Walt Disney World Resort has filed a new construction permit for a major overhaul at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This latest filing comes just over a month before the permanent closure of Star Wars Launch Bay and the Disney Jr. Play and Dance! show in the Animation Courtyard area.
Earlier this summer, Disney confirmed that an original attraction from the park’s past would return in a new form. The Magic of Disney Animation originally opened alongside then Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, allowing Disney Park guests to explore the world of animation with the help of a real Disney animator. The attraction was connected to an actual film studio where movies like Mulan (1998) and Lilo & Stitch (2001) were animated. It even featured an Animation Academy, where Walt Disney World Resort guests could learn to draw their favorite Disney characters.
Despite its initial success, the attraction’s popularity began to wane after the Florida division of Walt Disney Animation Studios shut down in 2004. The animation studio building was eventually repurposed for offices for Disney Experiences cast members. In 2015, Disney decided to close the Magic of Disney Animation and replace it with Star Wars Launch Bay, a walkthrough attraction celebrating the Star Wars franchise.
However, Star Wars Launch Bay didn’t see lasting success. When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019, many guests flocked to the new immersive land, leaving Launch Bay largely empty. While it continued to offer meet-and-greets with characters like Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and Kylo Ren, and displayed props from the Star Wars films, it struggled to maintain interest.
In July 2025, Disney shared that the Magic of Disney Animation would be making a comeback at Hollywood Studios. The area known as Animation Courtyard will lose its iconic archway and be reimagined as The Walt Disney Studios Lot, modeled after the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California. Guests will be welcomed by a large blue Sorcerer Mickey hat facade, and inside, they’ll embark on an experience inspired by the Once Upon A Studio (2023) short film.
The new space will also feature an interactive play area inspired by Alice in Wonderland (1951). It’s designed to invite children and adults to reconnect with Disney’s legacy of animation and storytelling.
On August 5, Walt Disney World Resort filed a new construction permit likely related to the Magic of Disney Animation. The Notice of Commencement lists Buena Vista Construction Company as the contractor responsible for providing labor, materials, and electrical work on the project at 200 Showbiz Blvd, the address of the former animation studios. While the permit details the necessary work, it doesn’t clarify what specific changes will be made to the existing structure or whether the backstage building will be partially open to guests after the completion of the new attraction.
Meanwhile, the closure of Star Wars Launch Bay is set for September 25, 2025, while the Disney Jr. Play and Dance! show will close the day before, on September 24. A new Disney Jr.-inspired show will debut alongside the Walt Disney Studios Lot in 2026. However, it’s still unclear whether the Star Wars meet-and-greets or Lucasfilm props will be relocated to other parts of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Walt Disney World Resort has not announced an official grand opening date for The Walt Disney Studios Lot and the new Magic of Disney Animation.
What experiences do you hope to see in The Magic of Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Share your ideas with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
