A fan-favorite experience is returning to Disney’s Hollywood Studios with a significant technological upgrade. As part of the 2026 reimagining of the Animation Courtyard, Olaf Draws! will invite guests to step into a professional studio environment to learn the art of Disney character sketching.
The centerpiece of the experience is an all-new Audio-Animatronics figure of Olaf. Unlike previous versions of the character seen in the parks, this figure is scale-appropriate to the films—standing knee-high to a human. Seated at a custom animator’s desk, the snowman is inspired by his “discovery of art” moment from the short Once Upon a Studio.
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Disney Imagineering used reinforcement learning to develop the figure. This AI-driven process allowed the robot to “learn” how to move with the same fluid, bouncy gait seen in the movies. Because Olaf’s design is non-physical, lacking a traditional skeleton, the team engineered spherical linkages and a soft foam “skirt” to hide his mechanical legs, ensuring his movements look like pure magic rather than machinery.
Authentic Voice and Personality of Olaf!
The figure features original dialogue recorded by Josh Gad, specifically for this attraction. Gad’s performance focuses on the snowman’s signature warmth and curiosity, aiming to inspire a new generation of artists.
“I’m so thrilled that kids can dream of becoming animators and actually begin their journey right there on the studio lot,” Gad shared. While Olaf hosts the class, he admits his “snow hands” make drawing difficult, so he hands the actual teaching over to pre-recorded segments from legendary Disney animators.
The space itself is a reimagined animator’s studio filled with Frozen nods. To accommodate all ages, the room features two types of workstations:
- Sleigh-Themed Tables: Low-profile stations where young animators can spark their creativity.
- Animator-Desk Workstations: Desk-style setups for adults that mimic the real workstations at the Burbank studio lot.
Guests can return multiple times to learn different characters. Each session is led by a different studio lead, such as:
- Mickey Mouse, with Dan Abraham, director (Once Upon A Studio, Baymax!)
- Minnie Mouse, with Hyun Min Lee, animator (Frozen 2, The Princess and the Frog)
- Donald Duck, with Austin Traylor, animator (Once Upon A Studio, Moana 2)
- Genie, with Eric Goldberg, animator (Aladdin, Hercules)
- Moana, with Samantha Vilfort, story artist (Encanto, Zootopia 2)
- Stitch, with Fawn Veerasunthorn, director and head of story (Wish, Raya and the Last Dragon)
- Olaf, with Trent Correy, director (Once Upon A Studio, Frozen 3)
- Ursula, with Michael Woodside, animator (Big Hero 6, Encanto)
- Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde, with Byron Howard as director (Zootopia, Zootopia 2)
Olaf Draws! is scheduled to open in late summer 2026 as part of the broader The Magic of Disney Animation expansion at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Learn to Draw with Olaf: A New Era for the Animation Academy at Walt Disney World
