Disney’s Hollywood Studios has already been under a LOT of construction this year, with the addition of Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After (which we love) and The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure (for all you Disney princess fans), not to mention that Muppets Courtyard is being turned into the new Monsters, Inc. Land as you read this.
That’s not all, though. There’s ANOTHER big construction project starting soon, and by that we mean *checks watch* in just five days. So head into this spot soon, because it’s about to look ENTIRELY different!
That’s right — in just FIVE days, on September 25th, Hollywood Studios will look entirely different yet again as Animation Courtyard closes to make way for the newly reimagined version of the area. While The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure and Walt Disney Presents will stay open during this refurbishment, practically everything else will close!
The Disney Jr. Play and Dance! building will close to make way for a completely new show, but it’s unclear at this time if it’ll be called the same or if the name will change along with the show.
Star Wars: Launch Bay will also close entirely, which means all those meet and greets, displays, and experiences will be no more after the park closes on September 24th. This building will be replaced by the new experience, The Magic of Disney Animation. The concept art shows a Mickey Sorcerer hat on top, just like the icon this park used to have (MAJOR SCORE in our book!), and will be “a place where kids and kids at heart can laugh, draw, dream, and explore animated new experiences.” We’ll get to see portraits come alive before our eyes, and it sounds like there will even be a drawing class to guide you in drawing your own character sketch. YAY!
Does anyone else remember the old character drawing classes that used to take place in Disney’s Hollywood Studios? They were SO fun, right? Currently, an animation drawing experience happens daily at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (random…we know), so we’ll be curious to see what happens to that experience when the Hollywood Studios project is completed.

Animation Experience at Animal Kingdom
The entire area will be heavily inspired by the iconic Walt Disney Studios Lot in California. There will be lots of characters to meet, as well as areas for families to “play, relax, or snack on tasty treats under lush trees.” You’ll also want to look closely at your surroundings, because “you never know who you might see playing in the branches, soaking up the sun, or digging in the grass.”
Finally, a Drawn to Wonderland playground will be added to the area for kiddos to play on. It’ll be inspired by the original Alice in Wonderland concept art by Mary Blair, and will be an “oversized flower garden with musical instruments, a Mad Tea party playset, and a Tugley Wood exploration area.”
This means that when September 25th hits, there will be TWO entire lands closed off in Hollywood Studios, which means that there will be fewer options for younger kiddos in the park, and other wait times may increase a bit to make up for the lack of attractions.
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Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney World news — we’ll make sure you feel totally prepared for your upcoming trip!
Disney World Announces NEW DATES for Exclusive Moonlight Magic Events
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