Disney has a pair of jobs in high gear this year at Disneyland, and the location has already started work on the behind, obtaining fresh grants, and other things. As a result of building on the Eastern Gateway and Pandora – World of Avatar, DCA had planned on shut of the Monsters, Inc. black walk in early 2026. That strategy has changed. These are dates, details, and our criticism about the moving part of building at DLR.
As simple history, Disneyland President Thomas Mazloum announced a restoration of the Eastern Gateway next June during an update with Anaheim on the future of development initiatives at the beach. In addition to that, he also revealed where DCA’s Avatar and Coco projects are located, as well as the announcement that Monsters, Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue may be permanently shut down in early 2018 to make room for DCA growth.
Since then, Disney has started filing building permits in readiness of these jobs kicking into high gear in 2026. Disney has already cleared the site where they’ll fit into that show building ( RIP giant sidewalk hidden Mickey on Disneyland Drive ), and work has already begun on Coco. These projects are in addition to the major Avengers Campus expansion that began early last year, which hit a major milestone just last week as it races towards a ( fingers crossed ) 2027 opening.
The latest upgrade comes decency of another Disneyland Resort Business Update. We were invited to a private media gathering with Disneyland President Thomas Mazloum and other resort leadership, who discussed plans for the future and subtle adjustments they’ve made over the past year to enhance the guest experience ( more on that later ).
The biggest news out of this conference was that Monsters, Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue did not shut in 2026.
According to Mazloum, Monsters, Inc. Mike &, and Sulley to the Rescue will stay open through 2027. He did certainly offer a continuous closing date or even time. Meaning that the family-friendly dark ride could close as early as January 4, 2027 or as late as December 31, 2027 ( although it’d be kind of wild to close it on New Year’s Eve as opposed to just waiting until a week later ).
It’s impossible to identify a specific closing time because of the length of the closing, so we aren’t actually going to bother. My guess–and this is just that–is that Monsters, Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue is secure for at least the next 14 weeks.
Additionally, Mazloum made it clear that Monsters, Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue will be in operation until 2027, with no effect on any subsequent design schedules. Meaning that Eastern Gateway and Pandora are never delayed by virtue of this announcement.
He explained that his crew worked to change around the decoding of the task, and found a way to walk around the phases of the projects in order to give the Monsters, Inc. black drive a reprieve from closure without delaying Eastern Gateway or Pandora.
We accept the opinions regarding Eastern Gateway as fact because Mazloum didn’t explain what this actually meant. The grants tell the tale that, and if anything, they suggest that Eastern Gateway is ahead of schedule. We’ll discuss this in more detail in the criticism, but Avatar is totally different from that.
In elaborating more, Mazloum explained that the decision to delay the everlasting shut of Monsters, Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue was made when evaluating DCA’s demands, and balancing the interests of present guests with potential ones. This was shared in the context of the Kids ‘ Summer 2026 Ticket Deal.
The Summer Ticket Special Offer for 2026 Kids costs the same as Park Hoppers or base tickets. Meaning you can upgrade to the Park Hopper option for free, which was previously a surcharge last year ( and the year before ). If you want to Park Hop, this makes the deal much better year over year. It’s actually a clever move on Disney’s part, since parents will still pay extra for Park Hopping privileges.
Our analysis of this discount is that it is a shockingly good deal, amounting to a discount of as much as$ 150 to$ 369 off multi-day tickets ( depending upon duration and the extras you purchase, or don’t ). You can save up to$ 369 off a 3-day ticket with that last number, which is not a typo.
For our purposes here, the end result is going to be an influx of families into Disneyland Resort this summer, and the free Park Hopping means they’re going to visit both parks, instead of staying in the more kid-friendly Disneyland.
One of the few family-friendly dark rides at DCA is Monsters, Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue. It’s a park that otherwise skews older. This is already reflected in wait times, with the Monsters, Inc. dark ride being shockingly popular for what it is.
In essence, Mazloum and his team realized that DCA needed Monsters, Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue during that Kids ‘ Ticket Deal, and found a way to prolong the attraction’s operation. It’s a fantastic move from our perspective, and one that isn’t the least bit surprising.
Let’s get to the why of that, which was essentially what we discussed in Disneyland’s 5-Year Plan back in December. We’ll discuss each of the three project puzzle pieces…
Eastern Gateway Unlocks Everything
The Eastern Gateway transportation hub is the first piece of the puzzle before almost anything else can occur.
The new Eastern Gateway transportation hub at Disneyland Resort will be built on a portion of what’s currently the Manchester Cast Member parking lot. This new area will improve parking and traffic flow throughout the resort area by offering approximately 6, 000 parking spaces, shuttle and rideshare areas, security screening, and dedicated access for traffic off of Disney Way.
