Big changes continue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as work on the park’s upcoming Monsters, Inc.-themed expansion moves forward.
Recent filings submitted by Walt Disney Imagineering offer another look at the transformation taking place in the former Muppets Courtyard section of the park. While Disney has yet to reveal every detail about the project, the latest permits provide fresh clues about what guests can expect when Monstropolis finally opens.
The paperwork points to two familiar addresses: 359 Cypress Drive and 361 Cypress Drive. Those locations were previously home to Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano and the Stage 1 Company Store, both of which were part of the now-retired Muppets Courtyard area.
According to the permits, Adirondack Scenic, Inc. has been hired to install “set elements” at the two locations. The company has a long history of creating themed environments and scenic components for attractions and entertainment projects. Because the permit remains valid for a full year, themed construction work could continue well into the future.
New aerial images shared by X user bioreconstruct show major activity taking place throughout the future Monstropolis expansion site.
Demolition work continues across the former Muppets Courtyard footprint as crews clear land and prepare the area for new construction. One image appears to show an important milestone for the land’s upcoming roller coaster.
“In a very distant photo today it seems like the first section of track is being raised at the Monsters Inc roller coaster. In aerial photo yesterday, possibly the same track staged on ground. In stands at the ends to keep the rails off the ground.”
Additional photographs reveal visible steel track sections as well as the growing framework of the attraction’s show building. The scale of the project becomes even more apparent in aerial views showing construction spreading throughout the site.
Another update from bioreconstruct highlighted work taking place near the future entrance to the land:
“Aerial photo of construction at the entrance to Monstropolis. Garden wall in progress wall at right will be seem like it has always been there. It merges with a prior wall.”
One of the more notable elements of the project involves the future of Mama Melrose’s. Rather than tearing down the restaurant, Disney is giving the building a new purpose. The company previously announced that the structure will become Harryhausen’s, the iconic restaurant seen in Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. (2001).
Not every building in the area received the same treatment. The Stage 1 Company Store was demolished in July 2025, clearing valuable space for the redevelopment effort. Its removal demonstrates that Disney is not simply overlaying a new theme onto existing infrastructure. Instead, the project blends new construction with carefully selected existing structures.
Taken together, the permits and construction progress paint a clearer picture of Disney’s plans for the area. Monstropolis is emerging as a substantial addition to Hollywood Studios, anchored by a major new roller coaster already rising behind construction walls.
When Disney officially announced the project during D23 2024, the company shared details about the land’s storyline.
“Picking up after the events of Pixar’s beloved film, humans have now been invited to visit the world of Monsters, Inc.–and the monsters need laughter to power the city and keep it running smoothly. But it’s not a true visit without the factory itself,” Disney wrote after its D23 2024 announcement. “You’ll be able to see the sights, hear the laughs, and zoom through the building just like James P. Sullivan (AKA Sulley) and Mike Wazowski–via a door!”
Disney has not yet released a full list of attractions for the area, but permits and construction updates continue to reveal more about the ambitious project. Monstropolis is only one part of a much larger wave of development happening throughout Walt Disney World.
At Magic Kingdom, Disney has announced what it calls the largest expansion in the park’s history. Plans include the addition of Piston Peak National Park in Frontierland, along with a Disney Villains-themed area beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is also in the middle of a major overhaul. DinoLand U.S.A. is being replaced by Pueblo Esperanza, a Tropical Americas-inspired destination featuring an Encanto attraction and a new Indiana Jones adventure that will occupy the current DINOSAUR attraction site.
With construction projects underway across multiple parks, Walt Disney World is experiencing one of its most transformative eras in years. At Hollywood Studios, the latest permits and aerial photographs suggest Monstropolis is steadily moving from concept art to reality.
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