Crews began installing scaffolding around Gonzo's Royal Flush water tower at Disney's Hollywood Studios on Wednesday morning, March 25, and honestly, Disney is literally destroying the Muppets at Hollywood Studios right now by systematically dismantling everything that made Muppets Courtyard special. While there has been scaffolding around Gonzo's Royal Flush building for weeks, this is the first scaffolding to reach the water tower itself, with the structure being rethemed as part of the Monstropolis reimagining that's completely erasing the Muppet presence from this area.
The building houses the land's restrooms and will be rethemed to Monstropolis rather than demolished, while the water tower will also remain, just with a new color scheme, but honestly, the problem is that this new color scheme completely erases the Muppet identity and backstory that have defined this area for over three decades.
Disney Is Stripping Everything Away
Other theming, like some pipes and Gonzo's Royal Flush sign, has already been removed as part of what honestly feels like a systematic destruction of everything Muppet-related. Currently, the water tower has a purposefully old and rusted appearance with a faded “Broadway Plumbing” logo, and the backstory of Muppets Courtyard indicates Gonzo took over the Broadway Plumbing factory and turned it into Gonzo's Royal Flush, which was such a perfect Muppet story.
According to Monstropolis concept art, the building will retain its red brick, with green roofing and details, while the water tower will be refreshed and get a green roof, completely erasing everything that made this area feel like the Muppets.
The Water Tower Situation
There are four water towers in the courtyard, and aerial photos show all four still intact, but the three at the back of the courtyard will be removed, while another water tower will be added to PizzeRizzo, which is expected to become a new Monsters Inc-themed quick-service restaurant. The water tower on Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano will be replaced by a giant eyeball supported by equally giant chopsticks as the restaurant becomes Harryhausen's from the first Monsters Inc, and honestly, this is just wild.
They Demolished the Muppet Landmark at Disney
Construction crews permanently demolished the iconic Muppet landmark outside the former Muppet*Vision 3D entrance, and honestly, this one really hurts because it wasn't just another background detail but rather a visual anchor that told you exactly where you were. There's a particular kind of silence that settles over a theme park when something familiar suddenly isn't there anymore and that's exactly what fans are feeling right now.
The landmark is gone, with no curtain call or dramatic sendoff, just equipment, dismantled pieces, and a space where something iconic once stood. For longtime parkgoers, that hurts because while rides close and lands evolve, certain symbols feel untouchable, and this particular landmark was one that fans truly believed would stand forever.
The Entrance Is Being Demolished Too
Meanwhile, work continues on the Monstropolis entrance with one of the brick walls at the front of the courtyard having been demolished last week, and now crew members have started demolishing the opposite wall, having stripped brick from one side of the end column. New brick columns will be constructed and topped with winged statues, creating an entirely new entrance that bears no resemblance to the Muppet theming.
Why This Matters for Disney
When Muppet*Vision 3D opened at Hollywood Studios in 1991, it wasn't just another 3D attraction; it carried emotional weight as one of the final projects Jim Henson worked on before his passing. The Muppets weren't designed to be polished corporate mascots but rather were clever, slightly chaotic, and refreshingly self-aware characters who poked fun at themselves, Hollywood, and the world around them.
No Plans to Save Anything at Disney
When news of the closure first broke, fans held onto hope that Disney might preserve the landmark, maybe relocating it near the Muppets' takeover of Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster in 2026, but that hope now appears misplaced. There are no visible signs that the dismantled element has been stored for reuse, with no announcements about honoring it in a different location, no tribute displays, and, honestly, all evidence points to complete removal with no public plan for preservation.
Monstropolis will include a new theatrical experience in the former Muppet*Vision 3D theater and a Monsters Inc door roller coaster, but honestly, the systematic destruction of everything Muppet-related feels like the end of an era that a lot of people aren't ready to say goodbye to.