The new Eastern Gateway parking &, transportation hub will also feature a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard, leading to an all-new esplanade arrival experience. This pedestrian flyover will also provide convenient public access to and from Harbor Boulevard.
The expansion of Disneyland Resort’s parking, transit, and arrival options marks the first step in the construction phase, which will provide the infrastructure needed to accommodate future expansion and welcome more visitors as new experiences are added. The multi-year construction of the new Eastern Gateway arrival experience is slated to begin in Fall 2026.
Officially, this date hasn’t been changed. However, we’d add that Disneyland has filed the first permits for Eastern Gateway already, and there are more confidential permits that have yet to be revealed but that are possibly/probably for Eastern Gateway. In addition to this, Disney is already starting to make moves closing off drop-off areas along Harbor Boulevard.
Since we had a meeting with Mazloum in February 2026, I was a little surprised and disappointed not to be updated on Eastern Gateway. It seems like this project is ahead of schedule, and that work has already started ( in the loose sense of the term used by Disney, actual construction has yet to begin ).
The key here is that Pandora – World of Avatar must first be pre-existing with Eastern Gateway.
In order to have sufficient room for the show building and everything that a fully-fledged Avatar land entails, Disney needs to demolish the old bus loops and build into that space. But that can’t happen until the new Eastern Gateway transportation hub is up and running.
It’s unlikely that Pandora – World of Avatar will have any space available until 2028 unless Eastern Gateway is currently being fast-tracked. If work were to start earlier, maybe that could be moved forward to 2027. This should partially explain why Disney isn’t really sharing much about the Pandora timeline because it’s so far away. ( More on that in a minute. )
Why Was Monsters Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue, Rescued?
All of the above is precisely why we were asking Monsters Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue! was originally going to close in early 2026. Then, did it really need to close, or is there a cost-savings option to partially offset construction?
As I wrote last June, I cannot imagine a scenario where that closure needs to happen so early this year, given that Eastern Gateway is a necessary prerequisite to Pandora, and that doesn’t even start construction until Fall 2026.
Accordingly, this struck me as akin to what happened with MuppetVision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with the closure coming for cost-savings. Given that DCA doesn’t have any all-ages attractions, it would have been especially egregious here.
One plausible explanation we could come up with to offer a valid justification for the earlier Monsters Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue closure was that the plot was needed as a staging site for Eastern Gateway and other projects. or that the drop-off area was going to change into this area once it closes to make room for Eastern Gateway construction.
Another vague possibility was that assets are needed for Monstropolis at Walt Disney World. While I don’t doubt for a second that figures and scenery from this attraction will find its way to Florida, I’m skeptical that would cause an earlier closing. It’s difficult to believe Disneyland would have chosen that route.
It’s also hard to believe Disneyland would’ve pulled from the WDW playbook on operational cost-savings, especially given the state of the DCA ride roster. which brings me back to the explanation for the staging site or drop-off area.
With the ART Shuttle ending, maybe they’re anticipating fewer drop-offs? Perhaps they’re able to squeeze the temporary drop-off into a smaller space, or possibly even on the other side of Downtown Disney? I suppose we’ll see, but my guess is that the drop-off relocation will provide the answers.
If it does, and all of my above speculation about Pandora and Eastern Gateway timing is accurate, this opens the door for Monsters Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue to stay open pretty deep into 2027. If they suddenly decide they don’t need that plot for staging or drop-off or whatever, that means they’re using a different parcel for that, which could keep things dark until work actually begins on Pandora.
Frankly, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Disneyland brings back that Kids ‘ Summer Ticket Deal in 2027, and Monsters Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue ends up closing during the post-summer off-season next year.
Pandora Plans Postponed?
Fans will be skeptical despite Mazloum’s assurances. The narrative that we expect to emerge is that Pandora has been postponed or is being reevaluated entirely.
I don’t know if something can be delayed if it didn’t have any actual dates or details attached in the first place. Mazloum says that Avatar isn’t delayed, but the fact is that it never had a start date or completion year in the first place.
Here’s what Disneyland has previously said about the Avatar land/experience/whatever:” This project is still in the early stages of development, and additional details will be shared later, including construction timeframes”.
Disney recently mentioned that Avatar’s expansion of its theme parks was in “early development, and additional details will be revealed at a later date.” ( Emphasis added to both. )
This project still strikes us as being nebulous. That’s doubly true given how much emphasis was placed on’ shovels in soil ‘ projects at the last D23 Expo. All of the other domestic projects except for Avatar are now underway, meanwhile, this is looking at a late 2027 start as the best case.
Given that Disney CEO Bob Iger first made the announcement that an Avatar “experience” would return to Disneyland on February 8, 2023, it’s a triple-true story. We now have new concept art, a specific park, and even a land within that park where it’ll be located. However, more than three years later, we still don’t know a lot more than that.
