Welcome friends to another Muting and the Mouse where we continue to dive into the magic of Disney. Hope all of you readers are enjoying some posts of our latest trip that took place a month ago. Wow, cannot believe it has been that long already. Each trip is different and that leads us to another post for you guys. Now, we will be entering into a post that gives you insight into an experience that can change from time to time, but the magic that lies ahead is one that will put you right in the magic of Disney for years to come. We will be talking about Disney’s Animation Experience which is currently located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. Now, you might have an idea of what this might be or maybe you know what it is, but stay tuned because this is one I love and could not get enough of. The beautiful thing about this experience is you get a souvenir that is completely free! That is right, I said free. So let’s dive into this magic and see what the Animation Experience is all about! We are going to cover it all, from location to the free souvenir!
Disney’s Animation Experience is a one of a kind experience that you and the other guests can enter into. We talk about escaping into the magic, well this is just that. You are about to enter into an experience where you get a step by step process on how to draw your favorite Disney Characters. That is right, you yourself will be taught how to draw one of your favorite animal friends and be taught how to do so by a real Disney animator. The class teaches you how to bring your favorites to life in a 25 minute step by step process that even I could follow. The experience is different each time as they rotate the characters you learn to draw, so you can always add to your collections. Abby and I have Timon, Scar, and Heimlich. Do not be afraid if you are not a gifted artist, I am not, but mine turned out just fine! See my final drawings from 3 different trips as a guide below!
Located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, it might be a little tricky to find. Never fear, when all else fails, type it into the My Disney Experience App and you can get directions or a location. Or keep reading (I like that option best, LOL). As you walk through Harambe Village in Africa, you come across a train station. You are going to want to take this train station as it takes you to Conservation Station. This is where the Animation Experience is! As you board the train, it takes you through some areas and it is like seeing parts of a zoo. That is the best way for me to describe it. There are facts and sights to see on your way to this oasis. Once you disembark from the train, follow the walkway and you will come up to the building where the experience is located.
You are going to want to take time here, there are many exhibits for you to see as well. I recommend getting there a little early. They have posted times on the app to engage in this experience. As a good rule of thumb, get to the experience 30-45 min early as it is a first come first serve basis. With that being said, take all of the exhibits in. If you have watched the Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Disney+ then you might recognize some of them. The exhibits teach you about some of the care of the animals and you might be lucky enough to see the doctors helping animals rehab or have procedures. This is a really cool experience if you do and if not, the exhibits are helpful and help you learn about what Disney is doing for conservation. After you walk around, it is nice to get in line and wait for it to begin, the line is in the building right as you walk in.
As you get in line the cast members hand you a clipboard with the paper on it and a tiny pencil. This is where the fun begins. You are seated in the “studio” and it is about time to get started. You are introduced to your animator and they teach you how Walt and the animators of the past used real live animals as inspiration to draw and make the characters to life. The video is pretty cool and really shows you how the animals tell the story in all of the drawings we see come to life. Once you feel inspired by this video, it is time to draw. Your animator is super fun. We have had a couple of different animators and they all take their time in teaching you how to draw. They start by telling you to have fun and not stress. Before long, each step is put down on the paper and your drawing comes to life. It is fun to take pictures of the process as you can see it come to life. Once you are done, sign that puppy and admire your work of art! The best part is, it is yours to take home. That is right, now you have some personal (insert name here) art to hang in your home. You cannot put a price on that if you ask me.
As you walk out you cannot help but think you are a Disney Animator. Okay, maybe not, but I impressed myself and was super happy with how it turned out. When else are you going to sit down and draw your favorite characters. This experience is a home run if you ask me and Abby and I keep going back each trip. The magic can be taken home and it is an experience that puts you in the magic at the park and helps you escape into the magic at home! Every time you look at your masterpiece you will be reminded of the time you drew Timon at Disney. It is a fun conversation piece for years to come. Have you ever done the Animation Experience at Disney? What are your thoughts? Would you try this experience if given the time and chance? Let us know in the comments below. Take a look at my drawings and at Abby’s drawings below and let us know what you think. Go ahead and let us know who has the better drawing for some friendly competition.. Abby should win. Her drawings will be first, followed by mine. After you do that, continue to escape into the magic of Disney, no matter how far!
Abby’s Timon 
Joey’s Timon 
Abby’s Scar 
Joey’s Scar 
Abby’s Heimlich 
Joey’s Heimlich
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