Hidden Magic: The Animation Building at Disney California Adventure

In my ongoing quest to share my love of underappreciated aspects of Disney California Adventure such as Avengers Campus, let’s explore the magic of the Disney Animation Building in Hollywood Land.

This big boxy building is covered in a facade that pays homage to the historic Max Factor building in Hollywood, California.

But on a street full of facades, many guests may pass by not realizing they can enter or that multiple attractions await inside.

It’s easy to think that the Off the Page art store is the only open space here, but delve deeper, my friends, and you will find a Cave of Wonders!

Okay, maybe you won’t find a magic lamp here, but you can find a show, interactive attractions, a character meet spot and possibly the most Disney experience anywhere in the Disneyland Resort – the Animation Academy.

Follow me and let’s explore this location!

The Animation Courtyard

Or as I like to call it – “The Lobby Show”. This 360-degree experience allows you to view concept art and sketches through to the final animated versions of popular animated Disney and Pixar films set to music from the movies.

The current video loop includes:

• • The Little Mermaid (“Part of Your World”)
  • Beauty and the Beast (“Belle”)
  • Fantasia (Sorcerer’s Apprentice sequence)
  • Bambi (“April Showers”)
  • Finding Nemo (underwater sequence)
  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Evil Queen transformation)
  • The Incredibles (superpower sequence)
  • The Jungle Book (“The Bare Necessities”)
  • Toy Story (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”)
  • Cinderella (“A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”)
  • Mulan (“Reflection”)
  • Monsters Inc. (doors sequence)
  • Ratatouille (rats and kitchen sequence)
  • Lilo and Stitch (“Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride”)
  • Tarzan (“Two Worlds, One Family”)
  • Frozen (“In Summer”)
  • Pinocchio (“An Actors Life For Me”)
  • Alice in Wonderland (“A Very Merry Unbirthday To You”)
  • Up (Ellie/Carl theme)
  • Lady and the Tramp (“He’s a Tramp”)
  • Tangled (“I See the Light”)
  • Dumbo (“Casey Jr”/“Baby Mine”)
  • Lion King (“Circle of Life”)
  • Frozen (“Let It Go”)
  • Cars (Radiator Springs driving sequence)
  • Pocahontas (“Colors of the Wind”)
  • Sleeping Beauty (“Once Upon a Dream”)
  • Aladdin (“A Whole New World”)
  • Peter Pan (“The Second Star to the Right”)
  • Pinocchio (“When You Wish Upon a Star”)

Although this video loop has occasionally changed over the years, I still think there is an opportunity to do more. 

First off, it would be great to see some updates with newer hits such as songs and scenes from Moana or Encanto. I might have suggested Coco as well but that’s represented across the street in Mickey’s PhilharMagic.

But the real missed opportunity here is for seasonal overlays.

While I believe that the Main Street Cinema at Disneyland Park should be rotating their classic animated shorts year-round to include “Skeleton Dance” or “Trick or Treat” at Halloween Time and “Pluto’s Christmas Tree” during the Holidays – The Animation Courtyard is also a prime candidate for seasonal additions.

For Halloween Time, the spooky tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman would be perfect here considering the Horseman’s presence in the park during the season. Maybe along with some other villainous musical animation sequences like “Trust in Me”, “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, and “Friends on the Other Side”?

For the Holidays, The Nightmare Before Christmas would be an obvious choice, though it certainly could pull double duty for Halloween Time as well. Perhaps something from Mickey’s Christmas Carol or Olaf’s Frozen Adventure as well?

Even when you’re not watching the show (though it’s pretty much impossible to avoid given the screens all around you!), the Animation Courtyard is a wonderful place to get out of the rain or hot sun.

However, it still lacks adequate seating – probably intended to keep people moving… preferably toward the gift shop exit!

The lighting here can also be an issue as it constantly varies from bright to dark, with a lot of flashing and motion. This can make it overwhelming to sensitive audiences and difficult to adjust when entering from the bright daylight to at times near pitch-black interiors. It would be really helpful to at least have floor-level lights on at all times here to keep people from tripping in the dark.

Animation Academy

Some might wonder why one would want to waste time drawing pictures on a day at the parks. I’d argue you really haven’t had a DISNEY experience if you haven’t tried drawing one of their characters!

