The Magic of Disney Animation Part I: Bringing Animation to Florida

Part of the heart and soul of what originated at Disney-MGM Studios in 1989 was The Magic of Disney Animation. For over a little more than 16 years, it was a place where guests could go to understand and for a time, even watch animation being created. To know the Florida animation studios and The Magic of Disney Animation attraction is to know the story of the last three decades of Disney animation in general. Disney animation is the greatest driver of what makes Disney, Disney. And now with the closure of Star Wars Launch Bay, it is being resurrected. Many guests complain how little of the original Disney-MGM Studios exist today, and yet, Imagineering answered to this by choosing to resurrect The Magic of Disney Animation. In a multi-part podcast series we will talk about this attraction, how it evolved, and what it is soon to become. In this podcast, we’ll talk about what led to the development of this attraction, of what lay between it and the studio arches, and what this attraction was like when it first opened.

This podcast is produced by myself and Performance Journeys, which offers training, development and consultant support to organizations big and small and entrepreneurs new and established. With a wide variety of resources and long-time in-the-trench experience, we offer workshops, online learning, coaching and more to organizations that want to build their teams, raise organizational excellence, improve leadership and create customer loyalty. Check us out at PerformanceJourneys.com.

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And for those on this blog, know that the substance of this topic and what is shared below can be found on our podcast. You can find this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, iHeart, Podchaser, PlayerFM, Boomplay, Podbean, and ListenNotes.

The following is an outline of what is presented in this podcast:

Before Disney-MGM Studios

The Success of Snow White Creates a New Studio. Earlier this year we celebrated via podcast the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Walt Disney Studios

Disney experienced an Animation legacy of four periods prior to the opening of Disney-MGM Studios.

• Golden
• War
• Silver
• Bronze

In the Bronze Era Walt has passed on and The 9 Old Men who provided leadership to animation studios left This left a hole, though it was being filled by a new generation made possible by CalArts, created by Walt Disney before his passing. Still, there was little vision & leadership at the very top. During this time, projects like The Rescuers, Fox and the Hound and The Black Cauldron did not attract audiences like animation had done so for decades earlier. Animator Don Bluth led a team of animators away from Disney to start their own studio in 1979. This was preceded by Roy E. Disney leaving in 1977.

How to fix it? The company was focused on the development of Epcot. And in the wake of Epcot’s opening Bob Jani suggested an “Experimental Prototype Community of the Arts” or EPCOA.

Enter Eisner, Wells, Roy E. Disney in 1984. Eisner and Wells knew how to restore a movie studio. But they were very uncertain about this thing called animation. At the same time Animation artists were being moved off the Studio Lot to provide more space for film production. Animation was sent to a warehouse in Glendale.

Still someone had a vision of what could be. Roy E. Disney played a key role in moving forward animation as well as Jeffrey Katzenberg who led the whole studio effort. As they finished current projects, they started to look for new ideas. Enter the Gong Show in early January of 1985.

Meanwhile Eisner looking at Epcot attendance was waning and new ideas were needed there as well. He suggested that since Disney was a studio, that there bebe a pavilion based on film, television and radio, and Imagineers sought to create such a concept that would be attached to Journey to Imagination.

Eisner saw the concept and thought it should be a bigger concept, one that would attach itself to a working film and animation studio. That concept would be announced in July of 1985.

In the interim Who Framed Roger Rabbit was released in 1988.

Construction of the Sunset Plaza Neighborhood

Studio Arch–A Studio That Celebrates Disney but Mostly MGM

The Backstage Studio Tour

• Entrance–Queue & Loading with Tom and Carol
• The Walt Disney Theater

Food & Beverage

• The Brown Derby Restaurant
• Soundstage Restaurant
• The Catwalk Bar
• Starring Rolls
• Studio Commissary

Opening Day–Animators Arrive

The Studio Tour

The best way to see the entirety of this is through this video. The tour includes the following components:

Museum Lobby

Theater 1: Back to Neverland. The show cycled every 10 minutes and held 172 seats.

• Story Department. Live Action of Robin posting sketches of Cronkite as a mouse.
• Animation. Robin as a Lost Boy tries sketching a stick figure come alive. The animator erases it and draws Captain Hook chopping off Robin’s pencil with his sword. Left with only an eraser, he starts erasing Hook
• Cleanup. Robin William’s arm is erased and then takes a little cellulite off of his tush.
• Effects. Robin is hit by lightning and water
• Layout and Background. As Hook’s ship is drawn and painted, Robin is painted as well.
• Ink and Paint. Robin is drawn while offering his opinion on what colors he wants
• Camera. Robin calls out directions like he was a director..

Theater 2: Disney Classics Theater. This theater seated 140 and held a 5 minute with an emotional tribute to Disney films over the years.

Animation Gallery

Magic of Disney Animation Opens

The Little Mermaid Opens on November 7th, 1989 & The Disney Renaissance Begins. Less than a year later Voyage of the Little Mermaid would open. It would do not only fairly well in the box office, but was a critically acclaim success, and moreover, blew out the Toy shelves.

February, the new Walt Disney Theater was being built.

May, Here Come the Muppets Premieres, along with a store right in front of its exit. But that only lasted a few months. September, Voyage of the Little Mermaid Premieres, not only doing fairly well in the box office but blowing out toys left and right on department store shelves.

Robin Williams goes on to play Peter Pan in Hook in 1991, and then on to voice the Genie in November of 1992

Want to visit Disney?

Hopefully this podcast has made you realize you need help and support in planning your next trip to Disney. David and Leah with Zanolla Travel know Disney in ways few do and they can make your next trip on land or sea an exciting one–or at least less stressful! Be sure to contact them as you explore your next vacation, whether it is a Disney theme park vacation, a cruise, or an Adventure by Disney. There is no charge to utilize their services, but it will save you enormous time getting all the details right, and with their insight you can be assured you’re going to experience the best trip possible. Contact them today!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents

Books From Your Host at Disney Insights

Another way you can support the podcast is through our books!

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available! 

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. 

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

Find Excellence in Your Organization!

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership development and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help.

Thanks for joining us for this podcast, Know that as in the title of Performance Journeys, it’s as much about the journey as it is about performance. Find the second star to the right, and keep going straight on till you reach it. Follow the compass of your heart, and know that with a smile and a song, a little faith, effort and pixie dust, your dreams can come true. After all, if we can dream it, we can do it. Until next time, bright suns, we’ll see you real soon!