Toon Studio is a unique piece of Disney history.  Never before has Walt Disney Imagineering stepped back into a land to redesign and refocus the themeing on this scale, repainting attractions in entirely different colours, adding new planters and installing new pieces of magic to give a more defined Disney experience.

Through a project spanning over eight years - from the initial plans for Animation Courtyard to the opening of the new Toon Studio, Walt Disney Imagineering have turned a promising collection of attractions into a larger, more immersive Disney experience.

Join us on the Toon Timeline, from sketch to reality - then back to sketch and finally to the finished reality we see today!

1999

1999
Euro Disney SCA, operating company of Disneyland Resort Paris, officially announces its second gate project  - 'Disney Studios Paris' - and construction begins immediately.  The park is due to feature an 'Animation Courtyard' amongst its four production zones, featuring 'The Magic of Disney Animation' and 'Animagic' in a courtyard setting with a statue of Sorcerer Mickey as its centrepiece.

2001

2001
Updated plans for the second gate - now with the final name 'Walt Disney Studios Park' - surface, showing subtle changes to the placement of Animation Courtyard's attractions to allow the addition of a third attraction and more space for future additions.  The additional attraction is Flying Carpets Over Agrabah, a replacement for the cancelled Sound Effects Tour at Production Courtyard.  The attraction introduces the idea of the Toons making the movies themselves, and thus launches a concept that will later provide the basis for the entire Toon Studio of 2007.

2002

16th March 2002
Animation Courtyard opens with Walt Disney Studios Park, featuring three attractions: Art of Disney Animation, Animagique and Flying Carpets Over Agrabah. Two 'Studio Catering Co.' vans are positioned in the land, which features small trees, several planters and a filmstrip marking the parade route. The Sorcerer Mickey statue and the extended planters in front of Flying Carpets fail to appear.

2005

11th January 2005
Euro Disney SCA officially announces its programme of major investment for Disneyland Resort Paris at the completion of an important financial restructuring.  With a investment package of 240 million Euros now on the table, the resort aims to add a new attraction each year between 2005 and 2008, including 'Toon Studios' - at this point described only as a "Toon Backlot" with no confirmation of included attractions.  Early concept art and rumours state a Finding Nemo family roller coaster and a ride taken from A Bug's Land at Disney's California Adventure park.

25th September 2005
Movie posters are added to the lighting rigs throughout the park, with animated moves filling the bill at Animation Courtyard.

2006

3rd February 2006
Large new movie posters on either side of Disney Studio 1 bring more colour to Animation Courtyard and playfully hint at what's to come. The posters featured are Pinocchio, Dumbo, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and - right above the spot of the future photo location - Monsters, Inc.

7th February 2006
Mickey's Trailer is moved to Production Courtyard to allow fullscale construction to begin.

24th February 2006
The Toon Studio project is finally launched into reality with major groundbreaking and clearing work for Crush's Coaster.

1st March 2006
Construction officially begins for Crush's Coaster.

9th April 2006
Monsters Inc Scream Scene photo location opens without Mike or the CDA agents. The Scream Monitors are not yet functional.

20th May 2006
Scream Monitors at Monsters Inc Scream Scene become functional, with LED lights on each canister showing the level of childrens' screams.

8th June 2006
The Animation Courtyard placemaking project is given a confirmed budget and the green light for full development and construction by resort officials.  News leaks of the plans included in the placemaking project and that the entire land will be renamed 'Toon Studios'.

10th June 2006
Life-size figures depicting two CDA agents appear at the Monsters Inc Scream Scene. The area in front of Flying Carpets Over Agrabah is cordoned off with construction fences to allow work on the new 'oasis' to begin.

18th June 2006
June 2007 is first confirmed as the opening date for Toon Studio on a Cars Race Rally preview page at the official Disneyland Resort Paris website.

4th July 2006
Life-size figure of Mike Wazowski is installed at the Monsters Inc Scream Scene.

10th July 2006
First logos are released for Crush's Coaster and Cars Race Rally, confirming also the final names of the land's two additional new attractions.

12th July 2006
Construction officially begins for Cars Race Rally.

23rd August 2006
Sandy yellow flooring of the Flying Carpets oasis completed.

22nd September 2006
Construction fences envelop much of the entrance to Animation Courtyard, surrounding the Sorcerer Hat and the planter next to Disney Studio 1.

25th September 2006
News first emerges that the statues flying around the Sorcerer Hat will infact be those from Walt Disney World, rather than a similar duplicate set.  The Sorcerer Mickey statue is confirmed once again.

2nd October 2006
Construction walls surrounding the expansion area are decorated with characters, logos and concept art for the upcoming attractions, stating - "Toon Studio - Opening June 2007".

5th October 2006
A first collection of palm trees fill the planters of the Flying Carpets oasis.

8th October 2006
A series of tall, new trees appear outside the entrance of Art of Disney Animation as well as between Disney Bros Plaza and the land itself. More trees continue to appear here over following months.

15th October 2006
Repainting of the existing buildings begins, with the rear walls of Art of Disney Animation first to receive a heavy coat of bright blue paint.

29th October 2006
Arabian-styled lamps are added around the planters of the Flying Carpets oasis.

