We learned last summer that Disneyland plans to permanently close Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! in Disney California Adventure to make room for the new Avatar-themed land that will be located in that section of the theme park.
Now Disneyland has announced they plan to delay permanently closing this attraction, which will be welcome news to many fans of this ride. We also discuss whether this means the new Avatar area will be delayed. Keep reading for more details on this delay and what this might mean for the attraction’s future. At Mickey Visit, we report on breaking Disney news like the new permits filed for the changes in Hollywood Studios and a new Disney Cruise port that may appeal to Disneyland fans.
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Monsters, Inc. Classic Dark Ride Closure Delayed
During a recent business update roundtable, Thomas Mazloum, the Disneyland Resort President, shared with us at Mickey Visit that they are putting a strong emphasis on young families with children. He specifically mentioned the summer $50 child ticket and the upcoming Bluey experience. Using this lens, he also discussed how popular Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! in Disney California Adventure is with this group. During the event he also announced a change to the park hopping policy. He then shared the news that the closure of the attraction have been delayed.
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Disneyland has announced that the permanent closure of Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! in Disney California Adventure has been delayed until 2027. No more specific date or closure timing has been shared at this time. Previously, Disneyland announced the attraction would close permanently in early 2026, but no further date was ever shared yet.
The permanent closure hasn’t been a popular decision, as the lower number of kid-friendly attractions has been a consistent drawback of Disney California Adventure for a couple of years. Many fans still lament the loss of Bugs Land in 2018, which was demolished to make room for Avengers Campus, which has still received mixed reviews.
Disney is already at work on expanding Avengers Campus to add two more new rides. This will greatly improve the land when the two new attractions open, but that doesn’t solve the problem of attractions for younger children. Now, they are replacing the Monsters Inc. attraction with an Avatar experience which is also not an attraction geared towards children.
This is part of the reason why Disneyland is delaying the permanent closure of Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! to continue to focus on young families and offer more options for younger children in Disney California Adventure.
As for experiences coming soon to Disneyland that will appeal to younger families, the new Bluey experience in Disneyland will be a big draw for many guests.
Is Disneyland’s Avatar Land Delayed?
We know that the plan for some time has been to permanently close Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! to make way for the new Avatar land. This Avatar-themed land will be inspired by Avatar: The Way of Water and the other upcoming Avatar films. Based on the concept art we’ve seen so far, we can assume that the second film is the primary inspiration for the land. Aside from concept art, the only thing Disney has formally announced about the land is the new boat ride that will be the main attraction. During the ride, guests will go on an adventure in search of Pandora’s natural wonders.
The construction of this land is tied to a major infrastructure project to introduce a new parking structure and transportation hub on the Harbor Boulevard entrance side of Disneyland. That will then free up the current transportation area just outside the Harbor Boulevard security entrance. In the graphic below you can see how we imagine this may fit in the existing footprint.
Part of that current bus loop area will become a walkway from the new structure and part of it will become Avatar. This land has to be freed up for the new Avatar land construction to begin in earnest. We are unsure how the construction process was going to work during this period. At one point the Monsters Inc. building may have been set to be demolished to be used for a lay down yard for the new entranceway. Now, it looks like they have found another way.
When asked during the event about the delay, Disneyland President Thomas Mazloum said that they have not shared an opening date and that the shift of the closure of Monsters Inc. is based on how they are sequencing their upcoming projects and finalizing the workflow to get all the work done. He said they are moving forward at a pace they are happy with.
My guess is Disney has realized that they can continue the work on the new parking structure and bridge without requiring the closure of Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! quite yet. So naturally, it would make sense to give guests more time to enjoy the ride and not eliminate an offering that appeals to younger families until they have something to replace it. It seems like this was a move pushed for by Thomas Mazloum to keep the family ride open for as long as possible before it needs to close for this construction.
In the initial decision-making process, I believe there could also have been some consideration that getting the ride closed sooner could move the project along faster and provide an operation cost savings. After reevaluating the slate of rides that would still be available and perhaps also after hearing the strong feedback from Disney fans, Disney has extended the run of the attraction.
Disneyland is also in the process of building a new Coco ride in the backstage area behind Pixar Pier. This attraction will be a hit with guests, especially with the Southern California families that connect so strongly with the film. The ride will take guests on a journey alongside Miguel to the Land of the Dead and will draw inspiration from classic attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, featuring the latest in Audio-Animatronics technology and the beloved music from the film.
We wonder how soon Disney can have the new Coco attraction ready to open. While it will likely still be behind the new Avengers Campus attractions, the ride could open in 2028. You can see our separate article on when we anticipate all of the new Disneyland rides will open. Having that ride open as soon as possible after the Monsters Inc. closure would help ease the impact for guests losing a longtime family favorite. The draw of the new Coco attraction will be significant.
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