In the Animation Courtyard near the Animation Academy entrance, you will find a sign showing the times of each class for the day (usually every half hour) and which character will be drawn for each class. This can include classics like Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse or Pixar favorites like Wall-E. Sometimes you can even find Marvel or Star Wars characters being drawn here (like Baby Groot or Grogu)!

At the Animation Academy, you are greeted by a host who will teach you how to draw a character in an approximately 20-minute class. You are provided with a sheet of paper, a pencil and a board to draw upon.

All ages and all skill levels are welcome here. It’s fast-paced but you just jump in and do your best to follow the instructions.

The instructor starts off with the basic rough lines of the sketch:

Then starts to fill them in:

Until finally a familiar character appears!

I think this is a fun and informative experience about how some of those animated films we love were created – one pencil line at a time.

At the end of the class, your sketch is yours to keep as a souvenir and I think it’s one of the most unique things you can do at a Disney park.

Anna & Elsa’s Royal Welcome

After being closed since the parks’ reopening in 2021, the Character Close-Up meet and greet area recently reopened with Elsa and Anna in their Frozen II gowns greeting guests once again. Occasionally you may find Olaf here as well. You never know which character (or characters) you will meet inside – so prepare for some disappointed little ones if they don’t get to meet the one they hoped for after waiting in line!

On my recent visit, I encountered the lovely Elsa:

And on a separate visit, I found Queen Anna!

While many Frozen fans are happy to welcome back these visitors from Arendelle, I know there are some who miss the former interactive location in this space – Ursula’s Grotto!

Sorcerer’s Workshop

I wish this area was better advertised as many guests have no idea they can follow the ramp down past the Sorcerer’s Workshop sign to actually enter the workshop.

Once inside, however, you will find this interactive experience is split into two areas – the Magic Mirror Realm and the Beast’s Library.

The Magic Mirror Realm contains different zoetropes, devices that can be spun and twirled to illustrate an old-fashioned form of animation. (Honestly, these things make me dizzy so I pass right by them.)

You can also draw your own animated strip to place in a zoetrope and watch it come to life. 

If the zoetropes aren’t your thing, you may be more entranced by the appearance of the Evil Queen’s Magic Mirror which periodically welcomes new guests.

Around the corner is one of the most charmingly-themed hidden gems of the Disneyland Resort – the library of the Beast from Beauty and the Beast.

The library features a magical portrait of the Prince that is subsequently destroyed by the Beast (there’s a similar before-and-after picture displayed at Be Our Guest at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom) above an image of a roaring fireplace:

And of course floor-to-ceiling “books”! 

Okay, maybe these are just an image, too, but there’s something about this cozy corner of the building that appeals to my inner-Belle bookworm!

Within this room, you can take a quiz where your personality type is determined by your answers. Just press on the bookmark to make your selections.

On my most recent visit, I was delighted to find my perfect match was:

Okay, yes, she’s a villain. But she’s MY villain!

Turtle Talk With Crush

This family-friendly improvised comedy show appeals to kids and adults alike and is so much fun because it changes every time you see it!

Here guests visit The Marine Institute and through the magic of technology can talk with Finding Nemo’s surfer turtle supreme – Crush!

Although Crush appears on a screen… ahem… inside his tank… I still consider this a kind of character experience because if he calls on you, then you get to talk to him.

Although the show also has a host to help with both fish jokes and microphone duties so the guests can be heard, this show belongs to Crush who chooses who he will talk to and comes up with his own unique – and hilarious – responses.

For comedy at the Disney parks, I think this experience can rank with getting a great Jungle Cruise skipper, but with even more improv options than a skipper has.

It doesn’t matter what age you are – this show is going to make you laugh. And at about 15 minutes, it’s a pretty quick experience.

---

Let’s Hear From You

Next time you’re in Hollywood Land, don’t just pass the Animation Building by. Stop in and enjoy everything it has to offer!

Are you an Animation Building fan? Do you have a favorite character you like to draw in the Animation Academy? Are you looking forward to seeing Anna and Elsa in their meet and greet location? Do you miss Ursula’s Grotto? Let us know in the comments below!

Sharing is caring!