Walt Disney World continues demolition within the former Muppets Courtyard, which will probably be reimagined right into a Monstropolis space at Hollywood Studios. Together with this, building web site prep has begun backstage on the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster that had been rumored for many years. Listed below are updates on the work, together with aerial images documenting the progress.
Not a ton is seen from inside the park. Development partitions at the moment are up alongside the sting of Grand Avenue on the Muppets Courtyard facet, with the principle thorough resulting in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge nonetheless open. In the event you stand again by BaseLine Faucet Home and the opposite facades, you possibly can nonetheless get a glimpse of MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and so forth.
I did this simply final week, and on the time, I might additionally see Stage 1 Firm Retailer. This long-shuttered MuppetVision 3D present store was initially going to be walled-off earlier than MuppetVision closed, however the plan was revised to start demolition as soon as the partitions went up across the entirety of Muppets Courtyard. Previous to that constructing coming down, Disney had been eradicating parts from Muppets Courtyard.
Because it seems, demolition of Stage 1 Firm Retailer lastly started this week…and ended this week. Demolition was first noticed two days in the past, and the constructing is gone as of August 1, 2025. The entire demo took 3 days from begin to end.
Relatively than this “explaining” why MuppetVision 3D needed to shut so early (so demolition might start!), it solely rekindles this query for us, as we’ll talk about within the commentary. In any case, if this entire demo was solely going to take 3 days…couldn’t these 3 days have been a full 12 months or extra sooner or later?
In the event you’re questioning what else will probably be demolished, that’s in all probability about it. All the different buildings in Muppets Courtyard are being repurposed. The outside of what was Mama Melrose is altering significantly to grow to be Harryhausen’s, however we’re unsure “demolished” is the precise phrase to explain what’ll occur there.
As an example the work, let’s check out eye within the sky images from friend-of-the-site bioreconstruct, the go-to supply for aerial theme park images (a extremely really helpful comply with who graciously supplied the helicopter photographs right here)…
Our Commentary
My most important thought when taking a look at these aerial images is…okay, what now?!
What will occur to the previous Muppets Courtyard over the following few years? All the remaining buildings right here will probably be preserved. The MuppetVision theater, PizzeRizzo, and Mama Melrose are all very clearly within the Monstropolis idea artwork. These will probably be reimagined, however the venues will all nonetheless serve the identical functions, simply Monsters, Inc. eating places and a present.
The one construction that was going to be demolished was the Stage 1 Firm Retailer, and that’s now down. So, what else right here is presumably going to take ~3 years to perform?!
Previous to the time limit being introduced, we had hoped that MuppetVision 3D would stay open till someday in 2026, if not even later than that. Maybe even someday into early 2027.
It appeared attainable that Walt Disney World would pull from the same playbook as is getting used with Dinoland USA, the place Dino-Rama simply closed to get replaced by the Encanto Madrigal Casita darkish journey–a brand new construct–however the place DINOSAUR and the whole lot else that’s simply being reimagined or repurposed gained’t shut till early 2026.
Besides within the case of Monstropolis, the brand new construct is happening on the car parking zone, so it doesn’t must disrupt something contained in the park for some time. There’s an amazing quantity of labor that must be executed backstage. The development of the curler coaster and gravity constructing round that, together with the queue and facade for the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster, all of which can take for much longer than getting ready the MuppetVision theater for a brand new present and refreshing eating places.
There are a couple of believable explanations as to why Muppets Courtyard closed this summer season, versus mid-2026 or early 2027.
The primary is that Walt Disney World administration feels that Disney’s Hollywood Studios doesn’t want the capability provided by the eating places and MuppetVision over the course of the following couple of years and is choosing the longer closure to avoid wasting working bills. Whereas DINOSAUR and the remnants of Dinoland are integral to the already mild lineup at Animal Kingdom, DHS has loads of stage present.
This wouldn’t shock me within the least. It’s in all probability no coincidence that Villains Unfairly Ever After and The Little Mermaid ~ A Musical Journey each debuted shortly earlier than MuppetVision closed. As evidenced by ADR demand, or the shortage thereof, DHS additionally has extra eating capability. Walt Disney World might’ve concluded that Disney’s Hollywood Studios didn’t want this many reveals and eating places, or needed to offset the brand new working bills. (By no means thoughts that each one three of the stage present venues have been in use concurrently till mid-March 2020.)
