DHS Monster Inc Land Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios

[BrianLo]

Monsters is a very solid second tier Disney IP, the first tier being things like Mickey and the gang, Toy Story, Frozen, and Star Wars. It’s certainly a higher tier than Muppets. It deserves a ride, even a land, and it has an excellent one in Tokyo. Trying to cram Iger’s beloved (wildly financially successful) franchise into DCA doesn’t counter this.

I think this is quite a fair take.

They consistently list 9 merch franchises in their annual reports. They are Mickey and friends, Star Wars, Avengers, Spider Man, Lilo and Stitch, Frozen, Winnie the Pooh, Toy Story and Disney Princesses (which does act as a catch all for a number of popular movies). If there was a Pixar Pals merch branch, I’m sure Monsters would be a prominent pillar.

Notably, Cars was listed in 2022 and replaced by Stitch in 23/24. It’s probably fair to assume it’s like number 10. Neither as big as it’s hay-day, but obviously big.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ֊ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Something of note between the old and new concept: The streetmosphere (literal) theming is removed. Cars, signage, parking spots, etc. A tad worrisome as that adds to the bustling city, lived in aesthetic.

 

[James Alucobond]

Something of note between the old and new concept: The streetmosphere (literal) theming is removed. Cars, signage, parking spots, etc. A tad worrisome as that adds to the bustling city, lived in aesthetic.

The vehicles are just now back in the coaster's courtyard. Presumably, Grand Avenue will retain its existing theming, and the transition will happen at the gate as it did previously.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

The vehicles are just now back in the coaster's courtyard. Presumably, Grand Avenue will retain its existing theming, and the transition will happen at the gate as it did previously.

Which is probably for the better. Having the theming spill out into the pathway that connects the rest of the park to Galaxy's Edge (from the front anyway) would've been strange.

 

[doctornick]

It was a good show, but to compare it to Muppets in terms of writing, characterization, tech - it’s madness.

To each their own. I think ITTBAB is the pinnacle of 4D theme park films - funny, clever, sentimental, even a bit educational. But best of all is the audience interaction and reactions which is second to none. It’s worth visiting just to sit there and watch the crowd. The practical effects are fantastic.

 

[doctornick]

My anecdotal evidence of Muppetvision opinions
- My family did not like DCA Muppetvision
- No one in my CP friend group ever wanted to do Muppetvision with me
- I took a friend who had never done Muppetvision during my Epic visit three weeks ago and she reacted “well, that was… something”

I love Muppetvision. I’d prefer it never left. But is our echochamber thicker than we think? If it was truly a strong performer, would Disney have gotten rid of it?

MV3D was great but IMHO yes it’s a bit overblown here in terms of how much it’s described to be beloved. If it weren’t “Jim Henson’s final Muppets project”, I’d suspect the reviews would be less emotionally charged.

I would be cool were it to have stuck around (or be brought back again) but I don’t feel it was untouchable. And as long as it is replaced with a decent show - though I’m skeptical it will be as good - that at least seems reasonable to me. I think the biggest loss is that it takes away one of the things that made DHS easier to tour (a show you could jump in and watch with no wait and sit/rest in A/C).

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

WHAT?!?!

Yepperoni, I got to talk to the imagineer who pitched it a little and they said they really loved the show but they weren't biting so it's gonna stay in the archives of WDI and they can't share it sadly. Would've love to break open the case a little more. If they ever wanted to, it could fit in the Beyond Big Thunder still (or I always said Gravity Falls could technically fit in AK if its done right)

 

[HMF]

Something of note between the old and new concept: The streetmosphere (literal) theming is removed. Cars, signage, parking spots, etc. A tad worrisome as that adds to the bustling city, lived in aesthetic.

Because Disney always makes sure they actually deliver on making sure the real thing is as good as the concept art.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ֊ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Because Disney always makes sure they actually deliver on making sure the real thing is as good as the concept art.

I mean the entire image is a placeholder until it isn't, nothing's concrete. We're just talking here.

 

[HMF]

I mean the entire image is a placeholder until it isn't, nothing's concrete. We're just talking here.

