We’re going behind the scenes of The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where all 64 Walt Disney Animation Studios films are represented through hidden details, character experiences, and interactive exhibits.
When Disney’s Hollywood Studios—then known as Disney-MGM Studios—opened in 1989, Animation Courtyard served as the starting point for tours of the park’s active production facilities. It was also home to The Magic of Disney Animation, an attraction where guests could watch Disney animators at work and learn how beloved characters were created.
That attraction closed in 2015 to make way for Star Wars: Launch Bay. Now, more than a decade later, Disney Animation is returning to this corner of Hollywood Studios in a major way.
We’re going behind the scenes of the new experience today ahead of its official opening, and Disney has revealed even more details about what guests will discover inside.
The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The Walt Disney Animation Studios campus in Burbank is where artists transform ideas and sketches into some of the world’s most recognizable characters and films. That real-life campus—and the Emmy Award-winning short film Once Upon a Studio—inspired the reimagining of Animation Courtyard.
The outdoor area has already reopened as The Walt Disney Studios. Designed to resemble the actual studio lot, the refreshed courtyard offers a more relaxed, park-like atmosphere where families can play, sit in the shade, or grab a snack between attractions.
Photo Courtesy of Disney
Disney fans will also find character surprises and references hidden throughout the landscaping. Look closely and you may spot familiar faces playing in the trees, relaxing in the sun, or digging through the grass. The area also includes recreations of details from the Burbank campus, including Pluto’s Corner.
Photo by Danny Shuster
The Studio Theater continues to host The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure. A nearby soundstage is now home to Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!, an interactive show inspired by Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ that invites guests to clap, dance, and help Mickey and Minnie find their friends before the party begins.
At the center of the courtyard is a building inspired by the iconic Roy E. Disney Animation Building. Just like its California counterpart, it is topped by Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat. Beginning September 14, the building will become home to The Magic of Disney Animation.
All 64 Disney Animation Films Are Represented
One of the biggest new details Disney has revealed is that all 64 Walt Disney Animation Studios feature films are represented throughout The Magic of Disney Animation. That means the experience includes references to everything from the studio’s most famous movies to films that rarely receive attention inside the parks.
Some references are prominently displayed, while others require guests to slow down and look carefully.
Inside the reception area, guests can look overhead to find the studio’s playful Lost and Found Department. Its collection includes the Map Sphere from Treasure Planet, Eeyore’s tail, the Sundrop Flower from Tangled, and a vase depicting Hercules’ battle against the Hydra. Figaro watches over the collection from above and occasionally flicks his tail.
The colorful chandelier in the reception area contains a particularly meaningful tribute to the people behind Disney’s animated films: Each hanging paintbrush was individually named by a member of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Ink and Paint Department.
Photo by Timothy Moore
Even the tilework has a connection to the real studio. Its colorful designs replicate those found inside the lobby of the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank.
Throughout the experience, guests can also find pencil sketches of characters including Oliver from Oliver & Company, Mr. Toad from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and Tod and Copper from The Fox and the Hound.
Animation Maquettes and Treasures Untold
Sketches aren’t the only tools used to bring animated characters to life. Animators also work with maquettes, small sculptures that allow artists to study a character’s appearance from different angles and maintain a consistent design.
While exploring Off the Page!, guests can look for character maquettes such as a young Tarzan sitting on a tree trunk and Taffyta Muttonfudge from Wreck-It Ralph.
Photo by Danny Shuster
Another area, called Treasures Untold, is filled with artifacts and mementos representing the history of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Its collection includes:
- Jiminy Cricket’s suit and gold star pin
- A box of Kanine Krunchies from One Hundred and One Dalmatians
- Scrump, Lilo’s homemade doll from Lilo & Stitch
- The Aristocats’ collars
- Kuzco’s crown and earrings from The Emperor’s New Groove
Guests can also explore the Animator’s Office, a detail-packed room designed to look as though an animator has just stepped away from their desk. The desk itself was preserved from the original Animation Academy at Hollywood Studios, creating a direct connection between the park’s animation history and this new experience.
Photo by Danny Shuster
Look around the office for a Moana cap, a miniature Walt Disney Animation Studios maquette, artwork, keepsakes, and other personal touches.
Drawn to Wonderland
One of the largest additions inside The Magic of Disney Animation is Drawn to Wonderland, an immersive indoor playground inspired by Disney Legend Mary Blair’s original concept art for Alice in Wonderland.
