Overview
- Multiple mature trees were installed in the central courtyard over several days with cranes, with aerial photos showing the new cluster positioned near the former Star Wars: Launch Bay.
- Fresh aerials also reveal large sections of concrete removed, new sidewalks forming, and repainted facades for The Little Mermaid and Disney Jr. buildings in complementary beige tones.
- Disney Imagineering filed a January 30 Notice of Commencement for signage at The Magic of Disney Animation, a one‑year permit that does not specify the design and leaves the Sorcerer Mickey hat depicted in concept art unconfirmed.
- The reimagined area is set to reopen in summer 2026 as The Walt Disney Studios with The Magic of Disney Animation, a new Disney Jr. show, interactive spaces, workshops, and character meet‑and‑greets.
- Work continues behind construction walls as other Hollywood Studios projects progress, including Monstropolis and a Muppets retheme of Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, shaping operations and crowd patterns through 2026.