Monstropolis won't begin welcoming humans until 2027, but one piece of Disney World's newest expansion isn't waiting for opening day.
Construction remains active across the former Muppets area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as Disney prepares to bring Monsters, Inc. (2001) into the park on a much larger scale. New attractions, entertainment, dining, and themed details will eventually transform this corner of Hollywood Studios.
Most of those experiences remain behind construction walls. One recognizable piece of the future land, however, has already come to life.
And guests can see it working right now.
Disney Has Big Plans for Its New Monster City
The massive suspended roller coaster will naturally grab plenty of attention as Monstropolis takes shape.
Inspired by the door vault sequence from Monsters, Inc. (2001), the attraction will suspend riders beneath the track as they travel through the Monsters, Inc. factory. It promises to recreate one of the movie's most memorable moments on a much larger scale.
But Disney wants the surrounding area to feel like more than the home of a roller coaster.
Harryhausen's will become part of the land, bringing the sushi restaurant seen in the movie into Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Disney has also revealed unusual monster animals that add another playful element to the city.
Those details should help create the feeling that guests have actually stepped into a place populated by monsters.
Another piece of that effort involves transforming a building with decades of Disney history.
A Former Muppets Home Is Becoming the Glob Theater
The former home of Muppet*Vision 3D will take on a completely different identity when Monstropolis begins welcoming guests.
Disney is transforming the building into the Glob Theater, home to a new show called “Welcome to Monstropolis.”
Mike Wazowski and Sulley will be behind the production, although Disney's storyline suggests the two friends have different ideas about what their show should become.
Sulley has worked on a smaller production. Mike, unsurprisingly, has bigger ambitions and plans to bring some additional spectacle to the theater.
Disney has already started telling that story through the Monstropolis Horn, a fictional newspaper that expands the narrative of the upcoming land.
Guests can't enter the Glob Theater yet, but they can already see one feature above it doing its job.
The Future Glob Theater Is Already Keeping Time
Disney has removed scaffolding from the upper section of the building's clock tower, offering a much better look at the work completed so far.
The most interesting development is simple: the clock works.
Its hands are moving and keeping time, making the tower an operational piece of Monstropolis well before guests begin entering the land in 2027.
The structure still doesn't match Disney's finished concept artwork. More monster-themed decorations are expected, and the artwork presents a considerably more elaborate version of the tower.
Disney has already made noticeable changes. The upper trim now carries a lighter, weathered-stone appearance, and crews have adjusted portions of the brickwork surrounding the clock.
One particularly recognizable resident isn't coming back.
Gonzo once dangled from the clock's minute hand during the Muppet*Vision 3D era. Disney removed him in September 2025 after the attraction closed. The clock itself retains much of its familiar appearance, including the white face and black Roman numerals.
Now, instead of serving as a Muppets gag, the working clock is becoming part of Monstropolis.
Another New Disney Experience Arrives Even Sooner
Monstropolis isn't the only major project bringing changes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The Magic of Disney Animation will open on September 14, 2026, offering guests several new experiences months before Monstropolis debuts.
“Olaf Draws” will incorporate an Audio-Animatronic Olaf into a drawing experience, while “Drawn to Wonderland” will give younger guests an exploratory play area.
“Off the Page!” will add another interactive Disney animation experience, and the new “Once Upon a Studio” theater will provide a dedicated location for Disney's animated short film.
That gives Hollywood Studios another significant addition while work continues elsewhere in the park.
Monstropolis Is Beginning To Come to Life
There is still plenty left to build before humans start exploring Monstropolis in 2027.
Eventually, guests will encounter the suspended coaster, Harryhausen's, the Glob Theater, monster animals, and other pieces of Disney's expanding Monsters, Inc. world.
For now, the clock tower offers a much smaller preview of what's coming.
Construction walls remain up, and the monsters haven't arrived yet, but the clock above the future Glob Theater is already ticking toward Monstropolis' 2027 debut.
