This journey through the Disney animation process is one of the park's most engaging attractions. More than any other backstage peek, this tour truly takes you inside the magic as you follow the many steps of 2-D animation, an art expected to be totally replaced in years to come by computer-generated films such as the Disney/Pixar blockbusters Toy Story and Finding Nemo. The animation studio was a satellite of Walt Disney's original California studio from 1988 through 2003. It was here that Brother Bear, Lilo & Stitch, and Mulan were produced, as were several Disney short films and portions of other popular Disney features.

You begin the tour in a small theater with a performance of Drawn to Animation, in which a real actor plays the role of an animator interacting with Mushu, the wisecracking animated character from Mulan. Mushu prances between two screens above the stage. In their very funny exchange, the two explain how an animated character evolves from original concept. The animators who actually created the spunky dragon appear on screen to help tell the story. Depending on when you visit, new characters from upcoming Disney films may be introduced near the end of this show.

Next, you enter a creative zone where kiosks of computer touch screens invite you to add color to your favorite characters and even find out which Disney character is most like you (answer a brief quiz and you can't help but smile when you find your animated character double). In the Sound Stage area, your interactive computer lets you choose from four film scenes, then cues you to voice the characters -- it's a hoot when you play it back! Watch for popular Disney toon stars to appear in this area for autographs and photos.

The final stop is the Animation Academy, a delightful crash course in how to draw an animated character. Children and adults can sit side-by-side at one of 38 backlighted drafting tables as an artist gives easy-to-follow instructions on drawing a Disney character. Your sketch of Donald Duck (or the character du jour) is your souvenir. As you exit, check out the collection of drawings and cels, the clear celluloid sheets on which the characters were drawn for Snow White, Fantasia, and other Disney classics. Here, too, are the actual Academy Awards that Disney has won for its animated films.