Monstropolis is already rising at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but D23 is giving us something construction walls can’t: a look at what Disney actually wants the finished land to feel like.

Disney is showcasing new Monstropolis design materials at D23, including a design mood board, neighborhood concept sketches and painted monster maquettes.

And tucked into all of that is something that caught our attention.

A theater.

And possibly a very weird show.

Welcome to Monstropolis

The new display offers a closer look at the visual direction Disney is taking with Monstropolis.

The mood board includes design inspiration for different neighborhoods within the city, while concept sketches give fans a better idea of how those areas could eventually come together.

There are also painted maquettes showing off some of the monster characters that will inhabit the land.

Which is exactly the kind of thing Disney fans were hoping to see at D23.

Because looking at a steel framework from the Hollywood Studios parking lot is useful, but it’s not exactly inspiring.

Give us the monsters.

And Then There’s the Glob Theater

One of the more intriguing pieces of the display involves the Glob Theater.

A theater marquee appears to identify the location as the Glob Theater, with additional details pointing toward a show called Welcome to Monstropolis!

That gives us a much better idea of what Disney may have planned for the entertainment component of the land.

And yes, we’re using the word “may” here intentionally.

Because Disney hasn’t necessarily handed us a complete show description and said, “Here you go, internet.”

Although we wouldn’t complain if they did.

Monstropolis Is More Than a Roller Coaster

The biggest attraction coming to the land is the Monsters, Inc. suspended door coaster.

The attraction will take guests into the world of Monsters, Inc., with the ride concept based around the famous door vault sequence from the film.

Construction on the attraction is already well underway, with the massive steel structure now rising above the Hollywood Studios skyline.

But the new D23 materials are a reminder that the land isn’t simply going to be a ride with some scenery around it.

Disney is creating an entire neighborhood.

There’s Going to Be Food, Too

Disney has previously said guests will be able to explore the city, meet its residents and experience restaurants and other locations within Monstropolis.

One of those locations is Harryhausen’s, a restaurant inspired by the seafood restaurant from the Monsters, Inc. universe.

The D23 materials give us another glimpse into the way Disney is approaching those spaces, with the goal of making the land feel like an actual monster city rather than a collection of attractions.

And that’s important.

Because the best Disney lands aren’t just places where you go to ride something.

They’re places where you feel like you wandered into the story.

The Muppets Are Gone. The Monsters Are Moving In.

Of course, we can’t talk about Monstropolis without acknowledging what it is replacing.

The new land is taking over the former Grand Avenue and Muppet*Vision 3D area of Hollywood Studios.

Yes, we’re still allowed to miss the Muppets.

We can mourn Muppet*Vision 3D while also being curious about what Disney is building in its place.

Both things can be true.

This Is Starting to Feel Like a Real Place

The D23 display is important because it gives us something construction photos can’t quite capture.

Personality.

The concept sketches, neighborhood designs and monster maquettes begin to show us how Monstropolis will look and feel once the construction equipment disappears.

And after watching the project rise over the past year, that’s pretty exciting.

We’re getting closer to the point where you won’t have to explain what you’re looking at.

You’ll just look at it and think:

Yep. That’s Monstropolis.

The Monsters Are Definitely Moving In

Monstropolis is still under construction, so there’s plenty more to come before guests can actually explore the new land.

But the D23 materials give us a much better look at the creative direction behind the project—and the possible Glob Theater adds another interesting piece to the puzzle.

For now, we’ll keep watching.

Because between the coaster, Harryhausen’s, the Glob Theater and an entire city full of monsters, Disney may have something pretty interesting brewing behind those construction walls.

And if the monsters need someone to test the food first, I am available.

The post Disney Gives Us a Better Look at Monstropolis appeared first on Magical Planning Made Easy.

There’s a point during every Disney construction project when it stops looking like a giant pile of concrete, steel and questionable decisions and starts looking like an actual place.

We may have reached that point at Monstropolis.

Construction crews were working on the future Monsters, Inc.-themed area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 12, including continued painting on the clock tower and restrooms building.

And suddenly, things are looking a lot more… monstrous.

In a good way.

The Clock Tower Is Getting a New Look

One of the most noticeable pieces of the construction is the clock tower associated with the former MuppetVision 3D area.

Crews have been repainting the structure as work continues to transform the former Muppets Courtyard into the future Monstropolis.

The changes are subtle compared with watching an entire building disappear overnight, but they’re important.

Color and architectural details are what start making a construction site feel like a themed land rather than a construction site.

And that’s when Disney fans start doing what Disney fans do best:

Taking approximately 47 photographs of the same building from slightly different angles.

Monstropolis Is Replacing the Former Muppet Area

The new land is being built where Muppet*Vision 3D and the surrounding Grand Avenue area once stood.

Yes, we are still allowed to be sad about the Muppets.

But we can also admit that seeing the new land take shape is pretty darn cool.

Disney announced the Monsters, Inc.-themed land in 2024. The project includes a new suspended roller coaster based on the concept of riding through Monstropolis on doors.

That’s a pretty ambitious upgrade from standing in line to watch Bean Bunny cause chaos.

Although I would personally like to see both.

The Area Is Getting More Detailed

The latest work isn’t limited to the clock tower.

Crews are also continuing work on the restrooms and other structures within the developing land, with painting and exterior theming helping bring the area together.

This is the stage of construction where the project starts becoming particularly fun to follow.

We can begin seeing how the colors, buildings and architectural elements are going to work together.

Instead of:

“Hey, there’s a giant steel frame.”

We’re getting closer to:

“Ohhh. That’s supposed to be Monstropolis.”

Progress!

There’s Still a LOT of Work to Do

It’s worth remembering that a fresh coat of paint doesn’t mean Monstropolis is opening tomorrow.

There’s still substantial construction happening throughout the area, including work on the suspended roller coaster and surrounding infrastructure.

The coaster will be Disney’s first suspended roller coaster, with guests riding in vehicles themed to doors from the Monsters, Inc. universe.

So yes, things are moving.

No, you shouldn’t start planning your opening-day strategy just yet.

Unless your strategy is “watch construction photos from home while eating a Mickey ice cream bar.”

That one is perfectly acceptable.

Hollywood Studios Is Going Through a LOT of Change

Monstropolis is just one of several major changes happening at Hollywood Studios.

The park has been steadily evolving over the past several years, and the addition of the Monsters, Inc. land represents another major shift in the park’s lineup.

For longtime Disney fans, that’s both exciting and a little weird.

Hollywood Studios has always been one of the parks where you could practically feel the identity changing underneath your feet.

Now we’re getting a full Monsters, Inc. neighborhood.

And honestly?

I’m curious to see how it all comes together.

Monstropolis Is Finally Starting to Take Shape

Monstropolis is starting to look less like a construction project and more like an actual Disney land, with crews continuing to paint and detail buildings throughout the area.

There’s still plenty of work ahead, but these smaller finishing details are giving us a better idea of what the finished land could look like.

For now, we’ll keep watching.

Because if there’s one thing Disney fans love almost as much as visiting a new land, it’s watching that land get built one ridiculously expensive-looking building at a time.

The post Monstropolis at Hollywood Studios Is Starting to Take Shape appeared first on Magical Planning Made Easy.