Why California's Disneyland Park Is Saying Goodbye To This Beloved Ride For Good

It's a sad day for fans of the beloved Pixar film "Monsters Inc.," as Disneyland California Adventure Park has decided it's time to exterminate the monsters in the closet once and for all and make way for bigger, better, and likely more lucrative rides. Disneyland California has continued to make drastic changes to its parks in recent years. For example, it eliminated all of Bugs Land to make way for Avengers, turned Tower of Terror into Guardians of the Galaxy, and changed the entire pier area into one giant Pixar extravaganza. At this point, why not just change the name of the park?

Yes, folks, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro recently announced at Disney's D23 event that after a 20-year stint in the park, the residents of Monstropolous are being booted from the ride "Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!" in fall 2026 to make room for a new "Avatar"-themed attraction.

Instead of recreating scenes from the original film like the ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida, the ride aims to bring Pandora to life. For guests who would like to continue seeing Mike and Sully at Disney parks, Disney World in Florida announced plans in 2024 for the creation of a "Monsters Inc."-themed land, including the first suspended coaster in Disney history. This is in addition to a number of other rides and attractions added to Disney parks in 2024, like the newly re-themed Splash Mountain at Disney World and Disneyland. 

In addition to the new "Avatar" experience, Disneyland California is set to include a new "Coco" ride and experience, which will be added to Pixar Pier. According to Disney Parks Blog, "Walt Disney Imagineering will draw inspiration for the attraction from beloved classics, like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean." D'Amaro commented that they'd be "bringing our skeletal cast of characters to life in a big way through the latest Audio-Animatronics technology ... these figures will appear in ways you'll have to see to believe." Construction of the "Coco" attraction is set to begin fall 2025. There are also plans for a new approximately 6,000-space parking structure and transportation hub, including a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard, in order to improve parking, traffic flow, and public access. 

These infrastructure upgrades are part of the broader DisneylandForward initiative, a long-term expansion plan aimed at reshaping the resort's future footprint and guest experience. While Disney has remained tight-lipped about the full scope of what's to come, this transportation hub signals that they're preparing for significantly more foot traffic — and possibly even more immersive lands to follow.

With new attractions like "Avatar" and "Coco" already generating buzz, it's clear Disney is focusing on more modern IPs to lure in the next generation of fans. Still, not everyone is onboard with the rapid changes. Longtime parkgoers have voiced concerns over the erosion of classic attractions and the increasing shift toward franchise-heavy experiences. Whether you're thrilled or skeptical about the changes, one thing is certain — the Disneyland of tomorrow is going to look a lot different than the one you remember. In a time when Disney prices are skyrocketing, it might be time to explore other things to do in Anaheim outside of Disneyland.