New Animation Academy Experience Coming to Hollywood Studios

Disney announced a new Animation Academy experience coming to The Magic of Disney Animation in Hollywood Studios in late summer of this year. This drawing experience will be led by an Olaf Audio-Animatronic who will, of course, be voiced by Josh Gad. The new attraction, Olaf Draws!, will be located in the old Star Wars: Launch Bay space. We’ll see everyone’s favorite snowman in his animation space inspired by the 2023 short, Once Upon a Studio. Like us, Olaf isn’t a natural artist and will need to call on some animator friends to help us learn to draw. We expect jokes about Snowgies, Sven, and hopefully a puddle pun or two.

The concept art for Olaf Draws!, above, is so similar to other Disney animation offerings.

The Animation Experience at Conservation Station in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is now closed to make way for the new Bluey adventure coming to this summer. When it was open, guests could learn to draw favorite Disney characters from a visiting animator. This differs from the new Olaf attraction coming to Hollywood Studios in that the animators will be helping guests (and Olaf) draw via pre-recorded video.

EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts, which ends today, also offered opportunities to draw Disney characters from an in-person animator. The experience was just like the one at Conservation Station except the venue was much larger and more easily accessible. Disney hasn’t released details about the 2027 Festival of the Arts so we aren’t sure if this event will be returning.

Disney Cruise Line offers opportunities to learn from real animators several times each voyage. The experience is similar to the one coming to the Studios this summer in that it is a recording of a Disney animator taking guests through the steps. We do this on every Disney Cruise and always enjoy it. That doesn’t mean we’re good, as is evident in the rendering of Donald Duck above.

We’re happy to report that there will be sleigh-themed tables and animator-desk-style workstations to use during this new experience. This is a huge improvement over the clipboards used at the old Animation Experience in Animal Kingdom and the Festival of the Arts Academy. We loved those lessons but we’re confident our skills will improve if we aren’t expected to balance a clipboard and get Donald’s beak right.

There will be opportunities to draw our favorite pals from from some big names in Disney animation. The characters and artists released today include:

We acknowledge that the lack of a live animator leading these session is a downgrade for some. While we will always jump at the chance to sit and watch gifted animators make their very special skills look easy, we’re just fine with the introduction of this new video-led attraction. We’ve learned how to fold a fitted sheet, change a tire, and replace a garbage disposal from YouTube videos, so the idea of learning to draw the Genie from the actual, real life genius, Eric Goldberg, who made him come to life on screen, is exciting.

How do you feel about this announcement? Have you experienced any of the other animation events in Disney World or on Disney Cruise Line? What did you think of each?