Disney confirms Monsters land location, move of Muppets, ousting of Aerosmith

Disney confirms Monsters land location, move of Muppets, ousting of Aerosmith

Walt Disney World has confirmed the future location of its land based on “Monsters, Inc.,” and the ripple effect will send the Muppets packing to another location — and attraction — within Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.

The Monsters land, featuring a suspended-vehicle roller coaster, will be added to the south side of the park, according to a Friday post on the official Disney Parks Blog, and this will displace MuppetVision 3D, the show that has been in place since 1991.

The Muppets’ displacement will move the characters to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, an indoor roller coaster that has featured rock band Aerosmith since the ride opened in 1999.  The revision will be the first Disney ride to feature the Muppets, Disney says.

“There’s sure to be laughter, screams and new tunes for this attraction for fans to enjoy throughout the adventure and plenty of Muppets-themed merchandise on Sunset Boulevard,” the blog post reads.

No closing schedule is given, although the post says there’s “still enough time” to see the Aerosmith version and MuppetVision 3D.

Disney shares more about villains land, parade, Animal Kingdom rides

Poster art of the reimagined ride shows Muppet characters such as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Animal and other members of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem in a groovy-painted convertible. The license plate reads MUPP3TS.

The future of MuppetVision isn’t entirely clear.

“As we move forward with these changes, we are having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve the film and other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future,” the blog post reads.

The “Monsters, Inc.” land was announced in August without a specific location within the park. An artist concept released Friday shows a large building, presumably for the new coaster, not on the MuppetVision site but beyond it and to the right. The theater now shows a “Monstero” marquee, and the fountain outside — which currently features Miss Piggy — sports a big eyeball centerpiece a la “Monsters, Inc” character Mike Wazowski.

The area, which essentially backs up to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, also has “Monsters”-themed billboards in the rendering. Also spotted is signage for Harryhausen’s, a Japanese restaurant seen in “Monsters, Inc.,” which was released in 2001.  The announcement doesn’t address current park eateries in the area, such as the Muppet-driven PizzeRizzo or Mama Melrose’s.

The subtraction of MuppetVision and Aerosmith could mean the loss of a couple of favored Disney fans’ catchphrases. The 3D show includes Sam Eagle boasting that the show finale was “a salute to all nations but mostly America,” and the preshow for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster includes actress Iliana Douglas ordering up a stretch limo (“better make it a super-stretch”) for the band and the waiting riders.

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