Avatar Experience Replaces Monsters Inc. - Monsters Inc. Closing Early 2026 - Future DCA Expansion Plans - Avengers Campus Expansion, Coco Ride

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

I'll be the gentle contrarian here - Shull's not the most reliable narrator. Yes, he worked at Imagineering a long time, but, if you follow him on Twitter/X - he's wrong a lot. Honestly, he stuffs his foot in his mouth constantly, and sometimes Tom Morris and Eddie Soto have had to gently step in to nudge him back in the right direction.

He's almost a meme on Reddit at this point. For example:

View attachment 979717

To that person's point, I wish Jim would focus on historical projects, because he has a crazy amount of knowledge about all of the projects he worked on. But he often thinks his historical knowledge gives him some kind of insight into Imagineering's current thinking, and I'm not convinced that it does.

For example - and he may end up being right here, we don't know - but he's not the only one who assumed that Coco would replace those three storage buildings. But several of the active DLR bloggers have apparently been told by Disney staff that they're not removing all of those buildings - supposedly, at least the two back ones are staying.

Obviously, we'll see, but I wouldn't treat Jim's speculation any differently than I would any of ours.

Well, here's hoping he's wrong about Coco, lol. That movie is so beloved, it deserves a nice long ride

 

[brightlined]

Side note about Jim - he had a pitch last week that I thought was more plausible than putting Tangled in that spot (based on the scuttle we've heard so far).

He suggested that they might use Frozen Ever After as the template. And, honestly, as best as I can figure, it would actually fit in the space behind Incredicoaster. (In the image here, I reversed the Frozen building to fit better - the entrance is on the top right.)



Some of the comments we've heard so far suggested that Disney wasn't going to remove any of the backstage buildings, and this would meet that threshold. (If they did this, hopefully, they would build a larger queue, and they'd have space for it.)

And, weirdly, this week, Disney filed a permit for work along Disneyland Drive that (at least for me) suggests that they're going to remove the Mickey sidewalk and push the park out towards the street.

I'm going waaaaay out on a limb by suggesting any of this, but this feels more likely to me. If they use Frozen as a template - have it start downstairs, climb to the afterlife, then a drop back to the real world. If the second "story" were two stories tall, they could make it feel a lot larger than what's at Frozen.

But, even if they did something like this - I still think they'd do a custom build rather than using the Frozen track layout as Jim was suggesting last week. (If I've got the dimensions right, there's room for an even larger ride building there.)

At minimum, a two-story attraction would give them a lot longer of a ride in a much smaller space.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Side note about Jim - he had a pitch last week that I thought was more plausible than putting Tangled in that spot (based on the scuttle we've heard so far).

He suggested that they might use Frozen Ever After as the template. And, honestly, as best as I can figure, it would actually fit in the space behind Incredicoaster. (In the image here, I reversed the Frozen building to fit better - the entrance is on the top right.)

View attachment 979872

Some of the comments we've heard so far suggested that Disney wasn't going to remove any of the backstage buildings, and this would meet that threshold. (If they did this, hopefully, they would build a larger queue, and they'd have space for it.)

And, weirdly, this week, Disney filed a permit for work along Disneyland Drive that (at least for me) suggests that they're going to remove the Mickey sidewalk and push the park out towards the street.

I'm going waaaaay out on a limb by suggesting any of this, but this feels more likely to me. If they use Frozen as a template - have it start downstairs, climb to the afterlife, then a drop back to the real world. If the second "story" were two stories tall, they could make it feel a lot larger than what's at Frozen.

But, even if they did something like this - I still think they'd do a custom build rather than using the Frozen track layout as Jim was suggesting last week. (If I've got the dimensions right, there's room for an even larger ride building there.)

At minimum, a two-story attraction would give them a lot longer of a ride in a much smaller space.

I like your thinking! Yes, going "upstairs" to see the land of the dead sounds very interesting. And incredicoaster can help hide a taller show building.

 

[LAS2AMS]

I'll be the gentle contrarian here - Shull's not the most reliable narrator. Yes, he worked at Imagineering a long time, but, if you follow him on Twitter/X - he's wrong a lot. Honestly, he stuffs his foot in his mouth constantly, and sometimes Tom Morris and Eddie Soto have had to gently step in to nudge him back in the right direction.

