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DISNEY enthusiasts experienced a mix of emotions this week as a beloved park feature was unexpectedly demolished.
The structure was taken down to make way for a new experience titled Magic of Disney Animation, set to debut in 2026, which will replace Star Wars: Launch Bay.
This is the Disney Hollywood Studios sign above the walkway at the Hollywood Studios theme parkCredit: Alamy
Walt Disney World quietly destroyed a landmark overnight, leaving the park unrecognizableCredit: X/bioreconstruct
The archway at Hollywood Studios, located at the entrance of Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and welcoming guests into the Animation Courtyard, has been removed after 35 years.
The grand archway first opened when the park debuted as Disney MGM Studios in 1989 and was renamed to “Disney’s Hollywood Studios” in 2008.
A user on X shared a photo of the vacant area where the archway once stood over the weekend.
“This truly marks the end of an era. With the archway gone, yet another piece of the Studios theme has vanished,” one user commented.
“Rest in peace to one of the few remaining remnants of MGM Studios,” another added.
“Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ archway was demolished overnight after standing for over 36 years,” Drew Smith, known as @DrewDisneyDude on X , posted on social media.
“That’s a wrap,” he remarked.
For decades, the archway served as a visual representation of the original studio lot theme, according to the Disney Tourist Blog .
Workers swiftly completed the demolition overnight, leaving behind exposed steel, wires, and infrastructure where ornate carvings and signage once existed.
The illuminated Disney’s Hollywood Studios sign on the arch was also removed, with parts of the panels missing or concealed.
A construction fence was erected immediately after the demolition began, as reported by WDW News Today .
The overnight demolition is connected to a significant redesign of the area, as noted by the Daily Mail .
The removal of the archway is part of the preparations for a new experience called The Magic of Disney Animation, which will replace the Star Wars: Launch Bay.
The Launch Bay closed on September 25, along with the Animation Courtyard and Disney Jr. Play and Dance!, to make room for the new installation.
Big Changes at Disney World
- Splash Mountain will be re-themed as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
- Star Wars: Launch Bay will be transformed into The Magic of Disney Animation.
- Animation Courtyard and Disney Jr. Play & Dance! will close on September 25, 2025.
- The new Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure show will remain open.
Disney described the upcoming attraction as “a place where children and the young at heart can laugh, draw, dream, and explore new animated experiences,” in a press release from July.
The company stated it will “bring the magic of animation to life like never before.”
Inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California, the redesigned building will feature a giant Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat, echoing the real-life Roy E. Disney Animation Building.
“Our story in this newly reimagined space begins as the animators have temporarily stepped away… but the building is still buzzing with activity as the characters have come to life and are ready to play,” the press release noted.
Inside, guests will explore a whimsical version of Disney Animation headquarters, filled with themed departments, living portraits, and interactive fun – parkgoers can even learn “how to draw [their] very own character sketch.”
Young visitors will have their own Drawn to Wonderland playground, described
