Walt
Disney World Resort is sharing more details about what’s coming to The
Magic of Disney Animation experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios when it
opens in late summer, with updates centering on hands-on fun, familiar characters and a behind-the-scenes look at how Disney movies are made.
The upcoming park
area will include an all-new Animation Academy, new character encounters and
interactive spaces that walk guests through the animation process from start to
finish.
Drawing Disney
Characters With Olaf
One of the biggest
updates is a brand-new Animation Academy experience called Olaf Draws!.
It’s hosted by Olaf from Frozen, who appears as a new Audio-Animatronics figure
and serves as the guide for the class.
Guests of all ages
will sit down in a studio-style space and learn how to draw Disney characters
step by step. The room has playful Frozen-themed touches, with sleigh-inspired
tables for kids and animator-style desks for adults.
Rendering of the new Olaf Draws! Animation Academy within The Magic of Disney Animation area of Disney's Hollywood Studios. (Photo Credit: Walt Disney World Resort)
The dialogue for
Olaf was recorded by Josh Gad, the voice of the character. “I’m so thrilled
that a whole new generation of kids can dream of becoming animators one day and
can actually begin their journey right there on the studio lot,” Gad shared.
Since Olaf isn’t
much of an artist himself, the class is taught with help from real Disney
animators. Through prerecorded videos, animators, directors and story artists
guide guests through the drawing process and share tips along the way.
Each session
features a different character, so guests might learn to draw Mickey, Minnie,
Donald, the Genie, Moana, Stitch, Ursula, Olaf, or Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde,
depending on the class.
Rendering of outdoor space at The Magic of Disney Animation area at Disney's Hollywood Studios. (Photo Credit: Walt Disney World Resort)
Characters Step
Off the Page
Another part of
the update is Off the Page!, which brings characters into themed spaces
inspired by different departments at the real-life Walt Disney Animation
Studios in Burbank, California.
Each area
represents a step within the animation pipeline and features appearances by beloved
characters who help bring the process to life. Guests might see Mulan in Story,
Rapunzel in Layout, Chip n’ Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation, Donald and Daisy in
CG Animation, Goofy in Lighting or Stitch in Effects.
The spaces are
designed to be interactive and photo-friendly, while also giving guests a basic
idea of how animated movies are created.
Art That Comes
to Life
Guests will also
walk through the Enchanted Art Gallery, which looks like a traditional
gallery at first — until the artwork starts moving. New animations created just
for this attraction bring Disney characters to life within the artwork itself.
The experience
wraps up in the Once Upon A Studio Theater, where guests can watch the
Emmy Award–winning short “Once Upon A Studio”. Enhanced effects inside the
theater add a few surprises, with characters even appearing within the artwork
on the walls.
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