Animation Academy at Disneyland Paris

Most every faithful reader of the Pillsbury Press knows our daughter is an artist. One of her earliest teachers were the 15 minute lessons she took at Disneyland's Animation Academy in California Adventure. While I can find a post about Tokyo Disney's Animation Academy, and the one at Walt Disney World, I am not finding one about Disneyland's Animation Academy. The closest I have is a brief mention in this post.

Having experienced in four theme parks what should be basically the same experience, I am stunned by how different each one is.

In Tokyo it is an add-on. You sign up in advance. There are multiple instructors. You sit at a desk. It is very polished. You leave with your drawing in a portfolio. Follow the link to see pictures.

In Florida it is in a separate room. You also sit at a real desk, adorned with Mickey Mouse, of course. I have only done this once, and that was after running a half marathon, so I don't remember the details.

In California it is also in a separate room only available to those participating. You sit in a stadium-style arrangement. The room feels huge. Everyone gets a board on which a piece of paper is clipped to it. The solo instructor draws from the front of the room. When we first started to go to Animation Academy it was a surprise who they would draw each session. More recently they have had a sandwich board announcing the schedule. This was great as Ashley became more talented so we could plan our day around who she wanted to draw.

Animation Academy in Disneyland Paris was in a roped off section within the Animation Building. Others could watch impatiently while you are drawing -- wishing they had made the cut of 18 people. Each instructor chooses what he will teach, and does not make that declaration until after you are seated. Two men left the room when they were told they would draw Mickey Mouse -- again. Meanwhile the instructor in-between taught Stitch or some other more rare and complicated character.

Everyone sits at these cute, back-lit tables. With the feet, they look like they could walk away, but they don't. Space was limited, and the line was long, so I did not take a class. 

Hard to see in my pictures, but the completed image appears in grey on the instructor's screen. As he or she tells students what to do, the lines appear in black. This helps students who want to skip ahead, but makes it appear as if the teachers have no talent and are just drawing. As someone who cannot even trace a line I drew myself, I realize it does take skill.

Ashley alternated between waiting for a spot and drawing a couple of times while Don and I rode Tower of Terror. At 15 she is old enough, and mature enough to hang out in a room by herself, especially one that involves art.