The movie also set a new record in the United States and Canada as it amassed a total of $109 million, surpassing the previous highest accumulation of $70.5 million by "The Incredibles" in the May of 2004.

"Shrek the Third" (2007) with $122 million "Shrek 2" (2004) with $108 million are the only two other cartoons that have opened to more than $100 million.

The 3D impact
"Toy Story 3" benefited from premium pricing for 3D screenings. Such screenings accounted for close to two-thirds of the sales.

"We use 3D with a very light touch. Hopefully what it does is just bring you that much more into the story a little bit instead of having the 3D come out at you in a gimmicky kind of way, which is also fun, it's just not part of our ethos," said Darla Anderson, the film's producer.

"It was almost like having a fanboy movie. I believe this will ultimately not only be the highest opening for a Pixar film but the highest total gross,” opined Viane.

Chuck Viane, president of Disney's theatrical distribution arm said of the blockbuster, "Nobody's had that kind of success. Everything about this movie just oozes success."

Worldwide hit
"Toy Story 3" opened in 15 countries overseas which represents about a fourth of Disney’s foreign potential.

The movie accumulated a combined $20 million from Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, even though all the interest in that part of the planet is in the World Cup soccer tournament.

China helped the movie collect another $9.5 million, setting a new record for a cartoon in the world’s most populous nation.

Good news for Pixar is that all word-of-mouth publicity, more often than not the most significant driver of a movie's box-office endurance, is fantastic.

Reviews all around are positive and the average audience grade is A, according to the market research firm CinemaScore.

Analysis of Twitter traffic indicates that the zeal among the fans is so high that they have already seen the movie twice.

"It was almost like having a fanboy movie. I believe this will ultimately not only be the highest opening for a Pixar film but the highest total gross,” opined Viane.

"Toy Story 3" has helped Disney-owned animation studio's perfect record of 11 consecutive successes.

In all probability, the movie will beat the $340-million domestic collection record for Pixar which was set by "Finding Nemo" in 2003.

The huge opening speaks volumes of the long-lasting affection for the Toy Story characters. For the fans the wait has ended after 11 long years.