The reimagined Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is already welcoming guests, but the biggest piece of the puzzle is still on its way. The Magic of Disney Animation, a brand-new collection of experiences, is set to open later this summer, and Disney has pulled back the curtain on what’s inside.
With the overall design based on The Walt Disney Animation Studios lot in Burbank, California, the entire area is rooted in Once Upon A Studio, the Emmy Award-winning short film that imagines animated Disney characters stepping off the screen and into the real world. That premise is the heartbeat of everything happening in this reimagined corner of Hollywood Studios.
At the center of it all sits a building modeled after the iconic Roy E. Disney Animation Building, complete with Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat on top, just like the real structure in California. Inside, guests will find an entire Disney Animation headquarters brought to life, where the characters have essentially taken over every department.
Finding Your Way In
Guests enter beneath the Sorcerer Hat and move into a central courtyard, where they can head in one of two directions to start exploring. Either way, they’ll pass a series of character statues holding up a banner announcing an “open house” at the studio. Moana, Flounder, the Mad Hatter, and a Lost Boy (specifically the Robin Williams Lost Boy from the original attraction) are doing the honors.
This new map alone is worth studying: The Skeleton Dance, Snow White, Fantasia, DINOSAUR, Meet the Robinsons, Frozen… so much Disney animation history!
Drawn to Wonderland
Younger guests get their own dedicated space with Drawn to Wonderland, an indoor playground built around the original Alice in Wonderland concept art from Disney Legend Mary Blair. Her signature bold colors and geometric shapes define every corner of the room, which takes kids through the Mad Tea Party, the Mad Hatter’s house, the Queen of Hearts’ rose garden, and the Cheshire Cat’s Tulgey Wood.
There’s a roller slide, a hedge maze, and interactive elements at the Mad Tea Party table.
Off the Page!
This is the character meet-and-greet area: each encounter is tied to a specific stage of the animation process, with the backdrop and theming reflecting that department. Here’s the current lineup:
- Mulan in Story
- Rapunzel in Layout
- Chip ‘n’ Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation
- Donald and Daisy in Computer Animation
- Goofy in Lighting
- Stitch in Effects
Every corner of “Off the Page!” is designed to immerse you in the craft of animation, as this experience is a collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Walt Disney Animation Studios Director Dan Abraham, who co-directed Once Upon a Studio, spoke to what the space means to him:
“It’s so cool to have fun with characters… that you’ve seen in these films, and you’re getting to see a bit of the history of the studio as well. Back when this was a working animation studio, it inspired so many people to become animators… Hopefully, this new version will do the same.”
Olaf Draws!
Olaf Draws! is a character drawing class hosted by everyone’s favorite snowman (brought to life as an all-new Audio-Animatronic figure) seated at an animator’s desk.
The classes walk guests through the drawing process step by step, guided by real Disney Animation artists through recorded tips and behind-the-scenes stories. The character lineup for classes includes:
Mickey Mouse with director Dan Abraham, Minnie Mouse with animator Hyun Min Lee, Donald Duck with animator Austin Traylor, Genie with animator Eric Goldberg, Moana with story artist Samantha Vilfort, Stitch with director Fawn Veerasunthorn, Olaf with director Trent Correy, Ursula with animator Michael Woodside, and Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde with director Byron Howard.
Josh Gad recorded original dialogue for the experience as Olaf, and he summed up the spirit of it well:
“I’m so thrilled that a whole new generation of kids can dream of becoming animators one day and can actually begin their journey right there on the studio lot.”
Once Upon A Studio Theater & the Enchanted Gallery
The short film that inspired all of this gets its own dedicated theater, where Once Upon A Studio screens with special effects that place you right in the middle of the story.
Nearby, an enchanted art gallery is a curated space filled with Disney animation artworks. It reads like a traditional gallery at first glance, but Disney characters have a habit of springing to life within the artwork in animations created exclusively for this space.
The Magic of Disney Animation opens later this summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
