Mickey Mouse Disappears From Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Latest Park Update
Disney’s Hollywood Studios lost a beloved visual landmark this week when construction crews removed prominent Mickey Mouse iconography from the Central Florida theme park. The disappearance marks the latest development in an aggressive demolition campaign reshaping the Animation Courtyard section of the Walt Disney World Resort park.
Iconic Mickey Mouse Ears Vanish
The illuminated Mickey Mouse ear sign that towered over the Disney Junior attraction entrance for years no longer exists. WDWNT reported Tuesday that demolition teams had successfully extracted the neon-lit ears from their longtime perch in Animation Courtyard.
The removal happened in two phases. Inside the Magic documented the first stage on Tuesday morning when Lightning Lane and standby wait time displays vanished from the former Disney Jr. Play and Dance! entrance. Just hours later, the Mickey Mouse ears themselves disappeared, leaving a bare wall where the cheerful icon once welcomed young guests.
Construction crews had already disconnected electrical systems powering the neon lighting that illuminated the ears, Lightning Lane signage, and wait time trackers. The darkened displays sat lifeless before workers physically removed them from Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Total Animation Courtyard Demolition Underway
The removal of the Mickey Mouse sign represents one piece of the Animation Courtyard’s complete transformation. Walt Disney World Resort announced plans in 2025 to permanently replace the existing area with an environment modeled after the Walt Disney Studios Lot in Burbank, California.
The reimagined space resurrects the Magic of Disney Animation, an experience that originally operated during the Disney-MGM Studios era. The updated version will offer character meet-and-greets, a sketching class teaching guests basic animation techniques, and a play area themed to Alice in Wonderland (1951).
Perhaps most controversially, the Sorcerer Mickey hat returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as part of the redesign. The giant hat previously dominated the park’s central plaza before Disney removed it following years of guest complaints about blocked sightlines.
Entertainment anchors the new area with two theatrical productions. “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” continues its run, joined by “Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!”—a show that premiered at Disney California Adventure Park in 2025.
Star Wars Launch Bay and Disney Jr. Play and Dance! closed alongside Animation Courtyard in September 2025, triggering immediate construction wall installation. The barriers don’t completely hide demolition activity—Disney Park guests walking past can observe work happening above the temporary walls.
Aerial overview of work where a section of Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be themed as visiting the Disney studios in Burbank.
Aerial overview of work where a section of Disney's Hollywood Studios will be themed as visiting the Disney studios in Burbank. pic.twitter.com/Sgxmrmefky
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) November 8, 2025
Sharp-eyed Disney fans had anticipated the removal of the Mickey Mouse ears months ago. Concept art released by Walt Disney World Resort depicting the Magic of Disney Animation showed zero trace of the illuminated ear sign. The renderings illustrated a fundamentally different entrance design bearing no visual connection to the Disney Junior attractions that previously occupied the space.
Six-Month Construction Window
Walt Disney World Resort is committed to opening the Magic of Disney Animation in summer 2026, without specifying an exact date. That timeframe gives construction teams roughly six months to finish demolishing Animation Courtyard and build the Walt Disney Studios Lot-inspired replacement.
Did you visit the Disney Junior Dance Party before it closed? Share your experience with Disney Dining in the comments!
