Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is getting a major new experience this month, but guests will soon have far less time each day to enjoy it.
The Magic of Disney Animation officially opens on September 14, bringing several new experiences to the recently transformed Walt Disney Studios Lot. Disney has already allowed guests inside during soft openings, giving visitors an early look at the project.
Those early operating hours have been generous. The Magic of Disney Animation has been available from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., essentially keeping the building open throughout the theme park day.
That won’t last long.
Beginning September 28, Disney will significantly reduce the experience’s daily schedule, cutting four hours from its current operating window. The change comes only two weeks after the attraction’s official opening. As we reported, this is going to be a major change for the attraction.
Disney Cuts Four Hours From the Daily Schedule
The Magic of Disney Animation is currently scheduled to operate from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. during its soft-opening period.
Starting September 28, those hours will change to 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. each day.
That takes the experience from a 12-hour operating window to just eight hours, representing a 33% reduction in the amount of time guests can access the building each day.
It also creates a notable difference for Hollywood Studios guests who arrive early or remain in the park later in the evening.
Under the new schedule, guests won’t be able to visit The Magic of Disney Animation during the first hour of the current operating day. More significantly, the building will close several hours before many guests finish their evening at Hollywood Studios.
Disney has not provided a reason for the scheduling change. The current 9 a.m.-to-9 p.m. schedule also falls within the attraction’s preview and opening period, meaning those hours were not necessarily intended to remain permanent.
Still, the timing makes the reduction particularly interesting.
The Magic of Disney Animation officially debuts September 14, in just one day. Disney will implement the shorter schedule September 28, meaning the new experience will have been officially open for only two weeks before the reduced hours take effect. This serves as your reminder that if you’re planning to visit the area after it gets dark, you’ll need to do it in the first two weeks because after that, it’s going to be significantly reduced.
Hollywood Studios Just Got This Experience Back
The shortened hours are even more noticeable because Disney spent nearly a year transforming this section of Hollywood Studios.
Disney announced plans for the Walt Disney Studios Lot in July 2025. Animation Courtyard then permanently closed on September 25, 2025, allowing construction to move forward.
The redesigned courtyard finally opened May 20, 2026, but The Magic of Disney Animation remained unavailable.
Disney eventually announced the September 14 opening date in July, followed by Cast Member previews in early September.
Now, the building is becoming one of the most substantial pieces of the newly transformed area.
Rather than functioning as a single attraction, The Magic of Disney Animation combines several experiences under one roof. That makes the shorter schedule potentially more important for families hoping to see everything during one Hollywood Studios visit.
There’s Quite a Bit Inside The Magic of Disney Animation
One of the biggest additions is Olaf Draws.
Guests can learn how to sketch Disney animated characters while an Audio-Animatronics Olaf helps lead the experience. Recorded lessons from Disney Animation artists guide guests through the drawing process with pencil and paper.
Off the Page offers a different kind of experience. Disney has created character meet-and-greet locations themed around different animation departments, turning the building into another place for guests to encounter Disney characters.
Families with younger children can also visit Drawn to Wonderland, a playground inspired by Mary Blair’s original concept artwork for Alice in Wonderland (1951).
Then there is the Disney Once Upon a Studio Theater.
The theater presents Once Upon a Studio (2023), which brings Mickey Mouse together with characters representing generations of Disney animation.
With several different activities available inside, guests may need to pay closer attention to their schedules once the new operating hours begin.
Someone arriving at Hollywood Studios later in the afternoon, for example, will have a much smaller window to explore the building than they do under the initial schedule.
The 6 P.M. Closing Time Could Change How Guests Plan Their Day
For guests visiting after September 28, The Magic of Disney Animation may become something they need to prioritize earlier rather than leaving it for the evening.
That could be especially important because Hollywood Studios already asks guests to balance major attractions, shows, dining reservations, character experiences, and other entertainment throughout their day.
The new 10 a.m. opening means early-arriving guests won’t immediately be able to head inside. Meanwhile, the 6 p.m. closing removes the experience as an option later in the evening.
That creates a relatively specific eight-hour window in which guests need to fit the building into their plans.
It doesn’t necessarily mean every individual offering inside will require a large time commitment. However, guests interested in several parts of The Magic of Disney Animation will have less flexibility than the original 12-hour schedule provides.
For now, there is also no indication that Disney plans to restore the longer hours after September 28.
Disney could always adjust operating schedules in the future, particularly as attendance patterns change or the company learns more about demand for the new experiences. Theme park hours frequently evolve.
But the currently posted schedule represents a sizable change almost immediately after the official debut.
A Big Change Just Weeks After Opening
The Magic of Disney Animation represents a different direction for Hollywood Studios.
Rather than another massive thrill ride, the project brings animation, drawing, characters, Disney history, and experiences for younger guests into one location. It also gives the Walt Disney Studios Lot another major component after the former Animation Courtyard spent months behind construction walls.
Guests will finally get the finished experience when it officially opens September 14.
Just don’t expect its initial schedule to stick around.
Beginning September 28, The Magic of Disney Animation will operate from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., compared to its current 9 a.m.-to-9 p.m. schedule. That’s four fewer operating hours every day and a 33% reduction in the building’s daily availability.
Disney hasn’t explained why it is making the adjustment so soon after opening.
For guests planning a Hollywood Studios trip later this month or beyond, however, the takeaway is simple: don’t wait until nighttime to check out Disney’s newest animation experience.
