After many years of rumors, Disney has announced a Monsters Inc. doors roller coaster as part of the mini-land of Monstropolis coming soon to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
And now after the latest D23 announcements, we have a much better idea of what this new land is actually going to include. Monstropolis is not just going to be one coaster and a few lightly-themed buildings. Disney has now confirmed a new theater show, multiple restaurants, a retail location, and a full story for why humans are being invited into the monster world in the first place.
In this post, we are going to discuss everything that was announced about the all-new land themed to Pixar’s Monsters Inc. in Hollywood Studios, including the new doors coaster, the “Welcome to Monstropolis” show, Harryhausen’s Restaurant, Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, The Scareporium, when the land may open, what happened to Muppets Courtyard, and my thoughts on the whole project.
Overall, we are very excited about Monstropolis coming to Hollywood Studios, and the Door Coaster is one attraction we have been waiting years for, so to finally have it coming seems like a dream come true. I think the land itself has a ton of potential and the Monsters Inc. franchise is one of the most underrated imo.
That said, it’s not all good news. This land is replacing Muppets Courtyard, which means MuppetVision 3D has closed permanently, and that is a huge loss for Hollywood Studios. So this is one of those projects where I can be very excited about what is coming, while still not loving what Disney had to remove to build it.
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Latest Monstropolis Updates
The biggest new update is that Disney has now confirmed parts of Monstropolis will open to guests in 2027.
That is a big change from where we were before. Previously, we knew construction was beginning and we had a general idea of what Disney was building, but there was still a lot of speculation about the opening timeline, dining, shopping, and what else would be included besides the coaster.
Now we know the new land will include:
- Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster
- Welcome to Monstropolis at the Glob Theater
- Harryhausen’s Restaurant
- Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza
- Monsters University Alumni Club
- The Scareporium
- Monstropolis streets and the new H.U.M.A.N. Day storyline
The important thing here is that Disney said parts of Monstropolis will open in 2027 while work continues on the doors coaster. To me, that strongly suggests the coaster itself probably will not be ready in 2027.
Most likely, the restaurants, shops, and maybe the theater show will be the pieces that open first. Then the Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster could follow in 2028, which would give Walt Disney World another major new attraction to promote after Tropical Americas / Pueblo Esperanza opens in Animal Kingdom in 2027.
Of course, Disney has not officially said the coaster is opening in 2028, so we have to treat that as speculation for now. But if work is still continuing on the coaster while the rest of the land opens to guests, it makes sense that Disney may be saving the big headliner for a later phase.
What Is Monstropolis?
Monstropolis is a brand-new mini-land themed around Pixar’s Monsters Inc. and it is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro made the original announcement at the “Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase” during the 2024 D23 Expo at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. D’Amaro revealed plans to build a living, breathing, and not-at-all-scary Monsters Inc.-inspired area where guests will be able to stroll the streets alongside some of their favorite monsters.
The land picks up after the events of Pixar’s beloved film. Humans have now been invited to visit the world of Monsters Inc., and the monsters need laughter to power the city and keep it running smoothly.
That’s really the key to the whole story. Monstropolis used to run on screams, and monsters were just as afraid of humans as humans were of monsters. After Mike and Sulley discovered that laughter is even more powerful, the whole city started to change.
Now Disney is using that idea as the setup for the land. Humans are finally being invited into Monstropolis as welcomed guests for H.U.M.A.N. Day, which stands for “Humans Understanding Monsters Are Nice.”
It’s a little silly, but that’s exactly the type of silly I want from a Monsters Inc. land. It gives the area a reason to exist beyond just “here are some Monsters Inc. buildings,” and it lets guests feel like they are actually visiting the monster world for the first time.
Human guests will be able to explore the city, taste unique cuisine, meet monsters, go to the theater, shop for souvenirs, and eventually zoom through the famous door vault just like Mike and Sulley.
From the concept art, the area looks like it will be a full monster city with storefronts, colorful facades, signage, jokes, and hopefully a ton of visual gags. If Disney really leans into the humor and world-building, this could end up being a really fun little land.
Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster
The headliner attraction in Monstropolis is the Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster, and this is the attraction Disney fans have been dreaming about for almost 20 years.
If you have been following Disney news for a while, you have no doubt heard of this one. The first I heard it rumored was back in 2005 or 2006, and it has been talked about as a possible new attraction coming to Walt Disney World at just about every D23 Expo since.
