The Magic of Disney Animation

The Magic of Disney Animation was a show and tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios that opened along with the park on May 1, 1989, and closed permanently on July 12, 2015. At the time, it was not announced what would happen to the building and the animators. In December 2015, the building began housing the Star Wars Launch Bay.

But it current at Disney's California Adventure (under the name Disney Animation Building), Walt Disney Studios Park (under the name Art of Disney Animation), and Hong Kong Disneyland (under the name Art of Animation).

Disney's Hollywood Studios=

Originally, when the park first opened in 1989, the Feature Animation pavilion of the attraction, designed originally by award winning experience designer Bob Rogers and the design team BRC Imagination Arts, included four connected experiences which explored the legacy of Disney animation. The tour commenced with the short film entitled "Back to Neverland," in which veteran newscaster, Walter Cronkite and comedian Robin Williams guided guests through the different stages in animating a feature-length film by turning Williams into an animated character in the form of one of the "Lost Boys" of Peter Pan. Following that introductory film, guest would witness the process of animation, first-hand, from elevated, glass-enclosed walkways within Disney's actual animation studio. The third segment was a short film in which Disney Animators described the joy of the art of animation. A finale film entitled "Classic Disney" presented a montage of key moments from classic animated Disney films.

The attraction now has one main showroom, where a Disney animator shows guests how the characters in Disney animated films are chosen and designed, with the help of Mushu, the dragon from Disney's Mulan (voiced in the show by Eddie Murphy's sound double, Mark Moseley.) Mulan was the first of three films produced by the former Orlando, Florida division of Walt Disney Feature Animation, which was headquartered in the building before being closed in 2004. After guests leave the showroom they are led to an area with interactive games and a chance to meet characters from the latest Disney animated pictures. There is also a section called The Animation Academy, where guests can draw their favorite Disney characters, under the guidance of a Disney Animator. Several original cells from classic Disney films as well as several of the Academy Awards won by Disney films are on display at the attraction.

Inside the building which housed the attraction, are the former production facilities of Walt Disney Animation Orlando. Some of its productions include:


 * Ink and paint for The Little Mermaid (1989)
 * Two of the three Who Framed Roger Rabbit spinoff cartoons; Roller Coaster Rabbit (1990) and Trail Mix-Up (1993)
 * The Be Our Guest sequence from Beauty and the Beast (1991)
 * Off His Rockers short (1992)
 * The concept design and animation of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin (1992)
 * The "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" sequence from The Lion King (1994)
 * Mulan (1998)
 * John Henry short (2000)
 * Lilo & Stitch (2002)
 * Brother Bear (2003)
 * My Peoples (cancelled)

An expanded production area was dedicated and opened on April 22, 1998, the same day Disney's Animal Kingdom opened. Roy E. Disney noted it in his dedication speech.
 * -|Disney California Adventure=

The Disney Animation Building and all these attractions are located at Hollywood Land which is a themed land at the park. There is no main show, such as the one in the Paris and Florida attractions, but there are a variety of attractions and exhibits the guests can visit. "The area is inspired by the 1930s Golden Age period of Hollywood" and features attractions related to this concept. The Animation Academy is where guests can get lessons on how to draw various Disney characters. As part of the park's "Frozen Fun" event, which ran though May 15, 2015, the Academy gave exclusive lessons on how to draw either Olaf or Marshmallow from Frozen.

Other experiences at the Disney Animation Building include the Animation Courtyard. The area of the courtyard known as the Art of Animation Gallery is where guests can see some of the original artwork and the creative process from Disney and Pixar animated films, featuring scenery from the films as well as concept art of the characters.

Another attraction at the building is known as the Character Close-Up which, starting in late December 2014, features a meet and greet with Princess Anna and Elsa the Snow Queen from Frozen.

Other attractions include the Sorcerer’s Workshop and Turtle Talk with Crush. The Sorcerer’s Workshop features the Magic Mirror Realm which features interactive animation exhibits and allows guests to create simple animated drawings. Guests can figure out what "personality most resembles" them in the Beast’s Library. Lastly, guests can "gather 'round a "window to the Pacific" for a live chat with Crush the turtle from Finding Nemo.

