Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
The landscape of Disney’s Hollywood Studios is changing forever. As Walt Disney World pushes forward with its massive multi-year expansion plans, the section of the park formerly known as Muppets Courtyard and Grand Avenue is actively transitioning into Monstropolis—the bustling, laughter-powered city from Pixar’s Monsters, Inc.
Recent ground-level updates show that a classic dining landmark has been completely torn down, while spectacular new aerial photography from legendary theme park tracker bioreconstruct confirms that the land’s highly anticipated roller coaster is officially rising into the sky.
Ripped Apart: Mama Melrose Evolving into Harryhausen’s
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano permanently closed its doors back in May 2025 to prepare for the Monstropolis expansion. One year later, the building is undergoing a radical structural overhaul to make way for Harryhausen’s Restaurant, the land’s upcoming premium table-service dining spot.
The transformation is staggering. The entire front face of the right side of the building has been completely removed, exposing concrete structures, heavy steel columns, and massive HVAC ductwork. In a poignant nod to the past, a portion of the restaurant’s iconic Mona Lisa mural remains visible on the remaining pink exterior wall, directly beneath temporary safety railings.
Next to this open structure, the main facade is heavily wrapped in plastic weather sheeting and secured with red tape. However, its original arched window outlines are still recognizable beneath the wrap. Imagineers are keeping the core structural shell while completely retheming the exterior into the industrial, monster-scaled architecture of Monstropolis.
Going Vertical: The Monsters, Inc. Door Vault Coaster
While things look dramatic on the ground, bioreconstruct’s latest aerial imagery on X reveals massive vertical progress for the land’s crown jewel: the Monsters, Inc. Door Vault Coaster.
Built over what was once a sprawling backstage cast member parking lot, the coaster is rapidly hitting its stride. Key milestones visible from the air include:
- Foundation Slabs: Crews have poured a massive, multi-layered concrete foundation pad across the entire ride footprint.
- Heavy Machinery: A second massive industrial construction crane has arrived on site to assist with moving heavy steel components.
- Rising Track Supports: Several large-diameter vertical steel support columns—painted in distinct shades of black and light blue—have officially risen from the foundation, mapping out the ride’s future layout.
- Station Framing: Near a sandy staging area, concrete block walls wrapped in wooden forms and scaffolding are rising to frame the ride’s load and unload station.
When finished, this attraction will hold the title of the largest attraction show building at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, eclipsing even Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. It will also make history as Disney’s first-ever suspended roller coaster, allowing guests to hang beneath the track to mimic the movie’s chaotic door-vault chase perfectly.
Stripped to the Studs: The Rest of Monstropolis
The structural overhaul isn’t limited to the restaurant. Following the permanent closure of Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo in June 2025, the entire former Muppets Courtyard has been completely cleared.
Aerial photos show surrounding secondary buildings stripped entirely to their bare structural studs, wrapped in protective tarps to withstand the volatile Florida weather. The iconic purple gutters and giant clock faces have been completely removed from the old Muppet*Vision 3D theater building, which is being heavily modified into The Glob Theater, a key show venue that will anchor the inner city streets of the land.
A Monstrously Fast Pace
With structural steel climbing into the sky and iconic landmarks hollowed out for radical new themes, Monstropolis is quickly moving from concept art to physical reality. Disney has yet to announce an official opening date for the land, but the blistering pace of construction proves that a great big, beautiful—and monstrous—tomorrow is arriving fast.
