Monstropolis Gets Mechanical: Lift Towers and Station Rise on the Monsters, Inc. Coaster

Construction on the future Monstropolis land at Disney's Hollywood Studios has entered a new phase. Where recent coverage focused on architecture – scaffolding coming down at the Glob Theater, the "toothy" trim, fresh paintwork – aerial photography from September 5, 2026 shows the attraction's core components for the first time.

Two towers, an unusual ride system

Two tall grey steel structures now stand facing each other, with the future boarding area between them. These are the vertical lift towers – the defining element of the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster, which Disney announced back in March 2025 as its first-ever vertical-lift roller coaster.

The concept: guests board at floor level, and the trains are then raised more than 40 feet in roughly four seconds while remaining level. The seats rotate from a sideways position to face forward during the ascent – a movement Disney also confirmed in 2025, playing on the film's door mechanic.

The station takes on its identity

The distinctive "M"-shaped arches are now installed above the loading areas between the lift towers, framing two boarding zones styled after the factory's scare floor.

The large show building the trains enter after the lift is now substantially roofed, closing in the shell for the interior scenes.

Track is on site

A staging area near the Skyliner route is notable: dozens of track sections are laid out there – straight pieces, wide bends and tight curves. Having the track on site suggests installation is not far off, though no schedule has been made public.

What Disney has said about timing – and what it hasn't

This warrants care. At D23 in August 2026, Disney announced a phased opening: most of the Monstropolis land is due in 2027, with the Door Coaster following in a later phase.

There is no specific date. "2027" covers January as readily as December, and the current state of the site – unfinished facades, ongoing utility work, unbuilt track – gives no reason to expect an early opening. No opening date for the coaster itself has ever been given.

Reports framing Monstropolis as opening "early" refer only to the land arriving ahead of the ride, not to an earlier date.

Why it matters

Over the medium term, this coaster matters more to Hollywood Studios than any of this autumn's additions. The park effectively has one family-friendly coaster in the middle intensity band – Slinky Dog Dash – and its queues have been the symptom of that gap for years. A second coaster with its own ride system meaningfully changes the park's capacity picture. That is still at least two years away.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom: New Baked Chicken Tenders Arrive at Pizzafari A new twist on a Disney classic! Pizzafari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is adding baked chicken tenders to its menu starting today, served with dipping sauce and kettle chips.