Monstropolis Moves Up to 2027 Opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, New Attraction & Dining Details

Walt Disney World has been making major progress on Monstropolis, and as a result, Imagineers confirmed that the Monsters, Inc. miniland will start to open ahead of schedule in 2027! Here are new details about the rides & restaurants, concept art, and more. Plus, my experience seeing working models of the technology and Audio Animatronics that’ll be on display in the land during a site visit to WDI in Central Florida.

As basic background, Monstropolis is partially replacing Muppets Courtyard, with existing venues in that now defunct land being reimagined in the front half of the land. In the bona fide expansion of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Monsters, Inc. Doors Coaster is being built backstage in what used to be Cast Member parking.

You can see the walls along the corridor of Grand Avenue as you walk to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, along with changes to the facades of the former MuppetVision 3D theater, as well as the PizzeRizzo and Mama Melrose restaurants. Meanwhile, the Stage 1 Company Store has been demolished.

During “Horizons: A Carousel of Progress” presentation at the 2026 D23 Expo, Neil Patrick Harris brought a few special guests out to tell us about the new sights coming soon to Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

“Welcome to Monstropolis,” written by Disney Legend Randy Newman is the first song that he has composed for a Disney theme park, and you’ll hear it next year when Monstropolis opens to humans.

That’s right, while work continues on the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster, parts of Monstropolis will open to guests in 2027! (Not to pat ourselves on the back too much, but this is just as we predicted in Is Monstropolis On Track To Open Early in 2027 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?!)

Michael Hundgen, Vice President Creative, and Chris Beatty, Vice President, Walt Disney Imagineering, were played onto the stage to talk about the dynamic moments and locations you’d expect to see in Monstropolis.

Glob Theater

Chris explained that humans are invited to attend a new show at the Glob Theater, titled “Welcome to Monstropolis,” just like Randy Newman’s new song.

Chris revealed that the monsters in the show will introduce humans to Monstropolis , and highlight how similar monsters and humans really are.

“Mike and Sulley will be our hosts,” Chris said. “Sulley has been working on a small, homespun show, but Mike – ever the showman – has a few surprises up his sleeve that he thinks will bring down the house. Hopefully not literally.”

On a recent hard hat tour of Monstropolis, Imagineers boasted that the production would be packed with technology.

This is backed up by public filings. Walt Disney World is Spending $22.4 Million on MuppetVision Theater Transformation, and that’s just the structure, not the show itself. If Disney is spending that much on the building, that bodes well and suggests there’s some serious tech under the hood on this bad boy.

I can also now share that I visited offsite Walt Disney Imagineering facilities at an undisclosed location (even to me!) in Central Florida earlier this summer, and saw mock-ups of the technology and Audio Animatronics that’ll be featured in “Welcome to Monstropolis.”

While I can’t speak to the quality of the show from a storytelling perspective, the array of mixed media in “Welcome to Monstropolis” is going to be impressive. It should have good depth as a result, as opposed to being another one-dimensional (or 3D/4D) screen-centric production.

Ironically enough, what I saw reminded me of a modernization of MuppetVision 3D, but with Monsters. I’m skeptical that the story and comedy will be that good, but “Welcome to Monstropolis” should run circles around Monsters Laugh Floor (and I actually really enjoy that).

Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza

Imagineers also revealed that, across from “Welcome to Monstropolis,” you’ll find Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. People and monsters all love pizza, and Monstropolis’ top-rated pizza will be your go-to place to grab a slice. Humans may recognize Archie, Fear Tech’s beloved six-legged mascot, but after years of being “borrowed” by mischievous MU students, he’s become a fan favorite on both campuses.

Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza was previously PizzeRizzo. The reimagined restaurant will once again be a counter service pizza place, with an identical footprint in a manner similar to the previous conversion of Pizza Planet into PizzeRizzo. As part of a hard hat tour of Monstropolis, I went inside Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. Although a lot has been removed to the point that it feels like an eerie shell of its former self, a lot has also been retained.

Based on what’s still there, my impression is that the layout is being preserved. That the changes to Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza will be mostly cosmetic, with the interior given a refresh and new thematic window-dressing, but booths, tables and everything else being reinstalled towards the tail end of the project. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a lot of room for Imagineering to radically reinvent the restaurant with a new interior.

Still, I don’t expect Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza to be all that exciting. My guess is that Disney will allocate the bulk of the budget to Harryhausen’s and let this be more of a utilitarian, high-capacity location. The comparison I’d use here is Docking Bay 7 in terms of detail and design depth meets PizzeRizzo in terms of Easter Eggs, but better than both.

Next door, the Monsters University Alumni Club has also opened its doors to human visitors eating at Archie’s.

Monsters University Alumni Club

Head on down for a who’s who of all the student clubs, fraternities, and sororities at MU. Chris said you’ll even find a tribute worth browsing. “Inside the Alumni Club is the elite Scarer’s Club, honoring the school’s legendary scarers from years past.”

Scareporium

And you’ll want a little something to commemorate your visit to Monstropolis. The Scareporium, as Chris said, will be, “… a shop where all of us human tourists can grab a great souvenir to remember our visit.”

Harryhausen’s Restaurant

Imagineer Michael Hundgen also showed off the dining location we have all been waiting for: Harryhausen’s. This was the location of one of Mike and Celia’s most unforgettable dates in the movie. Sulley and Boo show up, as does the CDA, ruining dinner. It was a whole thing. Harryhausen’s takes over the space previously occupied by Mama Melrose, and will likewise be a table service restaurant.

