It’s one of the hot topics for Disney Parks fans right now, what will Disney reimagine at Hollywood Studios? Following the announcement of the new Monsters Inc land, Monstropolis with a new coaster, at D23 we are all wondering.
What are the options?
We’ve been studying the Hollywood Studios map to work out where the new Monsters Inc Land, with it’s wonderful new rollercoaster, will go in Hollywood Studios. As we see it, three location options exist. Two proving incredibly controversial, and one which may be workable with some extra Disney magic.
The new land is going to be set after the events of the film, so human laughter will be needed to power the area. Whatever path Disney choose it is fair to say they are going to upset some Disney fans, so laughter may be in short supply.
Depending on which fan group you fall into, this new land will likely impact your future holidays. Let’s take a look at the potential lands for Disney to reimagine at Hollywood Studios.
Reimagine Animation Courtyard
We think this is the most likely possibility and it’s controversial. Disney have been reimagining the Little Mermaid for so long now that we have almost given up on the attraction ever reopening. When it closed in 2020 due to the pandemic, it was thought it would reopen. It’s never happened.
In December 2023 Disney said it was being reimagined into a new show called The Voyage of the Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure. It was going to open in Autumn 2024. Anticipation for an opening date during D23 was high. The silence was deafening. This leaves us wondering, why no date announcement?
Our suggestion is that perhaps the whole of Animation Courtyard, which is character meet and greets and a dance show, is going to make way for Monstropolis. This particular piece of concept art from Disney would fit well in the area.
Placing the University building in the place of the current Star Wars Launch Bay, you can see the shape of the courtyard fall into place. With less footfall in this area, it is possible Disney executives will apply the same thinking to this space as they have to Frontierland. Taking one of the quietest areas and reimagining it.
With that said, this area is full of meet and greets for all ages. However, there are possible new homes in various locations around the park for the meet and greets that take place here. The Disney Junior brand has gone, now part of Disney+ and the Ariel ride is already shut. With Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge potentially providing a better home for the contents of the launch bay Disney could make this site work well.
It is our front-runner at the moment, but there are other options to explore.
Reimagine Grand Avenue
Home to The Muppets attraction and 3 dining attractions, this land is small but quiet in terms of footfall. This is what we believe makes it a prime location spot for the Monstropolis reimagining. The space for expansion for the coaster is what we are unsure about and why it is not our front runner.
Concept art from Disney suggests this land is a possible contender for reimagining. The overhanging red and white canopy giving off Pizze Rizzo Vibes.
We can also see this being a walkway linking the dining area on Sunset Boulevard with an extension of Animation Courtyard for the coaster. Providing a much needed way to ease congestion from the strip of Sunset Boulevard which is currently a dead end for guests.
Axing the Muppets would also cause uproar among Muppet fans. Not the largest subset of the Disney fan family, they are incredibly loyal. The Muppets is also still an active arm of the company whereas Disney Junior is obsolete.
We think it’s a possible location for this new reimagining and we wait to see.
Reimagine Sunset Boulevard
This is the least likely option, but one that is possible given recent D23 announcements and the swirling rumour machine around the future of Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster. Replacing and reimaging Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy and Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster would be a bold if not crazy move, but it is possible.
It would create so much more congestion around this area, which is why we think it is unlikely. The space is there. The theming would improve but the loss of rock ‘n’ rollercoaster would not be acceptable. Retheming Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster to fit in with Monstropolis is something we could possibly be ok with.
The other option is to remove Lightening McQueen’s Racing Academy and add the land in this area.
How will changes affect guest park experiences in the future?
Depending on the location of the new Land Hollywood Studios need to consider crowd management. Sunset Boulevard leads to a dead end which this reimagining could go someway to resolving depending on the location.
Whatever happens the building walls will be going up in Hollywood Studios, and all the Disney Parks, soon. Our advice to guests visiting is to get snapping pictures and make the most of photopass experiences. Anyone visiting in the next few years is going to be capturing not only magical memories of their own trips, but memories of an era in the parks.
Watching the original half-day park expand and become successful shows the power of the fans. Hollywood Studios has some of the highest wait times and some of the best new rides. Disney continue the trend by building the first ever suspended coaster in Hollywood Studios.
Conclusion
Locating in Animation Courtyard would be the best option on our opinion. We think it is the least controversial and the best option for the park. Only time will tell what is going to happen as they reimagine Hollywood Studios.
