New ‘Magic of Disney Animation’ Attraction Coming to Hollywood Studios in 2026!
Walt Disney World has made a surprise announcement that the iconic Roy E. Disney Animation Building is replacing Star Wars Launch Bay at Hollywood Studios, and will house an all-new family experience, “The Magic of Disney Animation.” This shares full dates & details, plus our commentary about why we’re excited for return of the extinct attraction and the longer-term future of Animation Courtyard.
For those who are unfamiliar with it or recognize that this sounds vaguely familiar but aren’t sure why, the Magic of Disney Animation Tour opened at Disney-MGM Studios on May 1, 1989. The tour began with the film “Back to Never Land” hosted by Walter Cronkite and Robin Williams, which guided guests through the different stages of animating a feature-length film by turning Williams into an animated character in the form of one of the “Lost Boys” of Peter Pan.
Following that film, guest would witness the process of animation, first-hand, from elevated, glass-enclosed walkways within Disney’s actual animation studio. The third segment was a short film with Disney Animators describing the art of animation. A finale film entitled “Classic Disney” presented a montage of key moments from classic animated Disney films.
Elements of the Magic of Disney Animation tour changed over the years, especially after the Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida ceased in 2003. We covered the backstage portion of this building, where the animators worked recently via Inside Walt Disney World’s Historic Backstage Building That Might’ve Doomed MuppetVision. (Now we know why Walt Disney World shared that out of nowhere!)
I remember the fully-fledged tour back when I was a kid in the 1990s. It was absolutely awesome, and I remember having friends who wanted to pursue careers in animation as a result. I’d hazard a guess that there are many such stories among actual Disney animators of today. Although the tour didn’t leave as indelible of an impression on me, it definitely deepened my love of Disney animated films. By the time Sarah and I started visiting as adults, the Magic of Disney Animation was more like an exhibit.
There are similar ‘Art of Disney Animation’ experiences in Disney California Adventure, Hong Kong Disneyland, and the Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris. All of those are more or less akin to the post-2003 ‘Magic of Disney Animation’ at Walt Disney World. After limping along for over a decade, the Disney’s Hollywood Studios version of the attraction finally closed on July 12, 2015.
It was replaced by Star Wars Launch Bay, which was always assumed to be a stop-gap measure during the construction of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Aside from light repurposing and redecorating (I’d stop well short of calling it a “reimagining”), not a ton was changed. It was widely expected that Launch Bay would close shortly after Galaxy’s Edge debuted, but the whole “sacred timeline” and “COVID closures” probably derailed those plans.
Anyway, all of that sets the stage and brings us to the 2026, when the ‘Magic of Disney Animation’ is returning to Disney’s Hollywood Studios! It’ll be an all-new attraction in the same beloved building. Here’s the announcement from Walt Disney World:
‘The Magic of Disney Animation’ Returns in 2026!
Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California, is a place of pure magic. Artists enter, beloved characters and films come out. Now, imagine stepping inside those iconic walls and seeing Disney Animation characters leap off the screen and into our world.
That was the heart and premise of the Emmy Award-winning short film, “Once Upon A Studio.” (As we covered in ‘Once Upon a Studio’ is Pure Disney Magic, this was the highlight of Disney100, and one of the most heartwarming works of art that Disney has created in years.)
“Once Upon a Studio” will soon inspire a brand-new experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Housed in a building reminiscent of the iconic Roy E. Disney Animation Building, this upcoming family experience, “The Magic of Disney Animation,” is getting ready to bring the wonder of animation to life like never before.
In 2026, the current home of Star Wars: Launch Bay will transform into a place where kids and kids at heart can laugh, draw, dream, and explore animated new experiences. Topping the building will be Mickey’s iconic Sorcerer Hat, which is just like the real building in California.
The story of this newly reimagined “The Magic of Disney Animation” begins as the animators have temporarily stepped away, but the building is still buzzing with activity as the characters have come to life and they’re ready to play.
Inside, guests will interact with and explore silly takes on the iconic Disney Animation headquarters, including the many different studio departments. Only this time, some of our favorite pals have taken over to create the fun adventures.
The playful and interactive moments will be around every corner. You’ll see portraits come to life before your eyes just like they did in “Once Upon A Studio.” You’ll find inspiration with a short film (with a twist, of course). You’ll even pencil in some time to learn how to draw your very own character sketch.
Young animators-to-be can explore the “Drawn to Wonderland” playground filled with an oversized flower garden with musical instruments, a Mad Tea Party playset and a Tulgey Wood exploration area, all inspired by the original “Alice in Wonderland” concept art from Disney Legend Mary Blair. It’ll be the perfect whimsical indoor play area for little ones to grow “curiouser and curiouser!”
