One of the offerings in The Magic of Disney Animation building in Animation Courtyard is Once Upon a Studio. I’ve been asked several questions about it, so I thought that I would address them here.
Once Upon a Studio is a short animated film that features most of the Disney animated characters through Wish. It was created for the Disney100 Celebration in 2023. It lasts about nine minutes. The plot is simple. As the humans (Renika Williams and Disney Legend the late Burny Mattison) leave, Burny says, “If these walls could talk…” As soon as they’re gone, a Mickey production cell comes to life. He calls Tinker Bell, and they work to get everyone together for a picture to celebrate 100 years.
If this sounds familiar, you might have seen it before. Once Upon a Studio is currently available on Disney+. It also aired on The Wonderful World of Disney in 2023. There have been various other screenings as well. Once Upon a Studio is the best of Disney animation, it was made with love and respect. I could watch it 100 times (and probably will) and would still miss something!
Once Upon a Studio has been referred to as a love letter, and I think that’s the perfect description. Many of the characters are based on film cells from the originals. It’s mostly hand drawn, although there is some CGI. There are jokes and puns from many of your favorite movies. It’s beautiful.
Disney also chose to honor the actors whenever possible. That’s Robin Williams as The Genie, Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket, and Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan! It would have been easy enough to find voice actors for those lines, but Disney stayed true to the originals. You can see the full cast list here.
When you watch Once Upon a Studio, have some tissues ready. In one of the most brilliant scenes ever, Mickey pauses to thank Walt Disney, as Feed the Birds plays quietly in the background. Feed the Birds was reportedly Walt Disney’s favorite song. Even people who don’t cry during movies have brushed away a tear or two during this short scene.
If you’re watching Once Upon a Studio at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you might notice that the pictures on the walls move. These characters are gathering for the 100th anniversary picture! These are fun to watch if you already know the main film. If you’ve never seen Once Upon a Studio before, I’d recommend watching the main screen. The film is short, so you can always watch it a second time.
Once Upon a Studio is a film that every Disney fan needs to see. It’s the perfect fit for the newly updated Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! The film won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Short Form Program in March, 2025. The award is on display in a different part of The Magic of Disney Animation building.