Walt Disney Animation Studios and Lighthouse Immersive Team Up For New “Disney Animation: Immersive Experience”

Walt Disney Animation Studios has announced they are teaming up with the creators of the popular Immersive Van Gogh exhibits, Lighthouse Immersive, to bring the films of Disney Animation to life in a new way later this year.

What’s Happening:

  • Earlier today, Walt Disney Animation Studios announced a collaboration with Lighthouse Immersive, the studio responsible for the popular Immersive Van Gogh experiences popping up around the world.
  • Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Studios, the exhibit will bring to life the worlds of Walt Disney Animation Studios films in a way never seen before, allowing guests to literally step into the films and be immersed in the art and music of the iconic films from the studio.
  • Disney Animation: Immersive Experience is an innovative celebration that takes you inside the greatest films of Walt Disney Animation Studios, from their very earliest, groundbreaking features to the beloved hit movies of today.
  • Imagine stepping into the Casita with Mirabel from Encanto, being at Pride Rock as Rafiki presents Simba – surrounded by the animal kingdom as the sun rises. Imagine hopping on a train with Judy Hopps and going into Zootopia or taking a magic carpet ride with Aladdin and Jasmine, and so much more.
  • Now you can step into the art and legacy of Walt Disney Animation Studios and celebrate the music, artistry and animation from the creators of Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Big Hero 6 and many more.

  • A press conference held by the two studios earlier today revealed that guests will be able to step into newer films like Encanto, Moana, Frozen, and others, as well as classics from the Golden Age of Animation, like Peter Pan, Fantasia, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and others. They’ll first start in a check-in/reception area where they’ll get wearable tech before entering and finding Walt Disney himself with the famous quote “it was all started by a mouse,” before heading down “the rabbit hole” where a sonic and visual experience take you into an entertaining and educating exhibit about the history of the artform. Guests then step into the vault, which is the main gallery for the experience, where guests will be literally surrounded by a 47 minute visual feast immersing them into the worlds of the films of the Walt Disney Animation Studios.
  • Disney Animation: Immersive Experience is set to launch in December in Toronto, making its way to the United States in Cleveland in January, with more cities in the first few months of 2023.
  • The full city lineup of the first phase includes:
    • Toronto
    • Cleveland
    • Las Vegas
    • Boston
    • Detroit
    • San Antonio
    • Columbus
    • Denver
    • Minneapolis
    • Nashville

What They’re Saying:

  • J. Miles Dale, Producer, Lighthouse Immersive: “It’s a combination of the best of many Disney movies, a ride at Disneyland, and being in a world where you can turn around in any direction and experience something different.”
  • Clark Spencer, president of Walt Disney Animation Studios: “The collaboration with Lighthouse Immersive is a first for Disney Animation. It’s a dream to bring the best of animated storytelling together with the top experts in the immersive art experience.”