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Disney Closes Animation Courtyard at Hollywood Studios, Launches Studio-Lot Rebuild

Updated park maps confirm the closure, signaling site work toward a 2026 debut.

Overview

  • Star Wars Launch Bay and the Disney Jr. theater are now permanently closed, with September 24 the final operating day and the area shuttered September 25.
  • The My Disney Experience app and new printed guide maps remove the courtyard footprint, displaying a greened-out area with no pathways and renumbered locations.
  • The reimagined space will revive The Magic of Disney Animation in 2026, featuring interactive drawing experiences, living portraits, character meet-and-greets, and a Mary Blair–inspired Drawn to Wonderland indoor playground under a Sorcerer Mickey hat facade.
  • The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure and Walt Disney Presents remain open during construction, with the Mermaid venue to be retitled Studio Theater.
  • Construction walls and access changes are in place, and some character greetings are relocating, with reports indicating Darth Vader will meet in the Star Tours queue.