Exciting new details have been revealed by Walt Disney World for The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including that an Audio-Animatronics figure of Frozen’s Olaf will lead a brand-new Animation Academy alongside pre-recorded drawing lessons from legendary Disney animators.
As detailed by the Disney Parks team, The Magic of Disney Animation is currently set to open in late summer, and this new Animation Academy experience will be one of the highlights. Much like he appeared in the short film Once Upon a Studio, Olaf will be sitting at an animator’s desk and guiding you through the drawing adventure. And yes, Josh Gad has recorded new dialogue for the snowman to make the figure feel even more authentic.
Since Olaf can’t quite draw all of these characters on his own, he is enlisting the help of Disney animators, directors, and story artists to help teach artists of all ages how to bring their favorite characters to life. While there sadly won’t be in-person animators like at Disneyland’s Animation Academy at Disney California Adventure Park, the list of artists they have lined up is very impressive. It includes;
- Mickey Mouse, with Dan Abraham, director (“Once Upon A Studio,” “Baymax!”)
- Minnie Mouse, with Hyun Min Lee, animator (“Frozen 2,” “The Princess and the Frog”)
- Donald Duck, with Austin Traylor, animator (“Once Upon A Studio,” Moana 2”)
- Genie, with Eric Goldberg, animator (“Aladdin,” “Hercules”)
- Moana, with Samantha Vilfort, story artist (“Encanto,” “Zootopia 2”)
- Stitch, with Fawn Veerasunthorn, director and head of story (“Wish,” “Raya and the Last Dragon”)
- Olaf, with Trent Correy, director (“Once Upon A Studio,” “Frozen 3”)
- Ursula, with Michael Woodside, animator (“Big Hero 6,” “Encanto”)
- Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde, with Byron Howard, director (“Zootopia,” “Zootopia 2”)
Alongside the Animation Academy experience, guests will be able to visit ‘Off the Page!,’ an area where fan-favorite characters will leave the screen behind and enter our world. There will be different areas that are inspired by the “real animation pipeline at Walt Disney Animation Studios,” and guests will be able to meet and greet with specific characters like Mulan in Story, Rapunzel in Layout, Chip n’ Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation, Donald & Daisy in CG Animation, Goofy in Lighting, and Stitch in Effects.
There will also be an Enchanted Art Gallery that will feature tons of gorgeous Disney artwork that just may come alive with new animations created for this experience. To end, guests will enter the Once Upon a Studio Theater to enjoy the short film of the same name, and there may even be characters appearing within the artwork along the theater walls to make everything even more immersive.
As previously revealed, The Magic of Disney Animation will also include an Alice in Wonderland-themed playground called ‘Drawn to Wonderland,” and the main experience will take place in a building modeled after the real Roy E. Disney Animation Building in California, complete with Mickey’s iconic Sorcerer Hat on top!
Lastly, there will be an outdoor courtyard of sorts where families will be able to “play, relax, or snack on tasty treats under lush trees.”
All in all, this should be a wonderful nostalgia play for Walt Disney World, and you can check what else they have in store for 2026 and beyond right here!
You can also read all about the next-generation robotic figure of Olaf that will soon appear at World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland!
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
