We’ve known the closing of Muppet*Vision was coming for a while and now there is a date to put on that ending. The 3D show, famous for being one of the last things the great Jim Henson worked on, will close on June 8th and have a final operating day on June 7th. That date will be the conclusion of the phased closing of the park’s Grand Avenue area, making way for a Monsters, Inc. land. In this post, we’ll share the news Disney has announced before adding our own commentary. To the news…

Humans will soon be able to enter the world of Monsters, Inc. when it is added to the south side of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Building off the exciting announcements from last summer’s D23 Expo, the new land will include the coaster we’ve all dreamed of – a suspended ride recreating the door vault scene – plus dining and shopping and a whole new theater show. 

To make way for the monsters, the Grand Avenue area will begin a phased closing in May, with the last day to dine at Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano on May 10. Following that, Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo will close, with the last day to experience both locations on June 7. But, the Muppet foolishness doesn’t stop there — Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and more of their friends will be moving right along to Sunset Boulevard. The Muppets will be taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, teaming up with some of music’s biggest stars for a rockin’ music festival!

We know so many of you share our love for The Muppets and know their energy will be a perfect fit for this coaster. As the first Disney ride ever to feature The Muppets, there’s sure to be laughter, screams and new tunes for this attraction for fans to enjoy throughout the adventure and plenty of Muppets-themed merchandise on Sunset Boulevard!

In the meantime, there’s still enough time to catch a super-stretch limo to the Forum to enjoy Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and catch a glorious three-hour finale with Muppet*Vision 3D again before their final curtain calls.

As we move forward with these changes, we are having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve the film and other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future.

Commentary

I’ve already detailed my thoughts on the closing of Muppet*Vision in this post, so I won’t belabor my point beyond this paragraph. Long story short, I’m really disappointed that the choice was made to put Monsters, Inc. in Grand Avenue instead of Animation Courtyard. Obviously, there’s way more that goes into these decisions than just playing a Disney version of Roller Coaster Tycoon in our heads. Permits, spacing and timelines come into play. But from a big picture perspective, placing Monsters, Inc. in this section of the park makes less cohesive sense than Animation Courtyard. On top of that, it eliminates a beloved film and park history.

Now that I’m done with my ranting recap, I’m glad that work is starting quicker rather than later. Disney announcing that something will close but then giving it a year long sendoff is a little tiresome to me. A June closing date is plenty of time for people to go say goodbye to the attraction if they want to. That also leads to a quicker turnaround to a Monsters, Inc. Land opening. Hopefully 2027 or 2028 is the target there.

Sticking with Muppet*Vision for just a little longer. I was hoping that there’d be some sort of announcement on the preservation of that film in this update. Hopefully that comes before June. I wish all of these moves had a little more foresight, where the new Villains show could have taken over the Beauty and the Beast outdoor theater and then Muppet*Vision moves to the theater next to the soon-to-be Muppets coaster. Disney may not have been interested in that idea though.

Moving on to Monsters, Inc. Land. I believe the news about a new theater show coming here is new! That’s very exciting, as the Hollywood Studios attraction lineup becomes more well-rounded. Here’s hoping that they try to recreate the sushi restaurant that’s in the movie.

As for the Muppets takeover of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, this announcement included the news that Kermit and the gang will be joined by music’s biggest stars. I’m hoping that means Electric Mayhem gets to play with some modern music. That could breathe some exciting life into the ride. Having an alternating soundtrack like Cosmic Rewind would be very fun. Not that I’m opposed to just hearing ‘Movin’ Right Along’ blasting from the speakers while zipping through a roller coaster.

To conclude, it’s hard for me to be really excited about this news so far. Most of this is due to my love of the Muppets and their history. Obviously, not everyone feels the same. I’m bullish on Monsters, Inc. Land and intrigued by the Muppets taking over the coaster while still having concerns about Hollywood Studios identity. Once the show closes and a new land opening nears, I’m sure I will get more excited. Until then, pour one out for Fozzie’s 3D gags, Bean Bunny’s overzealous help and Kermit trying to hold everything together.

Are you excited for these changes coming to Hollywood Studios? Let us know, along with any questions you have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out. This site offers discount tickets for those looking! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!