The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios includes enchanted artwork, Stitch’s animator office, an Alice in Wonderland playground, meet-and-greets, and much more. The new experience opens to all guests on September 14.
The Magic of Disney AnimationVideo Tour
Map
Before The Magic of Disney Animation opened, Disney released this map online. A version of the map is also displayed inside the experience.
Entrance
The Magic of Disney Animation is in the Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests enter under a giant sorcerer hat, through a facade inspired by the real-life Roy E. Disney Animation Building in California. We already shared a detailed tour of the courtyard back when it opened.
When guests enter The Magic of Disney Animation, they’ll pass artwork and posters representing various Disney films. This space acts as stroller parking for the entire courtyard.
Walking further into the experience, guests are greeted by Disney characters with an “Open House” banner.
The conceit of this experience is that guests are touring Walt Disney Animation Studios when the animators are away and the characters have come to life, just like in the Once Upon a Studio short film.
The Magic of Disney Animation was an opening-day attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, back when the park was also home to a Feature Animation studio. This new version of the attraction pays homage to the original.
Reception
To the right is the Reception area. The “family photo” from the end of Once Upon a Studio is on the wall. Also inspired by the Roy E. Disney Animation Building, it has a rainbow tile mural of Disney images.
There are couches, chairs, stools, and tables for guests to relax. A chandelier of paint jars pulses with different colors, synchronized with the lights in Off the Page! visible through the windows. The paintbrushes hanging among the jars have labels based on the favorite colors of artists in Disney’s Ink & Paint Department.
On the ceiling are giant stars and moons based on Mickey’s sorcerer hat. To the right is Olaf Draws! and the exit.
To the left is Off the Page! Above the hallway is “Lost and Found.”
Figaro from Pinocchio naps on a box, his tail moving back and forth. Lost items include the Black Cauldron, the Map Sphere from Treasure Planet, the journal from Atlantis, Eeyore’s tail, a vase depicting Hercules’ fight with the Hydra, Rapunzel’s lantern and the Sundrop Flower from Tangled, and Bolt’s carrot toy.
Enchanted Gallery
Guests can circumvent Reception and instead enter the experience through the Enchanted Gallery, which is the lobby of the Once Upon a Studio theater. Here, portraits of Disney characters come to life and even interact with guests.
Tap your MagicBand+ on a plaque next to these large portraits to take photos with Baymax, Kakamora, and Maximus.
The carpet here and through most of The Magic of Disney Animation features a swirling pattern of Mickey heads in blue tones.
Check out more of the Enchanted Gallery.
Once Upon a Studio Theater
In this theater, guests can watch the Once Upon a Studio short film like never before. More portraits of Disney characters on the walls come to life and join the film. Take a look inside the theater.
Hallway Galleries
The hallway between the Enchanted Gallery and Off the Page! features photographs, concept art, storyboards, and more from the history of Disney animation. This wall is dedicated to Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, where animators worked on films like Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear.
Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida operated from 1989 to 2004. As shown in these photos, guests could once watch animators at work.
It includes information about Back to Neverland, an original short film that played as part of the original Magic of Disney Animation from 1989 to 2003. It starred Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite, following Williams as he was transformed into an animated Lost Boy.
Williams’ Lost Boy returned for Once Upon a Studio and can be spotted at The Magic of Disney Animation on this wall and at the entrance sign.
A mural of the Roy E. Disney Animation Building covers a wall with more artwork and photos, including for some more modern Disney classics like Frozen, Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph, Encanto, and Moana.
These walls feature images from some famous Disney musical sequences. The orange wall is dedicated to “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog.
A white wall features images from “Colors of the Wind” in Pocahontas.
And a green wall showcases “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto.
Stitch’s Animator Office
Across from the musical murals, take a peek into Stitch’s animator office, which is packed full of Easter eggs. Your eye will probably first be drawn to Stitch, though, who is spinning in the office chair in the center of the room. Genie’s lamp is on a bookshelf to the side, sometimes spitting smoke.
In front of Stitch is an animator’s desk with stacks of paper, character figures, art supplies, and so much more. The desk was salvaged from the original Animation Academy at Hollywood Studios. The bookshelves are also covered in props. Director Mickey and Sir Hiss plush are in a nearby chair.
Above the desk are posters for Lilo & Stitch and Back to Neverland. The hat stand includes Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet from Make Mine Music. The stand also features crew apparel like a Moana baseball cap and a Hercules jacket. Pascal from Tangled is perched on Stitch’s lamp.
