Disney’s Hollywood Studios is in for a major transformation in the coming years.
Fantasmic! Dining Package Loses a Key Location
One notable change will impact the Fantasmic! Dining Package, which offers guests reserved seating for the popular nighttime spectacular when they book meals at select Hollywood Studios restaurants. Among the current options are 50’s Prime Time Cafe, Hollywood & Vine, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, The Hollywood Brown Derby, and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano.
However, with Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano set to close on May 10, 2025, guests will soon lose this dining package option. As the restaurant’s final months approach, reservations are expected to become more competitive, with non-Fantasmic! guests also eager to visit before its closure. This shift could increase demand at the four remaining participating venues.
Pixar Expands Its Presence at Walt Disney World
During this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter took the stage alongside Walt Disney Imagineering to unveil ambitious additions to Disney’s theme parks. “Getting to know all the little details and getting those right, that’s how we build authenticity into our worlds,” Docter shared, per a Disney press release. “It really has to feel real because that’s what allows you to believe in the story.”
The first-of-its-kind Monsters, Inc.-themed land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will feature a brand-new e-ticket attraction. “We have never done anything like this before,” Imagineer Michael Hundgen said at SXSW. “It’s Disney’s first suspended coaster, it’s our first vertical lift. We’re designing this experience to be as memorable and as fun as the film itself.” The Disney Imagineer detailed the innovative new ride based on the franchise’s door vault sequence, promising a groundbreaking experience for parkgoers.
The Evolution of Hollywood Studios
The Monsters, Inc. attraction was first revealed at last year’s D23 Expo, alongside redevelopments to Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The former will welcome the Cars franchise, replacing parts of Frontierland like Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. The latter will transform with DinoLand U.S.A. making way for the Tropical Americas, featuring Encanto and Indiana Jones, in an area called the Pueblo Esperanza.
As Disney’s Hollywood Studios prepares for the arrival of Monstropolis, significant closures have been confirmed. The Grand Avenue area will lose some of its components, including Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo, which will shutter on June 7, 2025. Additionally, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will reemerge with a new Muppets-themed storyline–as has been rumored for years.
More Entertainment Arrives at Hollywood Studios
Summer 2025 will see the debut of two major additions to Hollywood Studios’ live show lineup: Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, taking over Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, and The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure, bringing the undersea tale to life in a fresh stage production.
How do you feel about the changes coming to Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments!
