Reliving The Past: Why I'm Excited For the New Return of "The Magic of Disney Animation" at Walt Disney World
Last week, Walt Disney World made an announcement that took a lot of folks by surprise - revealing the return of Disney Animation to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Once again titled “The Magic of Disney Animation," not only is the medium returning to its home in what became the Star Wars: Launch Bay, but the whole of what is still called the Animation Courtyard is getting quite the refresh.
The area will take on a look largely inspired by what the Walt Disney Studio Lot and Walt Disney Animation Studios look like in Burbank. Gone is the Studio archway, iconic to the park, replaced by simple gates that look like what those in Burbank would see driving down the road. Easily my favorite reaction to this news:
Yes, I love the quips. But some fans are out there complaining about the archway being removed from the park. To this I have to ask - where have you been? Since the park became Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2008, changing over from the Disney-MGM Studios, this archway has seen logo changes, paint jobs, and now serves more as an obstruction than any kind of marker into a functioning studio environment, it’s only real appeal is providing some kind of shade or shelter in the Florida weather. Holding on to the archway is holding on to the hope of a movie-making park that no longer exists.
With that comment in mind, let’s head to the new Magic of Disney Animation attraction coming in 2026. But first, a little history. Back when the park opened in 1989, The Magic of Disney Animation (yes, it was named that too back then) stood where the Star Wars: Launch Bay stands today, but was a real, functioning, animation studio that guests could walk through and peek over the shoulders of working animators. There they made short films (including quite the notable pre-show for an EPCOT attraction), commercials, and served as support to the primary studio in California. This was as the Disney animation renaissance ramped up, finding the studio doing more work on the feature films, including Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. They even got their own CAPS system, and eventually made the first full-length feature at the studio, Mulan, as their studio continued to grow. Eventually, a full expansion saw the debut of a new studio building (that guests could not and can not access) that saw additional features come out of the studio, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear. Some could argue that this was the most successful studio theme park experience at Disney, considering actual production at the park never really amounted to much.
After the functioning studio shut down in 2004, the park attraction evolved into more of a gallery and interactive space, and even lifted a small theater show from Disney’s California Adventure - Drawn to Animation - where we learn how a Disney character is developed with the help of Mushu and a Cast Member spieling on stage.
Other lifts from DCA’s Animation experience permeated what was left of the Florida attraction - the chance to record your own voice to classic Disney animated moments, and take a test with Lumiere and Cogsworth to see what Disney Character you are most like, as well as galleries pushing the next big hits from Walt Disney Animation Studios, or sometimes even Pixar Animation Studios. The big hit - Animation Academy, an idea that already existed at DisneyQuest (digitally) in what was then-called Downtown Disney, giving guests the chance to learn how to draw different Disney characters.
This area went largely unchanged aside from pushing the new films for its remaining years, becoming more of a character meet and greet location more than anything else, eventually closing in 2015 to make way for Star Wars: Launch Bay, a gallery of Star Wars props and memorabilia, across the park from Star Tours and the area that would eventually become Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Because of this, in recent years (especially while we were waiting for anything to happen with the theater that now plays host to The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure) this corner of the park has felt dead. The experiences and exhibits in the Launch Bay have changed little since it opened, and the area serves (similar to what happened previously) as little more than a Star Wars character meet and greet location.
Now, the art of animation is on its way back. Back to where it began at the park, and in the same location though it sounds like the full studio building behind the original will still remain as an office complex, unavailable to guests. The new experience will largely take inspiration from the hit animated short celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, Once Upon A Studio. The exterior of the former studio will take on a look just like that of the Burbank studio, which opened at the height of the Disney Renaissance, with The Hunchback of Notre Dame being the first feature fully animated in the new building. I also love the detail that the concept art promises, perfectly mimicking (as best it could with the existing infrastructure) the landmark building in Burbank.
Frankly, I love this idea. At this point, the Florida studio has been long gone, and (as I’ve written about previously) really could not work again in this day and age as a functioning attraction where guests get to watch actual production.
What has been announced, honestly, is the best middle ground I could ask for. While I think that the short Once Upon A Studio is merely fan service with more premise than plot (I still love it though!), it serves as a great jumping off point for the new experience. Especially since the announcement promised a “portrait gallery" where the art comes to life just like in the short film. For reference, I’ve included it below.
The announcement also promised a “Screening Theater" where guests can watch a short film, though what (new or old) short guests will see has not been announced. This gives me a bit of pause for one reason: The Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival at EPCOT which has not been updated and sits stagnant at the park for years. PLEASE update this as stagnation is what took out the original Animation interactive experiences (and even the Star Wars: Launch Bay) in the first place.
