The “Monsters Inc” door coaster coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be the first-ever suspended coaster at a Disney Park, and feature the first-ever vertical lift.
‘Monsters Inc.’ Coaster to Feature Vertical Lift
Following its initial announcement last year at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan event, today’s Disney Experiences session at SXSW 2025, “The Future of World Building at Disney,” it was revealed that the “Monsters Inc.” door coaster coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios will feature Disney’s first-ever vertical lift. The segment was presented by Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen.
On the new roller coaster, guests will embark on a thrilling idea through the Monsters, Inc. door vault. The model for the coaster was also revealed at the D23 event last year.
You can watch the animatic of the vertical lift in the video below:
Other details regarding Disney’s upcoming, first-ever suspended coaster were not shared during the panel. Hundgen said that it’s going to be “an experience that’s as memorable and fun as the film” and that “Imagineers have been itching to turn that moment into an attraction ever since we saw it for the first time.”
I can tell you that everyone at Pixar is excited about how this is coming together. It really is like a dream come true for us.
Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter
The announcement was made during a Live-Stream SXSW Session hosted by Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro and Co-Chairman Alan Bergman.
The upcoming Monsters Inc. land will take over the current footprint of the Muppets section of Grand Avenue in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. In addition to the suspended door coaster, the land will include shopping, dining, and a new theater show.
Grand Avenue will begin closing these areas in phases to make way for the new land. The final day to dine at Mama Melrose’s will be May 10, 2025, followed by MuppetVision and PizzeRizzo’s final operating day on June 7.
While the Muppets will lose their theater show, which was famously known as the final project Jim Henson worked on before his passing, they will gain a new attraction on Sunset Boulevard — an overlay of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, which currently features Aerosmith. No closing date has been announced, however. The updated attraction will feature “new tunes” and “plenty of Muppets-themed merchandise.”
Disney has previously said that they are “having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve” MuppetVision 3D, along with “other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future.”
Watch our video of MuppetVision 3D below:
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