Monstropolis got its biggest update yet at D23 2026, and Disney finally told us when the city opens its doors to humans. We were in the room for the reveal, got a look at new concept artwork on the show floor, and saw a handful of the new monster figures up close on display stands. Here is everything confirmed for the new land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
H.U.M.A.N. Day Is Coming in 2027 – Disney confirmed that most of Monstropolis opens next year for H.U.M.A.N. Day, short for Humans Understanding Monsters Are Nice, the in-world event welcoming people into the city for the first time. The Glob Theater’s new show, Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, the Monsters University Alumni Club, Harryhausen’s, and Scareporium are all set to open in 2027. The suspended door coaster is still under construction with no completion date attached, so it will not be part of that first wave. We first covered the official H.U.M.A.N. Day framework and the Department of Human Relations back in June, when Disney confirmed the land’s full story and named Harryhausen’s for the first time.
Welcome to Monstropolis at the Glob Theater – The land’s new stage show is called “Welcome to Monstropolis,” hosted by Mike and Sulley, with Sulley bringing a humble, homespun segment and Mike, ever the showman, promising a few surprises of his own. The concept art shown at D23 backs that up. It shows Mike and Sulley performing above a packed house while a purple furry monster, a small horned green creature, and a walking eyeball creature share the stage, and a group of small yellow flying creatures cross a rope line strung between two doors against the Monstropolis skyline. The show’s theme song, “Welcome to Monstropolis,” was written by Disney Legend Randy Newman, marking his first original song written specifically for a theme park. This is the same building we first spotted taking on a new facade back in February, when we called it “The Monstro” while watching crews strip the old Grand Avenue Theater down to its bones. It is officially the Glob Theater now.
Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza and the Monsters University Alumni Club – Monstropolis is getting a quick-service pizza spot called Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, named for Fear Tech’s six-legged mascot, who has become a fan favorite on both the Fear Tech and Monsters University campuses over the years despite getting “borrowed” by mischievous MU students more than once. Right next door, the Monsters University Alumni Club welcomes human visitors eating at Archie’s, and inside it houses the elite Scarer’s Club, a tribute to the school’s legendary scarers from years past.
Harryhausen’s Finally Gets Its Sushi Chef, and We Called It – This is the reveal we were most excited to see confirmed. Disney showed off new concept art for Harryhausen’s table-service restaurant, including a new Audio-Animatronics figure for the restaurant’s sushi chef, a red, six-armed octopus wearing a white chef’s headband and wielding a knife with practiced ease. If that character sounds familiar, it should. Back in March, we published a deep dive into the real tribute hidden inside Harryhausen’s name, tracing it back to stop-motion legend Ray Harryhausen and identifying the film’s background sushi chef, an octopus missing part of one tentacle known in Pixar lore as the Sixtopus, as the character with the most obvious potential to anchor the restaurant’s theming. Seeing Disney bring that exact idea to life as a full animatronic is exactly the kind of payoff we were hoping for. Michael Hundgen, Vice President of Creative for Walt Disney Imagineering, said the restaurant will offer a menu unlike anything else at Walt Disney World and called it a great spot for a romantic meal, so expect Harryhausen’s to lean into the same date-night setting Mike took Celia to in the film.
Scareporium and the Rest of the Land – Human tourists visiting Monstropolis will be able to pick up a souvenir at Scareporium, the land’s new retail shop. Disney did not share extensive new details on the shop’s layout or merchandise focus beyond confirming it opens alongside the rest of the land’s 2027 offerings.
Building the Neighborhoods of Monstropolis – A concept art display on the D23 show floor broke the land down by neighborhood for the first time. Old Town Monstropolis anchors the city’s historic core, built around a central clock tower and town square. Frightening Heights leans into a taller, more industrial skyline with brick facades and ornate ironwork. And the Monsters, Incorporated district ties the factory’s iconic scare-floor architecture into the surrounding streets. The display also showed off in-world worldbuilding touches like the Monstropolis Transit Authority and the Department of Human Relations, both stamped with their own seals, reinforcing just how much environmental storytelling Imagineering is packing into this land before guests ever set foot in a queue.
Where Construction Stands – On the ground, Monstropolis has been moving fast. In July, we tracked the roller coaster’s structural steel and Harryhausen’s entrance frame taking shape from aerial photos, with the coaster’s supports already reaching the height of its show building. Scott Malwitz, executive creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering, is leading the project’s design direction. No opening date has been given for the coaster itself, so the 2027 wave covers the theater show, both dining locations, and the shop, with the ride following at an unannounced later date.
For more on how we got here, revisit our coverage of the official H.U.M.A.N. Day story reveal and our latest construction walkthrough
