Disney's Animation Studios
by Ellen
(New Jersey)
A desk at Disney Animation Studios and one of our drawings
Unless I am looking in the wrong place, there is no mention of Disney's Animation Studios in Hollywood Studios. I must rectify that. I knew nothing about it until a friend mentioned it. I went for the first time last year, during our third-annual family trip to Disney. Animation Studios is a class to learn how to draw Disney characters.
I would recommend watching 'The Magic of Disney Animation' show beforehand; it's a fun movie on the process of creating animation. But you can skip the movie if you want. You begin by waiting outside the room in a little area. There is a certain number of desks (can't recall the number) and once that number is reached, no one else can come in the waiting area. If you get there after a session has started, you must wait 20 minutes for the next one.
When you enter the room, a piece of drawing paper and a pencil (no erasers, I would guess it?s to keep the room from getting filled with eraser shavings) is on each Mickey desk. An artist draws a character step by step, discussing each step, and it is shown on a screen at the front of the room. It's very easy to follow along, even for people like me with no drawing talent whatsoever. It may not be as exciting as Toy Story Mania or Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, but it's a lot of fun.
A different character is drawn at each session. It was Sept. and there were not many people around, so we were able to do it several times in a row while waiting until it was time to use our Toy Story Mania Fastpasses. It's all indoors, even the waiting area, so it is a nice place to go if it's rainy or really hot outside.