The reason is obvious. The door vault scene from Monsters Inc. is practically begging to be turned into a theme park ride. Mike, Sulley, and Boo are flying through this massive warehouse of doors, barely missing obstacles, switching tracks, dropping, rising, and zooming all over the place. If there was ever a Pixar scene that felt like a roller coaster already, this is it.
At SXSW, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen walked the crowd through the latest details for the Monsters Inc. door coaster. Hundgen said, “Imagineers have been itching to turn that moment into an attraction ever since we saw it for the first time.”
That’s exactly how I feel too. This is one of those ride ideas that always made too much sense not to happen eventually and it’s awesome to finally see it happen.
The upcoming door ride will feature the first-ever suspended coaster at a Disney Park, and the first-ever vertical lift. Guests will board the ride vehicle before being hoisted into the air, just like in the movie when the claws grab the doors and lift them into the vault.
Hundgen explained, “That iconic scene in the film where the claw kind of grabs the door and lifts the door up to shoot it out into the vault — we’re recreating that.”
Once in the air, guests will be launched into the door vault through a boosted acceleration system. Hundgen called that sensation alone “a wow moment.”
Check out this video showing just how the load area will work:
That unique load and lift system is really important. If this ends up being a shorter indoor coaster, it needs a strong hook to make it feel special. And I think that vertical lift and suspended ride system could be what separates this from just being a fun-but-short coaster in the dark.
The way this new suspended coaster mimics the chaotic movement from the scene in the film sounds incredible. Hundgen explained, “You look at it and you go, I need to be suspended. I need my legs flaring all over the place as I’m just missing doors and thematic elements. It’s going to be really fun.”
It also sounds like the queue area will be very well done, and in classic Disney style, it should build anticipation for the ride before you get on. Hundgen said, “You’re standing in the queue line and you’re watching all this dynamic stuff happening around you — just the anticipation for this ride is going to be insane.”
What has us most intrigued is that guests may see other coaster trains throughout the ride, really adding to the sense of motion. Hundgen said, “To see that kind of energy very much mimics the sensation that we saw in the actual Monsters, Inc. door vault.”
We liked the idea the first time we heard it, and from the concept art Disney showed as well as the models there were on display, we think it looks like a ton of fun. From what we hear it will be more of a family-coaster, so it will probably be more fun than thrilling, which is totally fine with me.
My one concern is the ride length. The ride will be located inside the factory building that is featured prominently in the concept art, but at first glance it doesn’t really look all that big, so I’m wondering what the run-time will be on this.
If this turns out to be a 70 to 90-second coaster, then Disney needs to make every second count. Give us the vertical lift, great show scenes, a real sense of flying through the door vault, and maybe even a great Sulley animatronic or two. If they can do that, I think this could be a huge hit.
At the same time, I still would have loved to see a really high-quality dark ride added in this land eventually, something similar to the Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek in Tokyo Disneyland. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is missing some slow, dark rides that the whole family can do, and that is one of the very best ones Disney Imagineering has ever built, so getting something similar would be incredible.
Still, if Disney is only building one big ride for Monstropolis, the Doors Coaster is the obvious choice.
For an incredible behind the scenes look at the Monsters Inc coaster and the other future projects now underway, watch the full episode of We Call It Imagineering here:
Welcome to Monstropolis at the Glob Theater
The second attraction / entertainment offering coming to the land is “Welcome to Monstropolis” at the Glob Theater.
This is a big update because earlier versions of the land seemed like they might only include the coaster. Now we know the old MuppetVision theater space is being transformed into a new Monsters Inc. show, and that makes the land feel much more complete.
The show will be hosted by Mike and Sulley, and it will introduce human guests to Monstropolis and show how similar monsters and humans really are.
According to Imagineer Chris Beatty, Sulley has been working on a small, homespun show, but Mike — ever the showman — has a few surprises up his sleeve that he thinks will bring down the house. Hopefully not literally.
That sounds like a very Mike Wazowski premise, and honestly, this is exactly the type of franchise that can support a fun theater show. Monsters Inc. has a lot of built-in comedy, physical gags, and weird characters, so there is plenty for Imagineers to work with.
The show will also include a new song called “Welcome to Monstropolis” written by Disney Legend Randy Newman. Disney says this is the first song Newman has composed specifically for a Disney theme park attraction, which is pretty cool considering how connected he is to Pixar.
