First look: Magic of Disney Animation at Hollywood Studios

The newest Walt Disney World theme-park addition goes beyond character development. It’s more like a colorful character explosion.

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The upcoming Magic of Disney Animation area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, includes multiple attractions, features a battalion of the company’s animated faces. Some are familiar; others are more obscure. They are incorporated into the walls, carpets, shelves, screens, animatronics, interactive digital displays, playground and meet-and-greet staging areas.

The new attraction is inspired by “Once Upon a Studio,” a character-heavy short film that was released in 2023 and tied to the centennial celebrations for Walt Disney Co.

The short “gives it a sense of place. It gives it a sense of story. Why are all the characters here and how can we go and play with them?” Danny Handke, senior creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering, said before a media preview of the area.

“Our backstory is that Mickey and his friends are throwing an open house for us,” he said. “The animators are out to lunch.”

The Magic of Disney Animation is in the building that previously housed Star Wars Launch Bay. Originally, it was a workspace for real-life Disney animators, and their desks provided core memories for early visits to the theme park, then known as Disney-MGM Studios.

One of those fishbowl offices remains in place, but now Stitch is spinning in the chair with dozens of icons represented, including a small Elsa figure, Genie’s lamp, a model of the now-removed Disney-MGM Earffel Tower and Hei Hei, the “Moana” rooster, in the trash can.

The attraction is immersive and features activities that are both organized and browsable.

“There’s an exhibit here where a bunch of the Disney characters have lent their items on display for all of us to see,” said Dan Abraham, co-director of “Once Upon a Studio.”

“It tickles me that you could see Elsa’s orb and scepter,” he said. “There’s a honey pot on loan from Winnie the Pooh.” An up-high lost and found shelf includes a black cauldron.

“We have, sure, ‘Lilo and Stitch’ and these super-popular films,” Abraham said. “You see these characters all the time, but there are those folks that love ‘Johnny Appleseed,’ and there are those folks that love ‘The Black Cauldron,’ and we want them to be reunited with their friends and remember those films as well.”

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In the Enchanted Gallery section of the attraction, some large frames are interactive games and use motion sensing to engage visitors. It is tied into the Disney PhotoPass system.

“There’s an augmented-reality moment so the photo moment itself, once you play with Baymax, the camera will flip and you’ll see yourself … and Baymax is standing there with you. He gives you a hug as you guys pose for a photo,” said Andres Aranguibel, lead of the PhotoPass creative team.

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So, screens are involved – but not the dreaded screen time.

“We wanted you to just use your body and your brains and have fun,” Aranguibel said.

Also on the physical side in an indoor playground called Drawn to Wonderland. Its look is inspired by concept art of Mary Blair, famed Disney artist known for her work on “Alice in Wonderland” and “it’s a small world” designs. The space includes “Alice” characters and scenes amid activities for children.

“It’s really wonderful to be able to look back and be inspired by some of the previous Imagineers, and every once in a while we are able to really showcase it,” said Jackie Herrera, show producer for WDI. “So we were able to take the Mary Blair concept art and combine it with our final film art to make all of this.”

Elsewhere, visitors will take art lessons at Olaf Draws, featuring an animatronic figure of the “Frozen” snowman that sketches along with folks who are instructed on-screen by Disney filmmakers.

“They’re directors, they’re story artists, they’re animators, and they’re teaching you to draw the characters that they’ve helped create,” Handke said.

“I had a great time kind of ad-libbing with Olaf back and forth,” said Disney animator and official Disney Legend Eric Goldberg, lead animator for Genie from “Aladdin.”

“The fact that I can teach people how to draw what people call my signature character is very, very special,” he said. “So, warts and all, that’s my technique.”

The ability to meet characters in the flesh/fur is presented with backdrops representing elements of the animation process. Rapunzel is in the hand-drawn setting, Mulan in the story department, Donald and Daisy Duck with computer-generation animation and others

“We just kind of took everything and said, what would feel like a larger than life, fun, magical moment for our characters and our guests to create their own story,” said Matthew Hamel, show director with Disney Live Entertainment.

Visitors also can see the 9-minute “Once Upon a Studio” in the attraction’s theater.

The Magic of Disney Animation attraction, announced in July 2025, follows other nearby changes. Last year, “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” debuted. Earlier this year, “Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!” was revamped and the animation courtyard revealed a park-inspired renovation. The latter now is populated by sculptures of Disney animals that double as photo ops high and low.

“We want our guests to be able to jump inside the stories they love and live their adventure,” said Jackie Swisher, former vice president of the theme park.

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