It’s a big day for Hollywood Studios fans!
This park recently closed Muppets Courtyard forever, Kermit and Miss Piggy are taking over Rock n’ Roller Coaster, and Mike and Sulley are working on moving in! Now, even more major changes are coming to the park, and we are screaming with excitement.
Disney is hearing our cries! If you’ve been to Hollywood Studios in the last few years, you might have skipped over the Animation Courtyard. This area, which is mostly empty, has some Star Wars meet and greets and Disney Junior Play and Dance. Well, now this area is finally getting a facelift!
In 2026, Star Wars: Launch Bay is changing into “a place where kids and kids at heart can laugh, draw, dream, and explore animated new experiences.” The building will be changing and adding Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat on top of the building to mirror the Walt Disney Animation Studios building in California. The new changes will follow a story where “animators have temporarily stepped away” and the characters come to life to play!
Guests will be able to interact and explore the Disney Animation headquarters, even different studio departments where characters have taken over! This new attraction is heavily inspired by “Once Upon A Studio”, which is a short film that we are truly in love with. Just like the short films, the portraits inside will come to life and ” you’ll even pencil in some time to learn how to draw your very own character sketch.” Does this mean the return of the Animation Academy?!
There will also be a new “Drawn to Wonderland” playground with “an oversized flower garden with musical instruments, a Mad Tea Party playset and a Tulgey Wood exploration area,” all inspired by Alice in Wonderland concept art created by Disney Legend Mary Blair.
There will be tons of character meet and greets in the new experience, which will officially be called “The Magic of Disney Animation.” The entire courtyard is changing into “The Walt Disney Studios” and will be inspired by the buildings in Burbank, with nods to the Walt Disney Studio Lot. The new show, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure, is staying, and the Disney Junior show is getting a “fresh” take! In addition to playing and relaxing, Disney also teases “tasty treats under lush trees.”
Disney event teased us by saying, “You never know who you might see playing in the branches, soaking up the sun or digging in the grass.” Animation Courtyard and Disney Jr. Play and Dance! will close on September 25th, 2025, to prepare for the 2026 opening. The Little Mermaid show and Walt Disney Presents will remain open during this time. We can’t wait to see these changes, so be sure to keep following AllEars for more Disney news and updates!
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
Doc McStuffins is my favorite Character there, but my heart shattered in a billion pieces.