The Magic of Disney Animation Opens September 14 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The Magic of Disney Animation is officially scheduled to open on September 14 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Located within the Walt Disney Studios Lot area, the new building is designed to resemble the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California, and is themed around the Emmy Award-winning short film Once Upon a Studio.

Inside, guests will find a collection of interconnected experiences celebrating the history, art, and process of Disney animation. The main offerings include the Once Upon a Studio Theater, the Drawn to Wonderland playground, Off the Page character encounters, and Olaf Draws! classes.

The Once Upon a Studio Theater allows visitors to watch the Once Upon a Studio short film while characters appear within the artwork on the theater walls. The adjoining enchanted art gallery features historic displays and interactive portraits where guests can play games with characters like Baymax, Maximus, and the Kakamora.

For families with young children, Drawn to Wonderland provides an indoor, air-conditioned playground inspired by Mary Blair’s Alice in Wonderland concept art. The play area is designed for children ages 6 months to 5 years and features spaces based on the Mad Tea Party, the Mad Hatter’s house, the Queen of Hearts’ rose garden, and Tulgey Wood.

At Off the Page!, guests can meet Disney characters in environments inspired by various stages of the animation process. The lineup features Mulan in Story, Rapunzel in Layout, Chip ‘n’ Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation, Donald and Daisy in Computer Animation, Goofy in Lighting, and Stitch in Effects. Disney confirmed that roaming character interactions will also continue in the surrounding courtyard.

Olaf Draws! offers drawing classes hosted by an all-new Audio-Animatronic figure of Olaf, who sits at an animator’s desk alongside pre-recorded video lessons from real Disney Animation artists. Classes rotate through nine characters, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Genie, Moana, Stitch, Olaf, Ursula, and Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. Josh Gad returned to record original dialogue for the animatronic Olaf.

Additional spaces inside the building include the Studio Store, which offers a selection of Walt Disney Studios merchandise, Ink and Paint apparel, pressed pennies, and collectible medallions. Guests can also explore gallery spaces like the Gallery Wrap Party and Treasures Untold, which house historic animation props, concept art, and film memorabilia.