When Walt Disney Imagineers of the modern era build new theme park lands, rides aren’t the only things they concern themselves with. Cutting-edge attractions are still a huge part of the equation, but many Disney guests anticipate food just as much as thrills. In the case of Monstropolis, a new area coming to Walt Disney World based on Monsters, Inc., they’re taking just as much care to make sure the land also includes a restaurant that guests would expect to see in the monster world: Harryhausen’s.
Harryhausen’s is coming to life as a full-scale restaurant in Monstropolis at Disney World, complete with an impressive new Audio-Animatronics figure. We have details on the dining location and photos of the character in progress backstage. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including unwritten rules that Disney World first-timers should know and every character coming to new Disney NFL merchandise.
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Harryhausen’s Coming to Monsters, Inc. Theme Park Land
Monstropolis is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. The new theme park land will depict the city from Monsters, Inc.
The land’s story takes place after the events of the movie, once monsters have discovered that humans aren’t toxic. They’ve invited everyone to visit on H.U.M.A.N. Day, an opportunity for them to ensure “humans understand monsters are nice.”
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Monstropolis will open in phases. The biggest draw for the land, the roller coaster through the factory’s door vault, will arrive with Phase 2, likely in 2028. The rest of the area will open with Phase 1 in 2027. This includes a show called Welcome to Monstropolis, a quick service restaurant called Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, a gift shop named the Scareporium, and, yes, Harryhausen’s, the table service restaurant of Monstropolis.
In the film, Harryhausen’s is where Mike Wazowski and Celia celebrate her birthday, until Boo, the human toddler, arrives and things go awry as all the monsters believe her to be dangerous.
Not to worry, the staff at Harryhausen’s is now completely okay with humans frequenting their business.
In fact, the sushi chef will be there to greet everyone in person, just like in the movie.
As guests dine at Disney World’s version of Harryhausen’s, an Audio-Animatronics figure of the octopus sushi chef can be seen “preparing” their meal. He’s chopping food, adding spices, and making sure your dish is prepared to his standards.
Disney shared the photos above and below of the sushi chef receiving his final programming at the Walt Disney Imagineering figure shop. It seems that a screen disguised as an ingredients window will be under the sushi chef, with animated vignettes of crab-like monsters, possibly attempting to escape their doom as part of your meal.
Harryhausen’s will “feature a menu unlike anything else that we offer at Walt Disney World,” said Michael Hundgen, VP Creative of the Walt Disney World Portfolio at Walt Disney Imagineering. Considering the many eclectic restaurants throughout the parks, hotels, and beyond, that’s quite an exciting tease.
Behind the construction walls at Hollywood Studios, workers are making progress on Harryhausen’s exterior. They recently installed the giant chopsticks that will mark the entrance to the restaurant. We got to walk the construction site with Imagineers earlier this year. Learn insights from our visit here.
Harryhausen’s will reside in the former home of Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, which permanently closed in 2025, along with the other nearby venues of Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo.
In several ways, Harryhausen’s being at Disney’s Hollywood Studios feels like fate. For one, Pixar filmmakers named Harryhausen’s after Ray Harryhausen, an acclaimed stop-motion animator, rooting the restaurant in Hollywood history. Secondly, at a never-built Muppets restaurant concept that was intended for this very spot, rumors have circulated for decades that guests would have been able to see Muppet characters “preparing” their food, much in the same way the Harryhausen’s octopus will. As Imagineers are fond of saying, a good idea never goes away.
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Harryhausen’s at Disney’s Hollywood Studios marks the first time Disney has built the restaurant to full scale, but the eatery did inspire Mike & Sulley’s – Flavors of Asia, pictured above, which opened on Disney’s biggest cruise ship ever, the Disney Adventure, in March 2026. See more from inside Mike & Sulley’s.
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