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Disneyland Resort >> Disney California Adventure >> Hollywood Land

Disney Animation

It is unfortunate that the Animation Building is so overlooked by park guests, as it is a real delight (not to mention a great escape on a hot day). The lobby inside the building is just a waiting area for four exhibits and shows. Don't just move through, though. Surrounding the room are projections and songs from various animated films. The coordination of the various screens is entertainment in its own right and is on a 30-minute loop. The shows include "Animation Academy," in which a host teaches the class how to draw a Disney character; "Character Closeup" serves as a displays a spectacular Pixar zoetrope demonstrating the principals of animation; "Turtle Talk with Crush" in which the audience can interact with the computerized turtle from Finding Nemo; and the Sorcerer's Workshop in which various interactive elements are presented, including a quiz to determine which Disney character you are most like.

General Information - Hide Section
  • Location: Halfway down Hollywood Boulevard on the right side.
  • Date Opened: 2/8/2001
  • # of Ride Units: 4 different sections, and one large common room.
  • Ride Capacity:
  • Restraint Method: None
  • Ticket Rating: C Ticket
  • Ride Photo: No
 
Time Commitment Information - Hide Section
  • Open/Close: Opens and closes with the park.
  • Wait Times: There is never a wait to entre the building and even if you don't go into any of the presentations many will enjoy simply doing that. Sorcerer's Workshop and Character Close-Up are both self-guided areas. It may be necessary to wait for some of the terminals in Sorcerer's Workshop but not generally more than a few minutes. Animation Academy and Turtle Talk with Crush are both continuously running shows so it may be necessary to wait more than one show, but this is rare.
  • Length of Ride: Expect to spend 20 minutes in the Sorcerer's Workshop if there is any crowding and you do everything. 10 minutes should be enough for character close-up, unless there is a character in the room. Both Animation Academy and Turtle Talk with Crush run about 20 minutes.
  • FastPass: No
  • Single Rider: No
  • Queue Description: None, other than the main lobby in which music and animated film clips play continuously.
Access Information - Hide Section
  • Health Restriction: None
  • Ride Access: The entire building is wheelchair accessible, including each of the four rooms. The Sorcerer's Workshop has at least one wheelchair accessible terminal in each of its activity stations.
  • Wheelchair Transfer: Not necessary.
  • Service Animals: Yes
  • Audio: Both Animation Academy and Turtle Talk with Crush use audio extensively but both are ad libbed. Assistive listening devices are available.
  • Weight and Size Issues: None
Parenting Information - Hide Section
  • Height Restriction: No
  • Child Swap: No
  • Other Issues: There are several activities inside the Animation building and they may take some time to get through them, especially on crowded days.
History and Trivia - Hide Section
  • At this location: The Animation Building was part of the park opening.
  • The Attraction's History: While the animation building has been around since the park opened, things have changed with the shows and displays inside and Sorcerer's Workshop is the only part that remains unchanged from then.

    A film imported from Disney-MGM Studios park (as it was still known then) called Back to Neverland opened with the park in what is now Turtle Talk with Crush. The 8-minute film featured Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite in a comedic look at how animation is done. The show was replaced within the year, however, by another Disney-MGM Studios title. One Man's Dream, installed as part of the celebration of Walt Disney's 100th birthday, was a biographic film of the man who started it all. It long outlasted that celebration, however, and didn't close until early 2005 when construction began on the installation of Turtle Talk.

    Drawn to Animation was a 10-minute show featuring a live "animator" who interacted with a video of Mushu from Mulan and the real animators behind that character. Over the course of the show they discussed how a character's look is designed and fit into an overall story. In October 2005, the room was remodeled and turned into the current Animation Academy.

    The room that is now Character Closeup has always been an exhibit space for Disney's animated films, showing artifacts from classic and modern films. Eventually the name was changed to Character Closeup and they added a character meet-and-greet element to the room (queuing up being an excuse to look at the exhibit). In October 2007, a fantastic zoetrope, created originally for a traveling Pixar exhibit, was installed. Art of Animation Sorcerer's Workshop


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