Disney Animation Is Bringing An Immersive Projection Experience On Tour Starting This Year

The creatives at Walt Disney Animation Studios have partnered with Lighthouse Immersive Studios, the folks behind "Immersive Van Gogh," to present a new way for Disney fans to embrace their animated features like never before. The "Disney Animation Immersive Experience" will have its world premiere in Toronto this December before touring around the United States and other parts of the globe in 2023. Fans will be able to enter a space with floor-to-ceiling presentations of the music and artistry of Disney Animation's film canon. The show will cover recent hits like "Encanto," "Zootopia," and "Frozen," as well as classics like "The Lion King," "Peter Pan," and Pinocchio." Audiences will be able to enter the world of larger-than-life animation, coming face to face with some of their favorite characters, songs, and scenes.

"The collaboration with Lighthouse Immersive is a first for Disney Animation," said Clark Spencer, president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, in a press release. "It's a dream to bring the best of animated storytelling together with the top experts in the immersive art experience." Spencer continued by saying, "We can't wait for audiences around the world, of all ages, to experience the great moments from our legacy of feature films in this incredible way."

"I've grown up with them since childhood and so has my family," said Lighthouse Immersive founder Corey Ross. "The work lends itself brilliantly to the immersive experience and I am confident this program will give our guests the opportunity to be engulfed in the world of Disney, making them feel like they're standing next to their favorite characters and seeing the world through their eyes."

After the debut at Lighthouse ArtSpace Toronto in December, "Disney Animation: Immersive Experience" will tour to Cleveland, Nashville, Detroit, Denver, Boston, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, and Columbus until the end of April 2023. The experience is currently in the process of scheduling additional cities, but have already announced that the tour will eventually make its way to Tokyo. "Trailblazing in a new medium is always exciting, and this is truly going to be the most challenging and rewarding project of my career," said producer J. Miles Dale ("The Shape of Water"), who is helping to lead the charge on this project from the Disney side. "Being entrusted with Disney's rich archive of animation is a great honor, but also a tremendous responsibility."

"Just imagine journeying through Zootopia with Judy Hopps, diving to the ocean floor with Ariel, flying on a magic carpet with Aladdin, and stepping into Casita with Mirabel and the family Madrigal," said Ross. "This is where the Disney Animation: Immersive Experience will take you." Everything about this showcase sounds like a dream come true for Disney fans of all ages, and will certainly delight anyone's inner child. The schedule of gallery openings, on-sale date for tickets, and prices will be announced at a future date, but interested parties can sign up to receive more information at disneyimmersive.com. Here's a behind-the-scenes video about the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit, to give you a sense of what to expect: