Construction walls came down at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and cast members walked through the finished space Friday morning. The name returns 11 years after the original closed.
Cast members walked through The Magic of Disney Animation on Friday morning, and the walls around it are gone.
The attraction opens to guests Sept. 14, inside the reimagined Walt Disney Studios Lot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
What The Magic of Disney Animation actually is
The attraction takes over the former Star Wars: Launch Bay building.
The exterior draws on the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California, Disney Animation’s real headquarters. Inside, guests explore versions of the studio’s actual departments.
It is inspired by the Emmy Award-winning short “Once Upon A Studio,” and Disney has described portraits coming to life throughout the space.
Disney Animation artists worked alongside Walt Disney Imagineers on the project.
What experiences are inside
Disney previewed three when it announced the opening date in July.
Drawn to Wonderland is an indoor play area built for the youngest guests, drawing on Mary Blair’s original concept art for “Alice in Wonderland.”
Off the Page and Olaf Draws round out the announced offerings, with character encounters and interactive activities throughout.
The name is returning after 11 years
The history is the part longtime visitors will care about.
When the park opened in 1989, The Magic of Disney Animation let guests tour working production facilities. “Mulan,” “Lilo & Stitch” and “Brother Bear” were all drawn at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, and visitors could watch it happen.
Disney closed the Florida animation division in 2004. The attraction itself closed in 2015.
The new version is not a working studio. It is an experience about animation rather than a window into it.
How long this project has taken
Disney announced the Walt Disney Studios Lot concept in July 2025. Animation Courtyard permanently closed Sept. 25, 2025.
The Sorcerer Mickey hat went up over the entrance in April. The courtyard itself opened to guests May 20, while the attraction stayed behind walls.
That gap ran roughly three and a half months, with guests walking through a finished courtyard past a closed building. Statues and finishing touches appeared gradually through the summer, and an “Open House” banner went up in late August.
Disney announced the Sept. 14 date on July 15.
What else is happening at Hollywood Studios
The park has been the busiest at Walt Disney World this year.
The Magic of Disney Animation is the last major Hollywood Studios opening scheduled for 2026.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom is down to its final seven dates. The Walt Disney World Railroad closes Sept. 28 through Oct. 29, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure closes Nov. 2.
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress reopens in late spring 2027 with the resort’s first Walt Disney animatronic.
New attractions typically draw heavy crowds in their opening weeks. Disney has not announced whether virtual queues or standby-only entry will apply.
Walt Disney World turns 55 on Oct. 1, roughly two weeks after the attraction opens.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
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Hat Tips:
- BlogMickey (Sept. 4, 2026), the cast member preview observation, the full project timeline and the Open House banner installation
- Walt Disney World Resort press release (July 15, 2026), the Roy E. Disney Animation Building inspiration and the Once Upon A Studio framing
- Inside the Magic (September 2026), the courtyard gap analysis, the Drawn to Wonderland description and the Mary Blair concept art detail
- Undercover Tourist, the original attraction’s history including Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida and the 2004 and 2015 closures
- Disney Tourist Blog (July 2026), the delay assessment and the October prediction
- Chip and Company and DVC Shop, the preview eligibility uncertainty
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