While they don’t mention “Animation Academy" by name, the announcement promises “the chance to learn how to draw fan-favorite characters" as well as meet and greet opportunities. I can’t fathom a world where they bring back animation-themed interactive experiences and not bring back this opportunity - different name or not. In a strange twist, the Animation Academy proved so popular in Florida that it bumped “Drawn to Animation" out of the Disney Animation experience at Disney’s California Adventure, where it still exists today with a complex schedule posted each day inviting guests to come back for their favorites. After it closed in Florida in 2015, it popped up sporadically (with different names) throughout Walt Disney World, having a presence at EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts, and finding its current home at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as the Animation Experience at Conservation Station in Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Special events even include drawing sessions to celebrate the anniversary of movies, or just focused on famous Disney animals.
Whether or not this new experience will feature a detailed schedule of what character is being drawn remains to be seen, but I would highly advise those in charge to use this.
I must admit, I have long been an advocate for bringing back an animation celebration to the park, but have always looked to Disney California Adventure as a template. This could be because so much of it was lifted to fill in the animation exhibit after the studio closed at the park, but I had always longed for the one thing that Florida never got - the lobby.
This arena of screens showcasing moments and music from the long legacy of films, to this day, remains one of my (if not my) favorite things at Disney California Adventure. I’ve always had it in my head where it could go in the building as well, considering the raised walkways and animator pits (an area that serves as meet and greet queues now) but it never happened. In my perfect world, this would be brought over in some way, but its modern design doesn’t fit into the new aesthetic. Plus (and let’s be real this will happen with the new Magic of Disney Animation anyway), that lobby would become the hangout and/or sleep zone during blistering heat and intense thunderstorms of the Florida landscape, seen as desirable more for its roof and air conditioning rather than the experiences that lie within.
I say that this will happen anyway because one of the headlining features in the announcement was an indoor playground for families with younger children - Drawn to Wonderland. This promises to be based on concept art for Alice in Wonderland by Mary Blair, and will feature oversized flowers and gardens with musical instruments, a Mad Tea Party playset, and Tulgey Wood exploration area.
Oversized garden playset and exploration area….at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? That sounds familiar.
While the playground might not be high on my list for an animation experience, I am happy that they chose a classic film in lieu of one of today’s hits to base the playground on.
While that was all we got in the announcement, I do truly hope we get a legitimate gallery of some kind as well. A recent post from Disney shows off a lot of archival material on display just feet away from where guests will be, yet unavailable to be seen by guests, some of which even might have been displayed for guests. Just put it out there again. That said, the announcement for the new Magic of Disney Animation does reveal that both Disney Jr. Play and Dance! Along with Star Wars: Launch Bay will be closing on September 25th as Animation Courtyard becomes this new area, but notably mentions that not only will The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure will continue to operate, so will Walt Disney Presents - implying that the latter will be incorporated into the revamped Animation Courtyard area. If nothing else, this area (which largely promotes new projects and endeavors from the company) could see some of these Animation artifacts come into play - make it the Archives section or something of this faux studio lot. But what do I know?
The poster art for the new attraction is fun and definitely channels Once Upon A Studio, but I love the subtle tributes on it. Stitch, Mulan, Mushu, and Koda can all be seen on the poster. While there are hundreds of characters in the short, only a handful appear on this poster, and choosing these (especially the more obscure Koda) is definitely channeling the three features made at the Florida studio. Not only that, we also see Genie in his tourist outfit, complete with Hawaiian shirt and Goofy hat. This can’t be an accident because this form of Genie is easily one of Disney’s greatest easter eggs.
As part of the original tour, a film was shown to guests titled “Back to Neverland." This was hosted by Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite where Williams plays a tourist at the park, getting pulled to experience how animation works first hand, becoming one of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. Take a look at his outfit in the film, and remember that animators at the Florida studio supposedly did the finale scene of Aladdin where we see Genie (voiced by Williams) in this exact outfit. This is how the Florida team was used to seeing Williams, so why not put him in that get up!?
Fun fact: You also see him in his lost boy form fly by in Once Upon A Studio when Olaf is at the animators desk, just ahead of the Genie’s appearance.
As long as this new experience pays homage to not only the artform, but in the defunct Florida studio in the same vein as they did in this poster, I think that I will be pleased with what is coming. There is a lot of history here, and bringing Burbank to Florida is okay, as long as they remember the Florida part too. The only tragedy is that we have to wait until next year to see everything, and we don’t have a specific opening date at this time.
If you want more information about visiting Walt Disney World in 2026, we suggest reaching out to our friends at Mouse Fan Travel.