Disney reanimates Hollywood Studios
WDW to get new experience in 2026
When Disney’s Hollywood Studios first opened in 1989 (and was known as Disney-MGM Studios), it featured an actual working animation studio and attractions that showcased the art form that Disney helped pioneer. Guests could take a tour and peer through windows as animators worked on films such as the original Lilo & Stitch. (Nearby, folks could board trams and experience Catastrophe Canyon and more for the now defunct, Universal-esque Studio Backlot Tour, but that’s another story.) Computer screens have pretty much replaced the cels on which artists did traditional hand-drawn animation, and both the animation tour and Florida’s Feature Animation studio are kaput.
But Disney has announced that The Magic of Disney Animation will be returning in 2026. It will be located in the Animation Courtyard building at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that currently houses Star Wars: Launch Bay. Instead of a show and a tour, however, the reimagined attraction will be a multi-faceted experience that sounds as if it will be similar to the Animation Academy at Disney California Adventure.
According to Disney, the attraction will take inspiration from Once Upon A Studio, the delightful short in which the toons in the cels and drawings that line the walls of the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in California come to life after the humans skedaddle. The facade of the attraction will be designed to resemble the actual animation headquarters, right down to the oversized Mickey Mouse’s blue sorcerer’s that will adorn the building’s entrance. (The “Fantasia” prop was long a staple at the Studios, taking up a prominent spot in front of the Chinese Theater.)
Guests will be able to participate in a variety of activities, including the opportunity to sketch some of Disney’s classic characters alongside an instructor. There will also be a “Drawn to Wonderland” play area that will invite kiddos to climb structures, experiment with musical instruments, and explore sets fashioned after “Alice in Wonderland” concept art created by Disney Legend Mary Blair. In addition to her work on animated films, Blair’s highly distinctive style can be found in park projects ranging from “it’s a small world” to the towering mural which the monorail passes in the Contemporary Resort’s Grand Canyon Concourse in Disney World. As you might imagine, characters will be on hand to greet folks as well in The Magic of Disney Animation.
Disney will redub the Animation Courtyard as The Walt Disney Studios and make some aesthetic changes using its Burbank studio lot for reference. “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure,” which opened in May, will continue to welcome guests during construction of the area as will the Walt Disney Presents gallery exhibit. The Disney Jr. show, which is geared to little kids, will close in September and offer a new version of the presentation when it reopens alongside The Magic of Disney Animation next year.
In other Disney World news, the third iteration of Test Track opened at Epcot on July 22. It ditches the new age-y, vaguely “Tron”-like look of the most recent version for one that’s more rooted in the present day, albeit with plenty of high tech bells and whistles. Just before embarking on the outdoor speed loop that has always been the E-Ticket attraction’s hallmark, guests encounter a cool-looking scene projected onto an encompassing dome that depicts what transportation might look like in the future.
At the Magic Kingdom, the new Disney Starlight nighttime parade debuted in July. While it can be traced back to the classic Main Street Electrical Parade, its floats are outfitted with highly sophisticated LED lights reminiscent of Paint the Night. Among its highlights is an ode to “Peter Pan” set in London, complete with a shimmering Big Ben.
What would you like to see at a new take on The Magic of Disney Animation? Did you experience the original animation show and tour at Disney-MGM Studios?
This is great news! I have really fond memories of the original attraction, and yes I do remember watching animators working on Lilo & Stitch. I can't remember if it was before or after the film was released, but at one point there was a presentation where one of the animators demonstrated how to draw Stitch. I found it utterly fascinating to watch. When we went back for our honeymoon in 2002 I got a Mickey animation cel which I still treasure.
It's kind of funny thinking back on it, but as a teen I was always the one dragging my family into this attraction because they found it boring. I don't think I ever missed it when I was at the park, though.
I feel like Hollywood Studios has often struggled to find its identity with its constant mish-mash of IPs. Perhaps this is a small step towards grounding the park once again in its studio roots and adding a little cohesion to its theme.