News Project 2026: The Magic of Disney Animation Experience

[Python_Survivor]

Disney Animation-Inspired Experience Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Get the first look at The Walt Disney Studios, Magic of Disney Animation and Drawn to Wonderland coming to Hollywood Studios in 2026.

disneyparksblog.com

Highlights include interactive drawing experiences, a playground inspired by Mary Blair's concept for "Alice in Wonderland", an updated Disney Jr. Show, and a ton of character meet and greets.

And yes, the big blue hat is back.

 

[harry580]

welcome back the magic of disney animation & also the big blue hat

 

[kmccarthy27]

That was one of the area's for Monsters to go, and also the rumored area where they were going to put something related to The Simpsons when the rights revert back by 2028. This makes me wonder now where any park expansion will go now that they are investing in this. I can't see this being just a stop gap attraction like the Villains show is. Does this mean Indy and Star Tours' days may be numbered?

 

[harry580]

That was one of the area's for Monsters to go, and also the rumored area where they were going to put something related to The Simpsons when the rights revert back by 2028. This makes me wonder now where any park expansion will go now that they are investing in this. I can't see this being just a stop gap attraction like the Villains show is. Does this mean Indy and Star Tours' days may be numbered?

well, I guess that star tours would been moved to galaxy edge on the extra site next to monsters Inc (since that coaster is not taking over that half of the parking lot)

and I guess the current star tours would been converted to the simpsons and Springfield (the latter would take over indy space)

 

[paintervision]

This makes sense - Launch Bay was sitting empty and this is a quick turnaround time for a venue that can open and provide some indoor AC exhibit space and a playground. DHS leans hard on bigger rides and shows, so this helps round out the park as a whole.

Does this mean Indy and Star Tours' days may be numbered?

Hope so. Indy is getting a new ride over in Animal Kingdom, and Star Tours feels very long in the tooth. I could see Indy being replaced by that Moana flume ride concept from a few years ago, or some other kind of water ride since this is one of the few boxes left to tick off for this park. Or they could do something from the 20th Century Studios catalog (Alien? Planet of the Apes? Die Hard? Ice Age? etc)

 

[CoasterRattler🐍]

Or they could do something from the 20th Century Studios catalog (Alien? Planet of the Apes? Die Hard? Ice Age? etc)

For the 20th Century Studios catalog, I think Apes has the best chance for DHS.

Eat my words, we’re inevitably gonna get Ice Age at the Disneyparks

 

[harry580]

yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if ice age comes to disney Hollywood studios, I mean, disney is investing in that ip, theres a sixth (well seven if you count ice age buck wild) movie coming out next year and disney Hollywood studios needs a water ride so a ice age themed water ride fits the bill perfectly

 

[warfelg]

I would put the other Fox properties in their own gate TBH.

GE expansion space would be a great Stardust Racers fighter location with a TIE vs X-Wing racing coaster. Or Mandelorian coaster. A chance to do something really cool. Maybe a Star Tours 2.0 version. Rebel Crew racer.

I would love to see the Indy/Star Tour plot become a “Legends” area with the classic characters brought to life. Think IOA Toon Island but with Micky, Minnie, Daffy, Goofy etc.

 

[harry580]

I would put the other Fox properties in their own gate TBH.

GE expansion space would be a great Stardust Racers fighter location with a TIE vs X-Wing racing coaster. Or Mandelorian coaster. A chance to do something really cool. Maybe a Star Tours 2.0 version. Rebel Crew racer.

I would love to see the Indy/Star Tour plot become a “Legends” area with the classic characters brought to life. Think IOA Toon Island but with Micky, Minnie, Daffy, Goofy etc.

ok, now im interested in the fox gate (I know the fox gate can not be a studio park since theres already one, so maybe 20th century land (get it, like Disneyland its 20th century land)

 

[GAcoaster]

Wow what a let down...

 

[themeparktribune]

Hope so. Indy is getting a new ride over in Animal Kingdom, and Star Tours feels very long in the tooth. I could see Indy being replaced by that Moana flume ride concept from a few years ago, or some other kind of water ride since this is one of the few boxes left to tick off for this park. Or they could do something from the 20th Century Studios catalog (Alien? Planet of the Apes? Die Hard? Ice Age? etc)

Star Tours isn't going anywhere anytime soon thanks to the ability to swap in new scenes from newer shows and TV as fast promotion. Indiana Jones isn't necessarily going to leave either just because Animal Kingdom has an Indy attraction either. Finding Nemo has existed for multiple parks for more than a decade.

I would put the other Fox properties in their own gate TBH.

GE expansion space would be a great Stardust Racers fighter location with a TIE vs X-Wing racing coaster. Or Mandelorian coaster. A chance to do something really cool. Maybe a Star Tours 2.0 version. Rebel Crew racer.

I would love to see the Indy/Star Tour plot become a “Legends” area with the classic characters brought to life. Think IOA Toon Island but with Micky, Minnie, Daffy, Goofy etc.

Hate to burst your bubble, but that is no GE expansion space that big. I also can't imagine Disney building a racing coaster outdoors in the same park that already has WDW's only coaster with inversions.

