Theme Park Scope

We’re officially less than one week away from the opening of Disney’s newest Hollywood Studios experience…

…and some very lucky people are already getting inside.

Cast Member previews are now underway for The Magic of Disney Animation, the massive new collection of animation-inspired experiences officially opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on September 14, 2026.

The previews are one of the final signs that Disney is nearly ready to welcome guests into the reimagined space, where visitors will soon be able to draw alongside an Audio-Animatronic Olaf, meet Disney Characters throughout different animation departments, explore an Alice in Wonderland-inspired playground, and watch artwork literally come to life.

Cast Members have begun entering The Magic of Disney Animation ahead of its public debut. According to reports from the park, Cast Members were seen experiencing the new attraction after construction walls were removed from the area.

Exactly who is currently eligible for the previews isn’t clear. Disney hasn’t publicly detailed whether they’re limited to Hollywood Studios Cast Members, leadership, specific teams, or a broader group of Walt Disney World employees. Disney also hasn’t announced how long the Cast Member preview period will continue.

Cast Member previews typically represent one of the final stages before a new Disney attraction or experience opens to the public, allowing teams to operate the space with real participants ahead of opening day. But there’s one important distinction for anyone visiting Hollywood Studios between now and September 14: Disney has not announced a public soft opening.

That means guests shouldn’t head to Hollywood Studios this week expecting to be admitted early simply because Cast Member previews have started. If Disney does offer any unannounced early guest access, that would be a bonus…not something visitors should currently build into their plans.

The Magic of Disney Animation isn’t a single ride or show. Disney describes it as a collection of experiences housed inside a building inspired by the Roy E. Disney Animation Building at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank.

The entire concept takes inspiration from Disney’s Emmy Award-winning Once Upon a Studio short, imagining what might happen when the animators leave and Disney Characters take over the studio.

One of the biggest additions is Olaf Draws!, a new animation experience featuring an all-new Audio-Animatronic Olaf sitting at an animator’s desk.

Guests will learn to draw Disney Characters through prerecorded instruction from actual Walt Disney Animation Studios artists, while Olaf provides commentary featuring original dialogue recorded by Josh Gad.

Depending on the class, guests may learn to sketch characters including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Genie, Moana, Stitch, Olaf, Ursula, or Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde.

There’s also Off the Page!, which turns different departments of an animation studio into themed character experiences. Disney has announced potential appearances from Mulan in Story, Rapunzel in Layout, Chip ‘n’ Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation, Donald and Daisy in Computer Animation, Goofy in Lighting, and Stitch in Effects.

Rather than simply lining up characters against generic backdrops, each environment is designed to showcase a different part of the animation process.

For younger guests, Drawn to Wonderland becomes an indoor play space inspired by Disney Legend Mary Blair’s original concept art for Alice in Wonderland. Families will find environments inspired by the Mad Tea Party, Mad Hatter’s house, the Queen of Hearts’ rose garden, and the Cheshire Cat’s Tulgey Wood.

And inside the Once Upon a Studio Theater, guests can watch the animated short that inspired the entire project, enhanced with additional effects and characters appearing within artwork along the theater walls.

An enchanted art gallery will similarly feature Disney Animation artwork that unexpectedly springs to life through new animation created specifically for the experience.

The former Animation Courtyard permanently closed in September 2025 before Disney began turning the area into the Walt Disney Studios Lot. Its redesigned outdoor courtyard opened to guests earlier this year, complete with the enormous Sorcerer Mickey hat atop The Magic of Disney Animation building — an architectural nod to the real Roy E. Disney Animation Building in California.

Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! is also already operating nearby.

Now, after months of watching work continue behind construction walls, guests are only days away from finally seeing what’s inside the centerpiece of the reimagined area.

Until then, the people heading through those doors are Cast Members helping Disney put the finishing touches on the experience before opening day.

Keep checking back with Theme Park Scope as we get closer to the debut of The Magic of Disney Animation and for the latest updates from Disney’s Hollywood Studios.