Animation is back in the spotlight at Disney's Hollywood Studios, with The Magic of Disney Animation officially opening to guests today, 14 September 2026.
The new experience brings interactive animation activities, Disney character encounters and opportunities to learn how to draw familiar characters to the Florida theme park, while the surrounding former Animation Courtyard has also been transformed into the new Walt Disney Studios Courtyard.
Rather than a traditional ride, The Magic of Disney Animation is designed as a collection of experiences celebrating Disney artists, characters and the animation process.
And for long-time Hollywood Studios fans, there's more than a little nostalgia involved.
What is The Magic of Disney Animation?
The Magic of Disney Animation occupies the former Star Wars Launch Bay building, which itself was originally home to Disney's animation facilities and the previous version of The Magic of Disney Animation.
Disney has now brought the animation theme back to the building, but with a completely reimagined experience for today's Hollywood Studios.
The exterior takes inspiration from the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, complete with an oversized Sorcerer Mickey hat.
Inside, guests enter a colourful environment celebrating Disney animation through interactive activities and character experiences rather than following a conventional ride-through format.
You can learn to draw Disney characters again
One of the most welcome parts of the new experience is the return of drawing to Disney's Hollywood Studios.
At Drawn to Wonderland, guests can take part in a guided animation experience inspired by Disney's Alice in Wonderland.
Disney describes the experience as an opportunity to step into an animator's shoes and create your own character sketch, bringing a hands-on element back to an area of the park historically associated with animation.
For anyone who remembers drawing Disney characters at the original Magic of Disney Animation, it's a particularly appropriate addition.
Olaf Draws! brings animation to life
Elsewhere, Olaf Draws! puts the Frozen character behind the drawing board.
The experience features Olaf attempting to create his own animated drawings, with his creations coming to life around him.
It's one of several ways the new attraction blends traditional animation with familiar modern Disney characters, making the experience accessible even to younger guests who have no memory of Hollywood Studios' original animation attractions.
Characters take over the Animation Gallery
Characters are a major part of The Magic of Disney Animation.
The experience has been designed to feel as though Disney characters have taken over an animation studio once the artists have left for the day.
That gives Disney the flexibility to feature characters throughout the building rather than restricting the experience to one specific film or franchise.
Guests can encounter familiar faces from across Disney animation, while the surrounding spaces contain artwork and references celebrating the studio's animated history.
That character-driven approach should also give Disney an easy way to refresh the attraction over time as new films and characters arrive.
Animation Courtyard becomes Walt Disney Studios Courtyard
The opening is bigger than a single building.
The surrounding Animation Courtyard has been transformed into Walt Disney Studios Courtyard, giving this corner of Hollywood Studios a completely refreshed identity.
The redesigned area continues the animation theme outside the attraction and creates a more cohesive entrance into The Magic of Disney Animation.
It marks a significant change for a part of Hollywood Studios that has undergone several identities over the years.
Animation Courtyard was once closely connected to the park's original working-studio concept before gradually becoming home to attractions and experiences from franchises including Disney Junior and Star Wars.
Bringing Disney animation back to the centre of the area feels surprisingly appropriate.
A nod to Hollywood Studios' past
When Disney-MGM Studios opened in 1989, animation wasn't simply a theme used for an attraction.
Artists actually worked at the Florida park, with guests able to see part of the animation process taking place behind the scenes.
That operation eventually closed, while The Magic of Disney Animation continued in various forms before shutting permanently in 2015 to make way for Star Wars Launch Bay.
More than a decade later, Disney has now returned the building to something much closer to its original purpose.
This isn't a recreation of the old attraction, and Hollywood Studios isn't becoming a working animation studio again. But the decision to celebrate the creative process rather than simply installing another franchise attraction gives the project a connection to the park's history that many recent additions haven't had.
Is The Magic of Disney Animation a ride?
No. It's worth making that clear if you're planning a Walt Disney World trip.
The Magic of Disney Animation is an interactive walkthrough-style experience rather than a roller coaster, dark ride or other conventional theme park attraction.
Guests can explore the animation-themed spaces, take part in drawing activities and meet Disney characters at their own pace.
That also makes it a useful change of pace from Hollywood Studios' major attractions such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.
The latest change at Disney's Hollywood Studios
The Magic of Disney Animation arrives during a significant period of change for Disney's Hollywood Studios.
The park has transformed considerably over the last decade, largely through major intellectual property-led additions including Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land.
The return of an animation-focused attraction therefore feels a little different.
It doesn't attempt to compete with Hollywood Studios' biggest rides on scale or technology. Instead, it restores some of the creative identity that was once central to the park.
Whether you're interested in learning to draw a Disney character, meeting familiar faces or simply escaping the Florida heat for a while, The Magic of Disney Animation adds something the park has arguably been missing.
And after more than a decade away, it feels fitting to see animation return to this corner of Disney's Hollywood Studios.
