Art of Disney Animation

All started by a mouse? Not quite...

Discover the history and birth of animation, relive the best moments of Disney's animation legacy, see the creation of a classic character and draw on your imagination by trying your hand at a host of interactive animation experiments.

Combining theatre presentations with interactive exhibition rooms, Art of Disney Animation aims to take guests right from the birth of the animation technique to the creation of modern-day Disney characters.

Entering the pre-show room, a colourful mural wraps around the left side of the room charting early animation inventions — the Greek Urn, Magic Lantern, Praxinoscope and more, many you can try yourself — whilst to the right is a huge multi-plane camera with various exhibits and artifacts showing how Walt Disney and his team of animators refined and evolved the art form.

The Disney Classics Theatre is a seated cinema show playing a montage of great Disney and Pixar animation moments, touching on themes such as love, loss and rebirth, whilst the next room, Drawn to Animation, features a live host alongside dragon Mushu explaining how Disney creates its many characters.

In the final and largest room, a series of interactive "Animation stations" allow guests to try their hand at drawing Mickey Mouse, editing sound effects or designing their own Zoetrope animation, whilst the walls are lined with paintings and exhibits highlighting the work of European artists in the design and creation of Disney's classic films.

Whilst Art of Disney Animation is often considered a pale imitation of the larger Disney Animation pavilion in California, it has several unique features and much of the same interactivity to make it a worthwhile diversion for most visitors, one of few attractions in the park that truly fits its raison d'être, even if few guests return to see it over and again.