Disney Erases 34 Years of History at Hollywood Studios With Surprising New Replacement
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is saying goodbye to another piece of its history, and longtime visitors are getting a clearer look at how dramatically one section of the park is being transformed.
For decades, this corner of Hollywood Studios offered guests a familiar collection of characters, attractions, and humorous details that made it unlike anywhere else at Walt Disney World.
However, Disney shocked fans when it announced plans to replace the beloved area with an entirely different experience, bringing an end to more than three decades of history.
Now, another recognizable feature has officially disappeared, with Disney revealing a new design that puts a surprising spin on an old joke.
Disney’s Shocking Decision Ends a 34-Year Era
Disney’s Hollywood Studios officially ended a 34-year chapter of its history when it closed Muppet*Vision 3D and began transforming the surrounding Muppets Courtyard into a new land inspired by Monsters, Inc. (2001).
The attraction originally opened on May 16, 1991, bringing Jim Henson’s beloved characters to Hollywood Studios through 3D effects, Audio-Animatronics, and the Muppets’ signature humor.
Over the following decades, the surrounding area evolved into a recognizable Muppets destination, featuring themed buildings, humorous signs, and other details celebrating the characters.
However, Disney surprised longtime fans when it announced that Muppets Courtyard would be replaced with Monstropolis, a new themed environment inspired by the Pixar franchise.
The decision meant that Muppet*Vision 3D would permanently close after 34 years of operation, while the surrounding courtyard would lose its familiar Muppets identity.
Disney officially closed Muppet*Vision 3D on June 8, 2025, clearing the way for the transformation.
While the Muppets’ history at Hollywood Studios stretched back to 1991, not every feature in the former courtyard did.
And one memorable addition, introduced in 2016, has now become the latest casualty of Monstropolis’ construction.
Another Familiar Piece of Hollywood Studios History Is Gone
One of the more amusing additions to Muppets Courtyard arrived in late 2016, when Disney introduced Gonzo’s Royal Flush as part of the PizzeRizzo and Grand Avenue overhaul.
Despite its elaborate name, Gonzo’s Royal Flush wasn’t a ride, restaurant, or entertainment attraction.
It was the Muppets-themed exterior of a restroom building.
The name played perfectly into the characters’ ridiculous sense of humor, transforming an ordinary bathroom entrance into another joke for visitors to discover.
Unlike Muppet*Vision 3D, which operated for 34 years, Gonzo’s Royal Flush dates back only to late 2016.
Now, nearly a decade after its installation, Disney has removed the Gonzo-themed restroom facade as part of the larger Monstropolis transformation.
Recent construction progress revealed the building’s replacement after crews removed scaffolding from around the exterior.
Instead of the familiar Gonzo’s Royal Flush theming, guests can now see a brick facade featuring large painted lettering that reads, “Try Our Cans.”
The phrase uses the slang term “can” for a toilet, continuing the bathroom humor that previously defined the location.
However, the new design belongs to the upcoming Monsters, Inc. (2001) environment rather than the Muppets.
Disney’s Latest Removal Marks Another Major Change
Although Gonzo’s Royal Flush wasn’t part of the original 1991 opening, its removal is another reminder of how extensively Disney is rebuilding the former Muppets area.
For longtime visitors, the loss of Muppet*Vision 3D marked the biggest change.
The attraction entertained generations of families, becoming a familiar part of Hollywood Studios visits for more than three decades.
But the surrounding environment also helped make the experience memorable.
Over the years, Disney introduced additional Muppets-themed decorations, restaurant features, storefront details, and jokes that encouraged guests to explore the courtyard.
Gonzo’s Royal Flush was one of those later additions.
Its disappearance represents the continued removal of details from an area whose Muppets history stretched back 34 years.
As Disney replaces the former courtyard with Monstropolis, even features installed decades after the original attraction opened are being redesigned to fit the new land.
Imagineers Keep an Unexpected Tradition Alive
Interestingly, Walt Disney Imagineering hasn’t completely abandoned the humor associated with Gonzo’s Royal Flush.
Instead, Imagineers have adapted the joke for the new Monstropolis environment.
The recently revealed “Try Our Cans” lettering continues the tradition of turning a restroom entrance into a humorous themed detail.
While Gonzo’s name and the Muppets-specific decorations are gone, the basic concept remains.
It’s a surprising creative connection between the former courtyard and its replacement, even as the surrounding area takes on an entirely different identity.
During D23 in August 2026, Disney announced that Monstropolis would open to Hollywood Studios guests in phases in 2027.
That means portions of the transformed environment could become accessible before the entire development is complete.
For now, the restroom facade offers another visible example of Disney’s progress toward replacing Muppets Courtyard.
Hollywood Studios Prepares for a Very Different Future
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is preparing for a new chapter, but that future comes with the permanent loss of a familiar part of the park’s past.
The surprising decision to replace Muppets Courtyard with Monstropolis ended an area with 34 years of Muppets history, while the latest construction update specifically removes Gonzo’s Royal Flush, a restroom design introduced in 2016.
And while Disney has preserved the bathroom humor through its new “Try Our Cans” design, longtime visitors will notice the absence of another familiar Muppets detail.
As Monstropolis prepares for its phased 2027 debut, Hollywood Studios continues trading pieces of its past for an entirely new future.
