Disney Moves 1 Step Closer to Bulldozing an Entire Theme Park Land
Disney is an iconic brand, and their theme parks are enjoyed by millions of people around the world. But, sometimes, it's simply time to retire a beloved ride or even entire theme park.
Now, according to a report from Fox 11, Disney has officially filed nine confidential demolition permits for a popular theme park area in Disneyland.
According their research, Disney is transforming Hollywood Land and moving into the "planning phase," while preparing replace a longtime Pixar site with "Pandora." That will mean saying farewell to an area of the park that's been around since 2006.
Disney Files 9 Confidential Demolition Permits to Welcome in New Theme Area
Disney's demolition permits cover both the "Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue" show building and the Hollywood Lounge quick-service area. In a report from the Orange County Register, Disneyland Resort officials said that these filings are "long-term work to enable expansion projects" under the "DisneylandForward" plan.
The new theme park area is inspired by "Avatar: The Way of Water" and will offer a water-based boat ride and luminescent environments, the report states.
So, the "Monsters Inc." dark ride, which dates back to 2006, is open only through 2027, per the report. It's expected to be demolished to make way for the new "Avatar" space. Disney CEO Bob Iger first announced that an "Avatar experience" was coming to Disneyland in 2023, so this project has already been in the works for years.
It's worth noting that Disney hasn't made any public comments about the official opening of the "Avatar" land or closing date for "Monster's Inc." other than the general 2027 date.
The Most Popular Disneyland Rides: 1 Stands Above the Rest
So, what's the most popular Disneyland ride of the moment? In a December 2025 feature for Wandering Disney, Andrew Long rattles off his choices for the best rides in the park.
His pick for No. 1 is the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Of course, this is just his opinion, and he states in the feature that he "can't account for other people's memories in these rankings and will try (probably unsuccessfully) to take some of the nostalgia out of my views of these attractions."
Of the ride, he states, "Speaking of incredible show scenes, Pirates of the Caribbean is the king of that. There's a weird storyline (you go back in time and all that) to go with the gigantic scale that this attraction has."
He adds, "Pirates doesn't have the thrill of some rides but it doesn't need it, there is adventure in every scene that guests see. Everything about Pirates of the Caribbean is near perfection."
The last time I was at Disneyland, I was a little girl, but I do remember going on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World Resort when I was older and loving it. Long's pick totally makes sense, and this is simply a legendary ride that is loved by multiple generations.