"Once Upon A Studio" Director Takes To Social Media Celebrating Collab with WDI on New Animation Attraction

The director of the acclaimed short film, Once Upon A Studio, has taken to social media to share his excitement over the collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering as the get ready to bring The Magic of Disney Animation back to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

What’s Happening: 

• Dan Abraham, Co-Director of the acclaimed Walt Disney Animation Studios short film, Once Upon A Studio, posted on Instagram a snapshot of him alongside Imagineer Danny Handke. 
• This pic commemorates the collaboration the director has with Walt Disney Imagineering as work continues on the return of Disney Animation to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World with The Magic of Disney Animation attraction coming to the park next year. 
• While similarly titled to the original attraction at the park, this will not be a tour through a working animation studio, but instead a celebration of the artform based on the aforementioned short film, Once Upon A Studio. 
• The short, made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, follows many of the characters of Walt Disney Animation Studios (543 to be exact) as we see them come to life after hours at the studio to gather around for a special anniversary photo. 

• The Emmy-winning short film provides the inspiration for the new attraction, housed in a building that is being rethemed (from the Star Wars Launch Bay) to look like the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ facility in Burbank - the Roy E. Disney Animation Building, AKA The Hat Building. 
• Inside, guests will interact with and explore silly takes on the iconic Disney Animation headquarters, including the many different studio departments. Playful and interactive moments will be around every corner, and guests will see portraits come to life before their eyes just like they did in the short film. 
• Abraham captioned his photo: “What an absolute joy to be able to get to collaborate with Danny Handke and all the Imagineers on the Once Upon a Studio-inspired attraction, “The Magic of Disney Animation” coming next year to Disney’s Hollywood Studios! If you had told me 30 years ago when I worked in this park as a kid that I would be returning one day to help create an attraction that was based on a short I directed, I think my brain would have exploded. I couldn’t think of a bigger honor than getting to work with these incredible Imagineers. Thanks for letting me play in your sandbox!” 
• Handke, a senior creative director for Walt Disney Imagineering, has been responsible for a number of projects at Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line, including the new Zootopia: Better Zoogether at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and venues aboard the Disney Cruise Line ships, like the Haunted Mansion Parlor. Other recent projects include the multimedia experiences Avengers: Quantum Encounter, AquaMouse, Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge, and Disney’s Oceaneer Club on the Disney Wish cruise ship, and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! at Disney California Adventure Park. Additionally, he has worked on several projects for Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, and Hong Kong Disneyland
• The Magic of Disney Animation is slated to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World sometime next year.