Walt Disney World has pulled back the curtain for a rare look inside Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida at Hollywood Studios, which you’ve probably never seen since it’s a backstage building located between Toy Story Land and Animation Courtyard. This shares photos inside that special place that was a staple of the bygone Disney-MGM Studios, plus commentary about why it’s still standing, what could replace it and more.
Let’s start with the title, as the “might’ve doomed MuppetVision” part is sure to have ruffled some feathers. I probably don’t need to recap the saga of Monstropolis in full, but the nutshell version is that the announcement at last year’s D23 Expo was accompanied by Disney releasing two pieces of competing concept art for Monstropolis. One showed the land seemingly replacing Animation Courtyard, and the other placed it in Grand Avenue or Muppets Courtyard.
There were compelling reasons for either Animation Courtyard and Grand Avenue to be the target for Monstropolis. We explained the reasons for and against each location in What Will Walt Disney World Sacrifice for Monstropolis? That’s a lengthy rundown, and I’m not going to rehash all of that here. It’s nevertheless our understanding that, at the time the announcement was made, Disney had not landed on a location for Monstropolis.
Among most Walt Disney World fans and authors of this blog, Animation Courtyard was the obvious candidate because it offers a massive amount of underutilized capacity and has dead mall vibes. I’m sure there would be some fans who would mourn the loss of this corner of the park–at least, as it once existed decades ago–but there were also some who did the same for Camp Minnie-Mickey and will for Dino-Rama. It’s the nature of the beast.
However, Monstropolis replacing Animation Courtyard would’ve been the costlier and more time-consuming project. It would’ve involved relocating a lot of backstage facilities and offices, including those now located in Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida. In fact, this is one of the reasons why fans speculate that Monstropolis is instead replacing Grand Avenue–because powerful people didn’t want to leave their nice and convenient on-site offices.
To be clear, I do not think this is an accurate explanation (more on that in a minute). But it’s one of those persistent “rumors” that dogs projects like this. I’ve lost track of how many Magic Kingdom projects have been “killed” over the years–from proper arcades to the Main Street Theater–because executives supposedly fought hard not to lose their precious parking lot. I don’t doubt that there’s been internal grumbling about the loss of offices or parking spaces, but I also do not believe this to be outcome-determinative. D’Amaro and Iger aren’t basing these consequential decisions on passionate pleas on Slack from Grace and Grayson in Digital Integration.
In reality, Monstropolis is one of the D23 announcements intended to have a faster turnaround time, and Walt Disney World wants it done quickly. (“Quickly” by Disney standards. I’m sure someone else could build a ~90 second coaster in under 3 years.) In any case, the path of least resistance was repurposing Grand Avenue and Muppet Courtyard facades, and plopping a gravity building in a Cast Member parking lot. That’s not the only reason for preserving Animation Courtyard, which we’ll discuss in the “Our Commentary” section after the look inside Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida.
Rare Look Inside Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida
Walt Disney Feature Animation established a Florida outpost to help produce animated classics such as “The Little Mermaid,” (1989) “Beauty and the Beast,” (1991) “Aladdin,” (1992) and “The Lion King” (1994).
In these early years, the work was sketched and inked under the watchful eyes of curious guests touring through The Magic of Disney Animation (now Star Wars Launch Bay, the downgrade of the century). The tour opened with the park in 1989, winding groups of guests behind the desks of the animators.
Nine years later, just before the release of “Mulan” (1998), an additional four-story Feature Animation building was added next to the Magic of Disney Animation to accommodate the growing animation team.
The grand opening ceremony of the Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida building was held on the afternoon of April 22, 1998. It was held by Roy E. Disney (nephew of Walt Disney and then vice chairman of the company) and former CEO Michael Eisner, who were fresh from opening Disney’s Animal Kingdom that same morning.
A blustery storm threatened the grand opening of the Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida building. Roy E. Disney, Michael Eisner, and Peter Schneider (then president of Walt Disney Feature Animation) presented from a temporary stage. Roy started to compare the overcast day to the time his uncle Walt orchestrated the 1960 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies.
Roy said of the snowstorm that nearly canceled the 1960 Opening Ceremonies, “The sky opened up, the sun shone down on the ceremony, and it was perfect.” The wind picked up at Feature Animation, almost too loud to hear him continue, “And ever since then, it was known as ‘Walt’s Miracle.’ We all believe to this day that if Walt likes stuff we do, he brings the good weather …”
As if on cue, the wind at Feature Animation stopped and the sun came out over the crowd. Roy smiled and finished, “And he loves it!” Amid cheers, Feature Animation Florida was open.
