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Disney Permanently Closes Animation Courtyard and Star Wars Launch Bay at Hollywood Studios

The site is being rebuilt as a Walt Disney Studios–style lot anchored by a reimagined Magic of Disney Animation opening in 2026.

Overview

  • Disney updated its My Disney Experience app and debuted new park maps that remove the back half of Animation Courtyard, now shown as green space with no guest pathways.
  • Construction walls now surround the closed area, while The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure continues performances in the retitled Studio Theater alongside Walt Disney Presents.
  • Darth Vader has moved to a new meet-and-greet near Star Tours at Echo Lake, and Chewbacca now meets near the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
  • The reimagined Magic of Disney Animation will feature interactive exhibits with living portraits, a drawing space/Animation Academy, and a Mary Blair–inspired Drawn to Wonderland indoor playground behind a Sorcerer’s Hat façade.
  • Disney Visa Cardmembers now receive priority access to the Olaf meet-and-greet at Celebrity Spotlight from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., replacing the previous Launch Bay cardholder experience.