Many future projects are in the works for the Disneyland Resort in California as the destination’s theme parks and hotels prepare for their future. At the same time, opinions have been loud about Disney’s biggest new land expansion there. Now, comments are circulating that Disney could be changing some of these plans in favor of other new rides.
Disneyland is moving forward with demolishing a Monsters, Inc. ride as comments swirl about what is set to replace this long-standing attraction. We share evidence on what steps Disney has taken toward the future of this spot and weigh in on fan comments about changes to the theme of the new addition. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including Disneyland closing a dining location that’s been open for two decades and the cheapest dates to visit Disneyland in 2026.
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Avatar Replacing Monsters, Inc. at Disney California Adventure
A new land based on the Avatar movies is coming to Disney California Adventure. Though Disney hasn’t revealed many details about this project, the company has shown concept art depicting a boat ride with both calm scenes and thrilling moments.
Disney has also shared that the land will be different from Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and that the new land will reside in areas of Disney California Adventure currently belonging to Hollywood Land.
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To make room for the upcoming Avatar land, the family-friendly indoor ride Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! will permanently close in 2027. Disney initially announced the ride would close in early 2026, but later changed this timeframe.
On April 9, 2026, Disneyland filed permits with the city of Anaheim for “Demolition – All Other Buildings and Structures” of nine different locations on Disneyland Resort property.
Most of those locations remain confidential and are not visible in the public records of the permits. However, two of the locations are visible: Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! and Hollywood Lounge, a quick-service dining counter.
None of these new permits display expiration dates, which could have helped indicate when Disney intends to complete the demolition.
However, the submission of these permits confirms that the project at Disney California Adventure is moving beyond the development stage of its creation process and heading into execution. It also seems to confirm the large building that houses Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! will be demolished rather than repurposed into a different attraction.
The remaining seven permits for undisclosed locations could also apply to nearby areas in relation to the Avatar project, or perhaps not. It seems likely that Stage 17 and/or Stage 12, soundstage buildings that Disney only uses for special events, will also be demolished, given their proximity to Mike & Sulley and their underutilization. However, the permits don’t confirm that.
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Disney hasn’t mentioned any permanent closures for other Hollywood Land attractions, including Mickey’s PhilharMagic or Disney Animation. Until we hear otherwise, we assume those are safe from closing and that the footprint of the Avatar project won’t extend into those respective parts of Hollywood Land.
Disney has previously confirmed to us that the Hyperion Theater will not be demolished and will remain even after the Avatar project moves forward.
Comments About Disney Changing Avatar for Zootopia
Disney fan communities have been abuzz with conversation for the past few weeks, speculating on the prospect of Imagineers changing their mind and building a land based on Zootopia instead of Avatar.
These discussions stem from a social media post written by a former Imagineer, who theorized a hypothetical situation where Zootopia replaces Avatar, but worded the post in a way of being a prediction. There is no indication from Disney that anything previously announced for the Avatar land at Disney California Adventure has changed. This feels like less than a rumor to me, so much so that I removed “rumor” from this headline to make sure it is clear that these all appear to just be “comments.”
However, the discussions do come as Zootopia grows in importance for Disney, and after fans have already had strong feelings about Avatar. Many have commented on our posts about the topic, asking for a more “classic” Disney addition for the theme park instead of Avatar. Since the project was first announced, we’ve received thousands of comments asking for the Monsters, Inc. ride to stay or for a ride based on Frozen or Encanto to be added instead.
My expectation is that these comments around Zootopia have gained extra steam, as many have put stock in them due to their own wish to have a different Disney story featured in the expansion.
Zootopia has now entered franchise territory for Disney. The second film has become the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, and I am confident they are considering more sequels. There is already a large Zootopia land in Shanghai Disneyland that they opened in 2023. They have shared that 25% of all visitors to the park have cited Zootopia as the key reason for their visit.
The Zootopia: Hot Pursuit attraction is the highest-rated attraction at Shanghai Disneyland. This is a trackless ride that uses the same technology as Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Disney understands the massive appeal of Zootopia and is, of course, considering it as a potential domestic theme parks addition. They have already opened a 3D film based on the movie that recently debuted at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Disney has considered opening Zootopia rides in the US before. During a Blue Sky presentation, Josh D’Amaro, then head of the theme parks, presented the concept of a Zootopia land as a what-if idea for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They eventually decided to add a Zootopia 4D show instead, which opened in November 2025.
As part of the DisneylandForward effort to rezone existing land around Disneyland, they also listed Zootopia as a potential franchise for a future expansion alongside Wakanda from Black Panther, Coco, and Frozen. They were clear that didn’t mean it was being planned; however, I take the fact that it was even being discussed as one of the top examples of future IPs for Disneyland in the same sentence as Frozen as notable. This was all before the success of the sequel. I know that Disney is constantly evaluating new ideas and their long-term plans even after they have been announced.
The new Avatar land rollout was not typical. It was first mentioned when Bob Iger returned as CEO, and he announced what he at the time called an “experience” on an earnings call. That announcement has now been solidified with more details, but it remains the furthest-out addition coming to Disneyland.
Now, we have to see Disney’s long-term franchise plans for Avatar. While the latest Avatar movie made less than the previous sequel, the movie still made nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. If there are more sequels on the way, which feels likely, I don’t know how they would scrap the land, even just from the angle of maintaining their relationship with James Cameron. The land in Florida is also extremely impressive and highly rated. Most of the people leaving negative comments about the new land have likely not experienced the Florida Pandora land, which is an Imagineering masterpiece.
So, all that to say, it wouldn’t surprise me if we got a new Zootopia addition at Disneyland, as it is a growing Disney franchise, but the location of the land would likely be determined by the future plans for the Avatar franchise at Disney as a whole. We will be watching closely and could see this go either way.
What do you think about these comments? Do you think either themed area would fit inside Disney California Adventure? Which would you prefer to see?
When I wrote about Josh D’Amaro’s selection as CEO and the fan impacts, one of the open possibilities I included there was a potential shift in these Avatar plans.
New Monstropolis Land Under Construction
Though Disney may favor Avatar over Monsters, Inc. in California, the closure of Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! does not reflect a lack of relevance for the franchise as a whole. In fact, Disney is seemingly more gungho about Monsters, Inc. than ever before.
Across the country at Walt Disney World, an entire Monstropolis land is currently under construction. The new area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios will feature a roller coaster based on the climactic doors chase sequence from the movie.
Changes at Disney California Adventure
The future Avatar land at Disney California Adventure is one of many changes ahead for the park and for the Disneyland Resort as a whole.
In the coming years, Disney California Adventure will expand Avengers Campus with two new rides and open a new boat ride based on Pixar’s Coco.
The Avatar attraction(s) are the furthest away from opening among the California Adventure’s future additions. Pictured above, construction is well underway for the Avengers Campus expansion, and construction recently began for the Coco ride, while Avatar is still in the stage of Disney submitting preliminary permits to the city.
See all the future attractions coming to Disneyland Resort and all the new Disneyland rides.
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