News Monster Inc Land Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios

[CJR]

Does monsters really Need a whole mini land? Why can’t the factory go next to muppets? There’s nothing inherently transportive about the monsters settings. In this case I’d be ok with scaling the land down and keeping the coaster and restaurant

Definitely a debate there, but I will agree with you in that most people would love Monster's Inc to go next to Muppets, but keep both as part of Grand Avenue, if it meant we could have the door coaster and Muppets.

Tokyo did it just fine and anything similar to that would be satisfying enough, I believe.

Unfortunately, I think they have their mind made up with the concept of a mini-land.

 

[YodaMan]

I’d be curious if anyone has any insight on the bizarre “detheming” they did to MV3D a few years back. I get the balloon caused sightline issues, but I don’t understand why they had to remove props and paint over murals. And when the sign changed people were concerned they would start using the theater for movie previews, but thankfully that never happened

By my counts, that portion of the park “peaked” in 2016 when PizzeRizzo opened and the bathrooms got the Gonzo’s Royal Flush signage. We finally had a Muppet restaurant and the area was now referred to as “Muppets Courtyard” on park maps once the Streets of America were gone. And then for whatever reason, they almost instantly began chipping away at everything. I don’t remember the exact timeline of it all, but the Kermit balloon was removed and the MuppetVision sign changed to the Grand Arts Theater marquee and some of the statues were removed from the fountain and the Kermit and Piggy mural was painted grey and the Muppet Babies Nursery portion of the gift shop was removed and the Muppets BGM became generic jazz. I still don’t understand the full reasoning of improving that whole section and making a Muppets Courtyard just to immediately undo so much.

 

[CoasterCowboy67]

If cars can be next to Tiana why can’t muppets be next to monsters?

Im just saying land-wise. What land would muppets belong to?

If 27/28/29 go the way of Monsters, you’d leave 26 as a standalone attraction stuck between Monstropolis and SWGE?

It’s easy to swing 30 into Commissary Lane, but 26 feels awkwardly far

 

[RSoxNo1]

They could create a new Muppets show and put it elsewhere?

 

[CJR]

Im just saying land-wise. What land would muppets belong to?

If 27/28/29 go the way of Monsters, you’d leave 26 as a standalone attraction stuck between Monstropolis and SWGE?

It’s easy to swing 30 into Commissary Lane, but 26 feels awkwardly far

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This is all armchair, but I would just leave it called Grand Avenue myself, but there's something there.

Muppets collect laughs and Monster's Inc turns those laughs into energy. Maybe "Laugh and Scream Square" or something.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

They could create a new Muppets show and put it elsewhere?

Why?

 

[PizzaPlanet]

By my counts, that portion of the park “peaked” in 2016 when PizzeRizzo opened and the bathrooms got the Gonzo’s Royal Flush signage. We finally had a Muppet restaurant and the area was now referred to as “Muppets Courtyard” on park maps once the Streets of America were gone. And then for whatever reason, they almost instantly began chipping away at everything. I don’t remember the exact timeline of it all, but the Kermit balloon was removed and the MuppetVision sign changed to the Grand Arts Theater marquee and some of the statues were removed from the fountain and the Kermit and Piggy mural was painted grey and the Muppet Babies Nursery portion of the gift shop was removed and the Muppets BGM became generic jazz. I still don’t understand the full reasoning of improving that whole section and making a Muppets Courtyard just to immediately undo so much.

I’ve gotta wonder if they were planning to do more with Muppets Courtyard during that time, but got cold feet and went with the generic Grand Avenue theme instead. A Mama Melrose retheme or live show would have been relatively inexpensive to do. I don’t know the exact timeline, but maybe the cancellation of the ABC show caused them to change course

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I’ve gotta wonder if they were planning to do more with Muppets Courtyard during that time, but got cold feet and went with the generic Grand Avenue theme instead.

Yeah, I think it was a mix of plans - before Galaxies Edge was going to happen they were pushing forward with “studios” - the old Pixar Studios area being an example. Star Wars expansion would have been next to star tours then (imagine that - crazy idea) and I believe Pixar was going to push out to where galaxies edge is now. So a muppet studios would have fit the theme.

