Disney has revealed full details of the Magic of Disney Animation, a new family experience coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in late summer 2026.
The experience will take over the current home of Star Wars: Launch Bay, transforming the building and surrounding courtyard into an immersive celebration of Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Topping the building will be Mickey’s iconic Sorcerer Hat, a nod to the real Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank. The premise is a fun one: the animators have temporarily stepped away, and the characters have taken over.
The Characters Have Taken Over
Inside, guests can explore silly takes on the iconic Disney Animation headquarters across several studio departments, watch portraits come to life just as they did in the Emmy Award-winning short Once Upon a Studio, and catch a short film with a twist.
There’s also Olaf Draws!, a new drawing class experience hosted by an all-new Olaf Audio-Animatronics figure.
For younger guests, the Drawn to Wonderland playground offers an indoor play area inspired by original Alice in Wonderland concept art from Disney Legend Mary Blair, featuring an oversized flower garden with musical instruments, a Mad Tea Party playset, and a Tulgey Wood exploration area.
Meet Your Favourite Characters in Off the Page!
Off the Page! is a character meet-and-greet area where guests can encounter characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios films while learning about the animation process.
Six characters are confirmed across the space:
- Mulan in the Story department, posing in front of an oversized storyboard panel
- Rapunzel in Layout, set against a multiplane camera with layers of backgrounds and painted cells
- Chip ‘n’ Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation
- Donald and Daisy in CG Animation
- Goofy in Lighting
- Stitch in Effects
An Art Gallery With a Twist
An enchanted art gallery displays artwork featuring beloved Disney Animation characters – with a pixie dust twist that brings certain pieces to life in animations created exclusively for the experience.
And the Once Upon a Studio Theatre gives guests a dedicated space to watch the short film itself, with enhanced effects and characters appearing in the artwork along the theatre walls.
Each of these experiences will open in late summer 2026.
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