Walt Disney World has introduced the time limits of Grand Avenue at Hollywood Studios, with the sights and eating places in Muppet Courtyard, together with the Mama Melrose and PizzeRizzo eating places, in addition to MuppetVision 3D. Right here’s all the things we learn about when these experiences will completely shut in 2025, together with ideas on what this implies for the development timelines and all the things else.
In case you’re new to this saga, that is a part of a giant shakeup at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that started with the announcement of a Monsters Inc. Door Coaster and Monstropolis miniland again on the D23 Expo final yr. What was not introduced was the place it’d go, with the entrance runners on the time being Animation Courtyard or Muppet Courtyard. Animation Courtyard appeared just like the apparent alternative on account of its useless mall vibes and housing nothing of worth.
Sadly, you’re studying this text so the loser within the Monstropolis sweepstakes was Muppet Courtyard. Walt Disney World has introduced that they’ll be opening ‘new doorways’ for Muppets and Monsters at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. On a constructive notice, this implies the Muppets taking on Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster and changing Aerosmith.
It additionally means MuppetVision 3D closing to make manner for the Monsters, Inc. Doorways Coaster and Monstropolis. Nonetheless, there are causes to stay cautiously optimistic, as Walt Disney World additionally stated this: “As we transfer ahead with these modifications, we’re having artistic conversations and exploring methods to protect the movie and different components of the expertise for followers to take pleasure in sooner or later.”
Shortly thereafter, the Jim Henson Firm launched a press release that they had been wanting ahead to the “subsequent act” of MuppetVision 3D after it vacated its present location at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
That brings us to at the moment’s information, which is that Walt Disney World has introduced the closure dates of the impacted choices.
To make manner for the monsters, the Grand Avenue space will start a part closing in Might 2025. The final day to dine at Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano might be on Might 10, 2025. Following that, Muppet*Imaginative and prescient 3D and PizzeRizzo will shut, with the final day to expertise each areas on June 7, 2025.
However, the Muppet foolishness doesn’t cease there — Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and extra of their pals might be shifting proper alongside to Sundown Boulevard! The Muppets might be taking on Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster, teaming up with a few of music’s greatest stars for a rockin’ music pageant!
Walt Disney World has not offered a cut-off date for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith, nor opening dates for something.
My robust suspicion is that the Muppet Mayhem reimagining of Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster isn’t that far in improvement. The idea most likely didn’t obtain the greenlight till shortly earlier than the announcement was made final vacation season, and desires extra time earlier than work is able to start.
I nonetheless would anticipate Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster to shut in its present incarnation and reopen because the Muppets Mayhem model earlier than Monstropolis. Being a curler coaster at midnight with minimal props, there’s most likely a good quantity of prepwork that might be finished after hours whereas the attraction continues to be operational with out friends noticing. The trickier modifications will occur within the queue and pre-show.
Regardless, the turnaround time on a Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster reimagining must be 6 months or much less.
Disney beforehand indicated that work would begin on Monstropolis in 2025. Our expectation has been that the miniland and Monsters, Inc. Doorways Coaster would open in 2028, versus earlier or later.
Whereas Disney has but to substantiate this, Monstropolis is the best venture of the most important new lands, so it’ll virtually assuredly open earlier than Automobiles Land and Villains Land in Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney World seemingly desires a cadence of 1 new large addition coming on-line per yr–and we already know Tropical Americas is debuting in 2027. That places Monstropolis in 2028 by technique of elimination.
The large shock of this information is how quickly MuppetVision–and all the things else, for that matter–is closing.
Our earlier expectation was that the present visitor areas would stay open by way of at the least Summer season 2025 and shut within the low season on the earliest. Possibly someday in September, maybe instantly after the Vacation spot D23 fan occasion.
Our hope was that we’d have an excellent longer goodbye, with MuppetVision 3D not closing till someday in early 2026, if not even later than that. In any case, there’s an amazing quantity of labor that must be finished backstage. The development of the curler coaster and gravity constructing round that, together with the queue and facade for the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster, all will take for much longer than getting ready the MuppetVision theater for a brand new present.
