Land Hopping Is About to Get COMPLICATED in Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is about to feel like a giant game of theme park musical chairs.

In the next year or so, entire areas are closing, new lands are opening, and some of your favorite attractions are getting massive overhauls. That means if you’re the type of parkgoer who likes to hop from land to land, your usual route is about to get…tricky. Between the arrival of Monsters, Inc. Land, the Animation Courtyard overhaul, and The Muppets taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, navigating Hollywood Studios in the near future is going to require some extra planning. Here’s what’s about to shake things up — and how it could impact your next park day.

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

Monsters, Inc. Is Taking Over the Muppets Courtyard

June 8th, 2025, marked the official end of the Muppets Courtyard as we know it. Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, PizzeRizzo, and Muppet*Vision 3D all closed to make way for the brand-new Monsters, Inc. Land.

The whole thing is themed to Monstropolis, and the crown jewel will be Disney’s first-ever suspended roller coaster — yes, your feet will be dangling while you zoom through a door factory just like in the movie. Imagine the famous scene where the doors are being whisked away by giant claw machines…but now you’re on one of those doors. That’s the ride.

The coaster’s show building is going into what used to be a backstage Cast Member parking lot, so the footprint of the land is going to be huge.

Along with the coaster, there’s also a new Monsters, Inc. theater show in the works — likely taking over the old Muppet*Vision 3D theater — and a possible restaurant straight out of the movie. If the concept art is to be believed, Harryhausen’s (yes, the sushi place from Mike and Celia’s date) could be part of the new dining lineup. Nothing’s been confirmed yet, but the concept art feels like a pretty big hint.

The bad news? Until this land opens, the space it’s replacing is just…gone. No Muppets show, no Mama Melrose’s, no pizza run at PizzeRizzo. And with construction walls eating up part of Grand Avenue, you can expect some congestion in that area for a while.

Animation Courtyard Is About to Look VERY Different

Right now, Animation Courtyard is home to the Star Wars: Launch Bay, Disney Junior Play and Dance!, and The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure. But in 2026, the whole area is getting a complete reimagining.

Launch Bay will transform into a Disney Animation-inspired hub. Picture walking into a space that feels like the actual Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, complete with Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat perched on top.

Inside, there will be interactive portraits, a character drawing class, and tons of nods to Disney’s animation history. The outside will have play areas like the Drawn to Wonderland playground (think oversized Alice in Wonderland flowers with musical elements) and places to just relax under the trees — although Disney is teasing that you never know which characters you might bump into out there.

The Disney Junior show will close September 25th, 2025, to make way for this change, and while The Little Mermaid musical will stick around, the area will be under construction for quite a while.

So if you’re used to ducking into Launch Bay or Play and Dance! as a kid-friendly break, you’re going to have to adjust.

The Muppets Are Moving to Sunset Boulevard

You didn’t think Disney would just kick The Muppets out entirely, did you? Instead, they’re heading over to take on one of Hollywood Studios’ most intense rides: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

The Aerosmith version will stay open through 2025, but in 2026 it will close for its reimagining. When it reopens, it’ll be Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. Disney hasn’t shared many details yet, other than that the Muppets will be teaming up with some of music’s biggest stars for a “rockin’ music festival.”

This change means that once Monsters, Inc. Land is under construction and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster closes, two of the park’s most notable attractions will be unavailable at the same time. If you’re the type who plans park days around thrill rides, you’ll have to reshuffle your priorities.

Why This Makes Land Hopping More Complicated

On a normal day in Hollywood Studios, you might start in Toy Story Land, hop over to Galaxy’s Edge, cut through Grand Avenue for Muppet*Vision or Mama Melrose’s, and then slide into Animation Courtyard before heading to Sunset Boulevard. But with all these closures and construction walls, that flow is about to get very disrupted.

Here’s what that could look like:

• Traffic Bottlenecks – With Grand Avenue partially blocked, crowds will be pushed into other pathways. Expect tighter walkways, especially during busy times.
• Lost Rest Stops – Muppet*Vision and Launch Bay are both air-conditioned spots people use as breaks. Those will be gone for a while.
• Shifting Dining Plans – Mama Melrose’s and PizzeRizzo are closed, so quick bites and table service meals will require more walking or more advanced planning.
• Thrill Ride Gaps – When Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster closes, Tower of Terror will be the only major thrill ride on that side of the park. That’s going to concentrate thrill-seekers in one spot.

If you’re visiting in late 2025 or 2026, you’re going to need to be strategic. Rope drop lines may shift, mobile order windows could fill up faster at the remaining restaurants, and certain paths through the park will be slower than you’re used to.

The next couple of years are going to be a transition period for Hollywood Studios. Once all these projects are done, the park will have a fresh mix of family rides, thrill rides, immersive lands, and new entertainment. But until then, you’ll want to map out your route ahead of time and stay flexible once you’re inside.

We’ll be keeping an eye on construction progress and sharing tips for navigating the chaos, so you’re ready to take on the park — no matter how many walls, closures, or dangling-feet coasters it throws at you.

Make sure you keep it right here at AllEars for all the latest news!

NEW Permits Filed for Animation Courtyard Overhaul at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Will you be visiting Hollywood Studios in 2026? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Post a Comment