Animation Courtyard Experience Closing at 6 PM, Reports Say

Published September 29, 2026

The Magic of Disney Animation, the experience in Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is now operating on a schedule that ends hours before the park closes, according to reports published Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Disney’s posted schedule reportedly lists the experience from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with character meet-and-greets running 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

As of Tuesday, September 29, 2026, this is a reported schedule change, not an announced one. Hollywood Studios itself is not closing at 6 p.m. — only portions of this one building.

The 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. window reportedly applies mainly to the Once Upon a Studio Theater and Olaf Draws!, the interactive drawing session. The building itself appears to open at 9 a.m., but theater showings reportedly do not begin until 10 a.m., which leaves an eight-hour daily window for the theater.

Off the Page!, the character meet-and-greet component featuring characters in settings themed to animated films — Rapunzel and Stitch among them, per reports — is listed 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Some of those character experiences reportedly ended at 6:15 p.m. previously.

Hours across the building varied during the experience’s first weeks while Disney worked through its opening period, according to reports, and now appear to have settled.

What we know

Updated Tuesday, September 29 with new reporting.

What’s not confirmed

Disney has not issued a statement about the change, and the reporting comes from a single source. No end date, seasonal variation, or reason for the schedule has been announced, and it has not been confirmed whether these hours hold on days when Hollywood Studios operates later into the evening.

What it means for your trip

Stop treating Animation Courtyard as an evening filler. If the theater and Olaf Draws! matter to your group, slot them into a midday block — they are indoor, air-conditioned, and low-intensity, which makes them a natural 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. reset between headliners rather than a 7 p.m. add-on.

Build around the 10 a.m. start, not the 9 a.m. door. Arriving at 9:15 gets you into the building but not into a theater showing, so rope-drop a real ride first and come back.

Watch the collision with dinner. A 5:30 p.m. Sci-Fi Dine-In or Hollywood Brown Derby reservation plus a Lightning Lane return window is enough to eat the whole tail of this schedule. If you have a late dinner booked, do Animation Courtyard before you sit down.

Check posted hours on the day. Reported schedules for a recently opened experience shift, and 6 p.m. cutoffs are the kind of detail My Disney Experience updates quietly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Disney’s Hollywood Studios closing at 6 p.m.?

No. The park is not closing early — the reported 6 p.m. cutoff applies to portions of The Magic of Disney Animation in Animation Courtyard.

What time does Once Upon a Studio Theater start?

Showings reportedly begin at 10 a.m. and run until 6 p.m., even though the building appears to open to guests at 9 a.m.

Are the character meet-and-greets open later?

Yes. Off the Page! is reportedly listed from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., slightly longer than the theater and Olaf Draws!

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