Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World remains one of the resort’s most in-demand parks and is currently undergoing a series of expansions that will introduce new experiences this year.
Disney has now shared additional details about these upcoming additions. Here’s a closer look at the latest announcements, including an update on one specific experience that brings both promising news and a potential drawback for guests. At Mickey Visit, we report on recent Disney news, like the new security change plans at Disneyland and the food guide released for the International Flower & Garden Festival.
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More Details Released for “The Walt Disney Studios” Area
Disney is currently transforming the former Star Wars: Launch Bay building in Animation Courtyard into a new family-focused area called “The Magic of Disney Animation,” inspired by the Once Upon A Studio short film. The space is being reimagined as a playful version of the iconic Disney Animation headquarters.
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Animation Courtyard is also being renamed “The Walt Disney Studios,” a name that takes inspiration from several buildings found in Burbank, California. During this construction, “The Little Mermaid- A Musical Adventure” has still been available to guests. The new “The Magic of Disney Animation” building and “The Walt Disney Studios” area will be ready for guests to experience in late summer 2026.
We just learned more details about the experiences coming to “The Magic of Disney Animation” building, including which character interactions will be available and a new animation drawing experience featuring an Olaf Audio-Animatronics figure.
Learn to Draw with New Olaf Audio-Animatronics Figure
The new Animation Academy experience in The Walt Disney Studios will be called “Learn to Draw with Olaf” and feature an Olaf Audio-Animatronics figure as a host. Olaf will welcome guests into a space inspired by his moment in the Once Upon A Studio short, sitting at an animator’s desk, and discovering the art of drawing. This news comes ahead of the debut of a new robotic Olaf figure next month.
This is a new twist on the traditional Animation Academy experience, as there will no longer be a face-to-face drawing instructor. Instead, the experience will now be narrated by Olaf, featuring the return of Josh Gad as the voice of Olaf. He recorded original dialogue for the experience and shared, “I’m so thrilled that a whole new generation of kids can dream of becoming animators one day and can actually begin their journey right there on the studio lot.”
Olaf will then share the pre-recorded videos created by legendary Disney Animation artists as they guide guests step-by-step through the creative process, sharing tips, techniques, and stories straight from the studio.
Each class features a different character drawn by different Disney animators, story artists, and directors, including:
- Mickey Mouse, with Dan Abraham, director (Once Upon A Studio, Baymax!)
- Minnie Mouse, with Hyun Min Lee, animator (Frozen 2, The Princess and the Frog)
- Donald Duck, with Austin Traylor, animator (Once Upon A Studio, Moana 2)
- Genie, with Eric Goldberg, animator (Aladdin, Hercules)
- Moana, with Samantha Vilfort, story artist (Encanto, Zootopia 2)
- Stitch, with Fawn Veerasunthorn, director and head of story (Wish, Raya and the Last Dragon)
- Olaf, with Trent Correy, director (Once Upon A Studio, Frozen 3)
- Ursula, with Michael Woodside, animator (Big Hero 6, Encanto)
- Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde, with Byron Howard, director (Zootopia, Zootopia 2)
Now with the closure of the Animation Experience at Conservation Station, live drawing demonstrations will no longer be present at Walt Disney World, with the exception of experiences during the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts. This is a drawback for guests who thrived on that interactive, personal experience with cast members that led these classes. There’s a stronger sense of shared experience when a class is led by a real instructor, and it’s difficult to replicate the organic interaction and spontaneous back-and-forth that naturally develops in those live teaching moments.
However, having the insight from well-known Disney animators and directors, along with an interactive Olaf Audio-Animatronics figure, may be engaging enough that the average guest may not miss the live demonstrations. The move to incorporate this interactive experience with Olaf is a bit reminiscent of other Disney experiences like Turtle Talk with Crush. I imagine the pre-recordings with the Disney animators will interact with the Olaf Audio-Animatronics figure during the experience. It’s also an exciting opportunity to learn directly from a legendary 2D Disney animator like Eric Goldberg, whose work has helped define some of the studio’s most iconic characters.
But this is a notable change in a new direction from an experience that takes place not just at Walt Disney World but Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort and on board Disney Cruise Line ships.
Character Interactions Revealed for “Off the Page!”
Disney also revealed the full list of character interactions that will greet guests at “Off the Page!”, a new area that celebrates the artistry behind every frame of classic Walt Disney Animation stories and the key stages of the animation process.
Each space offers photo ops with characters posing in areas themed to oversized storyboard panels or a setting inspired by the classic multiplane camera, where you’ll see layers of backgrounds and painted cels come together. Characters in this area will include:
- Mulan in Story
- Rapunzel in Layout
- Chip n’ Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation
- Donald and Daisy in CG Animation
- Goofy in Lighting
- Stitch in Effects
This is such a creative twist on character meet-and-greet settings, and it continues to reinforce how thoughtfully this area celebrates the legacy and artistry of Disney animation.
Other Experiences Coming to “The Magic of Disney Animation”
The other experiences inside the reimagined “The Magic of Disney Animation” include an interactive walk-through of a Disney Animation studio in an enchanted art gallery where characters appear to have come to life throughout themed departments.
Guests can also head to the Once Upon A Studio Theater to enjoy the Emmy Award-winning short film Once Upon A Studio. This dedicated theater honors more than a century of Disney Animation storytelling, with enhanced effects that add an extra layer of immersion.
The space also includes the “Drawn to Wonderland” Indoor Play Area, which is a whimsical, indoor play zone inspired by Mary Blair’s concept art for Alice in Wonderland.
While the previous Disney Jr. show is now closed, a new one will take place over at the “soundstage experience” when the area reopens.
Another key feature of the new “The Magic of Disney Animation” experience is that the top of the building will feature Mickey’s iconic Sorcerer Hat, which will feature lighting and musical effects. This is based on the real building on the Walt Disney Studios Lot in California, which also features the iconic Sorcerer Hat. The entire courtyard itself will be transformed with new trees and greenery as the area is reimagined into a more natural green space.
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This is another addition alongside the major expansion of a new Monsters, Inc. land, the Muppets roller coaster also coming this summer, and the new version of the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run featuring storylines from The Mandalorian opening on May 22, 2026.
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