Disney's Hollywood Studios is the park in the middle of the biggest transformation at Walt Disney World. There is a holiday event to plan for this year and a huge new land in 2027. Here is where things stand.
This holiday season: Disney Jollywood Nights
Disney Jollywood Nights is the park's separately ticketed holiday event, and Disney shared more details for the 2026 edition on October 6. The additions include:
- Checkin' It Twice Lounge. A new lounge in Animation Courtyard for guests to "sip, socialize and soak up the atmosphere."
- New Monsters, Inc. characters. Mike Wazowski returns to Pixar Plaza, and for the first time, guests can meet George Sanderson and Needleman.
- Glisten! returns with new guests. The holiday skating show in front of the Chinese Theater adds Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Genie to the lineup.
Check the official calendar for dates and ticket prices, since this is a separately ticketed event.
What is already different
The area formerly known as Animation Courtyard has been reworked into The Walt Disney Studios, home to The Magic of Disney Animation and an Olaf-themed drawing experience, plus a play area inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Disney Jr. If you have not been in a while, the park's layout and attractions have shifted quite a bit.
The big one: Monstropolis (2027)
Monstropolis is the new Monsters, Inc. land. It replaces the old Muppets Courtyard area and also expands the park's footprint. Key points from Disney's D23 update in August:
- It opens in phases. Most of the land opens first, in 2027. The headline attraction, a suspended roller coaster set in the Monsters, Inc. door vault, arrives later.
- An indoor attraction will occupy the theater that formerly housed Muppet*Vision 3D, and it is set up to introduce humans to Monstropolis.
- A restaurant. Harryhausen's, the sushi restaurant from the film, will be recreated.
- The story. The land picks up after the film, with the city hosting its first "Humans Understand Monsters Are Nice" Day.
Disney has not given an exact opening date, so treat any specific month you see online as a guess.
How to plan around it
If Hollywood Studios is on your list this year, enjoy the holiday event and the park as it is. If you want to see Monstropolis when it opens, remember that brand new lands draw huge crowds and early openings can be bumpy. A few weeks after opening is often a smarter bet than the first weekend.
We can help you pick the right moment and build a trip around it. Contact the Villains.