He's almost a meme on Reddit at this point. For example:

View attachment 979717

To that person's point, I wish Jim would focus on historical projects, because he has a crazy amount of knowledge about all of the projects he worked on. But he often thinks his historical knowledge gives him some kind of insight into Imagineering's current thinking, and I'm not convinced that it does.

For example - and he may end up being right here, we don't know - but he's not the only one who assumed that Coco would replace those three storage buildings. But several of the active DLR bloggers have apparently been told by Disney staff that they're not removing all of those buildings - supposedly, at least the two back ones are staying.

Obviously, we'll see, but I wouldn't treat Jim's speculation any differently than I would any of ours.

have to disagree. Disney’s plans are fluid and ever changing. What’s planned today, will probably change tomorrow, and this even the most reliable contributors will look foolish. For example… it’s pretty obvious that Jim Hill has long been fed inside information, yet much of it changes or never materializes and thus he’s mocked relentlessly on social media.

Reddit has turned into a poop hole in recent years. A small number of users are heavily active and continually pass fictitious narratives. The forum would lead you to believe that the Great Movie Ride and MuppetVision were super popular attractions that Disney killed to sell their more popular IP when in reality, both were aging attractions, declining in popularity and in need of $ignificant work.

And lately there’s been a push of WDW social media personalities coming to DL and pushing BS. One popular blogger insists that the Rivers of America’s says at DL are numbered… just because they’re (somewhat) removing them from WDW. Of course, that completely ignores why it’s being removed from WDW and more importantly, the role it plays at DL in terms of drainage & ecosystem. Anyone who’s visited Southern California, and not just DL, will notice drainage systems everywhere…

Anyway, Shull brings a unique perspective that few others do. He always mentions that concept art is more exciting that the final product because, well, cost. And cost is an element few Disney fans what to recognize. I remember during Covid when this forum and Reddit were dreaming of the new attractions Disney would quickly build during Covid - yeah, because that’s what businesses with huge negative cash flows care about…

 

[LAS2AMS]

Side note about Jim - he had a pitch last week that I thought was more plausible than putting Tangled in that spot (based on the scuttle we've heard so far).

He suggested that they might use Frozen Ever After as the template. And, honestly, as best as I can figure, it would actually fit in the space behind Incredicoaster. (In the image here, I reversed the Frozen building to fit better - the entrance is on the top right.)

View attachment 979872

Some of the comments we've heard so far suggested that Disney wasn't going to remove any of the backstage buildings, and this would meet that threshold. (If they did this, hopefully, they would build a larger queue, and they'd have space for it.)

And, weirdly, this week, Disney filed a permit for work along Disneyland Drive that (at least for me) suggests that they're going to remove the Mickey sidewalk and push the park out towards the street.

I'm going waaaaay out on a limb by suggesting any of this, but this feels more likely to me. If they use Frozen as a template - have it start downstairs, climb to the afterlife, then a drop back to the real world. If the second "story" were two stories tall, they could make it feel a lot larger than what's at Frozen.

But, even if they did something like this - I still think they'd do a custom build rather than using the Frozen track layout as Jim was suggesting last week. (If I've got the dimensions right, there's room for an even larger ride building there.)

At minimum, a two-story attraction would give them a lot longer of a ride in a much smaller space.

IMO, the project will be difficult to pull off without removing backstage facilities. They have have just meant they won’t remove buildings but the warehouses are of inexpensive construction.

I hope the Coco ride is elaborate but let’s not forget they initially planned to covert the horrific Rio de Tiempo attraction at Epcot, and that’s pretty short.

The Tangled attraction at Tokyo, unfortunately, seems reasonable. Doesn’t seem as if this is a big budget attraction.

 

[JerrodDragon89]

Reddit has turned into a poop hole in recent years. A small number of users are heavily active and continually pass fictitious narratives. The forum would lead you to believe that the Great Movie Ride and MuppetVision were super popular attractions that Disney killed to sell their more popular IP when in reality, both were aging attractions, declining in popularity and in need of $ignificant work.