The landscape at Hollywood Studios has changed a lot over the years, but inside Feature Animation, much has been preserved from when “Lilo & Stitch” was animated (the full article contains a lot about the animation of Lilo & Stitch–that’s the primary angle of the piece).
The entrance features ‘Sneezy,’ one of the log-shaped ride vehicles from Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and ‘Winky,’ a blue car from Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. On the left side of the lobby is the Screening Room, where animators previewed the films they created here, including “Lilo & Stitch.”
Down the main hallway, a display case takes up most of the left wall. Inside are over 50 background prints and sketches from Disney Animation films including, “Meet the Robinsons,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Hercules.” A set of aqua porthole window double doors slide open to reveal huge blue pencil sketch murals of Stitch, Simba and Mushu on the walls.
There’s a staircase that spirals up the grand atrium at Feature Animation to the second through fourth floors above. A skylight apex pours sunlight over four stories of balconies, bridges, and glass block panels. Interplay between the floors is a running theme throughout the architecture that adds to its cartoonish spirit; it’s easy to find seemingly random bridges, overlooks and keyhole openings to floors below.
In the bright atrium, Cast Members can eat lunch near tropical foliage where a Dumbo ride vehicle poses in mid-flight amid the fronds. Preserved retro ‘90s architecture mixes with timeless Art Deco style: Patterned carpeting, chrome, and shades of aquamarine and coral are diffused throughout the Feature Animation Florida building.
Each floor of Feature Animation is themed to a film that was worked on by the Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida team. Meeting rooms are named after characters, sweeping murals demonstrate animation methods, and the building is a veritable museum of framed original sketches, storyboards, and character studies.
The first floor is themed after “Brother Bear” (2003) with conference rooms named Denahi and Sitka. Frosted windows on the first floor are a remnant of the spot where guests could watch animators at work and just around the corner, and in this area, the grand lighting emulates the Art Deco style of the Hollywood Studios entrance gate.
The second floor is “Mulan” themed, offering paint swatches in the color study for the “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” scene or the Grandmother Fa sketch collection. Nearby, a full mural of “Mulan” characters stretches down the hall.
Arriving on the third floor, which is inspired by “Lilo & Stitch,” there’s a mounted Elvis Presley “Blue Hawaii” record, kicking off a “Lilo & Stitch” mural that stretches towards Cast Member offices. Tucked away on the third floor, one of the hulking animation desks sits with its light box still shining bright next to a collection of film editing equipment.
The fourth floor is themed to “The Lion King,” and includes Timon and Nala conference rooms. About 20 minutes of the film, including the “I Just Can’t Wait to be King’ musical sequence, was animated by the Florida team.
Here are more photos from inside Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, before we dig into our commentary:
Our Commentary
I’ve been in the Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida a number of times in recent years, but never beyond the first floor, so this rare tour inside the building was likewise interesting to me. It’s nice to see that the entire space is not simply themed to Brother Bear, as I previously suspected!
Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida gives me Burbank vibes. I’m actually embarrassed to admit that I don’t know who the original architect was of the building at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (and Google results haven’t been fruitful), but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it was Michael Graves, Arata Isozaki, Robert A.M. Stern, or any of the other “starchitect” that Michael Eisner was obsessed with using back in the 1990s.
Suffice to say, Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida is very on-theme for Disney’s Hollywood Studios as it would fit right in the landscape in Burbank, California at Disney’s corporate headquarters. It’s a great building with interesting and engaging architecture, and a distinct SoCal sensibility. It’s a shame the space is not open to guests, as it’s nicer than several of the buildings that are actually inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s a special and historic place, especially now that the movies that were made here are seemingly gaining greater appreciation.
Along those lines, this tour of Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida got me thinking–why not bring back this building’s original purpose of completing animation in Orlando? This building’s use as a working studio was incredibly short-lived, with Disney shuttering its Florida Feature Animation program in 2004.
There were several reasons for that, from the shift to CGI to cutting costs by consolidating the operation in California. I’m sure there were other motivations of which I’m unaware. But I can’t help but think–do those still exist today?
The world has changed a lot in the last two decades, to the point that Imagineering proposed a move of its core creative campus to Lake Nona, Florida. That was abandoned for several reasons, but the shift has nevertheless happened, with Florida now having its highest WDI presence, ever. I’m not suggesting that the company move its WDAS headquarters to Florida–but maybe it makes sense to establish a presence in Orlando?
Taking that a step further, maybe that Orlando presence could be used to revive Animation Courtyard with a new-look Magic of Disney Animation and tours of this building?! I don’t actually think this will happen–and it seems far-fetched to even suggest that the studios park return to being a studios park–but I’d love to see it happen. And I think the circumstances have changed such that it’s at least plausible and worth discussing.
As for what I actually think will happen–Animation Courtyard is destined to become a massive land that materially grows the footprint of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and makes the park easier to navigate. It’s not a question of if, but when. Barring a major recession, my guess is sometime in the 2030s.
What the company has announced thus far is essentially the 5-Year Plan for Walt Disney World, and leadership previously stated that spending would be “backloaded” into the second half of the decade (so 2030-2035). If you think about it, this makes sense. Tropical Americas is a reimagining plus one major new ride that’ll land somewhere between the Little Mermaid dark ride and Mystic Manor in terms of ambitiousness.
Monstropolis is a reimagining, plus dusting off the decades-old plans for the Monsters Doors Coaster. As discussed above, it should be efficient in repurposing Grand Avenue. The jury is still out on the Piston Peak Cars Land, which is more accurately a subsection of Frontierland and will feature a major attraction along with a flat ride. Then there’s Villains Land, which should have a blockbuster budget…but might be part of the second half of the 10-year plan.
There are a ton of rumors swirling for what’s next, all with varying degrees of veracity. The only one I’ve heard credibly from multiple sources is that Animation Courtyard is on the chopping block. Even without credible sources, you probably could’ve guessed that. Animation Courtyard is like the wing of a mall where Sears went out of business in 1998. It’s been prime for redevelopment for over a decade.
Less reliably, I’ve also heard that Animation Courtyard’s replacement is an ambitious concept and has already been greenlit internally. I’ve hinted at this in other posts, suggesting that it’s a land once floated for Animal Kingdom expansion that would also work (or rather, would only actually work) in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Honestly, I’m not sure I buy the “already greenlit” part of this. That’s because it’s also my understanding that there aren’t any major announcements coming in 2025. That Disney shot its shot at the last D23 Expo, and the next major event will be the 2026 D23 Expo, more or less skipping Destination D23. And honestly, this might be premature even for 2026, as literally nothing from the last slate will have opened by then.
Longtime Disney fans will tell you that no announcement is certain if it’s multiple years into the future. The most consistent thing about unannounced ‘second phase’ projects is that they get quietly cancelled. Or that something better comes along to take their place. Heck, I’m skeptical of projects that are officially announced but have a time horizon 3+ years into the future!
The easiest example of this is Frozen. There was a lot in development and on the precipice of announcement (including the mythical Journey into Imagination 4.0) that got put on hold when Frozen Fever swept the globe. Say what you will about that movie and its omnipresence, but Frozen Fever sure beat COVID.
Fast-forward 12 years, and we have a decade-old replacement of Maelstrom, along with one standalone land (featuring a modernized version of that reimagined ride) and another full Frozen land on the way, plus Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea–and that was almost Scandinavia. Suffice to say, we are one Frozen-level smash hit away from whatever is planned for Animation Courtyard changing completely. That is, assuming Disney is still capable of creating original smash successes, and the jury is out on that one!
(While I was writing this, Disney announced “Lilo & Stitch 2.” It would be a fitting full-circle moment if Feature Animation Florida is replaced by a land based on that franchise.)
Much more plausible is that the Walt Disney Company has a leadership change in between now and whenever the Animation Courtyard replacement gets announced. Bob Iger has already announced he’s retiring in late 2026, and his successor will be named by the beginning of next year.
New CEOs and Parks Chairman love to make their mark by changing things up, which is one reason why I’m not completely convinced the officially announced Pandora ‘experience’ in Disney California Adventure is going to happen. While I’m confident that Walt Disney World’s announced projects are set in stone, I definitely don’t feel that way about the rumored-but-unannounced ones.
If Walt Disney Animation Studios or Pixar has a huge hit around the time Josh D’Amaro becomes CEO, it is very easy to see him changing the Animation Courtyard plan to that. Here’s hoping Imagineers are already working on Gatto-land, and we’re treated to our first immersive area at Walt Disney World featuring feral cats. Be sure to book your Lightning Lane Single Pass for the rabies shot activation.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Did you enjoy this rare look at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida? What do you think will happen to this building backstage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Will this still be standing in another decade? Would you like to see the Florida studio revived and the Magic of Disney Animation return? Or would you prefer a blockbuster new land that connects Toy Story Land to Sunset Boulevard? Any other thoughts or commentary to add? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!