It appeared doable that Walt Disney World would pull from an analogous playbook as is getting used with Dinoland USA, the place Dino-Rama simply closed to get replaced by the Encanto Madrigal Casita darkish experience–a brand new construct–however the place DINOSAUR and all the things else that’s simply being reimagined or repurposed received’t shut till early 2026.
With Monstropolis presumably debuting in 2028, it stood to motive that MuppetVision would have much more time because it’s assumed to be one other extra easy reimagining. Given all the things we thought we knew, it wouldn’t have been unrealistic for MuppetVision to shut in early 2027. Nicely, we thought unsuitable.
There are a few doable explanations for this. The primary is that Walt Disney World administration feels that Disney’s Hollywood Studios doesn’t want the capability supplied by the eating places and MuppetVision over the course of the following couple of years and is choosing the longer closure to avoid wasting working bills. (Whereas DINOSAUR and the remnants of Dinoland are integral to the already gentle lineup at Animal Kingdom.)
This wouldn’t shock me within the least. It’s widespread apply for Walt Disney World to search out methods to avoid wasting on working bills at instances when capital expenditures are growing. On high of that, it’s unlikely that there might be any natural development this yr at Walt Disney World, so the corporate will resort to cost-cutting to realize no matter targets it may need.
The second risk is that this venture is extra concerned than beforehand thought, and it’s not a easy repurposing of the prevailing restaurant, retail, and attraction areas.
This might be the case, however we doubt it. The idea artwork strongly suggests we’re getting one-for-one replacements of those eating places and a brand new present within the MuppetVision theater. It doesn’t seem to be they aren’t being basically reworked.
I absolutely anticipate the desk service Mama Melrose to grow to be the desk service Harryhausen’s. It’s seemingly that PizzeRizzo goes to reimagined right into a counter service restaurant with an an identical footprint in a way just like the conversion of Pizza Planet into PizzeRizzo. And MuppetVision will seemingly grow to be a brand new present. There’s nothing within the latest Monstropolis idea artwork (above) to counsel any main structure modifications to Muppet Courtyard/Grand Avenue.
A remaining risk is that Disney has opted to fast-track Monstropolis, or at the least a portion of it, and it has leapfrogged Tropical Americas for a 2026 opening. Or that each will debut in 2027, however with Monstropolis within the first half of the yr and Tropical Americas within the second half.
Disney fast-tracking tasks would defy latest developments, however it actually is doable, particularly if the corporate anticipates building prices rising. So there is likely to be motivation to frontload a few of this work, versus backloading all the things. This coupled with the operational cost-savings of shuttering Grand Avenue venues throughout a timeframe they received’t be “wanted” strikes me as probably the most believable clarification.
The whole thing of Monstropolis opening in 2026 strikes me as not possible–and Walt Disney World has seemingly realized its lesson about doing phased openings after this space’s subsequent door neighbor, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, fell flat upon its partial opening in mid-2019. My greatest guess is that Monstropolis continues to be coming after 2026, with the one query being whether or not it’s now a 2027 venture or nonetheless 2028.
Outdoors of Monstropolis, the closure of MuppetVision has implications for the remainder of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Walt Disney World purposefully selecting totally different time limits for Mama Melrose and MuppetVision suggests to us that the brand new Villains Unfairly Ever After and Little Mermaid stage reveals will debut someday after Might 10–and possibly proper round June 7, 2025.
Our expectation for some time has been that Walt Disney World could have some splashy summer time celebration that bundles the brand new DHS stage reveals with Disney Starlight Evening Parade and different thriller leisure at EPCOT and/or Animal Kingdom. The percentages-on favourite for all of that debuting has all the time been round Memorial Day, however per week earlier than or after that will make sense.
I’m nonetheless hopeful that each one of that rolls out prior to Memorial Day, identical to what Disneyland is doing with the seventieth celebration and return of Paint the Evening. Not solely does that supply a launch valve on opening evening/week crowds by pulling ahead demand into shoulder season, however it will additionally give diehard followers who plan journeys round Starlight an opportunity to say their goodbyes to MuppetVision on the similar time. So selfishly, I’m nonetheless hoping that is what occurs.