It’s frequent follow for Walt Disney World to seek out methods to avoid wasting on working bills at occasions when capital expenditures are growing. On prime of that, it’s unlikely that there will probably be any natural progress this 12 months at Walt Disney World, so the corporate will resort to cost-cutting to realize no matter targets it may need. As a lot as I like Disney Starlight Night time Parade, it’s not too troublesome to have a look at that and see this similar mentality.
It’s a little bit of an apart, but it surely’s all the time baffling to me that Disney is prepared to spend like a drunken sailor in the case of CapEx, however goes into full Scrooge Mode in the case of OpEx. Sure, price range cuts do happen to tasks in growth, however Walt Disney World is mostly spending loads of cash on these, and going over price range is extra frequent than coming in underneath price range.
But, they completely pinch pennies on operations, and are downright allergic to spending on reside leisure. Circling again to Starlight, the price of a dozen or so fairness performers is chump change relative to the parade’s total growth prices. I can solely assume the bonuses of native management rely upon these financial savings, and people bonuses are too essential to cross up.
The second risk is that the Monstropolis mission is extra concerned than beforehand thought. That it’s not a easy repurposing of the present restaurant, retail, and attraction areas. This could possibly be the case, however we extremely doubt it.
There’s nothing within the latest Monstropolis idea artwork to counsel any main structure adjustments to Muppet Courtyard/Grand Avenue. The idea artwork strongly suggests we’re getting one-for-one replacements of those eating places and a brand new present within the MuppetVision theater. It doesn’t look like they aren’t being basically remodeled.
I absolutely count on the desk service Mama Melrose to grow to be the desk service Harryhausen’s. It’s seemingly that PizzeRizzo goes to reimagined right into a counter service restaurant with an similar footprint in a way just like the conversion of Pizza Planet into PizzeRizzo. The title PizzeRoz’s has been thrown out, and though that’s in jest, it’s in all probability not far off. This may in all probability be the third era of Virtually Pizza served on this house.
We already know that the MuppetVision Theater will probably be residence to a brand new present. That is in all probability essentially the most vital overhaul, besides, it’s not going to be extra concerned than reworking Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Journey or constructing the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster from the bottom up.
A closing risk is that Disney has opted to fast-track Monstropolis, or no less than the entrance portion of it, and it has leapfrogged Tropical Americas. Or that each will debut in 2027, however with Monstropolis within the first half of the 12 months and Tropical Americas within the second half.
Disney fast-tracking tasks would defy current developments, but it surely definitely is attainable, particularly if the corporate anticipates building prices rising. So there is likely to be motivation to frontload a few of this work, versus backloading the whole lot. This coupled with the operational cost-savings of shuttering Grand Avenue venues throughout a timeframe they gained’t be “wanted” is one believable clarification.
However, the whole lot of Monstropolis opening in 2026 is just about inconceivable. The curler coaster is the anchor of this land, and its building will probably be far and away essentially the most time consuming part. And but, the closure of Muppets Courtyard occurred earlier than floor broke on the Door Coaster. The brand new courtyard opening then is believable, however I’m nonetheless unsure why Walt Disney World would do this.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is poised to have a reasonably large slate for 2026. The park has the Walt Disney Studios Lot in 2026, together with Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Starring Child Yoda. Having the ‘minor’ half of Monstropolis additionally coming in 2026 appears pointless, if not actively counterproductive.
Walt Disney World has seemingly realized its lesson about doing phased openings after this space’s subsequent door neighbor, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, fell flat upon its partial opening in mid-2019. My greatest guess is that Monstropolis continues to be coming after 2026, with the one query being whether or not it’s now a 2027 mission or nonetheless 2028. I might see each Tropical Americas and this debuting in 2027, particularly given how shortly work on Monstropolis has been transferring.
Regardless of the way you slice it, although, Muppets Courtyard in all probability didn’t want to shut as early because it did. As we now know, demolition of the MuppetVision present store took a grand complete of three days. That might’ve occurred 3 days this week or 3 days a 12 months or extra from now. What’s going to occur within the interim? Progress on the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster will undoubtedly transfer quick, whereas the remainder of the conversion crawls alongside.
To finish on a optimistic observe, demolishing Stage 1 and additional opening the courtyard main as much as the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster seems good! I imply, not essentially proper now with a bunch of rubble from overhead, however that is in all probability a web optimistic. As a lot as I liked the quirks of this present store, its placement was not ultimate.
Stage 1 made the entire space really feel cramped, which was in all probability the purpose at one time to make it really feel like an alley in New York, however foot site visitors again right here seemingly suffered consequently. Opening up this courtyard and having an extended strategy to the Monsters, Inc. manufacturing facility might be a web optimistic.
Setting apart the entire MuppetVision closure part, Monstropolis as a complete needs to be a web optimistic for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Whereas this isn’t a ‘pure’ growth, that curler coaster will probably be an enormous capacity-adding new construct that needs to be an asset to the park. Though DHS might actually use a couple of lower-profile family-friendly rides (not reveals), this could nonetheless be a giant win. I simply want it weren’t on the expense of Muppets.
The Door Coaster constructing is larger than anticipated, which could additionally clarify why this spot was chosen over Animation Courtyard. There may be plenty of house again there, however not the power so as to add as a lot buffer. There was already plenty of fan backlash in regards to the gigantic Cosmic Rewind gravity constructing being constructed within the EPCOT car parking zone.
Think about that as an alternative plopped into the center of the park, which might’ve been the case at Disney’s Hollywood Studios if Monstropolis have been positioned in Animation Courtyard. That might’ve tousled sightlines from Sundown Boulevard all the way in which to Toy Story Land. Talking of which, let’s check out progress on the constructing for the Door Coaster…
The pavement has been torn up indicating the footprint of the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster gravity constructing, which is per earlier GIS mapping from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
There’s additionally what seems to be a brand new highway going behind the gravity constructing, which ought to lastly present readability about what’s going to occur to Cypress Drive, the backstage highway that circles the park and presently cuts behind the previous Muppets Courtyard and the longer term Door Coaster. The highway being re-routed was all the time essentially the most believable and cost-effective final result, however this could come near confirming that’s what’ll occur.
This additionally confirms that the gravity constructing for the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster is really monstrous! For comparability, that’s Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance instantly above and to the left. The gravity constructing is a bit larger than that–or every other present constructing at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s among the many largest present buildings at Walt Disney World, nearly on par with the large blue field for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT.
It’s additionally more likely to be a tall and environment friendly present constructing, because it’s a suspended coaster with a lifting journey mechanism on the load and unload space of the attraction. Which means that, no less than in principle, there could possibly be plenty of queue and pre-show that’s actually underneath the curler coaster monitor. This isn’t the case with Cosmic Rewind, which is a mixture retrofit within the outdated Universe of Vitality constructing and a indifferent gravity constructing.
Between the large measurement of the constructing and this potential effectivity, we’re now optimistic this will probably be a meatier attraction than first suspected. Hopefully this coaster will clock in at over 2 minutes longer–one of many (many) huge benefits Cosmic Rewind has over TRON Lightcycle Run is a way more satisfying period. It’d be good if that’s additionally true of the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster. Whereas I don’t love a few of the choices which have led to Monstropolis, my perspective is: what’s executed is completed. I’m trying ahead to the brand new land and its marquee attraction, and actually hope Imagineering knocks it out of the park. (Figuratively, because the coaster is already positioned exterior the park!)
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study inns on our Walt Disney World Motels Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for the whole lot it is advisable to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Theories as to why work began in Muppets Courtyard this summer season versus mid-2026 or early 2027? Suppose it’s a easy cost-savings measure, a extra elaborate mission, or phased opening? What do you consider the large Monsters, Inc Door Coaster constructing? Hopeful that this plus its environment friendly load mechanism means this coaster is longer than 90 seconds? Are you trying ahead to Monstropolis? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
