An animatronic version of Olaf, the carefree snowman from “Frozen,” will begin a new drawing experience this summer in the animation area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The reimagined and renamed theme park land will be known as Walt Disney Studios, and will also include the Magic of Disney Animation building, which will house the Animation Academy experience called “Olaf Droz.” A workstation inspired by an animator’s desk will be installed in this space, and an Olaf figure will also sit on a workstation on stage, just as he did when he appeared in the short film “Once Upon a Studio” released in 2023.
As it turns out, Olaf can’t draw, so the experience presents park guests with pre-recorded instructions from Disney animators.
“Olaf is learning with us,” Danny Handke, senior creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering, said in a Disney video posted on YouTube and the official Disney Parks Blog.
Some of the characters sketched in the class lineup include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Genie, Moana, Stitch, Ursula, Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Olaf, and more. Sessions will be led by directors and animators from a variety of Disney productions, from “Aladdin” to “Zootopia 2.”
“If you have an artistic bent and are passionate about becoming a Disney animator, you can learn a little bit here and have some fun,” said Dan Abraham, a story artist and animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
“My hope is that the magic becomes even more advanced in terms of the kind of experience you get by sitting near this amazing technology that feels real, looks real, and hopefully sounds real,” said Josh Gad, the actor who originally voiced Olaf in the film. He provided new lines for the upcoming Hollywood Studios attraction.
“The person who drew Olaf is teaching Olaf how to draw Olaf? Wow, guys, we’re on the other side of the mirror,” Gad, who plays Olaf, said in a video of the recording session.
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Disney World visitors previously had access to drawing classes at the Animation Experience located at the Conservation Station at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They were taught by in-person instructors, but that area is currently closed in preparation for the Bluey attraction, which is expected to debut as soon as this summer. Drawing classes were also held during the Epcot International Arts Festival, which ended this week.
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Other planned features for the revamped Walt Disney Studios section include a Drone to Wonderland playground, character meet-and-greets, an “enchanting art” gallery and a screening of “Once Upon a Studio,” which Abraham co-directed. The stage show The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure, which debuted in May, will continue, and a new Disney Junior show is planned for a space across the courtyard.
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