Disney Legend Josh Gad Voices Support for Muppets Amid Monsters, Inc. Land Rumors at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Aug 14, 2024 in "Monsters Inc. Land"

Gallery / 4 Photos
Monsters Inc. Land Concept Art

Posted: Wednesday August 14, 2024 12:50pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney Legend Josh Gad has taken to social media to express his concerns over the future of the beloved Muppets at Disney's Hollywood Studios. With recent announcements hinting at a new Monsters, Inc. Land potentially replacing the Muppets Courtyard, Gad's comments have added a significant voice to the ongoing discussion among Disney fans.

Monsters Inc. Land Concept Art

Gad, best known for his role as Olaf in Disney's Frozen franchise, posted on Threads today, stating simply, "The Muppets must be protected at all costs."

His support for the Muppets comes at a time when speculation is rife that MuppetVision 3D and its surrounding area could be on the chopping block to make way for the new Monsters, Inc. Land, which was recently announced by Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro.

Monsters Inc. Land Concept Art

The announcement of a Monsters, Inc. Land has been met with excitement, but it also raised immediate questions about where the new attraction would be built. Disney's Hollywood Studios, unlike other Walt Disney World parks, faces significant space limitations due to surrounding roadways and existing attractions. As a result, speculation has centered on two possible locations: Animation Courtyard and Muppets Courtyard.

While both courtyards have been presented as potential sites, recent information suggests that Muppets Courtyard is the frontrunner. This would mean the removal of MuppetVision 3D, an iconic attraction that has been a fixture at Disney's Hollywood Studios since its debut in 1991. The show, which was one of the last projects Jim Henson worked on before his passing, holds a special place in Disney history and the hearts of fans.

Disn ey's Hollywood Studios: Will Monsters, Inc. Land Replace Muppets Courtyard or Animation Courtyard?

MuppetVision 3D

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MrHappy11 hours ago

“Off track,,” you’re good!

ToTBellHop12 hours ago

Villains. I honestly forgot, too. MI Doors should be 40-42”.

JackCH12 hours ago

Yeah my bad I was responding to a post about coasters in general and probably got us off track.

IanDLBZF12 hours ago

And my guess is that this is going to contain at least one or more inversions.

Disgruntled Walt12 hours ago

Wait, now I'm confused. Too many threads going on at the same time. I was talking about the Villains coaster, which I realize now this is not the thread for. Are you talking about Monsters Inc?

ToTBellHop12 hours ago

It’s planned as a 48” height requirement coaster AFAIK. Not a kiddie coaster.

Disgruntled Walt12 hours ago

If they're reusing the Dragon Tower plans from Beastly Kingdom, the exposed track shouldn't be an issue. IIRC this was planned as an intense coaster. I don't know if they're planning to use those plans, but I personally hope so!

Moth13 hours ago

I kinda expect the opposite honestly depending what coaster intensity they're pinning for. Biased because I'd want Chernabog to be apart of the dark ride more than the coaster but I can picture him apart of the latter....

BrianLo13 hours ago

No, me neither. I expect the coaster to lean into real scary villainy and the dark ride to skew campy family friendly villains. More Hook, Jafar, Hades and Ursula for the latter.

TheMaxRebo13 hours ago

Ok, added those in - guess if I was including the Monsters Show I should have included those I think the Villains Dark ride is the one with the most variability - more so in "tone" than thrills. Just know a lot of kids that won't do Haunted Mansion due to that .... Probably would be more realistic for it to be more approachable than the Monsters Coaster, even if that is pretty tame, with it being in a box and potentially darkish and kids that maybe have never done a suspended coaster might be less approachable than the Villains dark ride unless they go really dark with it (which I don't expect)

Agent H13 hours ago

About space mountain that’s a good point I’d never considered

JackCH13 hours ago

I'd be totally fine with a truly intense coaster, it's just the exposed track issue. I'm probably one of the few that would be okay with a redo of Space Mountain to be such an intense coaster. One of its main "hooks" was it was sort of a "right of passage" of a first coaster experience, but now with 7DMT, Big Thunder, potentially Villains, not to mention Slinky and Monsters and Guardians and others at other parks, Space doesn't really have that anymore. So have it be a "new" right of passage as being the first truly intense coaster with inversions, etc. I also kind of like having the coasters at MK be a sliding scale of intensity: From "Kiddie" to "Intense": Barnstormer 7DMT Big Thunder Villains Tron Space Not going to happen, but I like it.

JackCH13 hours ago

And whatever might be in Animation Courtyard really needs to be a more family oriented dark ride of some kind. Or a boat ride.

BrianLo14 hours ago

You are forgetting the Villains show and Ariel. Plus the muppets coaster for that matter. I’d be pretty surprised if the Monsters Coaster is more approachable than the Villains dark ride. The hook of the former is to actually make people scream. I’d be pretty surprised if the Villains dark ride was not even softer than Haunted Mansion. From the macroscopic lens the additions are fine to me. Just from the DHS lens a coaster in a box wasn’t what DHS was pining for. The follow up projects definitely need to be things like Inside Out, Imagination, or whatever they do with Coco and Moana.