As Walt Disney World moves into a new era, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is preparing for some of its most significant changes yet.
On July 22, Disney Experiences announced that Animation Courtyard would close on September 25, 2025. The area, long home to Star Wars Launch Bay and Disney Jr. Play and Dance, will make way for a new destination: The Magic of Disney Animation. Guests visiting today, September 24, will be the last to enjoy these Hollywood Studios staples before they close permanently.
The new land will honor the history and craft of animation. Its design takes inspiration from the Walt Disney Studios buildings in Burbank, California, and will introduce new offerings, including animation classes, children’s play spaces, character greetings, and a short film. “The playful and interactive moments will be around every corner,” Disney Parks Blog shared. “You’ll see portraits come to life before your eyes just like they did in *Once Upon A Studio; you’ll find inspiration with a short film (with a twist, of course); and you’ll even pencil in some time to learn how to draw your very own character sketch.”
Adding to this tribute will be the return of the Sorcerer Mickey hat, which once stood as a central feature of Hollywood Studios. The icon will now serve as the gateway to the reimagined animation experience.
The closure of Animation Courtyard follows the earlier transformation of Grand Avenue, which closed in 2025. That space will soon reopen as Monstropolis, a land inspired by Pixar’s Monsters, Inc., featuring the resort’s first suspended roller coaster, themed to the film’s door sequence.
While the Muppets bid farewell to their longtime home with the closure of Muppet*Vision 3D and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, their presence in the park will continue in a new form. The popular Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will be rethemed as a Muppets attraction, set to open in 2026. An official closing date for the current version has not yet been announced.
With these construction projects underway, guests may see larger crowds in areas such as Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, with attractions like Slinky Dog Dash and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance serving as alternative highlights.
These updates are part of a larger resort-wide expansion. At Magic Kingdom, work is progressing on the “largest expansion” in the park’s history. Plans include Piston Peak National Park, inspired by Cars, which will occupy the space once home to Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America, alongside the “Beyond Big Thunder” project centered on Disney Villains.
Elsewhere, Disney’s Animal Kingdom began construction in January 2025 on the Tropical Americas project, introducing Pueblo Esperanza with experiences tied to Encanto and Indiana Jones. The new area is scheduled to open in 2027. Meanwhile, EPCOT recently completed its extensive redesign, marked by the reopening of Test Track in July.
These transformations echo remarks made by Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro during D23 Expo 2024, where he shared that “dirt was moving” throughout Disney destinations.
By 2025, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be well into this transformation, and by 2026, the park will showcase a completely new vision for guests.