As for commentary past that, I’m largely simply heartbroken.
I’ve largely come to phrases with MuppetVision completely closing, at the least at Walt Disney World, and not being relocated to the Creativeness pavilion at EPCOT or the Mickey Shorts Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Regardless that I do suppose there are pretty apparent underutilized areas at Walt Disney World the place MuppetVision could be an asset.
I’ve needed to carry out hope that if sufficient passionate followers make their voices heard, plans would change. That if the gang will get collectively and places on a present to lift $10 million, they’ll save the present. In my coronary heart, I do know all of that isn’t true. Walt Disney World and Imagineering took their time on this one as a result of they needed to judge all doable choices and suggestions, and that is the conclusion of the saga–not a place to begin for a narrative about saving MuppetVision.
Nonetheless, I assumed all of us had extra time to say goodbye to MuppetVision 3D. I actually anticipated this to be an ideal summer time–Disney Starlight Evening Parade and the brand new reveals at Disney’s Hollywood Studios debuting, and saying goodbye to all the departing stuff. Opening one chapter and shutting one other, so to talk.
I used to be assured about MuppetVision sticking round into 2026, particularly as soon as it was confirmed DINOSAUR wouldn’t go extinct till then. In any case, if DINOSAUR being reimagined into Indiana Jones Journey will solely take 16-18 months, why on earth would remodeling MuppetVision 3D into a unique present take longer than that?
The reply is that it received’t, so hopefully Walt Disney World has a superb motive for this method, reasonably than simply shuttering Muppet Courtyard early to save cash. That might be insult on high of damage for a lot of longtime followers.
Past that, I’m unsure what else to even say–so I’ll simply repeat what I’ve written earlier than. It’s no secret that we’re large followers of MuppetVision 3D, and think about it alongside the OG Nation Bear Jamboree as one among Walt Disney World’s candidates for UNESCO World Heritage Websites.
It’s not possible for me to be unbiased in the case of MuppetVision, however I personally consider that it nonetheless stands the take a look at of time. It’s not only a easy 3D movie, it’s really an attraction and the funniest at Walt Disney World.
The inventive significance of MuppetVision 3D is nearly immeasurable. It owns a particular place in each Walt Disney World historical past and American tradition. It’s one of many final tasks that Muppet creator Jim Henson was concerned in previous to his passing. It’s extensively considered an exemplar of Muppet humor and storytelling; a real masterpiece and murals.
Lastly, I wish to as soon as once more direct your consideration to this excerpt from Jim Henson: The Biography: “Disney could be good for the Muppets as effectively. If there was any group that knew easy methods to protect and promote iconic characters past the lifetimes of their respective creators, it was the Walt Disney Firm.”
“For Jim, discovering such an acceptable residence for the Muppets was essential…and if he couldn’t all the time are inclined to their well-being, he needed to make sure they had been with another person who would. ‘Trying manner again down the street to after I cease sitting in my rocking chair and dealing Kermit the Frog, I actually like the thought of characters residing on within the Disney parks,’ stated Jim. ‘It’s an exquisite future for these characters. It’s as near an everlasting life as a bit inexperienced frog can get.’”
Whereas there’s some reality to the superficial sentiment that “Disney isn’t a museum” that’s bandied about by followers and the corporate to justify in any other case poor choices, there’s additionally reality to the notion that some sights are untouchable. Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and “it’s a small world” all would match this invoice. Amongst a sure phase of followers, this additionally extends to MuppetVision 3D. I’m a type of followers, so I’m fairly heartbroken about this information. That’s nonetheless the case despite the fact that this does include a comfort prize: Muppets taking on Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you shocked that MuppetVision 3D and all the things else in Muppet Courtyard is closing so quickly…or did you anticipate this? What do you consider Monstropolis changing MuppetVision? Is that this addition nonetheless “value it” to you now that it’s changing Grand Avenue and MuppetVision 3D? Ideas on preserving the movie someway? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
