Credit: Patrick McGarvey, FlickrPart of a Disney theme park has been marked for demolition.
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Change is afoot throughout Walt Disney World. From Frontierland at Magic Kingdom to DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney World is in the middle of arguably its most significant transformation in the resort’s history.
New rides, attractions, and entire lands are planned, though guests have to wade through a considerable chunk of closures and construction before all is said and done.
A lot is happening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where construction walls line the now-closed Animation Courtyard.
This section of the park will soon be demolished, preparing it for its transformation into a new Walt Disney Studios Lot. As part of these changes, Star Wars: Launch Bay, an often-loathed part of the park, will close permanently.
Star Wars: Launch Bay opened in 2015, lasting nearly 10 years before it closed in September 2025. The Star Wars-themed experience was always a divisive part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with many fans criticizing it for essentially being a glorified meet-and-greet hub.
However, attractions like The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will remain open. To get to this attraction, as well as Toy Story Land, guests will need to use the staircase to the left of these new construction walls.
This summer, Disney announced that Animation Courtyard at Hollywood Studios would be getting a massive makeover. Alongside new attractions and a new look, Animation Courtyard will receive a new name: The Walt Disney Studios.
Once all is said and done, this area of the park will resemble Disney’s real offices in Burbank, California, giving visitors a peek behind the curtain at how movies and other productions are made.
“Our story in this newly reimagined space begins as the animators have temporarily stepped away… but the building is still buzzing with activity as the characters have come to life and are ready to play,” said Disney in an official release.
Updates to Disney’s Hollywood Studios don’t end there, as work continues inside the former Muppets Courtyard. This section of the park closed permanently this summer and included restaurants like Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano and PizzeRizzo, as well as Muppet*Vision 3d, a 4D theater show.
Muppets Courtyard is being replaced by a new land called Monstropolis. Fans of Pixar’s Monsters Inc. likely recognize the name of the fictional city that is seen within the film. When complete, Monstropolis will feature a number of new locations to explore, as well as a suspended roller coaster, a first for Walt Disney World.
Monstropolis is expected to open in 2027.
Are you excited for these upcoming changes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios?