The Disney Animation Renaissance: Behind the Glass at the Florida Studio

Lescher (1957–2019), a cameraperson and scene planner for Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, examines a transformative chapter of Disney’s cinematic history in this focused study. In 1989, Disney opened its Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida studio as part of a Walt Disney World attraction that publicly showcased its animation process by allowing park guests to watch animators while they worked. The studio rode a wave of success—it produced blockbusters including Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King—before being shut down in 2004 after mishandling several variables: massive internal reorganization, an increase in production quotas, and consecutive box-office failures in the early 2000s. Lescher diligently explores the studio’s rise from a theme park attraction to a full-fledged production company, and the pre-digital animation process is expertly detailed (The Prince and the Pauper, a 25-minute short released in 1990, required 36,000 handcrafted frames). Even now, some animators refuse to discuss their last days at the studio because it’s too painful. Lescher’s admiring narrative, which incorporates her firsthand experience and interviews with fellow artists, illuminates the talent of Disney animators. Readers who cherish all things House of Mouse will find much to appreciate. (Dec.)