Inside the defunct animation studio at Walt Disney World, Feature Animation Florida
Disney revealed a rare look inside Walt Disney World’s defunct animation studio, Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, where artists created “Lilo & Stitch” in the 2000s. The building is still standing behind Star Wars Launch Bay.
On June 26, 2025 — not-so-coincidentally 6/26, or “626 Day,” named for Experiment 626, a.k.a. Stitch — the Disney Parks Blog published a thorough feature story celebrating the making of 2002’s “Lilo & Stitch” and the building where the film was made. The photos in the story provide a truly an unprecedented look at Disney history not shared in this capacity before.
Many guests visiting the Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park near Orlando, Fla., might not realize entire animated films were created onsite, back when the park was known as Disney-MGM Studios. From 1989-2004, Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida functioned as a satellite branch of the Burbank-based Walt Disney Feature Animation (today called Walt Disney Animation Studios) right here.
Photos by bioreconstruct
Photo by bioreconstruct
“Mulan,” “Lilo & Stitch,” and “Brother Bear” were all created at this satellite Disney studio, as were significant portions of “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” and other animated movies of the ’90s and early 2000s. Today, the studio’s defunct headquarters building is office space for Walt Disney World cast members, but the interior walls are still adorned with authentic artwork and tributes to the films made here.
Disney proudly celebrated the work of the Orlando artists as each film was released into the world.
Adjacent to the defunct, backstage animation building is a facility that once housed The Magic of Disney Animation, a public attraction. The walkthrough attraction shared the process of making animated films, including actually watching animators at work from behind glass. When Feature Animation’s Florida branch closed, the attraction became more focused on character greetings. Today, that building still stands as Star Wars Launch Bay.
Photo by bioreconstruct
Star Wars Launch Bay opened in 2015 as a museum of sorts, but today gives off the vibe of an old mall. Its film portion is shuttered, as are its shops and many displays. The character greetings inside with Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and BB-8 remain.
Photo by Blake Taylor
Continue your education journey about the defunct Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida with these resources:
- “Working With Stitch: Inside Feature Animation at Hollywood Studios” by Rain Blanken on the Disney Parks Blog (June 26, 2025)
- “The Story Room: The Making of Lilo & Stitch” documentary (2005), available on “Lilo & Stitch: Big Wave Edition” DVD (2008)
- “The Disney Animation Renaissance: Behind the Glass at the Florida Studio” by Mary E. Lescher, published by University of Illinois Press (2024)
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