The “Hollywood Studios is a half-day park” jokes have had a good run at Disney World. Galaxy’s Edge is spectacular, Toy Story Land is adorable, and yet the park has spent years feeling like a construction zone. Well, get ready to retire the joke, or at least put it on notice. Disney World just announced the opening date for The Magic of Disney Animation, and September 14 is officially the day the reimagined Animation Courtyard, now known as Walt Disney Studios, comes fully to life.
Here’s everything landing in the park, and why this one matters more than a typical opening.
The Vibe: Burbank, but Make It Florida
The whole area takes its cues from Once Upon A Studio, the Emmy-winning short. In the short, Disney Animation characters step off the screen and roam the real Walt Disney Animation Studios lot in California. The reimagined courtyard recreates that campus feeling, right down to details like Pluto’s Corner, with shady trees and a relaxed layout designed for families to actually hang out. Rumor has it, characters like to hide in the details around the courtyard, so eyes up.
Some of it is already open. The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure is still running in the Studio Theater, and Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! is now performing next door, an interactive show where the audience helps Mickey and Minnie round up Goofy, Daisy, and Pluto for the big Clubhouse bash. Small kids lose their minds for it, in the best way.
Disney World Main Event: Under the Sorcerer Hat
The September 14 headliner is the building at the center of it all, modeled after the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, with Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat perched on top, just like the real thing.
Inside is a whole collection of experiences:
Drawn to Wonderland is an indoor playground inspired by Mary Blair’s Alice in Wonderland art. Kids can explore the Mad Tea Party, the Mad Hatter’s house, the Queen of Hearts’ rose garden, and the Cheshire Cat’s Tulgey Wood, all in vibrant colors.
Off the Page! reinvents the character meet-and-greet. Instead of a generic backdrop, each character appears in a department of the animation studio. Mulan in Story with a giant storyboard, Rapunzel in Layout with a multiplane camera setting, Chip ‘n’ Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation, Donald and Daisy in Computer Animation, Goofy in Lighting, and Stitch in Effects. The photos are going to be excellent.
Olaf Draws! features a new Audio-Animatronics Olaf who hosts drawing classes at an animator’s desk. Guests follow along under the guidance of Disney Animation artists. Josh Gad recorded new dialogue for Olaf, inspiring kids to dream of becoming animators.
The Once Upon A Studio Theater showcases an enhanced version of the original short, with characters interacting with the artwork, while an enchanted gallery brings classic character art to life.
One Big Step, Not the Disney World Finish Line
Real talk: September 14 doesn’t complete Hollywood Studios. The park still has room to grow before the half-day label fully dies. And every fan is waiting on the same rumor to turn real: the Monsters Inc. land. Nothing new has been announced there recently.
But a living, breathing new Walt Disney Studios area changes the park’s center of gravity. Kids playing, characters everywhere, drawing classes with a snowman. That’s not filler. That’s the heart of the park coming back online, and it’s arriving in September.
