As of September 25, 2025, Disney’s Hollywood Studios no longer shows the full Animation Courtyard area on its maps. The change accompanies the formal closure of much of that land in preparation for a reimagined space to debut in 2026.
Closure and Map Changes
The My Disney Experience app’s map now reflects a smaller animation‑area footprint; notably, Star Wars Launch Bay and the Disney Jr. theater have been removed from the illustrated zone. According to Disney sources and reporting, those venues were permanently closed on September 25, 2025.
A map of Disney’s Hollywood Studios that has removed the Animation Courtyard – My Disney Experience
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Guide maps distributed around the park were updated in advance, showing a truncated Animation Courtyard. The map changes seem to terminate the courtyard path just beyond The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure, which remains depicted.
Construction walls and barriers now block large parts of the former courtyard, especially the back portion beyond the entry arch. The walls incorporate signage like showtimes for still‑open attractions, stroller parking instructions, and themed graphics.
Reason and Replacement Plans
Disney has publicly announced that Animation Courtyard is being replaced by a new land called The Walt Disney Studios Lot, themed after the real Disney studio lot in Burbank, California. In that transformation, the old Star Wars Launch Bay building will be remodeled to resemble the Roy E. Disney Animation Building, complete with a Sorcerer’s Hat element on top.
Concept art for The Magic of Disney Animation at Walt Disney World – Disney Parks Blog
The replacement experience, called The Magic of Disney Animation, is expected to open in 2026. It will include interactive exhibits, character meet‑and‑greet spaces, sketching opportunities, and an indoor children’s play area called Drawn to Wonderland.
Disney has confirmed that Disney Jr. Play and Dance! (or similar Jr. show in that building) will also close as part of this overhaul. However, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure and Walt Disney Presents remain open and appear on the new maps.
Relocations and Guest Flow
Some character meet‑and‑greet locations formerly in Launch Bay have been relocated elsewhere in the park. For example, Darth Vader now greets visitors in the extended queue for Star Tours — The Adventures Continue. Other Star Wars characters, such as Chewbacca, have moved to areas near Millennium Falcon in Galaxy’s Edge.
The Star Wars Launch Bay on its final day – Follow The Bradley’s Fun
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Though there is excitement for all the new attractions planned, the indoor playground may be especially helpful for young families. Waiting in line in the hot weather can be especially hard for little ones. Having a space where they can have some free play in the AC may not draw the buzz the other attractions get, but it may become a way to make family vacations a little easier.
Because much of the courtyard is walled off, guest circulation through that zone has changed. Some walkways are blocked beyond the arch; access to The Little Mermaid entrance is maintained via pathways adjacent to the construction walls. Guests exiting the One Man’s Dream portion of Walt Disney Presents must now take a different route rather than passing through what was formerly the courtyard.
Context and Implications
The removal of Animation Courtyard from maps is part of a broader reconfiguration of Hollywood Studios. Other nearby change efforts include repurposing Muppets Courtyard into a Monsters, Inc. themed land.
The Muppet coutyard and MuppetVision theater closed down – Photo Credit: Follow The Bradley’s Fun
From a navigational standpoint, guests should plan for fewer attractions in what was formerly that zone. Some routes through the courtyard are no longer passable, so traffic patterns have shifted.
What do you think of the renovations happening at Hollywood Studios? Let us know in the comments!
