We've just got back from an exclusive Disney Pixar showcase hosted by John Lasseter, where we saw a glimpse of animation's future.

Herded into the Odeon Leicester Square with other assorted journalists, all with pastries and 3D glasses in hand, we were sat down and shown a taste of things to come by Disney Pixar's head honcho, John Lasseter – director of Toy Story and its sequel.

It was Toy Story 2 which we saw first, albeit in 3D, kitted out in the third dimension for its re-release in October. As Lasseter pointed out, the Toy Story movies look made for 3D: "At Pixar, we've always created three-dimensional worlds; we've just been looking at them with one eye closed until now."

This was just a taster for the main event: a world exclusive first look at next summer's Toy Story 3. The storyline sees Andy packing for college, leaving his toys behind to ponder their fate. Not only did we see a brand new trailer – which looks incredible, by the way – but we saw an unfinished but nonetheless spectacular clip of Buzz and co getting kicked to the kerb in a trash bag.

Lasseter also introduced us to a new character; a stuffed hedgehog named – get this – Mr. Pricklepants. He'll be voiced by ex-Bond Timothy Dalton and is a suave, "thespian" type plush toy who the gang meet in their new nursery.

While Toy Story 3 is Pixar's biggest movie next year, they're thinking even further ahead. We saw some gorgeous exclusive artwork from Disney's forthcoming fairytale Rapunzel, and it was revealed the singer Mandy Moore would be voicing the long-haired dame. This looks like a return to Disney's classic fairytale era, albeit with cutting-edge visuals and a modern twist – Rapunzel will use her hair "like Indiana Jones uses his whip". Look out for her in late 2010.

Next on the slate was a project close to John Lasseter's heart: the sequel to the much-derided Cars. Often thought as Pixar's weakest movie to date, the sequel – which will see racecar Lightning McQueen and crew chief Mater travel and compete around Europe – looks much closer to Pixar's usual high standards.

Cars 2 also sees tow-truck Mater get into some "Hitchcockian espionage" in what sounds like a take on the classic 'dumb spy' comedy routine. We're not wholly convinced that this is the Pixar property to spin off (where's our Monsters, Inc. sequel?) but two new Car Toons shorts which we saw show there is still mileage in Cars' concept yet.

Next, a return to Disney's more traditional values with a brand new version of Winnie The Pooh. Relax: this won't be a CG affair, as Lasseter promised that this new Pooh would be hand-drawn with the usual dreamy watercolour backgrounds and a familiar cast of characters. Just the sound of Pooh's grumbly voice took us back to our childhoods. You can welcome Winnie back to the big screen in Spring 2011.

One Pixar project we've never seen before is new animation The Bear And The Bow, due in late 2011 and set to be Pixar's first fairytale – and their first movie directed by a woman (Brenda Chapman). This is a story about a Highlands princess called Merida (Reese Witherspoon) and her relationship with her mother and father, the King and Queen, played by Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson respectively.

There was no footage to see as such, but some sumptuous concept art of the Scottish highlands looked jaw-dropping, while the movie's concept kept us guessing as to its content. This looks like a more adult affair from Pixar; certainly not just for kids.

After a few trailers for the forthcoming Tinker Bell DVD movies (met with a collective shrug from the audience), we were treated to the first 30 minutes from Disney's next movie, The Princess And The Frog. Set in New Orleans and featuring Disney's first black princess, it represents a return to hand-drawn animation for the studio.

While it's not a dig to say The Princess And The Frog looked about 15 years out of date, it did have a delightfully fluid quality to it. We loved the spicy locale and the concept – a young girl kisses a prince-turned-frog but turns into one herself – kept us amused. Watch out for voodoo villain Dr. Facilier, a wonderfully twisted creation whose shadow is even more evil than he is.

Disney Pixar have a busy few years on their hands if this morning was any indication, but we can't wait to see whether they can deliver. Toy Story 3 really stood out but there's something about a classic Disney fairytale that brings out our inner child. Yes, it's an exciting time to be an animation lover, whether you're 8 or 80…