To say 2025 has been a curler coaster of a yr for Walt Disney World followers could be an understatement. We’ve needed to say some tough goodbyes to basic sights and areas this yr. We’ve additionally needed to say some satisfying good riddances to different rides and lands. Right now’s information firmly falls into the latter class.

In case you missed it, Animation Courtyard is being reimagined into the Walt Disney Studios Lot at Hollywood Studios. The largest change is that the Roy E. Disney Animation Constructing is changing Star Wars Launch Bay at Hollywood Studios, and can home an all-new household expertise, “The Magic of Disney Animation.”

The Walt Disney Studios Lot and “The Magic of Disney Animation” will open someday in 2026. As Walt Disney World prepares for this transformation, Animation Courtyard, together with Star Wars Launch Bay and Disney Jr. Play and Dance at the moment are completely closed as of September 25, 2025.

Throughout this time, company will nonetheless be capable to go beneath the ocean with Ariel in “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey” and benefit from the displays and movie presentation at Walt Disney Presents. Different facets of Animation Courtyard will likely be relocated elsewhere in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to accommodate the closure.

Right here’s a have a look at the brand new map for Disney’s Hollywood Studios as of September 25, 2025:

As you’ll be able to see, Animation Courtyard has vanished as of September twenty fifth, with Disney’s Horticulture Staff pulling a Prep & Touchdown fashion mission to get in, get out, by no means be seen…whereas planting a thick forest in a single day.

Okay, that didn’t really occur, however there at the moment are partitions up behind the enduring Disney-MGM Studios archway that block off the remainder of Animation Courtyard other than the Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey.

Finally, the partitions might want to broaden to embody that archway, at which period entry to the Little Mermaid will likely be through the walkway that connects to Toy Story Land.

Star Wars Characters Relocated

The largest replace of this transformation from a Walt Disney World planning perspective is that the Darth Vader meet & greet has been relocated to Star Excursions. Anticipate finding Vader within the out of doors overflow queue, on the following instances:

• 9:00 am
• 9:30 am
• 10:00 am
• 10:30 am
• 11:00 am
• 11:30 am
• 12:00 pm
• 12:30 pm
• 2:00 pm
• 2:30 pm
• 3:00 pm
• 3:30 pm
• 4 pm

Darth Vader seems within the Endor village, amidst tree trunks and beneath the shade of canopies. This overflow queue is nearly by no means used–the final time we had been again right here was most likely throughout previews for Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed over a decade in the past.

Chewbacca additionally has set instances in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge close to the Millennium Falcon between 11:50 am and 6:50 pm, however this doesn’t seem to be something new. Chewbacca has been a part of the land because it opened, pulling double-duty in Star Wars Launch Bay.

There may be not a separate Disney Visa Cardholder meet & greet in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, however there may be “unique” entry to satisfy Olaf at close by Superstar Highlight. We haven’t carried out this but, but it surely seems to be roughly a Lightning Lane to satisfy Olaf.

Our expectation is that each one of that is an interim answer. That Darth Vader will do meet & greets close to Star Excursions till Walt Disney World settles on a everlasting plan or location for him. That they’ll determine an precise Disney Visa Cardholder meet & greet, and add extra characters to offset the losses. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a superb park for meet & greets, and it’d be good to keep up that standing.

Our hope is that that is nonetheless on the horizon, with the Mandalorian & Grogu Mission in Millennium Falcon that debuts in Could 2026 being a part of a gentle relaunch for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We’ve love if that included a extra versatile storyline, introducing basic characters, iconic music, and extra to the land.

As we’ve been saying for some time, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Wants to Break the Guidelines.  The unique idea was an formidable one, however the guidelines are too inflexible and don’t comport with the expectations of common company. Don’t get us fallacious, we love thematic purity, however that is simply an excessive amount of. The land has lots of squandered potential by advantage of not embracing the complete spectrum of Star Wars characters. It may very well be like Avengers Campus, however with a significantly better setting.

One other different if Imagineering and Lucasfilm nonetheless aren’t prepared to do this is bringing again Jedi Coaching Academy.

Frankly, it boggles my thoughts that this didn’t occur 4 years in the past, and that there are seemingly no plans to ever restore it. That have was so good, making indelible reminiscences for thus many children and their households–and even passersby who loved the enjoyable.

Simply bringing again Jedi Coaching Academy and having Darth Vader meet close by between performances could be a giant win. It looks like a no brainer, particularly as Walt Disney World claims it needs to do extra to attraction to younger households. It additionally looks like one thing that helps promote lightsabers and helps forge Star Wars followers.

In the event that they wished to take this a step additional, one thing we’d like to see could be a everlasting indoor Jedi Coaching Academy expertise that includes know-how from Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.

There’s the potential for this to be probably the greatest exhibits in all of Walt Disney World, and all it actually takes is taking a vacant venue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and mixing the indoor model of Jedi Coaching Academy from Disney Cruise Line with Starcruiser stuff.

Why this hasn’t occurred already is perplexing. My finest guess is that the pencil pushers are fearful that it will cannibalize gross sales at Savi’s Workshop. Perhaps there’s a unique clarification. Regardless, it feels so short-sighted. However I digress.

Animation Courtyard Reimagining

In 2026, the present house of Star Wars: Launch Bay will rework into a spot the place children and youngsters at coronary heart can chuckle, draw, dream, and discover animated new experiences as a part of “The Magic of Disney Animation.” Topping the constructing will likely be Mickey’s iconic Sorcerer Hat, which is rather like the true constructing in California.

