Wonderful World of Animation to debut on the 30th Anniversary of Disney's Hollywood Studios

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Posted: Friday March 29, 2019 8:51am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has announced that the all-new cinematic nighttime experience, “Wonderful World of Animation,” will officially debut at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on May 1 2019 as part of the park’s 30th anniversary celebration.

The show will use state-of-the-art projection technology to take guests on a magical journey through more than 90 years of Disney animation, all beginning with Mickey himself.

Wonderful World of Animation concept art

This new show will replace the existing Disney Movie Magic projection show.

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CrazydisneyfanlukeFeb 18, 2020

Is this part of the cost cutting they are doing? If one has less pyro then, it would make sense. As for the opening of Mickey's Railroad, if guests are in the queue at close, it has to remain open. This would put guests exiting the building in a launch area for SWAGS.

Kman101Feb 18, 2020

Yes please!

jrhwdwFeb 18, 2020

WWOA would need more pyro then....IDK if I like that idea. Since SWAGS is the Nighttime Spectacular with lots of low pyro.

RSoxNo1Feb 18, 2020

At this point that's the best explanation I can come up with.

Magic FeatherFeb 18, 2020

I've heard that DMM's return, and WWoA's potential replacement of SW:GS is for budget reasons. Ultimately, any combination involving DMM costs less, with fewer shells and techs needed.

jrhwdwFeb 17, 2020

Now that we know of Epcot's cutbacks, could this be part of the cutbacks rather than MMRR? I was impressed that DHS added pyro to WWOA, it looked better than DMM IMO.

JohnDFeb 17, 2020

Inside the Magic theorizes the change back to Disney Movie Magic is that it doesn't have pyro unlike WWOA because MMRR would have to close during the show (me: why? It's indoors, but I digress.) But SW:AGS obviously has pyro too and it's still on the schedule. Maybe because SW:AGS starts at park close?

Notes from NeverlandFeb 17, 2020

The previous Symphony in the Stars show blows the current Star Wars nighttime show out of the water. It's really hard to feel much love for the current show when this was so fun. (Edit - thanks to @wdwmagic for adding the correct video). https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/symphony-in-the-stars---a-galactic-spectacular/video/302.htm

MisterPenguinFeb 17, 2020

They did. Until they were setting the local forest on fire during a drought and ordnance was landing on the highway.

marni1971Feb 17, 2020

They did. Due to a combination of four issues it can’t be used as designed. I quite liked the first version of the roof launched show. It just needed a bit more plussing (vary the timing of some of the pyro more) and tone down the smaller flame jets so they don’t burn out the projection images.

Josh HendyFeb 17, 2020

I thought that they created this area across from DHS specifically for launching fireworks.

MisterPenguinFeb 17, 2020

IMO... the DHS hub is an awful place to view any projection show whether it is the live action clips, animation clips, Star Wars clips, or holiday-ish clips show. The Hub really isn't big enough, and they don't have the courage to get rid of Min & Bill's and the trees in the way of a larger crowd with a better view. The theater and the blank boxes they put up for screens is not enough. And with the cutting of an actual fireworks show (Wait... wha... the forest is... flammable?!), which was already off-centered... I'd be happy for no hub shows at all at DHS. Doing nothing is better than what they are doing.

YodaManFeb 17, 2020

Disney Movie Magic should become the nighttime pyro show. Cut Galacitc Spectacular and add Star Wars to DMM so it’s a celebration of Disney’s live action franchises. Keep WWOA as a preshow if you truly desire or get rid of it entirely (it always felt more like an “MK show” than something that belonged at Studios).

Notes from NeverlandFeb 17, 2020

I don't believe it's a bad decision. Just strange - maybe puzzling is a better word - to switch from one to the other. There's no real reason that I can see.