Toy Story 3 is my absolute favourite in the trilogy specifically for how well utilises the ENTIRE cast. It was the culmination of so much relationship building and they all pull their weight to move the story forward. They felt like a real family!
To me "I said" is a direct quote as it was delivered in the moment and "I was like" is a general paraphrasing of what I said that may include my interior emotional response plus the general unspoken vibe of the interaction