The story of this newly reimagined “The Magic of Disney Animation” begins because the animators have briefly stepped away, however the constructing continues to be buzzing with exercise because the characters have come to life they usually’re able to play.

Inside, company will work together with and discover foolish takes on the enduring Disney Animation headquarters, together with the various completely different studio departments. Solely this time, a few of our favourite friends have taken over to create the enjoyable adventures.

The playful and interactive moments will likely be round each nook. You’ll see portraits come to life earlier than your eyes similar to they did in “As soon as Upon A Studio.” You’ll discover inspiration with a brief movie (with a twist, after all). You’ll even pencil in a while to discover ways to draw your very personal character sketch.

Younger animators-to-be can discover the “Drawn to Wonderland” playground crammed with an outsized flower backyard with musical devices, a Mad Tea Celebration playset and a Tulgey Wooden exploration space, all impressed by the unique “Alice in Wonderland” idea artwork from Disney Legend Mary Blair. It’ll be the right whimsical indoor play space for little ones to develop “curiouser and curiouser!”

There may even be numerous character meet & greet experiences, and locations to discover and create within the newly-reimagined Walt Disney Studios Lot. The entire household will likely be drawn to all of the inventive methods to play collectively when this mini-land reopens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios subsequent yr.

From Walt Disney World’s announcement, this sounds similar to the momentary experiences over the past a number of months throughout “Cool Child Summer time.” That occasion was possible a proof of idea, and that is that kind of expertise realized in fuller type with everlasting venues and precise high-quality Imagineering and placemaking.

The reimagining of Animation Courtyard will lengthen far past the partitions of “The Magic of Disney Animation.” What’s at present the Animation Courtyard will likely be reimagined into The Walt Disney Studios Lot. The brand new-look land will draw inspiration from a number of buildings discovered on the Disney campuses in Burbank, California.

This particular nod to the legendary Walt Disney Studios Lot contains the Florida model of the Studio Theater, which is able to proceed to deal with “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey.” Over on the soundstage, you’ll discover a recent Disney Jr. present.

Whereas exploring the studio grounds and courtyard space, households can take a break to play, calm down, or snack on tasty treats beneath lush bushes. And ensure to go searching, too. You by no means know who you would possibly see taking part in within the branches, absorbing the solar or digging within the grass.

Disney Animation artists and Walt Disney Imagineers are working hand-in-hand to convey the surprise and nostalgia of Disney Animation movies to the entire courtyard in new and immersive methods households will love.

“The Magic of Disney Animation” and the Walt Disney Studios Lot will open in 2026.

Walt Disney World has not supplied a particular opening date or perhaps a season. One factor to notice is that they’ve introduced Cool Child Summer time will return in 2026. On condition that, it’s potential there’s a way of urgency to have this challenge completed by Memorial Day 2026.

It’s very tough to say whether or not that’s potential. We don’t have visibility into the size and scope of this challenge. It seems like lots of placemaking, planting of bushes, portray, and so forth within the courtyard. Plus the set up of the Sorcerers Hat. How lengthy that takes actually is dependent upon the diploma to which Disney plans on tearing up and redoing what’s there.

Then there’s the “Magic of Disney Animation.” That is an attraction that already existed earlier than; the house contained in the constructing was flippantly retrofit for Star Wars Launch Bay, so it’s potential they may go in there fairly shortly and restore the previous expertise. Or they could have way more formidable plans, recognizing that what’s there now’s dated and wishes a top-to-bottom overhaul.

That is the kind of challenge with a variety of potentialities. It is perhaps an extremely formidable plan to breathe new life into Animation Courtyard for many years to return or a “low dough” challenge aimed as providing a stop-gap till greater image plans for this space are able to be initiated within the 2030s.

This challenge is perhaps completed by Spring 2026, or it’d wrestle to be carried out by Christmas 2026. Nobody has any clue at this level, so it’s foolish to attempt to predict something.

One factor we all know for sure is that this placemaking challenge could have a quicker turnaround time than World Celebration in EPCOT. I’m additionally pretty assured from the idea artwork and the overall targets of the challenge that the top end result will likely be an precise enchancment over Animation Courtyard. And that’s one thing that I’m undecided will be mentioned for World Celebration, regardless of dumping a ton of money and time into that challenge.

If something, my hope is that Imagineering is given sufficient money and time to do the reimagining of Animation Courtyard proper. I’d quite have this open in Spring 2027 if that’s what it takes, particularly if this space will likely be round for a decade or longer. It’d be good to have it again for Cool Child Summer time in 2026, however we’re taking part in the lengthy recreation and would a lot quite have issues carried out proper than shortly. (Taking a look at you, DreamWorks Land in Common Studios Florida.)

This is perhaps a stopgap, singles and doubles-style challenge–but it surely has the potential to be an enormous enchancment over Animation Courtyard, and a real asset to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Shedding the lifeless mall vibes of this space is a large win. Gaining an out of doors house that’s really a nice, shaded place to spend time could be an enormous win. The Walt Disney Studios Lot has the potential to be a triple. Perhaps even an inside-the-park house run.

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YOUR THOUGHTS

Ideas on Darth Vader being relocated to Star Excursions? What a couple of potential return of Jedi Coaching Academy or gentle reboot of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? What do you consider Animation Courtyard being reimagined into the Walt Disney Studios Lot? Wanting ahead to an all-new ‘The Magic of Disney Animation’ coming to Walt Disney World? Excited for this reimagined land? Another ideas or commentary so as to add? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!