The movie had Emma Watson as a princess. It’s actually weird that the movie did not do better. It’s also from a well-established and beloved animation movie so people were going based on these two ideas only «  Emma Watson, finally a Disney Princess » and « Beauty and The Beast ».

For people Lightyear is a whole new story that seems to be related to Toy Story but also not at all.

You can’t imo compare the two fairly. That’s also leaving aside that Beauty&The Beast came out before Disney Plus started and it’s expansion in many countries around the world. Nowadays you know that by 4-5 months almost everywhere were Disney Plus is available you will get the movie, only paying your monthly suscription fee.

Less people will go to movies that don’t appeal to either their childhood memories or that they instantly think is going to be extraordinary. Theater price for a family, aka the main target of Lightyear, is way too expensive. How much would that cost for a parent and a kid? $25-30 dollars without popcorn or soda and if you live far from theater, gas ? Compare that to Disney Plus price. A show u can watch leasurely at home.