Drawing Chip at Animation Academy

Drawing Chip is Fun!

California Adventure has its wild rides (Screamin’, Tower, Grizzly River) and its blockbusters (Soarin’, Midway Mania) but it also has a great attraction in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot with the Animation Academy. Once inside, you find yourself in a cavernous commons area with a shifting display of animations on huge screens.

From there, you have 4 places you can go:

- Turtle Talk is a short, interactive video with Crush the sea turtle from Finding Nemo

- Hands-on displays at  Sorcerer’s Workshop, with delightful low-tech machines and fun high-tech stations

- A Zoetrope with Toy Story characters at Character Close-Up

- Hands-on drawing at Animation Academy

This final option is a huge amphitheater, like the ones you might have sat in in those huge university classes, like Physics. All the guests take a seat, grab a sheet of paper, and follow the instructor as she or he guides you along as you draw your own chipmunk — either Chip or Dale, depending on the session. People consistently came out with great sketches of this animated rodent.

It’s interesting to hear the terminology for the different shapes — a rainbow, for example, is a staple. The instructor also talks about how simple shapes can convey the intended emotion.

Educational and fun — a great way to spend 30 minutes on a crowded afternoon. We ended up spending 90 minutes taking in all for elements of the Disney Animation attraction.