Ironically… we would have gotten the door coaster if that planned happened as well as a cars ride. Haha

 

[CoasterFan27]

The plan was most likely muppets, hence the reason it wasn't announced at the presentation. They didn't want to suck the air out of what is a great ride announcement for the studios. If it was animation courtyard, we absolutely know the day of the announcement or the day after.

They've now received significant pushback and I think it threw them for a loop. I don't think they figured people actually care about the Muppets still. So in my opinion this delay in where monsters inc is going, screams of panic mode. It's either they're rethinking where it's going. Or getting their ducks in a row for huge PR spin job to mitigate the terrible press they're probably going to get.

This is a lot of assuming. For all we know spaceships came and abducted the whole team and they're hiring replacements.

For a start your assertion we'd know the next day is wrong, did we get that information for Cars straight away?

Given the two concepts provided, it seems just as likely they hadn't finalised plans and always intended to use the reaction to help guide the decision.

What you suggest is also likely but to treat it as fact when you're turning assumptions into certainties is bonkers. You don't know, I don't know, we can guess, but writing your own reality was fact is just poop stirring.

 

[erasure fan1]

This is a lot of assuming. For all we know spaceships came and abducted the whole team and they're hiring replacements.

For a start your assertion we'd know the next day is wrong, did we get that information for Cars straight away?

Given the two concepts provided, it seems just as likely they hadn't finalised plans and always intended to use the reaction to help guide the decision.

What you suggest is also likely but to treat it as fact when you're turning assumptions into certainties is bonkers. You don't know, I don't know, we can guess, but writing your own reality was fact is just poop stirring.

Well for starters, when people use things like, most likely or I think or in my opinion. Common sense should tell you they aren't "turning assumptions into facts". Last I checked this is a discussion forum. That's what you do, you discuss and give your opinions. I never stated anything as fact. Is it why I believe we don't know? Absolutely.

What I did do, if you followed the discussion, is not give Disney the benefit of the doubt. And why should I when we have a very established track record of closing things to open something else? That is a fact. Opinions are based on what we see from the company. Maybe you think paid lightning lane is there to help with guest experience. Most people would assume that they're for trying to suck every dime they can out people. Neither opinion would be wrong. But I will always lean in the direction of what the company has shown me in their previous actions. So I guess if you call it poop stirring, so be it. I call it a reasonable theory based on their track record.

 

[Surferboy567]

Why? Why not have more options for guests? Get rid of the freaking massive office building that used to be Animation and build all of Monstropolis there in what is currently backstage. Plenty of room

I want them to do both, get rid of AC, and fold mermaid into the land. Make Monsters even more grand. Maybe they can leave it open as it’s under construction and then close it fold it into the land.

 

[doctornick]

Why?

Yep. I mean, the entire idea of putting Monsters in the current Muppet area would be because it would be quicker/cheaper than alternatives. If on top of that they would be moving MuppetVision to a different location and spending a bunch of money to make that theater up to speed, then the better option would just to leave MV where is it and put Monsters elsewhere.

Why create more work and expense for a lateral situation?

 

[doctornick]

I want them to do both, get rid of AC, and fold mermaid into the land. Make Monsters even more grand. Maybe they can leave it open as it’s under construction and then close it fold it into the land.

Why not both? There's plenty of room for keeping Mermaid and a more grand Monstropolis. There is a ton of backstage land that isn't being used for any potential park function (i.e. doesn't need to be located where it is using valuable in park space). There's no reason not to dramatically increase the guest space in DHS and make for a better park experience for everyone.

WDW has "the blessing of size". They need to actual use it instead of replacing stuff all the time.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Yep. I mean, the entire idea of putting Monsters in the current Muppet area would be because it would be quicker/cheaper than alternatives. If on top of that they would be moving MuppetVision to a different location and spending a bunch of money to make that theater up to speed, then the better option would just to leave MV where is it and put Monsters elsewhere.

