An adapted version of https://code.google.com/p/android-test-kit/wiki/DisablingAnimations configured as a InstrumentationTestRunner

build.gradle

android {
    defaultConfig {
        testInstrumentationRunner 'com.venmo.tests.VenmoTestRunner'
        // ... 
    }
}

VenmoTestRunner.java

package com.venmo.tests;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.IBinder;
import android.util.Log;

import com.google.android.apps.common.testing.testrunner.GoogleInstrumentationTestRunner;

import java.lang.reflect.Method;

@SuppressWarnings("unused")
public class VenmoTestRunner extends GoogleInstrumentationTestRunner {

    private static final String ANIMATION_PERMISSION = "android.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE";
    private static final float DISABLED = 0.0f;
    private static final float DEFAULT = 1.0f;

    @Override
    public void callActivityOnCreate(Activity activity, Bundle bundle) {
        disableAll();
        super.callActivityOnCreate(activity, bundle);
    }

    @Override
    public void callActivityOnDestroy(Activity activity) {
        super.callActivityOnDestroy(activity);
        enableAll();
    }

    private void disableAll() {
        setSystemAnimationsScale(DISABLED);
    }

    private void enableAll() {
        setSystemAnimationsScale(DEFAULT);
    }

    private void setSystemAnimationsScale(float animationScale) {
        int permStatus = getContext().checkCallingOrSelfPermission(ANIMATION_PERMISSION);
        if (permStatus != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            return;
        }
        try {
            Class<?> windowManagerStubClazz = Class.forName("android.view.IWindowManager$Stub");
            Method asInterface =
                    windowManagerStubClazz.getDeclaredMethod("asInterface", IBinder.class);
            Class<?> serviceManagerClazz = Class.forName("android.os.ServiceManager");
            Method getService = serviceManagerClazz.getDeclaredMethod("getService", String.class);
            Class<?> windowManagerClazz = Class.forName("android.view.IWindowManager");
            Method setAnimationScales =
                    windowManagerClazz.getDeclaredMethod("setAnimationScales", float[].class);
            Method getAnimationScales = windowManagerClazz.getDeclaredMethod("getAnimationScales");

            IBinder windowManagerBinder = (IBinder) getService.invoke(null, "window");
            Object windowManagerObj = asInterface.invoke(null, windowManagerBinder);
            float[] currentScales = (float[]) getAnimationScales.invoke(windowManagerObj);
            for (int i = 0; i < currentScales.length; i++) {
                currentScales[i] = animationScale;
            }
            setAnimationScales.invoke(windowManagerObj, new Object[]{currentScales});
        } catch (Exception e) {
            Log.e(getClass().getSimpleName(),
                    "Could not change animation scale to " + animationScale + " :'(");
        }
    }
}