If they were going to build more Star Wars stuff past Galaxy's Edge, they wouldn't be putting in Monsters Inc. in between GE and Star Tours.

Fox properties will not get their own gate. Disney doesn't operate like that by artificially limiting themselves to only certain IPs in certain parks and there's really no good reason to design that way. It's more about how the individual IPs can be fit into the very broad themes of the parks, as much as those exist. And more importantly, Disney World doesn't need another theme park. They need to add more to the non-Magic Kingdom parks, especially Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

 

[warfelg]

Hate to burst your bubble, but that is no GE expansion space that big. I also can't imagine Disney building a racing coaster outdoors in the same park that already has WDW's only coaster with inversions.

I didn’t say it had to fit in the area or be outdoors. With GotG they showed they can make the entrance and lading be far away from the actual gravity building. Additionally there actually was a planned Bantha ride that was given up on so there are some extra spaces to get the entrance slipped in at.

If they were going to build more Star Wars stuff past Galaxy's Edge, they wouldn't be putting in Monsters Inc. in between GE and Star Tours.

It wouldn’t go past GE, which is why I stated keeping it based in there.

Fox properties will not get their own gate. Disney doesn't operate like that by artificially limiting themselves to only certain IPs in certain parks and there's really no good reason to design that way. It's more about how the individual IPs can be fit into the very broad themes of the parks, as much as those exist. And more importantly, Disney World doesn't need another theme park. They need to add more to the non-Magic Kingdom parks, especially Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

Fox has a huge rich plethora of IP’s to build around. And I rather see this happen as opposed to trying to shoehorn Fox properties into spaces that it doesn’t work in. Seeing The Simpsons, a very adult IP, in a park with a lot of kid friendly area is super off.

And the best way for Disney to steal thunder back from Uni isn’t to do small lands like what’s coming with Monsters Inc and the proposed redesigned Dinosaurs area in AK, it’s to make a whole new gate.

Disney would have the ability to do a new gate, more mature, put in Bobs Burgers, Family Guy, Simpsons, Futurama, X-Files, Aliens movies.

The best Fox IP that fits into a current Disney park is Chrinicals of Narnia into England in Epcot. Ice Age should likely be an AK plot but it sounds like Indiana Jones is going there so maybe HS for that one.

I’ve always thought Narnia, Percy Jackson, and Eragon worlds would be awesome immersive areas of parks but they would be so out of place in HS and there isn’t really a plot in AK for any of them.

 

[paintervision]

Eat my words, we’re inevitably gonna get Ice Age at the Disneyparks

Off-topic, but I've viewed Ice Age as a nice follow-up to Tropical Americas for Animal Kingdom. After all, it would be a kids-friendly IP that could bring it a new family land with a junior coaster, which the park has been lacking since Primeval Whirl closed. I could also see a splash battle-style ride working out nicely for this IP, or a boat dark ride (similar to what Genting has).

Connect the Planet Watch/train station to Asia and put it as a new land in the middle to bring new life to the train and solve a big layout problem with that land being being stuck on the train route. It could be a small land or if they want to be ambitious, maybe do a medium indoor hub for the land inside a "glacier" with heavy AC (since that's been a continuing criticism of the park - few indoor spaces to beat the heat).

 

[harry580]

also on the subject of genting skyworld, is theres room in Hollywood studios to do a expansion in the size of genting skyworld?

 

[harry580]

sorry for double posting but I felt theres missing three things for this: a return of animation academy, animatiors plate (like the one form the cruise ships) and a new dark ride through the world of disney animation

 

[paintervision]

also on the subject of genting skyworld, is theres room in Hollywood studios to do a expansion in the size of genting skyworld?

This was my concept when the Monsters Inc land plans dropped:

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Never say never, but they could add more land to the park if they figure out parking, as this would be a direct loss of Cast Member spots. There's already a CM garage on the other side of the park next to the Animation building, so who knows if the soil could support more? I don't see them crossing the canal though - that seems to be a hard line around the property (excepting the old Galactic Starcruiser space, which has turned into offices).

 

[harry580]

I wonder if theres room to put in a expansion the size of Genting skyworld (even in this version, the entrances that takes you to the shopping center side of resort world are replaced with entrances for Star Wars galaxy edge & monsteropolis

 

[Icer]

I hope they stick to the planter in the middle, HS can use some more greenery. I know the theme has historically been "Hollywood, concrete and palm trees" but I think this look fits with where they are taking the park

 

[themeparktribune]

Never say never, but they could add more land to the park if they figure out parking, as this would be a direct loss of Cast Member spots. There's already a CM garage on the other side of the park next to the Animation building, so who knows if the soil could support more? I don't see them crossing the canal though - that seems to be a hard line around the property (excepting the old Galactic Starcruiser space, which has turned into offices).

Building a garage capable of replacing guest parking isn't cheap and Disney has never done one for guest parking at any Disney World theme park and I believe not even any hotel. You're not wrong that they're hemmed in by the canal -- that's a problem with the whole DHS site -- but if there's one thing for which Disney has been willing to use its blessing of size in Florida, it's surface parking rather than garages.

 

[mtpelepele]

Disney Springs would like a word. No, not a park or a hotel, but an absolute willingness to build garages if necessary.