No More Animation Academy...what?

[thewilderness3]

So, I've been out of the Disney loop since our trip in June, and my friend who is currently at Disney just told me that a CM said Animation Academy is closed...forever? Say it isn't so! ...Seriously. Tell me ...It's. Not. True.

 

[kmb584]

So, I've been out of the Disney loop since our trip in June, and my friend who is currently at Disney just told me that a CM said Snimation Academy is closed...forever? Say it isn't so! ...Seriously. Tell me ...It's. Not. True.

Closed forever, yes.

 

[thewilderness3]

That really hurts. Will there be any other spot to sketch our favorite characters?

 

[onemorejennifer]

We happened to be at HS on the last day it was open and my 16 year old waited about 2 hours to take a class. She said there were a lot of CM's in the class and the instructor was very emotional...

She thought about waiting to meet Baymax too but that line was 4 hours long!

 

[mom2rtk]

That really hurts. Will there be any other spot to sketch our favorite characters?

California Adventure?

 

[hiroMYhero]

That really hurts. Will there be any other spot to sketch our favorite characters?

AoA has an animation class. It's also reported that you can find a similar class at Disney Quest.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I've got a feeling the drawing portion of the academy will open in another location in time.

 

[mom2rtk]

AoA has an animation class. It's also reported that you can find a similar class at Disney Quest.

Until Disney Quest closes next year.

 

[Momtomouselover]

I can't believe it either. It was way to loved (and at times popular) to be closed. I just don't get it if it doesn't reopen. I haven't told my son yet. He will be so sad

 

[Haygar2]

I am really bummed. We skipped HS last year. We have it in our plans for our next trip. I was excited to do this.

 

[amyjmcc90]

I'm really upset about it being closed permanently. My oldest DD, 12, is almost anti-Disney (gasp!) but very artistic, so the animation class was the only thing at HS she enjoyed. Bummer.

 

[bcrook]

We happened to be at HS on the last day it was open and my 16 year old waited about 2 hours to take a class. She said there were a lot of CM's in the class and the instructor was very emotional...

She thought about waiting to meet Baymax too but that line was 4 hours long!

I was there a few days before it closed too, and the lines were crazy long to get in. It was very sad indeed. We have spent full days in there drawing. I'm also going to be sad when One Man's Dream closes too. I love the idea of new things being added, but they have plenty of space to keep these things open and expand.

I talked to CM's (and I know they don't really know much more than anyone else), but they are optimistic that the Animation Academy will reopen somewhere else. But... I am still waiting to ride Body Wars. Talk about being optimistic. LOL!

 

[2Tiggies]

We were really disappointed when we heard it was closing, too. It was something we would do multiple times every visit, especially if they were running during evening EMH. We noticed last summer though that it was closed during most of the evening EMH at DHS and there were a couple of times last year when we went to wait for the class and were told that they weren't running that morning/afternoon/evening (whatever the case was at the time) because they didn't have any available artists to conduct the classes. I wonder if Disney cut back on the CM's who were able to give these classes as a cost cutting measure and eventually closed it because of that, or if it is related to the upcoming changes in the park.

 

[Lisaloo]

Sigh. Yep.

 

[dfb]

But don't worry!! I hear they are bringing Captain EO back to Epcot!!! Whaaaat??? Go figure???

 

[bcrook]

But don't worry!! I hear they are bringing Captain EO back to Epcot!!! Whaaaat??? Go figure???

That was mean!

 

[bcrook]

I wonder if Disney cut back on the CM's who were able to give these classes as a cost cutting measure and eventually closed it because of that, or if it is related to the upcoming changes in the park.

Either way, I think closing attractions when new attractions haven't been built (or even ANNOUNCED) is a bad faith move on Disney's part for those that invest in vacations month (or years) in advance. For those that buy APs. For those that invest in DVC. It is bad practice.

If they have plans of opening it up somewhere else, that could have been in place, and they could have said something to the public. But, no ... they didn't. So, I don't really expect it back. Maybe they will put a lounge in there so people can cool down, and have an attendant make tally marks on a sheet of paper to keep track of visitors. That is what they did with the closed Pirates of the Caribbean walk through. Paying someone to stand around with a pencil and paper.

....Now where is that AP survey again?

 

[DisTXMom]

This is sad. I was looking forward to my kids being old enough to do this.

 

[tehvalerie]

I'm bummed that the animation academy is closed (for now) but I'm reserving final judgment until the parks announcements are made at D23 next week.

 

[dfb]

That was mean!

Sorry not trying to be mean. Although I do understand progress and change, I don't understand the logic of these changes.