Disney Fun and Free: Animation Academy

Believe it or not as many time as we’ve been to Walt Disney World we still haven’t done it all.  One thing I’m always looking for are fun, free (or very low cost) activities to do in and around the parks.  On a recent trip we tried out the free Animation Academy drawing class offered at Disney’s Hollywood Studios inside the Animation Courtyard building.

The first pro for this was that it was something we could all do together – they even let the baby in.  You do have to leave the stroller outside the building which is a bummer.  It would have been much easier to keep her contained quite honestly.  Because of that, I didn’t do a lot of drawing, more baby containment.  🙂  The “chairs” are rolling stools that are attached to the table and caused many of the participants to trip over them coming into or leaving the room so please be careful if you attend.

Class size is limited because there are only so many seats available within the room.  You’ll likely see a line for this so plan to arrive 15 – 30 minutes prior to the next class listed on the times guide.  If you’re not sure, ask a Cast Member.  There will be several around (walk through to the store if you need to).  When we’ve visited, classes pretty much run back to back during the periods they’re offered so even if you do have to wait, it won’t be for too long.

Once inside, the animator working with the class will give you a little background info and take a brief poll to see who’s attended before and what characters they’ve drawn.  It’s then up to a vote of the class what character will be drawn during the class.  (If you don’t like the character chosen, you can “retake” the class as many times as you’d like by getting back in line again with the hopes of getting a different character next time)  The animators have always been very friendly and do their drawing right along with you on a large screen in the front of the room.  (Tip: after the class, make your way to the front of the room to see if you can score the animator’s drawing from the class or one they’ve done previously! These make great keepsakes)

The class itself is relatively short (15 – 20 minutes) and you get to take your drawing with you afterwards.  As I mentioned before, you can get back in line and take another class if you were hoping for another character.  This is a great way to get a really cool free keepsake from your trip.  It also helps you escape a rain storm or the heat.  Another great time to take this class would be with an older child while a younger one enjoys Disney Junior Live on Stage.

Have you tried the Animation Academy?  What character did you get to draw?