Photo by Danny Shuster
Designed especially for younger guests, the play area translates Blair’s vibrant colors and whimsical shapes into an environment children can physically explore. Families will find an oversized flower garden filled with musical instruments, a Mad Tea Party playset, the Mad Hatter’s house, the Queen of Hearts’ rose garden, and a Tulgey Wood exploration area inspired by the Cheshire Cat.
Photo by Danny Shuster
Disney selected Alice in Wonderland because its themes of curiosity, imagination, and discovery lend themselves naturally to active play. The indoor setting will also give families a place to recharge while remaining immersed in Disney storytelling.
Off the Page!
Off the Page! is a collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Animation Studios that celebrates the artistry behind every animated film.
The experience is divided into six themed departments representing different stages of the animation process. Each department includes a Disney character encounter and its own distinctive photo opportunity.
Photo by Timothy Moore
The departments and characters include:
- 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
Mulan appears in front of an oversized storyboard panel in the Story department. In Layout, Rapunzel’s setting is inspired by the classic multiplane camera. When guests line up their photos correctly, layers of backgrounds and painted cells appear to come together.
Olaf Draws! Learn to Draw with Disney Animators
Olaf Draws! is a new version of the Animation Academy experience, with an Olaf Audio-Animatronic serving as guests’ cheerful companion during the class. Josh Gad recorded original dialogue for the attraction.
Photo by Danny Shuster
Olaf sits at an animator’s desk in a scene inspired by one of his memorable moments in Once Upon a Studio. Because he needs some help with his drawing, recorded appearances from Disney Animation artists guide guests through the process with step-by-step instructions, techniques, and stories from the studio.
Before entering, look at the back of the attraction’s marquee to find Olaf’s hand-drawn tribute to the Jungle Cruise.
Photo Courtesy of Disney
Inside, Olaf sits atop The Illusion of Life, the influential animation book written by Disney Legends Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. The surrounding shelves are filled with vintage VHS tapes, character maquettes, and nostalgic toys, including a figurine from The Black Cauldron.
Photo Courtesy of Disney
Classes will feature characters from classic and contemporary Disney films, including:
- Mickey Mouse, with Dan Abraham, director (Once Upon a Studio, Baymax!)
- Minnie Mouse, with Hyun Min Lee, animator (Frozen 2, The Princess and the Frog)
- Donald Duck, with Austin Traylor, animator (Once Upon a Studio, Moana 2)
- Genie, with Eric Goldberg, animator (Aladdin, Hercules)
- Moana, with Samantha Vilfort, story artist (Encanto, Zootopia 2)
- Stitch, with Fawn Veerasunthorn, director and head of story (Wish, Raya and the Last Dragon)
- Olaf, with Trent Correy, director (Once Upon a Studio, Frozen 3)
- Ursula, with Michael Woodside, animator (Big Hero 6, Encanto)
- Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, with Byron Howard, director (Zootopia, Zootopia 2)
“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,” Gad shared.
Photo by Danny Shuster
Once Upon A Studio Theater
Inside the Once Upon a Studio Theater, guests can watch the Emmy Award-winning short film that inspired the reimagined land.
Photo by Danny Shuster
The dedicated theater celebrates more than a century of Disney Animation storytelling, with enhanced effects adding another layer to the presentation. Characters may also appear within the artwork along the theater walls, making guests feel as though they have stepped inside the story.
After the film, guests can explore an enchanted art gallery showcasing Disney Animation characters. It may resemble a traditional gallery at first, but the artwork comes alive through new animation created exclusively for the experience.
The Walt Disney Studios Lot
The transformation does more than add a new attraction. The Walt Disney Studios turns the former Animation Courtyard into a destination of its own, with places to play, relax, meet characters, discover hidden references, and learn how animated films are created.
Its connection to the original Animation Academy is especially fitting. Disney-MGM Studios was once a working production facility that allowed guests to see part of the animation process firsthand. The new experience embraces that history while presenting it through interactive exhibits, character encounters, and details representing the full history of Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Photo by Danny Shuster
The Magic of Disney Animation opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on September 14, 2026.
If you want to take a further trip down memory lane for 1980s nostalgia at Disney-MGM Studios and the rest of Disney World, check out the WDW Magazine 1980s Issue. The issue revisits major moments such as the Magic Kingdom Tencennial and the opening of Disney-MGM Studios. It also includes the story of the man who invented Drinking Around the World at EPCOT and a closer look at the creation of Spaceship Earth.
Thank you to Disney for hosting us for a preview of The Magic of Disney Animation
Like what you just read?
That tells us you’re the type who never misses a Hidden Mickey. Respect.
