An area of Disney World that has long been (essentially) abandoned is about to see a JOLT of new life.

Hollywood Studios’ Animation Courtyard has been a major part of the park since it first opened as the Disney-MGM Studios back in 1989. Originally, the area was home to the Magic of Disney Animation tour, which took guests inside the real functioning on-site Disney Animation studio, and included the beloved short film Back to Neverland, which starred Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite. Of all the now-defunct Disney attractions I’ve seen in my 30 years of visiting Disney World, this film is one of the 5 things I miss the most. The area was also initially home to the Catwalk Bar and Soundstage Restaurant, which would eventually be replaced by various Disney Jr. stage shows. Versions of the animation attraction existed until 2015, when it was replaced by Star Wars: Launch Bay.
Over the past decade, the area has become seemingly more and more abandoned. While the Star Wars: Launch Bay was initially popular, the exhibit has seen shrinking guest numbers since Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019. Meanwhile, the Disney Jr. show, while certainly appealing to the programming block’s young demographic and their parents, it’s not a major draw for the majority of park guests.
Disney has tried to draw guests into the area, including hosting elements of the Cool Kids Summer promotion there. However, it remained mostly a ghost town… but that’s about to change.

In the summer of 2025, Disney announced that the Animation Courtyard area is about to transform. Star Wars Launch Bay and Disney Jr. Play and Dance! will both be closing on September 25th, and the area will be reworked into a mini-replica of the Disney Animation Studios in Burbank.

The primary attraction in the area will be a new version of the Magic of Disney Animation, including theming based on the Emmy-winning Once Upon a Studio short that celebrated Disney’s 100th Anniversary. This will include “moving” portraits, as well as character meet & greets.
Sketch classes, where guests will be able to draw their own favorite Disney characters, similar to the original Animation Academy, will be offered as well. This might be the most similar to the classic Studios park.

The Drawn to Wonderland playground, which will feature an oversized flower garden with musical instruments, a Mad Tea Party playset, and a Tulgey Wood exploration area, all designed in the style of Disney Legend Mary Blair.
Overall, the complex is going to be a family-friendly (including the aforementioned playground), air-conditioned area. Spaces like these are always welcome in Disney Parks!

The new area will recreate the facade of the Roy Disney building on the Burbank lot, which includes a recreation of Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat! Of course, a different version of the hat was once the icon of Hollywood Studios.

The long (near) abandoned Animation Courtyard area of Hollywood Studios is about to transform into a brand new area at Hollywood Studios, one which transports this area of the park slightly closer to its MGM Studios roots. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on the park’s transformation.
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Are you excited to see the Animation Courtyard transform? Let us know in the comments below.
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