Another Walt Disney World attraction will be making way for something new at Hollywood Studios. Star Wars Launch Bay will be closing down for good and will be replaced by The Magic of Disney Animation.
The Disney Parks Blog news follows the final days of Muppet*Vision 3-D and the courtyard closure to begin construction for the new Monsters Inc. Monstropolis area and attraction. The Launch Bay area has been overdue for some sprucing, and really, once Galaxy’s Edge opened, its days were clearly numbered. Because at that point was there really a need for the curated Lucasfilm memorabilia and character meet-and-greet spot?
Harkening back to what Hollywood Studios is about, The Magic of Disney Animation is a much-needed attraction that feels like a no-brainer. When the park opened as Disney MGM Studios, it served as a satellite arm of the animation studio where films such as Mulan and Lilo & Stitch were made. Park guests were able to tour areas to see the films in process as part of that experience. So it’s good to see the parks division pay homage to the “Hollywood” part of the park this way.
Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat returns—though this time it’s more in line with how it looks at Walt Disney Animation HQ in Burbank, CA. And once inside, guests experience the studio with a bit of pixie dust that makes the characters we know and love come to life to guide them along on a tour of sorts while the artists are away.
Each department will be presented through participatory entertainment led by familiar faces, much like how they came to life in the Disney 100 short “Once Upon a Studio.” There will also be a Mary Blair-inspired playground and, of course, character meet-and-greets. The refurb is expected to wrap up by its planned opening sometime in 2026.