On a bulletin board is a molded mirror of Donald with Huey, Dewey, and Louie — a flea-market find belonging to Once Upon a Studio director Dan Abraham — and a copy of Rabbit Rabbit magazine, the studio’s internal publication. A book showcasing the many caricatures the animators drew of each other is on the shelf below.
Disney previously shared a look at Easter eggs from this set, including a tiny model of the Disney Feature Animation building in Burbank, California and branded ping-pong balls gifted to animators who worked there.
In the corner, Mushu and Cri-kee are on a ladder playing the Fix-It Felix Jr. arcade game.
Leaving the office, guests can walk down a ramp past sketches of Disney characters on the wall.
Drawn to Wonderland Playground
At the bottom of the ramp is the Drawn to Wonderland playground representing the studio’s Visual Development department. Alice in Wonderland concept art by Mary Blair is spilling out of its frame to create the playground.
The playground brings Mary Blair’s version of Wonderland to life. The space is designed for kids ages six months to five years, and is split into two areas for younger kids and older kids.
Check out more photos of Drawn to Wonderland.
Off the Page! Meet and Greets
A large portion of The Magic of Disney Animation is dedicated to meet and greets. This space is called Off the Page! These characters meet in spaces inspired by different animation studio departments:
Mulan in Story
Rapunzel in Layout
Chip n’ Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation
Donald and Daisy in CG Animation
Goofy in Lighting
Stitch in Effects
As guests wait, they can look at maquettes, models, concept art, and photos in the queues.
Check out our tour of Off the Page!
Olaf Draws! Theater
Back by Reception is the Olaf Draws! theater. This version of Disney’s classic Animation Academy experience is hosted by an Audio-Animatronic Olaf. A screen by the entrance displays the time until the next show and the character guests will be drawing.
In the theater, kids can sit at sleigh-themed desks inspired by Frozen characters, while adults sit at classic animator desks based on Kem Weber’s 1939 design.
Olaf sits at his own animation desk, inspired by a scene from Once Upon a Studio. He chats with a real Disney animator, who then leads the class via a pre-recorded segment.
Here’s the list of characters guests draw and the respective featured animator:
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 & Nick Wilde, with Byron Howard, director, (Zootopia, Zootopia 2)
Gallery Wrap Party!
Outside the Olaf Draws! Theater, a portrait of Walt Disney hangs before the final gallery rooms.
A “Wrap Party!” banner hangs below this gallery sign. This first room is designed to showcase artwork from upcoming films. Currently, Hexed is “Now Showing.”
There are witchy set pieces and murals in the space, like these faux brick elements featuring golden images.
A cork board features storyboard sketches and a color script.
There are two display cases of Hexed concept art and props.
One wall features posters for every Walt Disney Animation Studios film, including Hexed. There’s room for a few more.
In the center is a display case featuring the Emmy Award for Once Upon a Studio for Outstanding Short Form Animated Program at the 3rd Children’s and Family Emmy Awards.
Treasures Untold Gallery
Treasures Untold Presented by Pandora is a gallery of items that characters have lent to the studio.
Maui’s hook is right next to the doorway.
In this case are items including Kuzco’s headdress, Peter Pan’s hat and pan flute, Lilo’s doll Scrump, and Hercules’ medal.
Alongside each piece are images from the respective film. Quasimodo has lent his wooden figures. The Aristocats provided their cat collars. And Kida provided the Atlantean Crystal Pendant.
Pocahontas lent her compass. The snarfblatt and dinglehopper are on loan from Ariel. Even Chip ‘n’ Dale provided some acorns.
In another case is a Corona pendant and Rapunzel’s frying pan. Ralph provided the cookie medal Vanellope made him. A cooler of “Pawpsicles” are on loan from Nick Wilde.
Mulan lent her flower comb. Penny from The Rescuers has provided a message in a bottle and the Devil’s Eye gem.
Jiminy Cricket’s tiny suit is on display with his conscience badge. A box of Kanine Krunchies from the 101 Dalmatians is spilling out.
The Evil Queen has provided her poisoned apple. There’s Tiana’s water lily tiara and a “hunny” pot from Winnie the Pooh.
In this case are Elsa’s coronation orb and scepter.
Raya’s whip sword and hat hang on the wall above.
Robin Hood’s yellow hat, bow, and arrows are in their own case.
The space is presented by Pandora, so there’s a cork board dedicated to how the jewelry company draws inspiration from Disney films, specifically Frozen.
In small cases in the center of the room is the Enchanted Rose from Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella’s glass slipper.
Studio Store
Finally, guests exit through the Studio Store. Take a closer look at the shop’s custom furniture pieces, as well as the new Walt Disney Studios collection, Ink & Paint collection, pressed pennies, and collectible medallions.
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