Movies Featured in the Animation Reel

 * 1) The Little Mermaid (Part of Your World)
 * 2) Beauty and the Beast (Belle (song))
 * 3) Fantasia & Fantasia 2000 (The Sorcerer's Apprentice)
 * 4) Bambi (Little April Shower)
 * 5) Previous versions Aladdin (Arabian Nights)
 * 6) Finding Nemo (The melody)
 * 7) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (The Evil Queen's transformation)
 * 8) Previous versions Atlantis: The Lost Empire (The melody)
 * 9) The Incredibles (The melody)
 * 10) The Jungle Book (The Bare Necessities)
 * 11) Toy Story franchise (You've Got a Friend in Me)
 * 12) Cinderella (A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes)
 * 13) Mulan (Reflection)
 * 14) Previous versions Hercules (Go the Distance (Reprise))
 * 15) Monsters, Inc. (Scare Floor F melody)
 * 16) Ratatouille (Le Festin)
 * 17) Zootopia (Try Everything)
 * 18) Lilo & Stitch (Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride)
 * 19) Tarzan (Two Worlds)
 * 20) Previous versions A Bug's Life (The melody)
 * 21) Previous versions The Hunchback of Notre Dame (The Bells of Notre Dame (Reprise))
 * 22) Frozen (In Summer)
 * 23) Pinocchio (Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee)
 * 24) Alice in Wonderland (The Unbirthday Song)
 * 25) Previous versions The Emperor's New Groove (Perfect World)
 * 26) Up (The melody)
 * 27) Lady and the Tramp (The melody & He's a Tramp)
 * 28) Previous versions Sleeping Beauty (Battle with the Forces of Evil)
 * 29) Tangled (I See the Light)
 * 30) Dumbo (Casey, Jr. (song) & Baby Mine)
 * 31) The Lion King (King of Pride Rock)
 * 32) Frozen (Let it Go)
 * 33) Repeat of Zootopia (Try Everything)
 * 34) Cars (The melody)
 * 35) Pocahontas (Colors of the Wind)
 * 36) Sleeping Beauty (Once Upon a Dream)
 * 37) Aladdin (A Whole New World)
 * 38) Peter Pan (Second Star to the Right)
 * 39) When You Wish Upon a Star

Trivia

 * In the Magic Mirror Relm section of the Sorcerer's Workshop, the images of 12 Disney characters surround the Magic Mirror, each one representing 1 of the 12 zodiac symbols. They are from left to right:
 * Bull (Lady and the Tramp): Tauros
 * Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (Alice in Wonderland): Gemini
 * Sebastian (The Little Mermaid): Cancer
 * Simba (The Lion King): Leo
 * Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs): Virgo
 * Lumière (Beauty and the Beast): Libra
 * The Leviathan (Atlantis: The Lost Empire): Scorpio
 * Robin Hood (Robin Hood): Sagittarius
 * Djali (The Hunchback of Notre Dame): Capricorn
 * King Triton (The Little Mermaid): Aquarius
 * 2 Cleos (Pinocchio): Pisces
 * Philoctetes (Hercules): Aries
 * In the same room, several Atlantean letters are are part of one of the diagrams on the walls. When translated, they spell "Walt & Roy", the first names of Walt and Roy E. Disney.
 * -|Walt Disney Studios Park=

The attraction opened in 2002, along with the park, and is located in the Toon Studio (previously known as Animation Courtyard). Toon Studios is where the animated characters come alive - here guests learn about how Disney animated movies are created and can step into the imaginary worlds of animated features from Disney and Pixar.

The Art of Disney Animation allows guests to learn about classic Disney creations with the help of a Disney animator and Mushu, the mischievous dragon from Disney’s 1998 classic Mulan. Through combining theatre presentations with interactive exhibits, the Art of Disney Animation takes guests on a trip from the historical world of classic Disney animation techniques to "the creation of modern-day Disney characters." The iconic Sorcerer’s Hat is the perfect way to usher guests into the building and start this experience. Additionally, in front of the building near the wait area, there is a collection of golden statues of various Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Dumbo, Mulan, and Donald Duck to name a few.

After guests pass the outdoor wait area, they enter the pre-show room. "A colorful mural wraps around the left side of the room charting early animation inventions." This room has on display an original multi-plane camera which was used in the animation process of Disney classic such as Bambi. The attraction also displays other early animation inventions such as the Greek urn that dates back to 500 BC as well as the Magic Lantern (1659) an early type of image projector, which was invented in the Netherlands.

Other animation inventions include the English Thaumatrope (1825) which is "a disk or card with a picture on each side. The disc or card is attached to two strings on each side. When flipping the disc or card in a continuity movement from one side to the other, it looks like the two separate pictures merged into one single image." The Phenakistoscope invented in Belgium in 1832 is "a vertical spinning disc with multiple drawings that gave the illusion of a moving picture once it was set in motion." The Zoetrope (1834) is another English invention and "it is a cylinder with slits in the side." Inside the cylinder a band with images is placed. Once the cylinder is set in motion an illusion of movement is created." The last animation invention featured in this room is the French Praxinoscope (1877) which "improved on the Zoetrope by using an inner circle of mirrors that create a brighter and less crooked picture."

After this exhibition pre-show, guests are taken to the Disney Classics Theatre which is a seated cinema is showing a collection great Disney and Pixar animated moments touching on Disney’s classic themes of love, loss, and rebirth. Guests are then moved on to the Drawn to Animation room, where they are welcomed by a Disney animator and their host Mushu, the dragon. Together they explain, how Disney creates its many beloved characters and "how they [bring] them to life on the big screen." At the end of this presentation, guests are shown some scenes from the latest Disney or Pixar animation, the scenes obviously changing with the release of a new animated movie.

Guests are then moved into the final and largest room of the attraction, which features a series of interactive "animation stations", where they can try out some of the things they had just seen on the tour. Guests have the possibility of trying their hand at drawing Mickey Mouse with the help of an animator who explains the whole process. They can also draw their own Zoetrope animation on bands of paper and test the results on one of the devices. There is also a sound creation game and a voice over game, as well as many other fun stations to explore.

For those who want to see a little bit more of Disney animation history, there is a display of concept art highlighting the design and creation of Disney’s classic films as well as statues displayed behind glass windows. Lastly, a tip guests can keep in mind about this final room is that it can be entered without visiting the main attraction, allowing guests to return to view certain exhibits and take part in certain "animation stations" during their visit to the park.
 * -|Hong Kong Disneyland=

Located in Main Street, U.S.A.'s Opera House at Hong Kong Disneyland. As part of the expansion of the park in summer 2008, the attraction replaced The Disneyland Story presenting How Mickey Mouse Came to Hong Kong. Behold an exhibition of original Disney artwork and see how an early concept sketch can become an animated character inside the building. View drawings, sculptures and rare collectibles from more than 80 years of beloved Disney and Pixar cartoons and animated feature films—and learn how Disney artists created and eventually brought to life some of Disney characters, such as:
 * Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
 * Dumbo
 * Bambi (in the exhibit dedicated to Disney Legend Tyrus Wong, known for his spectacular landscape work)
 * Cinderella
 * Alice in Wonderland
 * Sleeping Beauty
 * The Little Mermaid
 * Beauty and the Beast
 * Aladdin
 * Tarzan
 * Toy Story and Toy Story 2
 * The Incredibles
 * Cars
 * Ratatouille

Magic Access Member Service Center
In 2012, since Magic Access Member Service Center (next to City Hall) was under construction, the center has temporary moved to the building, replaced The Preview Gallery, while the Art of Animation is covered with a curtain whereas guests could enter and visit.

However, the building has been temporarily suspended from September 21 to 30, 2016 and October 17 to 25, 2016 for transformation work. It has provide extra functions that serve the Magic Access Members. The old building was replaced by a Meet and Greet attraction known as The Annex.

Toy Story Zoetrope
A zoetrope is a device that flashes a series of still images to produce the illusion of motion. Instead of using traditional, one-dimensional drawings, Toy Story Zoetrope, similar to the former Character Close-Up in Disney Animation Building at Disney California Adventure. It features 3-dimensional figures of characters from the Disney•Pixar Toy Story film series—including Woody, Jessie and Bullseye—to demonstrate how even sculptures can easily become fully animated in the eye of the beholder. As large disks whirl under a flashing strobe light, the Toy Story characters spring to life. However, it has been removed in December 19, 2016 for the new "Magic Access Member Service Center" expansion.

"The Magic Continues" Preview Gallery
In 5th anniversary celebration, "The Magic Continues" Preview Gallery (Traditional Chinese: 樂園擴建預覽中心) was placed inside the building's golden age area, displaying the three new themed area Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point and Toy Story Land, the expansions at the park. Later, the display had moved to Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.

Monsters University Administration Building
Due to its Monstrous Summer event in 2013, the building was converted into Monsters University Administration Building (Traditional Chinese: 怪獸大學行政大樓), in conjunction with the release of the film Monsters University. It was ran from June 13, 2013. Although the event officially ended on September 1, its continued until October 31, part of the "Disney's Haunted Halloween" event started form October 4.

Guests will go directly to the building to obtain their very own Monsters University Student Cards. Simply by inserting their park tickets or Magic Access Membership Cards into the Monsters University Student ID Booth, guests can also have their scary Student Photos taken. Guests also can meet and greet with Mike and Sulley in their MU looks outside the building during summer.

Inside Out Headquarters
Due to its “Frozen” Village summer event in 2015, the building was converted into Inside Out Headquarters (Traditional Chinese: 腦海總部控制中心), in conjunction with the release of the film Inside Out. It was ran from July 9, 2015. Although the event officially ended on August 30, it continued until September 14. The displays inside the building were all moved to Epcot Character Spot at Epcot since April 2016.

Guests will have the opportunity to experience firsthand some of the movie’s most charming elements and a particularly iconic scene. They will also be able to create their very own Emotions postcard in the Capture Your Emotions Photo Booth. Guests also can meet and greet with Joy and Sadness.

Big Hero 6 Headquarters
In 10th anniversary celebration, half of the building (the renaissance age) has been converted into Big Hero 6 Headquarters, where guests can meet and greet with Baymax since February 22, 2016, and Hiro Hamada only on June 4 as an atmosphere character. However, it has been closed since June 30.