The Magic of Disney Animation: Building Layout, New Concept Art & Hard Hat Tour

Walt Disney World has just released new details for The Magic of Disney Animation, coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios later this Summer. In addition to the new details, we were invited to go behind the construction walls during a recent hard hat tour to take a look around as Imagineers continue to work hard to bring the space to life. In this article, we’ll share the new details that Disney announced, along with what we saw when we went behind the construction walls.

Some installation is underway. An expansive character mural runs along the upper perimeter wall of the Off the Page! character meet and greet area, and large set elements for the Drawn to Wonderland playground are in place. But plenty of bare concrete floors and unfinished walls remain throughout the space.

For those unfamiliar, The Magic of Disney Animation replaces the Star Wars Launch Bay. We’ll use photos from our farewell article for the Star Wars Launch Bay to try to describe what we saw during our hard hat tour. We’ll also take a closer look at each section of The Magic of Disney Animation as we look forward to the offering opening later this Summer.

Open House Courtyard
After passing under Mickey’s sorcerer hat, we hang a slight right to find the Open House courtyard. It’s here that we’ll see character statues welcoming us to the open house of the space themed to the Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California. The conceit of the attraction is that the animators have temporarily stepped away… but the building is still buzzing with activity as the characters have come to life and they’re ready to play. Now, they’re holding an open house for you!

Here’s a look back at the courtyard as it sat during the Star Wars Launch Bay. When we toured the space, all of the vegetation had been removed, and the entire area was bare. The wall where the Star Wars Launch Bay logo was has been removed.

Once Upon A Studio Theater & Enchanted Art Gallery
In the Once Upon A Studio Theater, you can enjoy the Emmy Award-winning short film that inspired it all, Once Upon A Studio. Inside this dedicated theater honoring more than a century of Disney Animation storytelling, enhanced effects add an extra layer of magic.

As you enjoy the film, you may spot characters popping up within the artwork along the theater walls, placing you right in the middle of this enchanting story.

This theater used to be the home of the Star Wars Launch Bay theater. While we don’t have any file photos from inside the theater, we do have some exterior photos. On our tour, we didn’t go inside the theater, but the door was open, and it was very much still an active construction site.

According to the map above, it looks like the theater will dump into the previously announced Enchanted Art Gallery. Disney says that the enchanted art gallery is a beautifully curated space filled with artwork featuring beloved Disney Animation characters. At first glance, it feels like a traditional gallery, but with a little pixie dust, your favorite character may spring to life in all-new animations created exclusively for this experience.

Again, we didn’t walk into this space, but it looks like it’ll take over the Star Wars Launch Bay space seen below.

Reception Area
While the enchanted art gallery is accessible by going through a door to the left from the Open House welcome courtyard, the reception area is accessible by going through the door to the right. It’s worth noting that The Magic of Disney animation is an open-flowing experience. There is no order in which you will be forced to experience the offering.

The reception area, like the rest of the venue, was still under active construction. That meant that the floors were bare concrete, there was no finished ceiling, and lighting cables were hanging from the rafters. That said, there was a wall that was knocked down here, and a new wall was installed.

As you can see from our file photos below, the new reception area used to feature a cantina photo op. Staircases to the left and right of the cantina led down to the Chewbacca and Darth Vader meet-and-greets. More on those in a bit. The staircase to the right of the cantina has been closed off with a new wall. The wall behind the cantina has been knocked down, and the space has been expanded into an area that used to house an exhibit showcasing Rey’s Speeder. It feels more open now and offers a look down into the Off the Page! character meet and greet space.

Off The Page! Character Meet and Greet Area
Walking down the stairs, the former Chewbacca and Darth Vader meet and greet rooms and queues have been completely cleared out. Instead, we were able to see four small alcoves, pictured below, where sets will be assembled to represent key stages of the animation process. As you can see below, there will be four alcoves, but six distinct character meet and greets.

The upper part of the wall around the perimeter of the room features character murals. There will be dozens of characters represented here. We were told that each of the six character meet and greet experiences will have their own separate queues. This is where many of the characters found at the Walt Disney Studios Lot courtyard will move when the space opens later this Summer. More on that later.

Here’s a look at the area that has been completely cleared out for the Off the Page character meet and greet space. The only thing that remains is the staircase and ramp. Other than that, the carpet has been ripped up down to the concrete, and the walls/ceilings have been stripped of theming (beyond the new theming).

Drawn to Wonderland Playground & New Concept Art
One area that will certainly appeal to young families is the Drawn to Wonderland playground. This area is specifically designed for children ages 6 months to 5 years old. This area is actually being created from previously backstage areas. If memory serves, Disney said that this area used to be utilized as office space, but that it has been completely cleared out for the new playground.

Disney also shared new concept art of the playground, which is inspired by the original Alice in Wonderland concept art from Disney Legend Mary Blair. From the playful chaos of the Mad Tea Party and Mad Hatter’s house to the Queen of Hearts’ vibrant rose garden and the Cheshire Cat’s mysterious Tulgey Wood, every corner invites young guests to explore, move, and let their imaginations run wild.

“Drawn to Wonderland” comes to life through bold colors, whimsical shapes, and Blair’s unmistakable artistic style. Designed especially for little ones, the space offers families a fun, energetic place to play and recharge while remaining fully immersed in Disney storytelling.

Chosen for its spirit of curiosity, imagination, and discovery, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland naturally lends itself to an environment built for exploration through active play. Younger guests will love climbing, wandering, and creating their own adventure around every corner of this new playground.

When we visited, the hedge flats and Mad Hatter’s house were installed. There was no theming on the ground, which remained bare concrete, and the slide hadn’t been installed yet. The dinner table wasn’t installed yet, either.

From what we were told, the space was separated into two areas. The area shown above is to the left when you walk in. Not pictured in concept art was a Tulgey Wood play area for smaller children.

Critically, the entire space only has one entrance/exit, which will make it easy for parents to allow their children to play freely without worrying if they’ve run off. Also, the space is entirely indoors and under air conditioning, which will be very welcome.

Olaf Draws!
One area that we didn’t get to see at all, or really talk much about, is the Olaf Draws! animation experience. At Olaf Draws, everyone’s favorite snowman takes center stage as your cheerful companion, bringing you along to learn character drawing from some of the biggest names in Disney animation.

Brought to life as an all-new Audio-Animatronics figure, Olaf welcomes you into a space inspired by one of his most memorable moments from Once Upon A Studio, sitting at an animator’s desk, joyfully discovering the art of drawing.

You’ll go step-by-step through the creative process, guided by Disney Animation artists through recorded tips, techniques, and stories from inside the studio. Add in Olaf’s playful humor, and it becomes a fun, laugh-filled experience that leaves you feeling inspired.

If you’re worried about creating the worst drawing in the room, just remember that you’re already a leg elbow up on Olaf, who doesn’t have any – making for an entertaining experience. If you’re wondering “why Olaf”, remember that the conceit of The Magic of Disney Animation is that the animators have stepped away and the characters come out to play. Disney says that having a live animator here wouldn’t follow that storyline, so Olaf has to phone a friend for help learning how to draw various characters.

Again, we didn’t tour the Olaf Draws area, but it appears to be roughly in the area where the BB-8 meet and greet was in the former Star Wars Launch Bay.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!