace. Just as they accept their fate and hold hands, ready to face their end together, they are saved at the last moment by the Aliens using a giant claw.
The Final Goodbye: After escaping the incinerator, Woody and the gang return to Andy’s house. Woody realizes that they can no longer be with Andy but also deserve to be loved and played with again. Woody sneaks into the box that contains a note for Andy, suggesting that he donate the toys to Bonnie. Andy finds the note and takes the toys to Bonnie’s house, introducing each one to her before handing them over. In a heartfelt moment, Andy passes Woody to Bonnie, realizing that Woody will continue to bring joy to another child.
As Andy drives away, Woody and the other toys watch with mixed emotions, knowing they’ve found a new home but also that they’ve said goodbye to the boy they were devoted to for years.
Closing Thoughts: Toy Story 3 brings the original trilogy to a touching and emotional conclusion, exploring themes of growing up, moving on, and the deep bond between toys and their children. The film captures the essence of loyalty, love, and the bittersweet reality of letting go. Woody, Buzz, and the gang’s journey is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, reminding audiences that every ending is the start of a new adventure.
The Final Goodbye: After the toys’ daring escape from the incinerator at the garbage dump, they safely return to Andy’s house. Woody realizes that although they’ve always been loyal to Andy, it’s time to let him go and find a new home where they can be loved and played with again. Woody leaves a note in the box of toys, suggesting that Andy donate them to Bonnie, the little girl who found and cared for Woody earlier.
Andy finds the note and, not knowing it came from Woody, decides to follow its suggestion. He drives to Bonnie’s house and introduces her to each of his beloved toys, describing their importance and memories, one by one. Finally, he reaches Woody. Andy hesitates, as Woody was his most treasured companion, but he ultimately passes Woody to Bonnie, knowing she will take good care of him. As Andy says goodbye to the toys, he and Bonnie play together for a moment before Andy drives away.
As Andy leaves, Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the toys watch him drive off, realizing that their time with him has come to an end. They share a bittersweet moment, knowing they are in good hands with Bonnie and that their journey with Andy has shaped who they are. Woody says, “So long, partner,” marking the emotional farewell to their life with Andy, and embracing the new adventure with Bonnie.
Closing Thought: The ending of Toy Story 3 beautifully ties up the trilogy, showing how letting go is part of growing up, and that love and loyalty continue, even when the journey changes.