PizzeRizzo the quick-service restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is rumored to close later in October and move to a seasonal operating schedule. The report, as seen over at Blog Mickey, states that PizzeRizzo may reopen in Spring 2019, but nothing regarding the closing or reopening have been confirmed at this time.
PizzeRizzo, which was formerly Toy Story Pizza Planet, opened in 2016. With a new look and a new menu, the location was anticipated to be a fun and new quick-service location for the park. Unfortunately, a disappointing menu, mostly subtle theming, average pizza and confusing operating hours have resulted in PizzeRizzo sitting mostly empty.
This rumor comes at a time in which Disney has made other cost-cutting decisions to address attendance that is lighter than expected. With PizzeRizzo not being an extremely popular location to begin with, it may make sense to close the doors temporarily.
Though this appears to be a budget-based decision, it’s also possible Disney has a different vision for PizzeRizzo in mind. That section of the park has historically been home to The Muppets, but the switch to Grand Avenue and the toning down of some of the old Muppets theming would make for an easy change should a different vision come along.