We finally know where the Avatar experience is going to be built at Disneyland Resort! Disney has confirmed that the new Avatar area is taking over a portion of the Hollywood Backlot space in Disney California Adventure. As a result, the Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! attraction will close in early 2026.
In addition to details about its location, Disney also shared a new piece of concept art for the experience. This new art, seen above, looks a bit different than what we’ve seen before. We also can’t help but note Disney is once again calling the Avatar project an “experience” rather than a named land.
Remember this concept art from April 2024?
It’s always fun to compare all the different concept art for the same project and watching it evolve over time. The new art looks like a different angle of the Avatar area, which makes comparisons difficult. That said, we feel the new art looks a bit less grandiose than the version from 2024. Hopefully this project hasn’t been scaled back.
While the update mentioned the Monsters Inc. ride closure, it didn’t mention anything about Mickey’s PhilharMagic. None of the other nearby dining (Award Wieners!) and character locations were mentioned either. It remains to be seen if those Hollywood Land spaces will close too. We don’t know how Disney will pull off a transition from whatever could be left of Hollywood Land and the very lush Avatar area.
Disney says they’ll share construction timelines at a future date. Considering they originally announced an Avatar experience in early 2023, it feels like this is another project that may span several years between announcement and opening.
