The countdown has officially started for another major change at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
On September 14, 2026, guests walking into Animation Courtyard will have something entirely new waiting for them. Disney is preparing to open The Magic of Disney Animation, marking the next major phase of a transformation that has already changed this longtime corner of the park.
Disney now lists September 14 as the official opening date for The Magic of Disney Animation. The company says the experience will celebrate the legacy of Disney animation through characters and stories brought to life around guests.
While new attractions are nothing unusual at Walt Disney World, this particular project carries more history than most.
Hollywood Studios Is Changing Once Again
Disney's Hollywood Studios hasn't remained the same park for very long.
It originally opened as Disney-MGM Studios in 1989 with a much stronger emphasis on how movies and television were made. Over the decades, that idea gradually disappeared as Disney replaced older experiences and developed new lands.
Animation Courtyard remained connected to that earlier era, even as the rest of Hollywood Studios changed around it.
Now, Disney is reinventing the area while keeping animation at the center of its identity.
The new courtyard draws inspiration from Disney's animation campus in Burbank and Once Upon a Studio (2023). Disney has incorporated details inspired by the real California property into the redesigned area.
And in just a few weeks, guests will finally be able to experience its centerpiece.
The Magic of Disney Animation Opens September 14
Disney isn't building The Magic of Disney Animation around one ride.
Instead, guests will find several experiences under one roof.
Olaf Draws brings back the idea of learning how to sketch Disney characters, but with a new twist. An Audio-Animatronics Olaf will appear at an animator's desk as guests follow drawing lessons featuring guidance from actual Disney Animation artists.
The character lineup for those lessons includes Mickey Mouse, Genie, Moana, Judy Hopps, and Nick Wilde. Josh Gad also recorded original dialogue for Olaf.
That could make Olaf Draws particularly interesting for longtime visitors who remember when drawing was a bigger part of the Hollywood Studios experience.
Characters Will Become Part of the Animation Process
Disney is also putting a different spin on traditional character meet-and-greets.
Off the Page! will divide its character experiences around different pieces of animation production.
Guests could encounter Mulan in Story, Rapunzel in Layout, Chip ‘n' Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation, Donald and Daisy in Computer Animation, Goofy in Lighting, and Stitch in Effects.
Disney's official description says these individual environments will represent portions of the animation process while giving guests opportunities to take photos with characters.
It's a simple idea, but one that connects the meet-and-greets directly to the larger purpose of the building.
A New Indoor Playground Is Coming
Families with young children will have another reason to visit.
The playground will include areas inspired by familiar locations and characters, including the Mad Tea Party, Mad Hatter's house, Queen of Hearts' rose garden, and Cheshire Cat's Tulgey Wood.
Hollywood Studios has plenty of major attractions, but fewer places where young children can simply explore and play. This addition gives the park something different while keeping it tied to Disney storytelling.
A Decades-Old Area Is Entering Its Next Era
The new Disney Once Upon a Studio Theater will also celebrate more than 100 years of animation through a short film featuring Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters.
Together, these additions make September 14 a significant date for Hollywood Studios.
This isn't Disney restoring Animation Courtyard exactly as longtime guests remember it. The original studio experience isn't returning.
Instead, Disney is taking an area with decades of history and rebuilding it around a newer version of the animation theme.
After years of construction and change across Hollywood Studios, the next transformation is almost here.
The Magic of Disney Animation officially opens September 14.