1st November 2006
A second colour for the new Art of Disney Animation repaint is revealed - burnt pink, for the formerly plain red bricks around each doorway.

27th November 2006
The Toon Town/Toon Studio wall begins construction and groundworks for the backdrop begin.

23rd December 2006
Fences surrounding the planter at the entrance of Art of Disney Animation are removed, revealing the new plantation of trees, so far without a barrier around them.

29th December 2006
Flying Carpets oasis opens to the public, with deep red railings and a woodchip covering.

2007

11th February 2007
A new concept art reveals the land's new entrance, including the addition of the Sorcerer Mickey statue with the Peter Pan, Wendy and Tinkerbell statues on the Sorcerer Hat now joined by Dumbo, Ariel & Flounder and Winnie the Pooh.

13th February 2007
Work begins on the complete repainting of Animagique's Disney Studio 3 building.

21st February 2007
The first metal framework supports for the Toon Town backdrop are erected.

3rd March 2007
Chicken Little and The Incredibles temporary photo locations are removed to allow new phases of work on the land to begin.

7th March 2007
Flying Carpets Over Agrabah begins a three-week refurbishment to entirely clean-up the ride and area ready for the grand opening of Toon Studio.

8th March 2007
Almost the entire Animation Courtyard is blocked by construction fences, allowing work to begin on the new paving and flooring whilst Flying Carpets is closed.  Guests must access Animagique via a narrow path and Art of Disney Animation via the small path toward Studio Tram Tour, doubling back on themselves to enter the pre-show area through a side door.

25th March 2007
Flying Carpets Over Agrabah re-opens and the first portion of the land's new flooring is revealed - a checkerboard of lines and squares with some areas "shaded" darker than others, using tiles, paving and tarmac. The Flying Carpets oasis now sports silver railings and a full covering of sand for its planters.

26th March 2007
First pieces of the Toon Town backdrop are installed, the bordering wall is painted yellow, blue twisted lamposts are installed in the Toon Studio entrance area, the Flying Carpets Over Agrabah viewing platform is repainted from dark blue to bright purple, sand is added to the Flying Carpets oasis and its railings are repainted from deep red to silver.

30th March 2007
A brand new Area Music Loop is played for the first time in both the current Animation Courtyard and the yet-to-open expansion area, to test the volume and guest reaction. The loop is later replaced with the old soundtrack several days later, until the land's opening in June 2007.

9th April 2007
The planter at the entrance to Art of Disney Animation, unveiled back in December 2006, finally receives a pale green railing around its edge.

11th April 2007
Toon Studio entrance arch/signage and security booth installed.

15th April 2007
Scaffolding on the main façade of Animagique is taken down, revealing its new blue colours.

24th April 2007
A second portion of the new Animagique colour scheme is revealed - purple, for the previously plain red bricks around the waiting area canopy.

12th May 2007
Metal studs are added to the new checkerboard flooring to mark the park's parade route.

13th May 2007
More details appear in the Toon Studio/Toon Town area, including a 'Now in Production' clapperboard sign, two photolocations (The Incredibles and Mickey's House) and completed planting in the plaza.

15th May 2007
Construction fences around the entrance of the land are finally removed, revealing a new planter (to house the Sorcerer Mickey entrance statue) and the almost-complete checkerboard flooring around the area. New planting in the flower beds by Animagique can also now be seen, continuing the design and contrast of the flooring squares around it. The white backing of the 'Toon Town' letters is added to the Toon Town backdrop.

16th May 2007
Golden Peter Pan, Wendy and Tinkerbell figures from Walt Disney World's discarded 'Happiest Celebration On Earth' decorations arrive, circling the Sorcerer Hat at Art of Disney Animation.

17th May 2007
The first of a new series of lighting rig banners appears on a rig facing toward backstage. The poster replaces those blown down in the December 2006 storm and features a character illustration of Snow White, identical in design to the esplanade banners at Hong Kong Disneyland.

19th May 2007
The Toon Studio expansion area and its two new attractions are opened to invited guests for the very first time, allowing the families of Imagineering and those involved in its creation - around 2,000 guests - to experience Cars Race Rally and Crush's Coaster for the very first time. New costumes for Cast Members at Flying Carpets Over Agrabah, Crush's Coaster and Cars are also worn for the first time, revealing the land's final logo (seen above).

21st May 2007
Toon Studio expansion area opens to the public, allowing access through to Studio Tram Tour since the park's central boulevard has now closed to allow for larger scale work on Hollywood Boulevard. The two new attractions remain closed except to invited guests and any families pre-selected to test and survey the experiences, but all guests can now explore the land and meet several Disney characters throughout the day amongst its new backdrops.

26th May 2007
Sorcerer Mickey entrance marquee installed, main Crush's Coaster entrance figure and sign added.

2nd June 2007
The first attraction previews for members of the public take place at Cars Race Rally and Crush's Coaster, reserved for shareholders and annual passholders.

9th June 2007
The grand opening of the new Toon Studio, featuring Cars Race Rally and Crush's Coaster.

16th June 2007
Press event celebrating the inauguration of Toon Studio, Cars Race Rally and Crush's Coaster.