Just weeks after Animation Courtyard officially closed to guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the first visible signs of its transformation have appeared — and they’re impossible to miss. Several of the land’s familiar blue buildings have been repainted in a new tan-and-cream palette, hinting at the massive redevelopment already underway behind the scenes, per reports.
Animation Courtyard, which shut down permanently on September 25, 2025, is being completely reimagined into The Walt Disney Studios Lot, a new themed area inspired by the historic Burbank studio campus that has served as the creative home of Walt Disney Animation Studios since the 1940s. The update represents one of the first steps in Disney’s latest park-wide initiative to refresh aging areas and bring back the “studio” feel that originally defined Disney’s Hollywood Studios when it opened as Disney-MGM Studios in 1989.
Paint Signals the First Step of the Redesign
Since the closure, construction walls have gone up around the area, but guests walking near Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Walt Disney Presents have spotted something new: fresh paint. The buildings housing both Disney Jr. Play and Dance! and The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure are now sporting a lighter, more cohesive color scheme.
The Disney Jr. building, which previously featured a bright blue base with a darker roofline, now has a warm tan finish along its lower half. The color change is subtle but unmistakable, creating a more polished, unified appearance that aligns with the style of the other structures surrounding it.
Next door, the theater for The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure has received a similar makeover. The courtyard-facing wall, once blue, has been repainted the same pale yellow-tan tone, while the reverse side facing toward Hollywood Boulevard still remains blue. The partial repaint suggests that the process is happening in phases, possibly with additional color and detailing to follow.
Sources familiar with the project have indicated that the new color palette is not random. Instead, it’s a deliberate design choice meant to reflect the clean, sun-washed architecture of Disney’s California studio facilities. Think terracotta roofs, sandy walls, and simple, warm tones — a marked departure from the dated early-2000s color scheme that lingered long after the courtyard’s heyday.
From Star Wars to Roy E. Disney
The fresh coat of paint isn’t just cosmetic. It’s the first outward step toward a complete rebranding of the area, starting with the former Star Wars Launch Bay complex. That space will soon be home to an all-new experience: “The Magic of Disney Animation.”
The new attraction will occupy a building redesigned to resemble the Roy E. Disney Animation Building, a centerpiece of the Burbank campus that houses Disney’s real animation teams. The Florida version will act as both a tribute and a creative play space, bringing to life the spirit of Disney’s Once Upon a Studio short film, which celebrated a century of animated storytelling earlier this decade.
The concept behind the new Magic of Disney Animation is simple but imaginative: guests will enter a working animation building after the animators have “stepped out,” leaving behind a studio where the animated characters have taken over. Inside, families will explore interactive exhibits themed to animation departments, from storyboarding and background design to voice recording and editing.
A short film experience will anchor the attraction, along with new opportunities to learn how to draw Disney characters. The building will also serve as the entrance to Drawn to Wonderland, a large indoor play area for children themed around the artistic, colorful world of Alice in Wonderland. Themed after Mary Blair’s iconic concept art, the playground will feature oversized flowers that double as musical instruments, climbing areas inspired by the Tulgey Wood, and a whimsical “Mad Tea” playset.
The Walt Disney Studios Lot: A New Land Taking Shape
Beyond the attraction, The Walt Disney Studios Lot will bring sweeping visual changes to the entire area that once made up Animation Courtyard. The reimagined land will combine interactive attractions, character meet-and-greets, shaded courtyard spaces, and family play zones — all tied together by a visual style modeled on the real Burbank lot.
Renderings shown to Disney cast members and during internal previews depict a redesigned land framed by low-rise studio buildings, lush plantings, and small courtyards accented with California-inspired color tones. The central archway that once marked the entrance to Animation Courtyard has already been demolished, clearing the way for new entry signage modeled after studio gates.
The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure is expected to remain open throughout much of the transformation, serving as an anchor attraction for the new land. Meanwhile, the former Disney Jr. building will be repurposed to host a new show aimed at younger audiences, continuing the family entertainment focus that’s been part of this corner of the park for decades.
The updated area will also feature enhanced seating and outdoor relaxation areas, providing families a place to take a break in what has traditionally been one of the park’s quieter sections.
Why the Paint Matters
For longtime Disney park observers, the new paint job might seem minor, but it’s actually a significant indicator of the design direction ahead. Painting buildings before major construction begins is a common early move in Disney’s redevelopment process. It allows Imagineering teams to test color palettes, examine how light interacts with new tones, and visualize how the finished area will blend with the rest of the park.
The shift from blue to tan is particularly notable because it aligns with the architecture of The Walt Disney Studios Lot in California — the very aesthetic that will define this new area. Instead of bright, whimsical colors, the updated palette relies on warm neutrals and subtle shading, a nod to the classic Hollywood design that originally inspired Disney-MGM Studios back in 1989.
In many ways, it’s a full-circle moment. When the park first opened, the focus was on showing guests how movies were made — from animation and sound design to special effects. Over the years, that concept faded as blockbuster IP-based lands took over. Now, with The Magic of Disney Animation returning in a new form, and a Burbank-inspired lot replacing the aging Animation Courtyard, Disney appears to be reclaiming some of its original “studio” DNA — but in a way designed for today’s audiences.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Disney has confirmed that The Magic of Disney Animation will open in 2026, while the surrounding Walt Disney Studios Lot area will debut in phases afterward. During construction, Walt Disney Presents and The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will continue to operate, with temporary barriers allowing guest access from nearby areas.
The repainting of these buildings is likely just the first of several aesthetic updates to come as Imagineering begins reshaping the land. Additional construction permits have been filed for both interior and exterior modifications across the former Launch Bay and Disney Jr. buildings, suggesting that more significant structural work will begin in early 2026.
For now, the new tan walls stand as a quiet but powerful symbol of change. After years of underuse, Animation Courtyard is finally stepping back into the spotlight — not as a museum of the past, but as a working tribute to the creative heart of Disney itself.
When The Walt Disney Studios Lot opens next year, it won’t just mark the end of Animation Courtyard’s long decline; it will signal the return of Hollywood Studios’ original identity — a place where the art, craft, and heart of filmmaking come to life once again.