I was being sarcastic. Disney is infamous for making the concept art look more exciting than how it actually ends up.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ֊ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Yepperoni, I got to talk to the imagineer who pitched it a little and they said they really loved the show but they weren't biting so it's gonna stay in the archives of WDI and they can't share it sadly. Would've love to break open the case a little more. If they ever wanted to, it could fit in the Beyond Big Thunder still (or I always said Gravity Falls could technically fit in AK if its done right)

Shame because I think they'd really have an opening to incorporate it into the Northwoods/Piston Peak/Pacific Northwest vibe their going for with the new Frontierland additions. But that's a discussion for a different thread (or forum)

 

[No Name]

It doesn’t look like this has been mentioned yet, but both versions of the concept art just use the Tokyo Monsters Inc ride building, which is obviously not what will be built here. The door coaster show building will be a lot taller and hopefully won’t hurt the look of the factory facade.

 

[Alice a]

I do count them, but....

Flik AA = Statler and Waldorf
Hopper AA > Chef AA behind audience
Spiders and seat effects > Cannot effects/breaking parts of the theater
Bug Bomb > smoke effects
Bubbles...I just walk around anywhere and get plenty of bubbles in my face
Practical explosions from Termite > Physical Arrows.

The math works, TTBAB was a more immersive show. Plus, its main characters were nowhere as annoying at Bean and Waldo, the two biggest characters in MV3D. I also would get bored at the Miss Piggy sequence, whereas TTBAB never left me bored.

Sweetums is fantastic and I certainly appreciate MV3D for when it came out. Like I said, I loved it far more than Philharmagic and Captain Eo, but the writing/concept did feel like it had one foot in the past when it comes to making a theme park 3D experience. I give the experience a solid 7/10. I just give TTBAB a 9/10 and HISTA a 7.5/10.

Previous poster didn’t mention the entire animatronic penguin orchestra, or the fireworks effects in the ceiling, or the water coming out of Fozzie’s comedic flower, or the actual Sweetums actor/puppeteer, or the bean bunny animatronic.

Not to mention the Swedish chef and his cannon and various other interactions with the characters onscreen, which the poster did bring up, but you didn’t mention it in your 1:1 comparison.

I loved ITTBAB, but it in no way featured more practical effects or animatronics than MV3D, which also came way earlier.

The sheer number of animatronics, as well as the theatre effects, and an equity actor. C’mon. This is one of the reasons they closed it- too much upkeep.

 

[TheGenXer]

Previous poster didn’t mention the entire animatronic penguin orchestra, or the fireworks effects in the ceiling, or the water coming out of Gonzo’s comedic flower, or the actual Sweetums actor/puppeteer, or the bean bunny animatronic.

Not to mention the Swedish chef and his cannon and various other interactions with the characters onscreen, which the poster did bring up, but you didn’t mention it in your 1:1 comparison.

I loved ITTBAB, but it in no way featured more practical effects or animatronics than MV3D, which also came way earlier.

The sheer number of animatronics, as well as the theatre effects, and an equity actor. C’mon. This is one of the reasons they closed it- too much upkeep.

The water comes out of Fozzie’s flower.

 

[Alice a]

The water comes out of Fozzie’s flower.

Thanks, fixed. I got it right the first 3 times I typed it, but had to go back and correct autocorrect that I messed it up eventually, of course

 

[JohnD]

I’m still just confused about anchoring all this on a movie that is 24 years old and honestly doesn’t age as well as the hand drawn classics. The kids look downright scary/other worldly at this point.

I'll miss Muppets as much as anybody but I'm confused by the logic of saying that the 24 yo Monsters IP won't work but the even older Muppets should stay. If anything, the Muppets have shown they're still beloved. But I'm also hopeful for Monsters. Its the best franchise that could follow (not replace) Muppets.

 

[osian]

I'll miss Muppets as much as anybody but I'm confused by the logic of saying that the 24 yo Monsters IP won't work but the even older Muppets should stay.

I don't think the point was about the age, it's about whether they've aged well.

If it was about age, the mouse would have been wiped out in favour of Monsters.

 

[JohnD]

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I still dread the day when it's confirmed that the whole coaster isn't fitting in the Monsters Inc building but instead will need a much wider show building painted with blue 'sky'. Why not just build a larger MI building?! That would even make it more film-accurate!

Plenty of parking lot behind it.

 

[JohnD]

I’d also point out that despite the last Indiana Jones film being a historic bomb, that IP is receiving a new ride.

Monsters is popular. It is not a cultural juggernaut.

And despite no Monsters 3, that IP is receiving a new land. Interesting.

 

[JohnD]

If they were smart they would have expanded Pixar Place and added the door coaster there. Instead they got rid of Pixar Place built the god-awful ugly Toy Story Land and decided that instead of having Pixar IP all in the same area they would build whole lands constrained to one movie or series of movies.

They can't, you old fool! There are studio buildings bolted to either side (and GE behind it)!