It’s no surprise that Disney has repeatedly stated that the new Avatar “destination” is still in “early development”. As discussed above, we strongly believe that Eastern Gateway opening is a necessary prerequisite to construction on Avatar beginning in earnest.
The Pandora project will almost certainly reach its fourth anniversary without any discernible improvement due to the delayed Monsters, Inc. closure. The better question, quite honestly, is whether it’ll reach its 5th anniversary without any visible progress.
The Pandora project seems to us to be the one that is most likely to be canceled or altered from the outside. It’s not a high likelihood, just higher –relatively–than any other announced project. Probably still less than 51 %.
Beyond the Eastern Gateway’s timeline, which is discussed above, there are a few options here. The first is that Disney is waiting to see how Avatar: Fire and Ash performs at the box office, just wanting to triple-check that the franchise actually has staying power.
We can’t help but point out that the franchise has had declining returns, especially at the domestic box office, despite the exhausting” Avatar is actually unpopular” narrative. How it’s performing in China is irrelevant at a park where over half of guests come from California.
The second is that Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke off-the-cuff about the Pandora expansion at Disneyland way back in 2023, announcing a project that was not in active development at Imagineering. wasn’t prepared for a reveal, at least not yet. That they’ve been scrambling since to figure out something, and that process isn’t fast.
The third is a variation on the second point, with leadership at Disney and Imagineering realizing that a CEO change is on the horizon. That would provide a clean, face-saving break for Avatar to be quietly killed and replaced by a different project as the new CEO aims to make their mark. ( Zootopia? a monsterpolis Something else entirely? )
It’s obvious that Bob Iger’s pet project, Pandora, has a strong affinity for Avatar. JoshD’Amaro does not seem to share that sentimentality. His signature project at this point is Villains Land at Magic Kingdom. We discussed how it’s typical for CEOs to make significant changes to set the tone and build a legacy in JoshD’Amaro’s article 11 Great Changes JoshD’Amaro Could Make at Walt Disney World for Big Wins as New CEO earlier this week.
If making that same list for Disneyland, replacing Pandora with a different project would make the cut. Again, I don’t believe there’s a 51 % or higher chance that this will occur, but I do believe it’s in the double digits.
The final possibility, and the one that strikes me as most likely, is that Pandora is really-for-real project that will come to fruition, but won’t open until 2030 or later. Because the second point above is probably accurate, and because work can’t begin in earnest until Eastern Gateway gets going.
Equally important is the fact that James Cameron, a well-known perfectionist, contributes outside input to Pandora. And speaking of Cameron, there’s a not-insignificant chance thatD’Amaro won’t want to “pull a Chapek” and alienate Cameron by making one of his first moves killing off a project that is near and dear to Cameron.
With Pandora – World of Avatar at Walt Disney World, we’ve almost gone this route before. It was announced very early in development, nothing happened for a few years, fans assumed it was cancelled, and then the full reveal happened. It was built as announced and is still a smash sensation, almost a decade later.
It’s important to note here that Walt Disney World’s Pandora – World of Avatar is the# 1 ranked land in terms of guest satisfaction. From that perspective alone, it makes sense that Disney would want to build a lavish version of Pandora – World of Avatar in DCA.
However, it might also be worthwhile to point out that Shanghai Disneyland’s Zootopia is the best place to stay for guests. Zootopia has been a smash success for that park, and it recently had a sequel that performed incredibly well at the domestic box office.
The argument could be made that there’s more upside for Disney to build that in California as opposed to a second Avatar destination. Perhaps “why not both” will win out, with Zootopia coming as part of the 10-year plan.
In the end, we can safely assume that Disney will bet big on Pandora West. That it’ll feature a blockbuster attraction utilizing the same ride system as Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland. That it’ll be a smaller destination than the Animal Kingdom version, but one with a potentially better and more popular headliner attraction. A decade later, the ride system hasn’t been used anywhere else, and Avatar seems perfect for it. It’s almost criminal.
There’s also the simple reality that you never bet against James Cameron. Even if the franchise is generating less box office revenue, it is still incredibly popular! A ton of people still went to see the latest film, it just had a huge budget to make back. The existing Pandora has already demonstrated staying power, with Avatar Flight of Passage always having long lines and high guest satisfaction. Even though this seems like the project that Disneyland fans are least excited about, going big on Avatar at Disney California Adventure just makes sense.
Planning a Southern California vacation? Read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets for information on park admission deals. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews &, Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. What to Pack for Disney offers fresh suggestions for things to do to enhance your trip. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. For travel information beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!
Your Thoughts
What do you think of Monsters, Inc. Mike &, Sulley to the Rescue staying open into 2027? What are your thoughts on the completion dates for these projects? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any inquiries? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
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