Disney World Says Farewell to Muppets Attraction, Makes Room For ‘Monstropolis’

The Muppets will make way for Monsters as their time as a main attraction at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, comes to an end.
While the Muppets may no longer appear on the south side of Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, the company plans to install the characters at a ride in the park and incorporate other elements of Muppets Courtyard in other ways.
The Muppets have yet to appear as part of a ride at any Disney Park. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster presently seats riders in stretch limousine-themed cars that play Aerosmith songs. The Muppets are currently used as meet-and-greet characters at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Muppet*Vision 3D has been a fixture at Hollywood Studios since 1991. The general location also houses PizzeRizzo, a pizzeria named after the Muppets character Rizzo the Rat.
The Muppets had an opening-day attraction in 2001 at Disney’s California Adventure, which closed in 2014 to make way for a “Frozen” sing-along.
The Muppets Present…Great Moments in American History, a live performance show, last appeared at the Magic Kingdom in 2019.
It’s still unclear when the last Muppet shows will take place or when they will appear on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Disney did not return a request for comment by the time of publication. In a statement, Disney said “there’s still enough time to catch” the attractions  “before their final curtain calls.” Construction on the “Monsters, Inc.” land is slated to begin in 2025.
Excitement over Monstropolis was drowned out at the time by backlash from Muppets fans, who speculated the unannounced location would be the Muppets’ location, which includes two restaurants and a shuttered Muppets store.
Disney said it is working on ways to reincorporate the Muppets.
“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 Disney Parks Blog states.
Disney purchased the IP from the Jim Henson Company, which is based in Los Angeles, in 2004. There have since been film reboots, such as 2011’s The Muppets and 2014’s Muppets Most Wanted, as well as  2021’s straight-to-streaming Muppets Haunted Mansion and two short-lived Disney+ streaming shows—The Muppets Mayhem and Muppets Now.
Disney has also created social media accounts for several Muppets, including Big Bird and Kermit. In addition, Kermit and Miss Piggy made a comedic appearance at King Charles’s Coronation Concert in May 2023 outside Windsor Castle.