News Monster Inc Land Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios

[Thanks phoenicians]

Has it been confirmed if Commissary lane would impacted if this goes to Muppets Courtyard? Muppets Courtyard itself is only roughly 2.5 acres, so if Star Tours and Commissary lane are untouched then I'm assuming they're planning to eat some of the parking area. Baseline, Sci-Fi and the commissary do seem like things they'd consider retheming in line with "new DHS" though. For reference, I'm just estimating Monsters will need around 6 acres.

 

[CaptinEO]

You’re not wrong but somehow I still don’t care

Seriously…I think he’s a cool character that was made annoying by the current version of the ride that has overstayed its welcome. Here’s hoping for a positive change that keeps him in the fold.

I haven't been on the original version and I'd imagine most epcot visitors also haven't. The merchandise thats so popular of figment to this day doesn't make sense to me.

 

[TheDisneyParksfanC8]

Yeah that’s the 2026 project. The current rumored timeline for them is
2025 - EU
2026 - Rockit replacement
2027 - EU expansion 1 (Luigi’s Mansion)
2028 - Zelda in IOA
2029 - EU expansion 2 (Potter or Monsters)
2030 - Pokemon in USF’s current Springfield location

Depending on how much USF attendance craters due to EU, it's entirely possible from speculation over on the IU forums that Pokemon could be fast tracked ahead of the 2030 debut. There have also been rumblings that Simpsons is closing earlier at USH before 2028.

 

[CosmicDuck]

Depending on how much USF attendance craters due to EU, it's entirely possible from speculation over on the IU forums that Pokemon could be fast tracked ahead of the 2030 debut. There have also been rumblings that Simpsons is closing earlier at USH before 2028.

Not to continue off-topic but they would be absolutely insane not to immediately fast track Pokemon at both USF and USH immediately after opening EU.

The only reason people will be visiting USF after 2025 is if that's the only way to get into EU.

We bought a one day park hopper on our last trip and literally only ended up using it to ride Hogwarts Express at the end of the night before going home.

 

[IMDREW]

Wouldn't placing this in AC gridlock their expansion possibilities? As I understand it, this concept was not planned for any large land, but just the ride and adjacent dining/shop. If they were to place it in AC, they would have to expand it a lot to make good use of the land OR plop that gravity building right in the middle of the expansion plot, canceling any other expansion possibilities over there.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

Not to continue off-topic but they would be absolutely insane not to immediately fast track Pokemon at both USF and USH immediately after opening EU.

The only reason people will be visiting USF after 2025 is if that's the only way to get into EU.

We bought a one day park hopper on our last trip and literally only ended up using it to ride Hogwarts Express at the end of the night before going home.

It might be a cash flow thing. Universal is both losing a ton of money (Peacock, movie flops, lower park attendance) and probably spending an astronomical amount on Epic. Perhaps Pokemon plans are beyond what they’ll have available.

 

[JKick95]

It might be a cash flow thing. Universal is both losing a ton of money (Peacock, movie flops, lower park attendance) and probably spending an astronomical amount on Epic. Perhaps Pokemon plans are beyond what they’ll have available.

Do they plan to build a new attraction for Pokémon or is it just a new version of the current Simpsons ride?

 

[doctornick]

Wouldn't placing this in AC gridlock their expansion possibilities? As I understand it, this concept was not planned for any large land, but just the ride and adjacent dining/shop. If they were to place it in AC, they would have to expand it a lot to make good use of the land OR plop that gravity building right in the middle of the expansion plot, canceling any other expansion possibilities over there.

That’s where I’m at a but here. Ignoring Muppets for a moment, I feel like either option sounds terrible based on placement. Any new attraction at DHS needs to go on undeveloped land and expand the park and allow for further expansion.

If you are putting the door coaster in Muppets, it should retain the theater and the ride should be built in what is currently backstage by removing Mana Melrose and pushing back the loop road.

If you are build next to animation courtyard, you should be retaining Mermaid and Disney Jr and starting the new land where Launch Bay is and building the bulk of the land where the backstage buildings are and connecting the area to RNR (and leaving other space for more expansion).

If I understand correctly, the idea of going to AC is to plop the door coaster on the Launch Bay footprint which would totally cut off future expansions to the backstage between there and TSL. That’s just so idiotic and shortsighted. It’s worse than losing Muppets because it’s messing up the entire future of the park (which is already a mess).