With a new menu to lay your eyes on (whether you have one, two, or ten), a visit to Harryhausen’s will spotlight the famed sushi chef, brought to life here as a new Audio-Animatronics figure. Watch his many tentacles whip up delicious-looking Monster-worthy creations–and there’s more than just sushi on the menu.

As one of the most iconic locations in Monstropolis, we’re expecting Disney to go all-out on Harryhausen’s. Imagineers will likely recreate the restaurant, and we’re expecting something that amounts to Oga’s Cantina meets Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant meets Space 220, but better than all three. It should join the already-formidable themed restaurant roster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Harryhausen’s has tremendous potential for a ‘show’ component beyond just the Audio Animatronics sushi chef. Here’s hoping that it also serves up some unique, themed cuisine. Not that we have high expectations or anything! In reality, even if it’s awful, Harryhausen’s will be the hottest Advance Dining Reservation at Walt Disney World. Here’s hoping it’s actually good.

Michael said that Harryhausen’s will feature a “menu unlike anything else we offer at Walt Disney World. It will be a great place to bring your Schmoopsie-poo for a romantic meal.”

Monstropolis Background

Monstropolis is starting to take shape as construction continues at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World Resort! Steel rises behind the walls, new details emerge almost daily, and with every milestone, the world of Disney and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. is roaring to life. But this isn’t just a new land taking shape, it’s the beginning of a new story.

Monstropolis is getting ready to give humans a glimpse of what’s been hidden from their world for generations, now that the monster city is powered by laughter. Which raises an interesting question: if humans were never meant to enter the monster world…why are the doors finally opening to us?

The answer is already making headlines in the city of Monstropolis. Through the pages of the Monstropolis Horn, the city’s official newspaper, monsters are talking about a “historic decision” that’s about to seriously mix things up for monster kind.

For generations, Monstropolis ran on fear, and not just because the monsters used screams to power their society: monsters were scared of us, too! Humans were seen as dangerous, toxic, and completely off-limits. I mean, who could forget the decontamination protocols for a 2319?!

When James P. Sullivan and Mike Wazowski (you know, with one eye) discovered that human laughter generates far more power than screams, it didn’t just transform the energy crisis, it transformed Monstropolis itself. Fear gave way to curiosity. Caution gave way to connection. And for the first time, the doors separating the monster world from ours no longer felt like barriers.

What started as a breakthrough inside Monsters, Inc. quickly became something much bigger: a citywide shift in how monsters viewed humans. Scales fell from their eyes – well, at least for the monsters with scales to shed.

Department of Human Relations in Monstropolis

As Monstropolis evolved, so did its connection with the human world. You may have heard of the HR department, but you haven’t heard of this HR department … that’s right, I’m talking about the Department of Human Relations. This new team established by the city has been tasked with sinking their teeth – and in some cases, their very BIG teeth – into helping monsters better understand humans as welcomed guests.

The newly instated department has been spearheading a moment that was once thought impossible: inviting humans into Monstropolis for the very first time. And that invitation has a name.

H.U.M.A.N. Day: A Celebration with a Purpose

H.U.M.A.N. Day, short for “Humans Understanding Monsters Are Nice,” marks a historic milestone for the city. Part celebration, part cultural exchange, the event is designed to introduce humans to life inside Monstropolis while helping monsters discover that humans are not so frightening after all. Now that’s something to snarl – ahem, smile about!

Human guests will have the chance to explore the city, meet its citizens, taste unique cuisine, and step into the everyday world of monsters in a totally new way. For the first time, two worlds once separated are meeting face to scaly, furry, and fang-filled face – brought together not by screams, but by laughter.

As more of Monstropolis comes into view, one thing is clear: move over, cities of the human world! Monstropolis is going to be the next big vacation destination! Storefronts line the streets, industries hum alongside everyday life, and every corner reflects the quirky, character-filled world fans fell in love with.

It wouldn’t be Monstropolis without a few iconic stops along the way. Places like Harryhausen’s — yes, THAT legendary restaurant monsters line up for — and the Glob Theater help bring the city to life, adding even more personality, energy, and can’t-miss moments around every corner.

Ultimately, it’ll be interesting to see how well the phased opening works out for Monstropolis. My personal preference is a single opening, which is a marketable event with a lot of accompany fanfare.

At the same time, I’ve started to question this conventional wisdom, which was derived from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge flopping hard when it launched in Summer 2019. It’s possible that’s an outlier, and more an example of a botched marketing campaign than a botched launch. After all, Disney was so aggressive with its messaging and crowd control measures that they potentially scared people away.

Maybe phased openings aren’t such a bad thing if messaged carefully. Between the dedicated Walt Disney World fanbase that’ll make visits for every new thing (allowing for Disney to double-dip), no matter how big or small, and the casual guests who would plan around a Cool Kids’ Summer (or whatever) campaign, maybe it makes sense.

Perhaps there’s also something to be said for front-loading some of the demand to reduce the influx of crowds once the main event opens. This is doubly true for Monstropolis, which is expected to be akin to Zootopia Land in Shanghai, which is treated as an attraction unto itself where guests linger, shop, and eat.

Exhausting some of that demand (and capturing those high-margin merchandise and food & beverage sales!) before the Monsters, Inc. Doors Coaster opens might actually be the savvy play. We shall see!

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YOUR THOUGHTS

Excited about Monstropolis? Surprised to see it’ll start debuting in 2027, or did you expect a phased opening? Thoughts on recent progress or anything else? Are you looking forward to Monstropolis? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!