Disney Confirms Dates for Permanent Shutdowns at Hollywood Studios

If you’ve visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios lately, you’ve probably noticed the park is in the middle of one of its biggest overhauls in years.

Entire sections are transforming, new lands are on the way, and beloved attractions are preparing for their final curtain call. The changes are so significant that longtime fans are finding themselves caught between nostalgia and curiosity for what’s next.

For months, rumors about closures have swirled in fan forums, sparked by construction walls, mysterious scrim, and sudden attraction downtime. The opening of Monsters, Inc. Land—slated to replace the old Muppet Courtyard—was already shaking up the park’s lineup.

And when Disney announced that Muppet*Vision 3-D would permanently close, but that a brand-new Muppets roller coaster retheme of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster would be coming, it was clear the park’s identity was shifting yet again. But even then, there were still unanswered questions.

Guests have been trying to piece together the timeline. Some assumed these changes would be gradual, giving fans time for farewell visits. Others thought the closures might be pushed back due to construction delays. Now, Disney has made it official—putting an end to the speculation. The countdown is on, at least for some attractions.

Beginning September 25, 2025, two longtime Hollywood Studios attractions will close forever. The Animation Courtyard—home to Star Wars Launch Bay and Disney Jr. Play and Dance!—will see its final day of operation on September 24, 2025.

After that, the space will be transformed into The Magic of Disney Animation, a new interactive experience inspired by the Emmy-winning short Once Upon a Studio.

The reimagined area will include living portraits, a sketching class, a short film, and the Drawn to Wonderland playground featuring oversized flowers, musical instruments, and whimsical set pieces styled after Disney Legend Mary Blair’s art.

The courtyard makeover will also bring back a piece of Hollywood Studios history—Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat.

While the original hat served as the park’s icon for over a decade before being removed in 2015, this new version will stand as part of a redesigned facade meant to mimic the real Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California. The entry arch will be removed, and the building will be remodeled to fit the updated theme.

While Disney has locked in the September dates for these closures, one major change remains without a set timeline—the permanent closure of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. The attraction’s Muppets retheme has been confirmed, with construction already visible in parts of the queue and around the Sunset Showcase Theater.

However, Disney has not yet announced its final operating day. Fans are treating every visit as if it could be their last chance to ride the original high-speed limo race through Los Angeles, complete with its iconic Aerosmith soundtrack.

Once it does close, the coaster will be reimagined as a chaotic, high-energy Muppets adventure, possibly starring Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem in a “concert gone wrong” storyline.

While some classic exterior elements—like the giant red guitar—might remain in some form, the ride’s interior is expected to change completely. For many guests, it marks the end of an era that began when the attraction debuted in 1999.

Between the Animation Courtyard overhaul and the impending Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster transformation, Hollywood Studios is in the midst of a major identity shift.

The park is moving further away from its original focus on behind-the-scenes Hollywood magic and leaning heavily into immersive, IP-driven experiences. Love it or not, the future of Hollywood Studios is set to look very different from the one that opened its gates in 1989.

If you have favorites in the Animation Courtyard, September 24 will be your last opportunity to experience them. And if Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is on your must-do list, don’t put it off—you never know when Disney might finally pull the plug. For fans, this is both a farewell tour and the start of a new chapter in the park’s history.