And lately there’s been a push of WDW social media personalities coming to DL and pushing BS. One popular blogger insists that the Rivers of America’s says at DL are numbered… just because they’re (somewhat) removing them from WDW. Of course, that completely ignores why it’s being removed from WDW and more importantly, the role it plays at DL in terms of drainage & ecosystem. Anyone who’s visited Southern California, and not just DL, will notice drainage systems everywhere…

I mean my issue with Hollywood studios is they are closing things they don't need to to build more...they have room in the park that isn't being used and I hear even the parking lot is huge and they could add more to that

So my issue is replacing attractions like Muppets when you could have just taken over the star wars launch bay instead.


To bring this back to DCA the Coco/Avangers ride are perfect....Avatar we will see. I wish they put it in the new area mainly because if they wanted to add more to the land they could but would be hard in Hollywood to do that

 

[LAS2AMS]

I mean my issue with Hollywood studios is they are closing things they don't need to to build more...they have room in the park that isn't being used and I hear even the parking lot is huge and they could add more to that

So my issue is replacing attractions like Muppets when you could have just taken over the star wars launch bay instead.


To bring this back to DCA the Coco/Avangers ride are perfect....Avatar we will see. I wish they put it in the new area mainly because if they wanted to add more to the land they could but would be hard in Hollywood to do that

It comes down to cost and practicality. There are reports that Disney took the AA from DCA’s MuppetVision and used them for parts to keep DHS’s version going. Allegedly they were newer tech and could not directly replace the AA at DHS. Many people have commented in recent years that the DHS AA are in despair and not always working properly.

So Disney was in position of having to decide whether to invest millions of dollars into the attraction or close it. The attraction has a strong fan base but it clearly was past its prime, and investing in the attraction isn’t going to bring the masses back.

Muppets Courtyard was built to blend in with the Streets of New York. Changing the areas theme to monstropolis will be quick and relatively low cost. The area has been underutilized since it opened - the cast parking was always earmarked for expansion - so putting Monsters there makes a lot of sense. Jim Hill said *20 years ago* this was under consideration.

Reports were that DCA’s 2.0 backlot was to be converted to monstropolis but the Imagineers thought it’d be a subpar Disney experience. Same would be true of Launch Bay - eventually all the old production and tour facilities (sans the soundstages) will need to come down.

 

[joseph821]

So Monsters is closing in "early 2026." Does anyone have an idea when that will be? Given all the talk and permits filed.
Is it possible Monsters closes at the end of Holiday/Christmas season - January 5?

 

[OlliePop27]

Interesting discussion on likely new pedestrian bridges. Important note: this is Anaheim, not Disney, and not formally part of Disneyland Forward. This is also separate from the bridge Disney is building for the new eastern gateway parking facility.

Take a look at pedestrian bridges proposed for the Anaheim Resort – Orange County Register https://share.google/af2g4nId9dnBIRRz5

 

[disneychrista]

Interesting discussion on likely new pedestrian bridges. Important note: this is Anaheim, not Disney, and not formally part of Disneyland Forward. This is also separate from the bridge Disney is building for the new eastern gateway parking facility.

Take a look at pedestrian bridges proposed for the Anaheim Resort – Orange County Register https://share.google/af2g4nId9dnBIRRz5

Behind a paywall. Can you copy and paste the text?

 

[OlliePop27]

I can't get the renderings in but here's the text from the OC Register.

Take a look at pedestrian bridges proposed for the Anaheim Resort
Michael Slaten
UPDATED: July 23, 2025 at 9:01 AM PDT
New pedestrian bridges could be built in the Anaheim resort district, giving the large groups of walkers in the area an opportunity to crisscross streets without worrying about vehicle traffic.

Officials on the Anaheim Tourism Improvement District Transportation Committee this month got a first look at where four proposed pedestrian bridges would be built in the resort area. The bridges are meant to give pedestrians traveling between Disneyland and hotels, restaurants and the Anaheim Convention Center a safer way to move around.

The bridges represent a major goal the committee has set its sights on for years — more than $32 million has been saved up toward their construction. But ongoing struggles of the resort area’s bus provider, the Anaheim Transportation Network, have necessitated some of that funding to be siphoned off to sustain transit operations.

