Walt Disney World in Florida is bringing parkgoers a brand new land to explore: Monstropolis, inspired by Pixar’s hit comedy adventure Monsters, Inc.
Located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the area will include the park’s first-ever suspended coaster, several new dining locations and a theater show. It is currently under construction, with parts scheduled to open in 2027, Disney announced at its recent D23 fan convention.
“We’re so excited to bring Monstropolis to life for fans,” Michael Hundgen, Vice President Creative, Walt Disney World Portfolio at Walt Disney Imagineering, told Variety.
“Monsters, Inc. is right up there in terms of iconic locations. The moment you saw it, you thought, ‘I want to go to a world where monsters live and work and play,’” Hundgen said.
Released in 2001, Monsters, Inc. followed the adventures of James P. Sullivan, the top scarer at the largest scare factory in the monster world, and his assistant, Mike Wazowski, as they try to safely return a young human girl, Boo, home after she sneaks into the factory.
A highlight of Monstropolis will be its door coaster, which will combine thrills and theatrics. The ride will suspend guests 40 feet in the air, mimicking the film’s Door Warehouse, while they are transported into the world of Monsters, Inc.
Of the coaster, Hundgen teased that “it’s a showstopper,” adding that the “opening scene will take you straight into the laugh floor, and guests will be placed into contraptions that Mike has created to harness both laughs and screams. The idea is that if you combine those two things — well, screams are powerful, but laughs are even more powerful.”
Fans will also get the chance to attend a new show at the Glob Theater that will introduce them to the world of monsters. It will feature a new original song from composer Randy Newman — his first written exclusively for a Disney theme park.
“We’re drawing inspiration from immersive theater and optical illusions that make you feel like things are actually there — paired with physical elements that truly are there,” Hundgen explained.
Monstropolis will further welcome guests to dine at several different Monsters, Inc.-themed locations, including Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, Scareporium and Harryhausen’s Restaurant.
The entire park is built around “H.U.M.A.N. Day, short for ‘Humans Understand Monsters Are Nice,’ a citywide celebration that brings humans into the monster world for the first time,” Disney said in a June press release.
Monsters, Inc. became a beloved Pixar classic, going on to spawn a 2013 prequel, Monsters University, which centered on Mike and Sulley’s college years. Pixar revealed in March that Monsters, Inc. 3 is currently in production.