 

[LSLS]

The more I think about this, the more it seems to me the biggest botch here is the phasing. Monsters is a miniland, so that's why they feel the need to use it in the Muppets area with it being much smaller. BUT, that's a really hard sell with all that dead space on the other side of the park. Had they decided to make a major addition to AC first, and THEN announce Muppets closing, I think it would be slightly better received (still a lot of anger from people like me, but others I think would accept it better). I think their real options were either make Monsters a much larger land to fill AC, or have Zootopia ready to go first (or whatever else is going there). I would argue Monsters being larger would make the most sense as again, you could at least start trying to put together some sort of a themed area with a Pixar area going, but theming seems to be way down the list of priorities anyways. Instead, they went with the worst option, which is leave the dead space while eliminating attractions and places to eat.

 

[Brer Panther]

Just lurking along here and some comments have made me curious if perhaps Pete Docter/Pixar might ever consider a movie based on Figment? Interested to hear some of more knowledgeable fan's thoughts?

Based on the cameos he's made in Inside Out and Toy Story 4, plus the dragon mascot in Onward resembling him, there are clearly some Figment fans at PIXAR. Maybe they HAVE considered it.

I think parks fans overestimate the popularity of Muppets today. Disney has tried repeatedly to get the Muppets to be popular again in today's day and age and my sense is that it hasn't really worked (maybe the 2011 movie was one exception as it had a decent box office return).

Maybe if Muppets Most Wanted hadn't been so bad...

 

[AndyS2992]

Muppetvision is so dated, I have no issues with it going away. As long as they make a new Muppet land somewhere else with a brand new movie if they have to. Strange that they just refurbed the theatre with all new seating.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

Do they plan to build a new attraction for Pokémon or is it just a new version of the current Simpsons ride?

Pretty sure it's a new build. Simpsons is the same building and ride system as BTTF and is super aged now.

 

[JKick95]

Pretty sure it's a new build. Simpsons is the same building and ride system as BTTF and is super aged now.

Good to know. If they keep the same ride system then I don’t have faith Pokémon will be done well.

 

[mhochman]

My ongoing dream is a Great Muppet Ride, where you start on something like a Muppet Treasure Island version of Pirates, and Crazy Harry fires a cannon and blows up the wrong part, sending your boat through Muppet versions of other Disney rides. The Fozzy Bear Jamboree, The Enchanted Chicken Coop, American Sings with Sam Eagle, etc.etc. All ending with a great it’s a small world finale room with the Muppets singing Rainbow Connection. You cannot tell me that would not be an endlessly popular ride, with tremendous repeatability for people to catch all the jokes.

This sounds amazing. I assume there's a Pigs in Space room that goes after Rise?

 

[mhochman]

The real baffling part of Muppets Courtyard is the closed gift shop - anyone with basic retail knowledge could turn that into a gold mine.

A muppet meet and greet is another missed opportunity although puppeteers do get slightly more $ than costumed characters.

When it was a muppets store I used to spend at least a half hour in there (and a decent amount of $$).

 

[Horizons '83]

There is a certain contingent that seems very confident this is going in AC and Muppets is safe (offices and parking deck will be demo'ed). Will certainly be interesting to see what direction they go in but to me AC is the logical choice on all fronts.

 

[jason976]

There is a certain contingent that seems very confident this is going in AC and Muppets is safe (offices and parking deck will be demo'ed). Will certainly be interesting to see what direction they go in but to me AC is the logical choice on all fronts.

Just guessing but it Sounds like something is going over muppets sooner or later. If not Monsters, then whatever the next announcement is.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Just guessing but it Sounds like something is going over muppets sooner or later. If not Monsters, then whatever the next announcement is.

Yes, and if they decide to move Muppets to HoP next year, that kind of seals the deal on MV closing early next year.

 

[Horizons '83]

Just guessing but it Sounds like something is going over muppets sooner or later. If not Monsters, then whatever the next announcement is.

Hey, if that buys me 5 years, then I'll take that over just having a few months.

Honestly for me (don't throw stones) its more about utilizing a dead zone in the park (Animation Courtyard) and increasing capacity then anything else. Muppets would be a huge loss however, and I frequent it every visit, but I do think there is a change on the horizon there eventually.

 

[doctornick]

Hey, if that buys me 5 years, then I'll take that over just having a few months.

Honestly for me (don't throw stones) its more about utilizing a dead zone in the park (Animation Courtyard) and increasing capacity then anything else. Muppets would be a huge loss however, and I frequent it every visit, but I do think there is a change on the horizon there eventually.

But are they actually using a dead zone? If they aren't building heavily into the backstage area then doing anything in the Animation Courtyard area is a mistake. That's where the expansion room is for DHS and the park needs to add a ton of stuff to do.

Realistically, we need to see expansion that adds a net of 5-6 rides to DHS without losing anything. DHS is a slog to tour because of the limited offerings many of which command high wait times and because they are very few things you can do on a whim with small waits (MuppetVision being one of the only). The live shows all have schedules they aren't aren't necessarily convenient to pop into.