Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World is expanding with the first-ever theme park land based on Monsters, Inc., and construction just took a turn. We also have an update on the other new land opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this year.
With new photography, we can see both ground-level and aerial views of this huge project, which includes a roller coaster Disney fans have been asking for since 2001. At Mickey Visit, we cover the latest Disney news, like the lengthy refurbishment of a Disney World sit-down restaurant and the launch of Disney’s biggest cruise ship ever.
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What’s Coming to Disney World’s Monsters, Inc. Land
Monstropolis is a new land coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios based on the Pixar film Monsters, Inc. The headliner attraction here is a new roller coaster themed to the chase sequence through the door vaults at the climax of the movie. This ride is going to be awesome!
This will be the first suspended coaster in a Disney theme park. This means the track is above riders, with the coaster trains hanging from it.
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Monstropolis replaces the Muppets Courtyard area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including Muppet*Vision 3D, the PizzeRizzo quick-service restaurant, the Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano table-service restaurant, and two shops. One of those shops, Stage 1 Company Store, was bulldozed as part of construction. Its absence will allow for more pedestrian traffic through this soon-to-be very popular area.
Disney will repurpose the other facilities into new experiences that match the Monstropolis theme. For example, concept art depicts a theater venue named “The Glob,” pictured above, replacing what was once Muppet*Vision 3D and a restaurant resembling Harryhausen’s from the movie replacing what was once Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano.
The key construction here is really the new roller coaster, but the remainder of the land infrastructure appears to be what is already in place.
Monstropolis is one of several massive construction projects in motion throughout Walt Disney World. Others include Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom well as Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land, both at Magic Kingdom. These are all projects of significant scale that will take up huge parcels of space.
We don’t know when the new Disney World rides are going to finally open, but we have broken down the likely timelines for these openings here.
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Monstropolis Construction Overview in February 2026
The roller coaster in Monstropolis will be located on what was previous a portion of the cast member parking lot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The photo above, captured in late February 2026, shows just how big this plot of land is in comparison to nearby areas, including Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Let’s dive into each individual section of the construction site to see what’s been happening and what seems to be ahead of schedule from Imagineering’s typical pace.
Muppet*Vision 3D Becoming a New Venue
The theater formerly housing Muppet*Vision 3D will host an indoor theater attraction themed to Monsters, Inc. as part of the Monstropolis land.
Disney has not revealed an attraction name or additional details for this experience yet. Concept art suggests the new venue name might be “The Glob.”
As seen in these photos, construction workers are currently in the process of removing exterior bricks from the entrance threshold leading into the former Muppet*Vision 3D theater. Scaffolding surrounds this area as crews work on adjusting the aesthetic to match that of the Monstropolis community.
I’m surprised to see this step of the construction process happening this early. While Muppet*Vision has been closed for nine months at this point, Mickey Visit predicts the Monstropolis project at large is still at least two years away, opening in 2028 at the earliest.
Exterior Theming Seems Early for this Project
This far out from an opening date, it’s surprising that workers are already working on components of the project related to theming and appearance. This is even more surprising when considering the roller coaster plot next door doesn’t have a building or tracks yet, much less anything remotely resembling theming.
Granted, the Monstropolis indoor theater attraction was, by default, ahead of the coaster from the beginning. The theater itself was already built, and Disney is simply installing a new show. All the same, given the state of the rest of Monstropolis, exterior scaffolding and aesthetic-related construction seems early.
With this area visible to park guests in the Grand Avenue section of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, perhaps Disney wants to have a clear, visual tease of what’s coming to Monstropolis as a conversation-starter for guests passing by.
For comparison, here’s what this exterior looked like during Muppet*Vision 3D’s final few years of operation, compared to the brick removal happening currently.
What we don’t expect to happen is the indoor theater attraction and other nearby restaurants opening earlier than the rest of Monstropolis. These smaller experiences likely aren’t enough to stand on their own in attracting new guests without the draw of the doors roller coaster.
We believe the scaffolding progress on the former Muppet*Vision 3D’s exterior to simply be an uncharacteristically early step in the construction process rather than a sign of and earlier-than-anticipated opening timeline.
And just for old time’s sake, here’s what the exterior of the building looked like in December 2010, complete with its iconic balloon, which was removed when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was built next door for sightline purposes.
Prep for Disney Fans’ Most Anticipated Roller Coaster
If you’ve imagined zooming through the door vault with Mike and Sulley ever since you first saw Monsters, Inc. in 2001, you’ll finally get your wish with the new roller coaster coming to Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Construction workers continue laying foundational infrastructure for the future indoor coaster’s building. There are not yet currently any roller coaster track pieces onsite.
It’s unclear how in which order Disney will construct this attraction: track first or building first. There is precedent for both.
During construction of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which opened in 2022 at EPCOT, Disney erected the building first and hauled most of the track inside afterward. In contrast, for TRON Lightcycle / Run, which opened in 2023 at Magic Kingdom, Disney built the entire track first and later constructed the building around it.
Progress on Other Hollywood Studios Construction Project
Monstropolis isn’t the only new land under construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Across the park, the area formerly known as Animation Courtyard will reopen as The Walt Disney Studios in late summer 2026.
The aesthetic here will be modeled after The Walt Disney Company’s global headquarters in Burbank, California. As seen in these photos, the structure that will become the land’s entrance sign is now in place. It appears to be the exact same shape of the real studio’s entrance in California.
The Walt Disney Studios will repurpose the buildings within its vicinity for updated experiences. The complex that once housed Star Wars Launch Bay will be transformed back into a new version of The Magic of Disney Animation, a longtime attraction that closed in 2015.
Next door, the building known for hosting preschool-geared productions will debut Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!, a show that first premiered at Disney California Adventure in 2025. Nearby, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure remains open during construction and will be annexed into the newly named area.
There’s so much more progress to come as Monstropolis, The Walt Disney Studios, and more project continue on toward their grand openings at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We look forward to bringing you the latest updates right here on Mickey Visit.
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