We don’t know exactly what type of show this will be yet, but if Disney is putting real money and technology into it, it could be more than just a simple replacement film. The best-case scenario is that it becomes a modern, funny, effects-filled theater attraction that gives Hollywood Studios some much-needed indoor capacity.
Of course, it also has a lot to live up to since it is replacing MuppetVision 3D, one of the best shows Disney has ever created. We’ll talk more about that in a minute.
Dining, Shopping, and Other Land Details
This new Monsters Inc. land will not only feature attractions, it will also have multiple dining locations, shopping, and other areas to explore.
The most exciting dining location is Harryhausen’s Restaurant, based on the iconic restaurant from the original Monsters Inc. film. This was where Mike took Celia on their date before Sulley and Boo showed up and everything went completely off the rails.
Disney says Harryhausen’s will include a new Audio-Animatronics figure of the restaurant’s famous sushi chef, with multiple tentacles preparing monster-worthy creations. There will be more than just sushi on the menu, and Imagineer Michael Hundgen said it will be “a menu unlike anything else we offer at Walt Disney World.”
After hearing all that, it has a ton of potential. Hollywood Studios already has some of the best themed restaurants at Walt Disney World, and Harryhausen’s could become another huge win if Disney really goes all-out with the atmosphere, food, and show elements.
I also think this could become one of the hardest dining reservations in the park when it opens. The restaurant is already iconic to Monsters Inc. fans, and adding an animatronic sushi chef is exactly the kind of detail that gets Disney fans excited.
The land will also include Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, which will be the main pizza location. Archie is Fear Tech’s six-legged mascot from Monsters University, and Disney is turning that into the story for the restaurant.
This appears to be the replacement for PizzeRizzo, so I’m not expecting it to be the most elaborate dining location in the land. My guess is Harryhausen’s is where the big money is going, while Archie’s will be more of a high-capacity quick-service pizza place with a Monsters University overlay.
That’s fine. Hollywood Studios needs the dining capacity, and if Disney fills it with enough fun details and Easter eggs, it should still be a big improvement over PizzeRizzo. Basically anything is at this point.
Next door will be the Monsters University Alumni Club, which will feature student clubs, fraternities, sororities, and a tribute to the elite Scarer’s Club honoring legendary scarers from years past.
The retail location will be The Scareporium, where guests can grab souvenirs from their visit to Monstropolis. We are also sure Disney will have no problem selling Monsters Inc. merchandise here. The potential merchandising revenue is too high to turn down.
There will likely also be character meet-and-greets somewhere in the land. You can’t build a Monsters Inc. land and not have Mike and Sulley around for photos so that is also a huge addition.
New Concept Art Changes
Disney has also shown updated concept art for Monstropolis, and there are some noticeable changes from the earlier versions.
The entrance from Grand Avenue appears to be wider and more open, which is a smart move. This land is going to be very popular, especially once the coaster opens, so Disney needs as much room as possible for guest flow.
The fountain also appears to have changed. In the original concept art, the fountain looked like it was in the shape of Mike Wazowski, but now it seems like Disney may be keeping or reworking the existing fountain from Muppets Courtyard instead. Even though that is probably the cheaper way to go, it may preserve a little more of the area’s original identity.
The theater is now officially The Glob, instead of the earlier “Monstro Theater” name seen in concept art.
The entrance to the Doors Coaster also appears to be pushed farther back, creating a larger courtyard in front of it. That could help with crowds, extended queue space, and the overall reveal of the factory building as guests walk deeper into the land.
The concept art also shows more colorful building facades and Monsters Inc.-style cars parked along the street, which should help sell the idea that this is an actual monster city and not just a coaster entrance.
As we said, construction is getting underway, so look out for more changes in the coming months as this massive transformation takes place.
What Happened to Muppets Courtyard?
Since the time of the original announcement, the biggest question of all was: “Where will the Monsters Inc. land be built in Hollywood Studios?”
Finally, Disney answered that question and confirmed that the Monsters Inc. land will be taking over Muppets Courtyard and Grand Avenue, the space previously occupied by MuppetVision 3D, Mama Melrose’s, PizzeRizzo, and the surrounding shops.
MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and Mama Melrose’s all closed permanently in 2025 to make way for the new land. The Stage 1 Company Store has also been demolished, while some of the existing buildings are being reimagined into new Monstropolis locations.
