Mini-Update: New Animation Tour at Disney-MGM Studios
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Magic of Disney Animation Tour Annual Passholder Preview

Disney Studios recently previewed the newly expanded Animation Tour to its annual passholders. Construction walls were still up around the exterior of the building, but the interior was very much show ready. The attraction is scheduled to reopen to the general public on October 25th, although soft openings may occur sooner.

Guests are let into the Animation Courtyard where they wait for the next showing of ‘Drawn to Animation’ featuring a ‘Disney Animator’ and the very animated Mushu from the Disney Animated Feature Mulan. This small show is lifted wholesale from west coast version.

After the demonstration, guests are ushered into a holding room then quickly taken on a short walking tour including some Marquettes and Storyboards. This section also includes posters advertising upcoming Pixar and Disney Animated films.

From there guests are free to explore the newest and largest section of the Animation Tour. Here interactive kiosks invite exploration of the art of animation including voice-overs, ink and paint, and character development. A photo location, which currently features the walk-around characters from Pixar’s upcoming film “The Incredibles�?, is also available.

Another new addition is Animation Academy where guests get a lesson in how to draw a Disney Character. You keep your artwork, which makes a nifty free souvenir.

The exit leads through the ‘museum’ section of the attraction where academy awards and other animation artwork is on exhibit and into the Art of Animation store. The store has been slightly remixed to focus more on animation art and less on collectibles.

While the new version of the Animation Tour lacks the unique aspect of watching actual Disney Animators at work it does contain some of the fun interactive elements from the west coast version as well as a few new items that will entertain all.

Still some walls at the entrance
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Drawn to Animation
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