Which Disney animated film was the first to be produced using the CAPS system?

Which Disney animated film was the first to be produced using the CAPS system? The Rescuers Down Under was the first.

Released in 1990, The Rescuers Down Under was the first Disney animated feature to use CAPS throughout its production. CAPS—short for Computer Animation Production System—was developed through a Disney-Pixar collaboration to replace the traditional photographic transfer of hand-inked and hand-painted cels. It allowed artists to combine drawn animation, backgrounds, effects, and computer-generated elements digitally.

The wording can cause a common mix-up: The Little Mermaid used CAPS experimentally for a limited sequence, including its closing rainbow shot. That makes it an early CAPS film, but not the first feature produced entirely with the system. The Rescuers Down Under is the standard answer because it was the first full-scale, fully digital Disney feature in the traditional-animation era.

The film also marked an important bridge between classic hand-drawn animation and later digital workflows. Its characters were still drawn by artists, while coloring, compositing, and many effects were handled electronically.