Here is what has happened so far:
- MuppetVision 3D / Muppets Theater is becoming The Glob Theater
- Mama Melrose’s is becoming Harryhausen’s Restaurant
- PizzeRizzo is becoming Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza
- Stage 1 Company Store has been demolished
- The Scareporium will be the new retail location
I have to say, the location is huge for me, and I said before this latest announcement that depending on the location they chose, I would either be super-excited or just relatively ok with it.
To me, the obvious, slam-dunk choice was to put it in Animation Courtyard. This is a hugely valuable piece of real estate in Hollywood Studios that is barely being used. Ever since Galaxy’s Edge opened up in 2019, the Star Wars Launch Bay is pretty much useless and you hardly ever find guests in that end of the park.
There would have been some challenges with putting it here as you would likely have to move some of the offices and backstage areas to make room for this expansion, but it would have been doable.
I would on the other hand have avoided putting it on Grand Ave and Muppets Courtyard. I am a huge fan of MuppetVision 3D and have been since I was a little kid. Even though it doesn’t get huge lines all day long, it’s a classic Disney attraction and one of the best shows they have ever done.
It’s also one of the very last projects that Muppet creator Jim Henson ever worked on before his untimely death in 1990 and it remains timeless to this day. It would be a shame to get rid of it imo.
That is still how I feel. I’m excited for Monstropolis, but I wish Disney could have built it without closing MuppetVision 3D.
The one possible silver lining is that MuppetVision may not be gone forever in every form. In Disney’s official statement, it said:
“As we move forward with these changes, we are having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve the film and other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future.”
Where could a future home for MuppetVision 3D be?
Some of the more popular ideas include keeping it in Hollywood Studios and having it take over another theater space, or putting it somewhere digitally like Disney+ or Apple Vision Pro. That would bring this classic Muppets 3D experience right into your living room.
Whatever they decide, we just hope we can still experience it in some form for many years into the future.
I don’t know, to me it’s pretty strange that Disney would choose this area over Animation Courtyard since Animation Courtyard is dead most of the time and is honestly just a big waste of space. The only thing that would make it more understandable is if Disney has another bigger expansion already planned for that area.
We’ve heard there are potentially more expansions in the works for Hollywood Studios, so in that case I could understand why Disney doesn’t put Monsters Inc. there and chooses replacing the Muppets instead. I still don’t love it, but at least there would be some logic behind it.
When Will Monstropolis Open?
The big question now is: When will Monstropolis open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
Disney has confirmed that parts of Monstropolis will open in 2027, but they have not announced an exact opening date and they have not said the full land will open all at once.
In fact, the way Disney worded the announcement makes it sound like the land may open in phases. Disney specifically said that parts of Monstropolis will open to guests in 2027 while work continues on the door coaster.
To me, that means the coaster probably is not opening in 2027.
My guess is that Disney will open the front half of Monstropolis in 2027, including the restaurants, shops, streets, and possibly the Glob Theater show. That would give Hollywood Studios back some of the capacity it lost when MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and Mama Melrose’s closed.
Then the Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster could open in 2028 as the big headline attraction.
That timeline makes a lot of sense to me. In 2027, Disney should already have Pueblo Esperanza / Tropical Americas opening at Animal Kingdom with Indiana Jones and Encanto. That gives them a major new Walt Disney World project to promote that year.
Then in 2028, they will need something else big to keep guests coming back. Piston Peak / Cars at Magic Kingdom may not be finished by then, or maybe only part of it will be ready. The Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster would be the perfect 2028 headliner for Disney World.
Again, Disney has not officially confirmed that, so don’t book a trip around the coaster opening in 2028 just yet. But based on the wording and how much work still seems to be left, that is where I would put my money.
A phased opening is not always ideal. Usually, it’s better when a land opens all at once because the marketing is cleaner and guests get the full experience from day one.
However, in this case, I can understand it. Hollywood Studios needs capacity badly, especially indoor shows and restaurants. If Disney can open Harryhausen’s, Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, The Scareporium, and the Glob Theater before the coaster is ready, I would rather have those open than sitting behind walls for another year.
My Thoughts
Overall, I am very excited about Monstropolis coming to Hollywood Studios.
The Door Coaster is one attraction we have been waiting years for, so to finally have it coming seems like a dream come true. I think the land itself has a ton of potential and the Monsters Inc. franchise is one of the most underrated imo.
The latest details also make me feel much better about the project as a whole. At first, it sounded like this could be a one-ride mini-land with some basic restaurant rethemes around it. Now that we know about Welcome to Monstropolis, Harryhausen’s, Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, the Monsters University Alumni Club, Scareporium, and the H.U.M.A.N. Day storyline, the land feels much more complete.