All of those places to explore and create, and we haven’t even talked about character greetings… and there are lots! The whole family will be drawn to all the creative ways to play together when “The Magic of Disney Animation” opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios next year.
It sounds like “Cool Kid Summer” was a proof of concept, and this is that type of experience realized in fuller form with permanent venues and actual high-quality Imagineering and placemaking.
The Walt Disney Studios Lot Replacing Animation Courtyard
The pixie dusting from the Sorcerer’s Hat will extend far beyond the walls of “The Magic of Disney Animation.” What’s currently the Animation Courtyard will be reimagined into The Walt Disney Studios Lot. The new-look land will draw inspiration from several buildings found on the Disney campuses in Burbank, California.
This special nod to the legendary Walt Disney Studios Lot includes the Florida version of the Studio Theater, which will continue to house “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.” Over at the soundstage, you’ll find a fresh Disney Jr. show.
While exploring the studio grounds and courtyard area, families can take a break to play, relax, or snack on tasty treats under lush trees. And make sure to look around, too. You never know who you might see playing in the branches, soaking up the sun or digging in the grass.
Disney Animation artists and Walt Disney Imagineers are working hand-in-hand to bring the wonder and nostalgia of Disney Animation films to the whole courtyard in new and immersive ways families will love.
Animation Courtyard Closing & Opening Timelines
“The Magic of Disney Animation” will open in 2026.
As Walt Disney World prepares for this transformation, Animation Courtyard, including Star Wars Launch Bay and Disney Jr. Play and Dance! will close beginning September 25, 2025.
During this time, guests will still be able to go under the sea with Ariel in “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” and enjoy the exhibits and film presentation at Walt Disney Presents.
Presumably, this is possible because the entrance for the Little Mermaid musical is close enough to the entrance of Animation Courtyard that walls can go on the other side of it. Walt Disney Presents is in no man’s land between Pixar Place and Animation Courtyard, so there’s no surprise it’s not impacted. Walling off that experience would also impact guest flow into Toy Story Land, which is obviously a no-go.
Our Commentary
I love this announcement about the Walt Disney Studio Lot replacing Animation Courtyard. Absolutely nothing of value is being lost, it’s a pure and unequivocal win for Walt Disney World fans. I don’t even see how any cynicism about this project is possible. As we’ve said repeatedly, Animation Courtyard has serious dead mall vibes and is the area in Walt Disney World in most urgent need of a reimagining. It’s honestly embarrassing, especially now that more guests venture back there for the Little Mermaid show.
In fact, I love this idea so much that I previously suggested it just last month in our commentary to the Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida building tour. From that: “Maybe that Orlando presence could be used to revive Animation Courtyard with a new-look Magic of Disney Animation and tours of this building?! I don’t actually think this will happen–and it seems far-fetched to even suggest that the studios park return to being a studios park–but I’d love to see it happen. And I think the circumstances have changed such that it’s at least plausible and worth discussing.”
As it turns out, I was sort of wrong. It wasn’t that far-fetched and is happening. But to be fair, that Armchair Imagineering was not just about the ‘Magic of Disney Animation,’ but about Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida as a working studio and a tour of that. There’s no reason to believe that’s happening in 2026.
Beyond that, this kind of explains why Muppets Courtyard was chosen for Monstropolis as opposed to Animation Courtyard. At least, in part. As you might recall, the two potential targets for the Monsters, Inc. miniland were either Animation Courtyard or Grand Avenue/Muppets Courtyard.
We explained the reasons for and against each location in What Will Walt Disney World Sacrifice for Monstropolis? That’s a lengthy rundown, and I’m not going to rehash all of that here. It’s nevertheless our understanding that, at the time the announcement was made, Disney had not landed on a location for Monstropolis.
Animation Courtyard was the obvious candidate because it offers a massive amount of underutilized capacity and, again, has dead mall vibes. Some fans who would mourn the loss of this corner of the park, but only because it would’ve been the final death knell for the ‘working studio’ conceit of the OG Disney-MGM Studios.
However, Monstropolis replacing Animation Courtyard would’ve been the costlier and more time-consuming project. It would’ve involved relocating a lot of backstage facilities and offices, including those now located in Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida. That explains why Monstropolis didn’t move in then…and also why ‘The Magic of Disney Animation’ is now.
It’s still our understanding that Animation Courtyard is destined to become a massive land that materially grows the footprint of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and makes the park easier to navigate. It’s not a question of if, but when. As I’ve said before, my guess is sometime in the 2030s.
What the company has announced thus far is essentially the 5-Year Plan for Walt Disney World, and leadership previously stated that spending would be “backloaded” into the second half of the decade (so 2030-2035). Most of the near-term projects are actually more efficient and cheaper by Walt Disney World standards, with the exception of Villains Land, but might be part of the second half of the 10-year plan.
There are a ton of rumors swirling for what’s next, all with varying degrees of veracity. The only one I’ve heard credibly from multiple sources is that Animation Courtyard is on the chopping block. You probably could’ve guessed that. Animation Courtyard is like the wing of a mall where Sears went out of business in 1998. It’s been prime for redevelopment since 2003.
Honestly, I don’t think this changes the equation on any of that.
Previously, it was our take that an announcement for an Animation Courtyard replacement wouldn’t come until the 2026 D23 Expo at the absolute earliest, and more likely, not until 2028 or beyond. And that’s just the announcement. The ambitious project is going to take ~5 years to come to fruition once revealed, whatever it ends up being.
Given this ‘Magic of Disney Animation’ news, I’d now bump a bigger-picture overhaul of Animation Courtyard and bona fide expansion announcement until 2030, with that being the last project of this 10-year plan. That makes this reimagining another stop-gap, kind of like Star Wars Launch Bay (except hopefully not as sad).
This should make sense, given the ~1 year turnaround time on transforming this building into ‘The Magic of Disney Animation’ again. That’s really fast, which is presumably because it’s landscaping, a new facade, plus the reinstallation of exhibits in the existing space.
Alternatively, it’s also possible that Walt Disney Imagineering has landed on a concept for Animation Courtyard, has gotten that greenlit, and this is laying the ground for that. Instead of being a blockbuster new single-intellectual property land (e.g. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge or Toy Story Land), it’s going to be the Walt Disney Animation Studios Land.
In such a scenario, Imagineering could eventually build a family friendly dark ride in area that’s currently backstage, while retaining the current layout of Animation Courtyard and these buildings. This makes more sense from budgetary perspective, and also gives Walt Disney World a proper place to promote newly-released animated films. (I’m still skeptical of this, though.)
This could also make sense. Disney’s Hollywood Studios received a lot of attention during the last development cycle, and is getting Monstropolis in 2028. By the time the early 2030s roll around, it should be in pretty good shape. Does it really make sense to build a billion-dollar-plus land here when EPCOT and Animal Kingdom are in much greater need of significant investment? The more budget-conscious Walt Disney Studio Lot approach might be a more efficient approach that allows for the allocation of resources elsewhere.
Ultimately, all of this are absolutely fine by us. Yet again, Animation Courtyard has dead mall vibes. Waiting until Monstropolis is done before turning attention to this area would’ve been almost criminal, since it should’ve been the first to receive the reimagining treatment.
Thankfully, it won’t have to wait and instead is being given a placemaking project in the near-term that should breathe new energy into the area, making it more inviting and worthwhile.
That’ll give Animation Courtyard a new lease on life, extending its viability into the early 2030s. With that said, I would absolutely expect this to be something different by 2035. This is not a long-term play for Animation Courtyard.
We’re actually really excited for ‘The Magic of Disney Animation’ on its own merits. We enjoy the other Animation Buildings in California, France and Hong Kong; those are obvious upgrades over Star Wars Launch Bay, which was bad when it opened and now just pathetic. Even simply restoring what was there as of a decade ago would be a huge win–and it sounds like Imagineering is doing a lot more than that.
As parents of a toddler, we’re even more excited for the reimagining of the Animation Courtyard into the Walt Disney Studios Lot. The Disney Jr. show at DCA has become our #3 attraction, followed closely behind Redwood Creek Challenge Trail (it’s like the Boneyard, but for bears). This announcement sure sounds to me like it’ll offer something like that, plus the Animation Building.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a headliner-heavy park and even though it has made strides, there still isn’t enough for families with small children or even the thrill-averse. This is a huge step in the right direction. The Walt Disney Studios Lot should be a big win for young families, or just anyone who enjoys pleasant indoor/outdoor spaces and dislikes dead malls. The only real loser here is enthusiasts of circa 1998 Sears stores. Otherwise, this is unequivocally excellent news!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about an all-new ‘The Magic of Disney Animation’ coming to Walt Disney World? Excited to see Imagineering bring back this classic attraction? Hope that the next step is a revival of Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida? Or would you prefer a blockbuster new land that connects Toy Story Land to Sunset Boulevard? Any other thoughts or commentary to add? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
What a surprise! I, for one, really hope the big plan for this area is “Walt Disney Animation Studios Land”! While my dream would be for them to return actual animators here for a real behind-the-scenes tour like the old days, I love this theme regardless. I greatly prefer it over a Zootopia land or whatever other single-IP land is probably on the table. I think it makes sense to keep some portion of the park hearkening back to its roots when so many of us are nostalgic for that, and it sounds like a lovely space for families. My kids LOVE Once Upon a Studio and The Little Mermaid, so this area would probably be a huge hit with us. My two extremely minor gripes (which aren’t really gripes at all) are 1) it probably won’t be done in time for our planned 2026 visit and 2) while I appreciate an air-conditioned space for little kids to play, my germophobic self likes an outdoor playground so the UV can at least kill some of the pathogens.