Why create more work and expense for a lateral situation?

To open up Animation Courtyard for a larger property (it could definitely receive one down the road)

Disney has kinda been clear that they want to keep expansion plots open when they can and will choose a more complicated process to do so (See ROA)

Do I think they necessarily WILL bring Muppets over? Not 100% but with the pushback I could imagine them considering it. If I was Disney, I would consider putting Muppets in a renovated Lightning Mcqueen Racing Academy Theater, retheme RocknRollercoaster to Mayhem, and make a Muppets Miniland over by RnRC, put Monsters where MV is right now, and put something like Avengers Campus (not possible rn) or Zootopia in Animation Courtyard to better use up all of that large amount of space.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

considering how much of a mess disney is at the moment I genuinely don’t think they know where it’s going.

They were pretty quick to tell the press that roa was going away, and like wise I feel if they knew about the muppets fate they would have done a similar immediate press release.

So my best guess is they genuinely don’t have a plan just yet, just a concept that they could deliver to d23.

That is my thinking too - or that there are several options and they haven't settled on one yet. And part of this is what other work is going to be done in the park over time and how big of a scale the Monsters Inc part will be.

If this winds up the big part, then they expand beyond just the one ride and it goes in Animation courtyard, but if the plan is something else will go in that area eventually then they do basically just the one ride and some theming for Monsters and it goes in Muppets courtyard

 

[doctornick]

To open up Animation Courtyard for a larger property (it could definitely receive one down the road)

If that is the thought - there should be plenty of room in the current Animation footprint + other backstage for more than one property though - then what they should do is build the larger property on current backstage space first. They are doing it backwards if they are replacing onstage things first with a "phase two" down the road (we all know how often phase two plans ever actually happen with Disney )

Build the thing that the park needs now - a real expansion - and worry about tinkering with replacements later.

Do I think they necessarily WILL bring Muppets over? Not 100% but with the pushback I could imagine them considering it. If I was Disney, I would consider putting Muppets in a renovated Lightning Mcqueen Racing Academy Theater, retheme RocknRollercoaster to Mayhem, and make a Muppets Miniland over by RnRC, put Monsters where MV is right now

So spend a crapload of money to basically have a lateral move in park capacity? Sounds like a terrible idea and waste of resources. DHS is desperate for more attraction capacity.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

If that is the thought - there should be plenty of room in the current Animation footprint + other backstage for more than one property though - then what they should do is build the larger property on current backstage space first. They are doing it backwards if they are replacing onstage things first with a "phase two" down the road (we all know how often phase two plans ever actually happen with Disney )

Build the thing that the park needs now - a real expansion - and worry about tinkering with replacements later.



So spend a crapload of money to basically have a lateral move in park capacity? Sounds like a terrible idea and waste of resources. DHS is desperate for more attraction capacity.

You spend the money to:

Have better thematic consistency of attractions to more accurately articulate the studios themes of the park into an immersive world kinda angle.

Remove a possibly problematic attraction that has been showing its age for a while

Remove an underperforming attraction and serve as a connection point to better loop the park

Add in 3-4 new attractions (Monsters Inc Laugh Floor + Monsters Door Coaster)
(2 rides for Zootopia) (Could even be another land for another ride or two if you use all backstage as you said)

Retheme one of Disneys weakest restaraunts into a bold new offering that thematically ties in with a bigger franchise and serves a food type not available at this park.

Give room to possibly finally build that Muppets Great Movie Ride

If you gave the park up to me, I would probably also rip out Indiana Jones or move it somewhere better. I wouldn't want to put the amazing actors out of a job but Indiana has a much better presence than even some more deserving properties and its a giant piece of land for 1 show.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Remove a possibly problematic attraction that has been showing its age for a while

Muppets is problematic now????

 

[Horizons '83]

Muppets is problematic now????

No clue what they could be referring to....

 

[Joel]

Muppets is problematic now????

I'm guessing the "guy in the Goofy mask" joke, which was, is, and always will be funny.