Harryhausen’s might honestly be one of the biggest sleeper additions in the whole project. If Disney really builds a fully realized restaurant from the movie with an Audio-Animatronics sushi chef and unique food, that could become one of the best themed dining locations at Walt Disney World and a must-try.
The Glob Theater show also makes sense. Hollywood Studios needs indoor entertainment, and the Monsters Inc. franchise is a perfect fit for a comedy-based show. I’m not expecting it to replace MuppetVision in my heart, but if Disney is going to do this, I at least want them to go all-in and make it something worthwhile.
One question I am wondering is what will happen to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor at the Magic Kingdom once the new show at the Glob Theater opens up. It seems redundant having 2 Monsters Inc-themed shows in Walt Disney World, so I wonder if they will close that one eventually and bring something new into Tomorrowland.
The doors coaster itself sounds fantastic. The first suspended coaster at a Disney park, a vertical lift, and the door vault scene from the film? That’s a very strong concept. If Disney executes it well, this could become one of the most popular rides at Walt Disney World.
My only hesitation is that Hollywood Studios still needs more slow-moving family dark rides. The park already has a lot of thrill-heavy or intensity-heavy attractions, and while the Doors Coaster sounds more family-friendly than something like Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, it’s still another coaster. I would have loved to see a Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek-style dark ride somewhere in this land too. Who knows, maybe that could be an expansion idea in the future.
Then there is the MuppetVision issue. I’m not going to pretend that doesn’t bother me. MuppetVision 3D was a classic, and I still think Animation Courtyard would have been the better location for Monstropolis.
But if somehow MuppetVision 3D can also be saved in another part of the park, or at least preserved in some form, this project becomes much easier to get behind.
So in the end, I’m torn on the replacement, but very excited about the land itself. Monstropolis has the potential to add a lot of life, humor, dining, shopping, and a much-needed new headliner to Hollywood Studios.
If Disney executes the details, makes the coaster more than just a short gimmick, and gives the land the kind of visual gags and charm that Monsters Inc. deserves, this could be a complete slam dunk.
That wraps up our look at the new Monsters Inc. land and the doors roller coaster. We’ll be finding out more info in the coming months so stay tuned for more!
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Your Thoughts
I want to know what you think about the coming Monsters Inc. land…
- Are you happy to see a land themed to Monsters Inc. coming to Hollywood Studios?
- What are some other attraction ideas for the land?
Let us know in the comments section below!
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My name is Ziggy and I love Disney, everything Disney! I grew up on Disney and it has and continues to be a huge part of my life. I started young when my parents took me to Disney World when I was 18 months old. Little did they know that would be the first of an uncountable number of trips we would take. I have so many amazing memories going to Disney with my family and friends and it has been interwoven into my DNA.
Michael Nelson
Saturday 15th of March 2025
Disney is turning into Universal with so many coaster rides. What they need is more FAMILY rides which made WDW. So many things have been taken away. Stitch Mr Toads Ride etc not to mention the Electric parade and the fast pass system. Bring the magic back to families with small children PLEASE!!
HC Labrock
Saturday 14th of June 2025
I agree. Too many coaster rides. Adults are stuck with The American Adventure and Hall of the Presidents !!!
George Mells
Saturday 15th of March 2025
@Michael Nelson, It looks like Universal may be taking over that option with their new Epic Universe. The Nintendo, Harry Potter and Dragons sections should appeal to the younger kids.
marion
Sunday 24th of November 2024
Sounds really good. While I have enjoyed Muppet Vision 3-D since it was built I do think the addition with Monstropoplis is a great addition. It would also be nice to update and relocate Muppet Vision in Hollywood Studios. Glad to see the update. Thanks for filling us in with some of the details Ziggy.
marion
Monday 19th of August 2024
It is a good fit for Hollywood Studios. A new land and attraction is always welcome. Monsters, Inc will be enjoyable. Nice addition.
George Mells
Sunday 18th of August 2024
I would not consider the Monsters Inc. Door ride to be the first suspended ride at Disney since the Peter Pan one has used suspended ride vehicles since day one. But I don't think that can be called a roller coaster so I will concede the honor. I imagine it might be much like the Harry Potter ride at Universal in the use of the suspended cars though the claim that the "hook" will connect and pick the rider up bothers me. But should be fun.