The Orange County Regional History Center had an exhibit celebrating the art of Animation called, Animation-Land. The exhibit ran from January 17, 2026, to May 3, 2026.
Hosting the exhibit were Tracey the pencil dog and her quirky crew – Rooth, Drop, Inky, Uno, and Kari. They lead visitors on an immersive journey into the art and science of storytelling. Families and fans of all ages could dive into hands-on activities such as story boarding, sketching, and stop-motion filmmaking while discovering how animated features are brought to life. The exhibit featured colorful characters and interactive stations, Animation-land empowered everyone to experiment, play, and create their own stories through the magic of animation.
The exhibit also celebrated a remarkable local chapter in animation history. Drawing Magic: Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida explored the groundbreaking studio that operated at Disney-MGM Studios from 1989 to 2004. Visitors discovered how Florida artists contributed to such beloved films as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear to name a few, and how the studio helped define Disney’s animation renaissance. Through artifacts, stories, and artwork, this section revealed the creative community that once flourished right here in Central Florida.
This exhibit at the end of the exhibit caught my eye. It shows a Disney Feature Animation desk in what the animators once called The Fishbowl. I worked at a desk exactly like this in the Fishbowl. My desk was right below a bank of windows that allowed tourists to look down and see how the art of Disney Animation happened. It was my first week on the job and I definitely felt some imposter syndrome since the lead animators were sequestered away in their private offices truly creating animation magic.
When I started work on Pocahontas, desk did not face the wall of tourists, but rather my desk faced away from the phalanx of distraction. However, on my first day on the job, tourists kept knocking on the thick glass to get my attention. When I turned towards them and looked up they would smile and give me a thumbs up. It was a nightmare. I felt like a gorilla in a zoo.
Eventually the Disney Guard who worked in the tourist corridor also wanted my attention. He knocked on the glass. He was saying something, but the glass was too thick to hear him. He was pointing down into my workspace and I finally realized he was pointing at the lower ledge of the tourist windows. I reached up and felt around with my finger tips and finally found an edge to some white artist tape. I pulled the tape up and there was writing on it. It said, “Hi, My Name is Tom, if you like my sketch, please knock on the glass and give me a thumbs up!” An animator seated deeper in the fishbowl was laughing out loud when he saw me groan and roll my eyes. This was an initiation for new hires.
Now the Disney desk I once sat at between 1994 and 2004 is a long-lost analog example of a time when artists drew on paper with pencils to create movie magic. In our digital age, computers have long replaced the magic of drawing lines on a page to breathe life into a character. AI further threatens to eliminate the need for any human talent.
