Theme Park Scope

We’re finally starting to see Monstropolis emerge from behind the scaffolding at Disney’s Hollywood Studios…

…and some seriously monstrous details are appearing.

Construction continues on Disney’s upcoming Monsters, Inc.-themed Monstropolis at Hollywood Studios, and the transformation of the former Muppets Courtyard is becoming much easier to see.

Scaffolding has now been removed from a large portion of The Glob Theater, revealing its refreshed exterior for the first time in months. Meanwhile, crews are adding some appropriately toothy architectural details to Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, and even the entrance to Monstropolis is beginning to take shape.

With portions of the new land officially scheduled to open in 2027, we’re reaching the point where this corner of Hollywood Studios is starting to look less like the Muppets Courtyard we remember and more like the monster city Disney has promised.

One of the biggest changes can be seen at The Glob Theater, which is taking over the former MuppetVision 3D theater.

Scaffolding that previously covered part of the building’s facade has been removed, revealing refreshed brickwork and cream-colored trim running along the roofline. There are also several large steel supports extending from the building.

They aren’t particularly pretty right now, but they’re important. Those supports are expected to eventually hold the theater’s new signage and marquee as Disney continues transforming the former MuppetVision facade into The Glob.

Concept art for the finished building shows a dramatically different entrance, including a large marquee advertising the theater’s new production. That production now has an official name: Welcome to Monstropolis! With Sulley & Mike.

Disney revealed at D23 that Mike Wazowski and Sulley will host the new show, which is designed to introduce human visitors to the monster world.

The production will also feature “Welcome to Monstropolis,” a brand-new song written by Disney Legend Randy Newman. According to Disney, it marks the first song Newman has composed specifically for a Disney theme park.

The Glob is particularly important because it’s one of the Monstropolis experiences Disney says will be ready during the land’s first phase of openings in 2027.

Across the land, the former PizzeRizzo building is also looking increasingly monstrous. Crews have begun installing white, zigzag-shaped trim around portions of the roofline at what will become Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. And yes — it looks a whole lot like teeth.

Much of the building remains covered in scaffolding, but additional themed elements are beginning to appear around the exterior. A faceted section of the building has received a rust and bronze finish designed to resemble weathered, riveted metal, complete with rows of oversized bolt heads. The result is beginning to give the structure the exaggerated industrial architecture you’d expect to find in Monstropolis.

Disney recently revealed that Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza will be themed around Archie, the six-legged mascot of Fear Tech. According to the backstory, Archie became popular on both the Fear Tech and Monsters University campuses after mischievous MU students repeatedly “borrowed” him.

The restaurant will serve pizza and will be connected to another newly announced location, the Monsters University Alumni Club. Inside the Alumni Club, guests will find references to the university’s clubs, fraternities, and sororities, along with a Scarer’s Club honoring some of Monsters University’s legendary scarers.

Both locations are part of Disney’s plan to make Monstropolis feel like an actual functioning monster city rather than simply a collection of Monsters, Inc. attractions.

Another notable piece of construction is happening at the entrance to the land.

The large entrance columns that Disney previously removed have now returned, but they’re not exactly the same. The newly installed precast concrete columns currently have an unfinished appearance, and electrical wiring can be seen running inside them. Small openings between sections of the columns appear to provide access for conduit or wiring.

Disney hasn’t announced exactly what electrical elements will eventually be incorporated into the finished entrance, so we wouldn’t assume lighting, signage, or effects until we actually see them installed.

What we can say is that the entrance itself is now being rebuilt with electrical infrastructure incorporated into the columns.It’s another relatively small construction change that becomes more significant when you look at everything happening around it.

The timing of all this work is particularly interesting following Disney’s announcements at D23. Instead of waiting for the entire Monsters, Inc. land to be completed at once, Monstropolis will begin opening in phases in 2027. For now, though, the progress happening on the existing buildings gives us something much more tangible to watch.

After months of demolition and construction walls, Monstropolis is finally beginning to look like Monstropolis. Keep checking back with Theme Park Scope as we follow the transformation of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and get closer to the first phase of Monstropolis opening in 2027.