The Walt Disney Studios area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been one of the more talked-about additions to the park since it opened on May 26, and the response from guests who have already spent time in the former Animation Courtyard has been strong enough to suggest that the creative team made the right call in centering the new area around the premise of Once Upon A Studio, the Emmy Award-winning short film in which animated Disney characters leap off the screen and into the real world of the studio that created them. That film, and the idea it represents, is exactly the kind of emotionally resonant hook that turns a themed area into something that feels like more than a collection of experiences. It gives the space a reason to exist that guests can feel rather than just observe.What is currently open in the former Animation Courtyard is only part of what Disney is building there. The Magic of Disney Animation, a brand-new collection of experiences opening later this summer inside a building inspired by the iconic Roy E. Disney Animation Building in California, complete with Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat sitting on top, will transform the back section of the courtyard into something that the concept art and newly released fun map suggest is going to be one of the most distinctive family-focused additions Hollywood Studios has seen in years.Disney has now released both a full map of the experience and new concept art, and the details that have come into focus are worth examining carefully for any family planning a Hollywood Studios visit this summer or fall.Credit: Erica Lauren, Inside the MagicThe Layout and What Each Space ContainsGuests entering the Magic of Disney Animation building pass beneath the Sorcerer Hat and move into a central courtyard. From that entry point, they can go in either direction to begin exploring, but everyone passes through a welcoming section featuring character statues holding an open house banner. Moana, Flounder, the Mad Hatter, and Robin Williams’ Lost Boy from the original attraction will be part of that greeting. Disney has confirmed additional appearances of the Lost Boy throughout the building, including a dedicated space where guests can learn the character’s story, though specific details about that space have not yet been fully announced.Credit: Disney Parks BlogDrawn to Wonderland is the indoor playground component of the experience, designed primarily for younger guests and inspired by the original Alice in Wonderland concept art from Disney Legend Mary Blair. Her bold colors, geometric shapes, and unmistakable artistic style define the visual language of the entire space. Guests can explore the Mad Tea Party area, the Mad Hatter’s house, the Queen of Hearts’ rose garden, and the Cheshire Cat’s Tulgey Wood. Specific play features visible in the concept art include a roller slide, a hedge maze, and interactive elements at the Mad Tea Party table. Seating for parents is built into the design and includes charging stations for devices, which reflects a practical understanding of how families actually use indoor park spaces during long days.Credit: Disney Parks BlogOff the Page is the character meet-and-greet component, built around the back wall of the building and organized to celebrate the different departments of the animation process. Mulan represents Story. Rapunzel represents Layout. Chip and Dale represent Hand-Drawn Animation. Donald and Daisy represent Computer Animation. Goofy represents Lighting. Stitch represents Effects. Above the character encounter spaces, a mural featuring recognizable characters from every Disney Animation Studios film will give guests something to explore while waiting. Disney has confirmed that every single Walt Disney Animation Studios film will be represented somewhere within the attraction and its courtyard, which is an extraordinary commitment and one that will reward repeat visits from guests who want to find everything.Credit: DisneyA reception lounge with climate controlled seating and large windows looking into the Off the Page character encounter area is positioned for guests who want to rest while remaining visually connected to the action happening inside.Olaf Draws and the Once Upon A Studio TheaterOlaf Draws is the animation class experience, anchored by a brand-new Audio-Animatronics figure of Olaf seated at an animator’s desk. The experience guides guests through step-by-step character-drawing sessions taught by actual Disney Animation artists via recorded video segments. The roster of characters available to sketch includes Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Genie, Moana, Stitch, Olaf, Ursula, Judy Hopps, and Nick Wilde, each taught by a different working Disney animator or director whose credits span the studio’s recent history from Aladdin and Hercules through Frozen 3 and Zootopia 2. Josh Gad recorded original dialogue for the experience in his role as the voice of Olaf, grounding the educational component in genuine character presence rather than generic narration.Credit: Erica Lauren, Inside the MagicThe Once Upon A Studio Theater screens the Emmy Award-winning short film that inspired the entire area, with special effects that bring characters to life on the theater walls during the film, placing guests inside the story as it unfolds. An enchanted art gallery adjacent to the theater features artwork from beloved Disney Animation characters that, with a little pixie dust, come to life in animations created exclusively for this experience.Walt Disney Animation Studios Director Dan Abraham, who co-directed Once Upon A Studio, captured what the whole space is designed to accomplish. He described the experience as a chance to have fun with characters while also seeing a bit of the history of the studio, expressing hope that the new version will inspire a new generation of animators the way the original working animation studio inspired so many people before it.The Magic of Disney Animation opens later this summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The full map and concept art are out. The building with the Sorcerer Hat is waiting. Everything described above is coming to the Walt Disney Studios area before the summer ends.The post Disney Just Released Massive Details About the Hollywood Studios Transformation This Summer appeared first on Inside the Magic.