A pedestrian circulation study by the city and Kittelson & Associates recommended bridges at Harbor Boulevard and Disney Way, Disney Way at the GardenWalk driveway, Katella Avenue near GardenWalk, and Harbor Boulevard at Convention Way. Elevators and staircases would be built at both ends of the bridges.

The four proposed pedestrian bridges are separate from one the Disneyland Resort plans to build connecting its new parking garage on the east side of Harbor Boulevard over to its esplanade.

The Disney Way and Harbor Boulevard bridge would be prioritized for construction as it’s projected to get the most use.

Two of the proposed bridges would connect with whatever Disney ends up building at the Toy Story parking lot — company officials have said it could be developed with more shopping and experiences.

The study also looked at pedestrian bridges over Katella Avenue from the Anaheim Convention Center and over Harbor Boulevard near Manchester Avenue, but city staff have recommended those plans not move forward due to low projected use.

An early estimate for the cost of the bridges ranged from $5 million to $15 million. That range depends on whether a simple design is chosen over something more visually appealing and the estimates don’t include costs of acquiring more land for the bridges or working around utilities.

“The assumption is, yes, we’ll definitely go after grants,” Anaheim Public Works Director Rudy Emami said, “but I think a majority of the funding would come from (the Anaheim Tourism Improvement District).”

The tourism district is funded by a 2% assessment from hotel stays at participating Anaheim hotels around the resort area. A fourth goes toward transportation needs, overseen by a city employee, a hotelier and a Disney representative. The rest of the money raised by the assessment goes to Visit Anaheim for marketing.

Members of the Transportation Committee have said they’ve been building up a cash reserve in anticipation of contributing when the city is ready to build pedestrian bridges around the resort area.

But the financially beleaguered Anaheim Transportation Network continues to need support from the tourism district, cutting into the $32.9 million officials have been setting aside over several years. The fund currently receives around $7 million a year.

The tourism district’s Transportation Committee on July 10 approved another $2.5 million in stop-gap funding for ATN.

The transportation network, which operates the blue Anaheim Regional Transportation buses seen circling the resort area, has needed outside funding support for the past few years, including millions from the tourism district, as it faces sharply rising labor costs.

The transit agency’s board in June approved a 90-day budget that relied on the latest $2.5 million cash infusion from the Anaheim Tourism Improvement District to help it with operational funding and to catch up on late payments to its bus contractor, Parking Company of America.

“This is, again, a Band-Aid,” committee chair and hotelier Fred Brown said. “This is going to continue until there’s a funding source for (ATN) or (ATN) dissolves.”

“This is not going to be the last time that we’re going to see ATN in front of this board,” he added.

Earlier this year, the city and ATN agreed to consider a restructuring to address the transit operator’s ongoing budget struggles, including even a takeover by the city.

Emami acknowledged recently that the city is moving toward such a possible takeover.

“We are in the process of scheduling a follow-up meeting with (ATN’s) executive committee,” Emami said. “That is where we will explore the next step … which would be executing (a memorandum of understanding) for the potential transfer of ATN to the city.”
Brown, who is also on ATN’s board, said they are looking at dates in early August for that meeting.

“Those are difficult discussions, difficult conversations that we need to have about ATN, our public transit system in the city of Anaheim and the future that it holds,” ATN CEO Diana Kotler said.

Councilmember Natalie Meeks at the July 15 City Council meeting asked city staff to prepare an update on the latest with the discussions for the council.

Kotler said without ongoing support from the transportation fund, ATN can’t continue to meet its obligations. Many hotels in the resort area are required to provide clean-air shuttles to Disneyland, which ATN fulfills.

Public engagement on the proposed bridges will begin in the coming months. The proposal will also go before the City Council for approval.

 

[irlandaise]

Behind a paywall. Can you copy and paste the text?

Worked okay for me. Maybe you've looked at the Register's website more than I have and you've reached a limit of free articles? Try clearing the Register's cookies from your browser or using a different browser.

TBH it would have helped if they'd said which rendering was for which bridge.

 

[disneychrista]

Worked okay for me. Maybe you've looked at the Register's website more than I have and you've reached a limit of free articles? Try clearing the Register's cookies from your browser or using a different browser.

TBH it would have helped if they'd said which rendering was for which bridge.

Only when someone posts something here and even then I usually don't bother because I know the link will be behind a paywall.