Olaf takes over Walt Disney World's animation class

So I'm torn on this, because I think it's cool to have an animatronic leading a class like this, but it's sad to see an experience like this that is so personalized become what will essentially become a video course that you could just do at home with a POV of the experience. Guests won't be able to walk up to Olaf and ask him what he thinks of their sketch or specific details from his experience that can make your drawing better. I don't think that a lot of folks were going up to animators leading the class to ask questions, but that option was always available. Turning this role into an animatronic takes away something that made this experience feel more like a legitimate "class" and less of a show/attraction.

I do wonder what the animators who used to lead these classes would say about this - if given the ability to speak freely would they claim that the "robots are taking over"?

I fear that I will be struck down for suggesting this, but now Disney has the opportunity to sell classes led by actual human animators as a premium experience, right?

They can, but they can also sell this as a "meet-and-greet interactive show" or some other buzzword combo. In an ideal world, they could have a human animator banter with the animatronic, and have the best of both worlds, right? Or would that be too much for Disney to handle?

Why would they have an animator perform "banter" with an animatronic while the character is driving the "lesson", or at least directing it through pre-tapes with actual animators and/or celebrities?

I could certainly see some opportunities for specialized CMs who have some artistic background to fill the void of a legit animator on stage as they walk around the room to help folks throughout the experience as they did in the old version, but it really feels like this is going to be all about the animatronic. Perhaps they will have the ability to do a "Turtle Talk" or "Laugh Floor" style interaction with Olaf, but my guess is that everything will be pre-programmed with different shows based on which pre-taped lesson they kick to on the video screens.

I do think Robert is onto something, and it's probably something Disney could test. However, I feel similar upcharge "tours" have pretty much vanished from WDW outside of Keys to the Kingdom and the VIP Tours (even KttK is a shell of its former self and more of a novelty than anything else). Disney used to offer so many different types of tours and upcharge experiences that a custom animation class with a real animator would fit right in, but that just isn't the case anymore. I also think the abandoning of the animation team at DHS was the nail in the coffin for the Animation Academy in Florida - there's just no reason to employ a full-time animator outside of the studio, even if they're just a retiree and filling these roles for "fun". Finally, with the advent of digital animation and the advancement of AI tools (and Disney licensing their IP to some of these tools), drawing characters by hand on pieces of paper just isn't terribly appealing anymore - frankly, they'd probably be better off having guests sit at stations with tablets and they can email their completed drawings to themselves or pay for a printout on fancy Disney paper.

I disagree- drawing characters by hand still has large appeal and these classes are usually full, on both coasts. My kids still have their sketches framed in their room. The animators did not provide much additional insight as they were on a tight schedule so the addition of an animatronic is, in my opinion, a plus. They also now have a B mode ready at hand to ensure classes are not missed for lack of an instructor or functional Olaf.