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Credit: Inside the MagicThings are changing in big ways at Disney World. Are you ready?
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There’s a lot happening inside Walt Disney World, though Disney’s Hollywood Studios is seeing some of the most significant updates. Just recently, Walt Disney Imagineering filed a new Notice of Commencement for the former Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano.
The new filing lists PCL Construction Services, Inc., with a description of “General Construction.” This is all part of the land’s transformation into Monstropolis.
The former restaurant is slated to become a new eatery. Disney is also planning to reuse other Muppets Courtyard locations for its new Monstropolis.
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Disney announced Monstropolis during the company’s D23 event in August 2024. Disney shared a lot during the show, with Monstropolis being one of the biggest developments of the night. Inspired by Pixar’s Monsters Inc., Monstropolis is intended to transport visitors into the fictional city where Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan (Sully) live.
However, Disney neglected to reveal where Monstropolis would actually be located during D23. Two pieces of concept art were shared: one placed Monstropolis where Animation Courtyard resided, and the other showed Monstropolis taking over Muppets Courtyard. To say fans were concerned would be an understatement.
With the fate of Muppets Courtyard up in the air, many Disney World fans didn’t know what to do with themselves. Muppets Courtyard had become an iconic part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as it not only featured fan-favorite eateries like Mama Melrose and PizzeRizzo, but it was also the home to Muppet*Vision 3D.
This classic 4D theater show had become one of the park’s most iconic and quintessential attractions, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the world of Jim Henson’s Muppets.
Disney knew closing this section of the park would be controversial, though this didn’t stop the company from doing so. In June of 2025, Muppets Courtyard permanently closed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, marking the end of an era for not just the theme park but Walt Disney World as a whole.
Monstropolis will feature a new restaurant, a new theater attraction, and a new roller coaster. The new land is expected to be completed in 2027.
Are you excited to visit Monstropolis? Do you miss Muppets Courtyard?