Such a big fan of the animation tour from the 90’s that reading this actually made me a little emotional. I know that’s stupid, but I feel like we’ve been dealt blow after blow in the last 5 years, so it’s really nice to get some positive news.
My friend is one who was inspired to become an animator from the original tour. She followed her dreams all the way through college and graduated right as all the major 2-D animation studios closed in North America. Now, it almost feels cruel for them to inspire that love of drawing in a new generation, which makes me more depressed about this exhibit than I want to be.
On the other hand…maybe something like this could whet the appetite for 2-D animation to return. I’ve been pining for it for years, and though I don’t hate 3-D? There’s something really nostalgic about the drawn line appearing on the screen. I miss it. I wonder if other people do, too…
I miss 2-D animation as well! I don’t understand how there could not be an appetite for it. So many of us grew up on it, and while my kids are big fans of Frozen and Tangled, most of their favorites are the old 2-D movies. I appreciate how detailed and realistic 3-D animation can be, but 2-D feels like beautiful artwork come to life.
I have to resort to watching anime shows to still get that 2D feel. CGI animation just doesn’t move me like the traditionally animated Disney movies. I’d get what I call DCR (Disney Crying Reflex) at the simplest moments during the old animated movies. Some people say Pixar films are really emotional, but I only got DCR once, & that was the climax of Coco when the dead relatives joyfully crossed the Marigold Bridge because their living loved ones remembered them. Not even the Married Life segment of Up, though moving, didn’t move me to tears. Although when such scenes are presented within the context of theme park attractions, like the Finding Nemo show at Animal Kingdom, then my DCR (theme park edition) can come into play.
I thought Disney should let Pixar do all the CGI & continue 2D animation for its own strictly Disney films. They may cite the failure of “The Princess & the Frog” as a reason not to do that, but that really wasn’t such a failure in the long run as there are attractions & restaurants based on that film & the general public is quite familiar with it & its characters. Besides that, the lack of CGI wasn’t the sole factor to blame for box office losses. I had a relative who said he wasn’t going to see that film because he couldn’t accept the idea of a black princess. So racism probably also was a factor, more than people would like to acknowledge.
So we watched Wonderful World of Animation at Hollywood Studios for the first time last week, and I don’t know why it hit me then – perhaps because I was standing in the middle of the park when it came up – but seeing The Incredibles clip at that point made me realize how much sense incorporating that movie into Hollywood Studios would make. Given the mid-20th century feel of the movie, it seems like a perfect fit for the park. Perhaps back where Monstropolis is going wouldn’t have fit as well as it would closer to Sunset Boulevard. With The Incredibles 3 being made, this seems like it would have made more sense to try to use this IP for the park sooner rather than later (and more so than Monsters, Inc. – not to knock that project in any way).
This is a great point. Incredibles is a huge franchise for Disney, and one we often overlook!
FWIW – The same is true for Monsters. That is a merchandising powerhouse, especially for people a decade younger than me.
While I definitely agree that this is a much needed change, I do still find the announcement to be a bit concerning, at least personally.
We’ve got a trip planned for December, and we are bringing my father-in-law along. He’s a big Star Wars fan, and the Vader meet & greet would have been one of the highlights of his trip.
I hope that they’re going to move those Launch Bay meets over to Galaxy’s Edge, and that they will have that finished quickly enough that they’ll be going by December. I’m not so sure of that at the moment, though!
Sorry to hear that, and totally understand where you’re coming from!
I wouldn’t expect permanent meet & greets in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge that fast, but perhaps temporary ones outside the land? Here’s hoping!
I love this news!
This is great. It looks like this is what the Play Pavilion has evolved into?
That’s an interesting perspective—I wonder if any of the ideas from that were plucked for this.
Personally, I hope not. EPCOT still needs the Play Pavilion, something that is now painfully obvious as a parent navigating that park over the last week of extreme heat. (Thankfully without our daughter, this time.)
I’m extremely hype over this. I LOVE Once Upon a Short, it makes me tear up every time I watch it and feels like such a love letter to Disney animation that anything leaning into that in the parks is a big deal to me. I may be in the Childless Millennial demographic but I’m also very happy that families with little kids will have more to do at HS as well. Even from my perspective, just seeing the characters roaming and interacting for Cool Kid Summer in that space has breathed such life into it, the energy there is so much better instead of the dead mall vibes. I was hoping some of that stuff would be permanent because it does so much for atmosphere, those spontaneous interactions.
I also have a lot of nostalgia for the animation tour, as I remember doing it back when MGM first opened as a kid and being fascinated watching the animators at work. Honoring that legacy is so cool to me. I hope they give special nods to Mulan considering it was created there.
I used to work at the Animation tour back in the early 90s. I love that they are bringing some of this back. I also love the drawing classes and am glad to see this included as well. I look forward to seeing what this becomes even if it is a stop gap.
Any word on whether the Disney Visa cardmember photo opportunity at SW Launch Bay will move to another part of the park or be scrapped altogether?
I think this is a great plan for the space that honors the spirit of Disney and original vision for the park while also helping bring back some of the appeal of DHS to littler kids.
However, if I can read between some of Tom’s more cryptic lines musing on the future of this space, it sounds like this update is just temporary before a truly large-scale overhaul of that area of the park within the next decade. Which means that if this quickly becomes a beloved attraction (if they do a good job, why wouldn’t it be?), then it’ll feel like another loss for many folks when it’s scheduled for demolition and replacement by something else (Zootopia?).
Am I misunderstanding the vision and it’s expected this will be somewhat permanent? Or is 5-7 years sort of considered “permanent” by Disney standards anyway?
One of the caveats that I’ve added to a lot of the longer-term Animation Courtyard proposals is that second phases are often cancelled. Which is to say that if Monstropolis-Animation Courtyard are the current two phases of the DHS expansion, we shouldn’t count on the latter until it’s actually greenlit and begins construction.
The last I heard anything credible about this was last year (pre-RnRC w/ Muppets even). Things could’ve changed since then and this could be the final plan. Or things could change if/when this opens and is well received. Or Walt Disney World could deem it “good enough” and want to focus energy elsewhere. I wouldn’t bank on anything, nor would I rule anything out at this point.
Anything beyond Villains Land is not set in stone. There were also big unannounced plans for a ‘phase two’ of the EPCOT overhaul, and look how that panned out.
This is exactly what Hollywood studies needed to do to bring back families with small children. Very excited about this and can’t wait to see it next year. If they were smart they would also update the baby care center in preparation for the increased littles in this park.
I was one of those kids who experienced the animation tour in the 90s, when that was my dream job! We usually end up doing multiple character drawing sessions whenever we go to California Adventure, so the idea of doing it at Disney World too is a big win! It’s exactly the kind of low-effort, high enjoyment offering that rounds out a day in the parks and is exactly the kind of thing Hollywood Studios needs.
Also, the Alice in Wonderland play area feels like the sleeper hit of this entire announcement. An INDOOR play area for little kids??? I can see families spending *hours* in this complex.
This is such great news! It has a bit of an old school Imagination Pavilion in Epcot vibe to me with all the interactive elements and I couldn’t be happier. Can’t wait to see this all up and running!
outside of being excited about this maybe it’s time the residents of Star Wars Launch Bay invade Batuu! I can see it now Vader, BB8, and uh well Chewy I guess storm Galaxies Edge and take their rightful place amongst the scared Star Wars timeline next to Uncle Bill from New York whose passing through GE with his Yankees jersey!!
[And I push submit and now I see it’s fixed…oops]
Well, I didn’t have that on my bingo card for today! We have a box full of drawings from DCA; it’s always been a must do to get the “free” souvenir that we revisit to whenever we add one to the stack. [Also, I’ll be the annoying reader that points out the closing date current reads 2025, instead of whatever year it actually was 🙂 ]
This is unequivocally great news! Animation! Drawing! Playground! We went to DHS 2 years ago with a 2 year old and there was so little in the park to do. This is exactly the kind of experience needed.
Also we’re a month out from D23. I wonder if the fact that this was announced ahead of time means that the D23 parks announcements are so stacked they wouldn’t even have time for this.
The most exciting part for me is “You’ll even pencil in some time to learn how to draw your very own character sketch.” That has been one of our favorite things to do over the years and our study at home is decorated with several pieces of Disney art that we have drawn! The experience wasn’t the same and was harder to get to being stuck up at Rafiki’s in AK. I’m really glad it’s coming back to DHS.
“ After limping along for over a decade, the Disney’s Hollywood Studios version of the attraction finally closed on July 12, 2025” –
Is this the correct date?
July 12, 2015***