New Disney World permits suggest a playground is coming to Hollywood Studios’ Monstropolis, plus fresh work at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and more changes at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Disney World filed a small stack of construction permits this week. One of them hints at something Disney hasn’t announced: a playground in Monstropolis, the new Monsters, Inc. land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Two more permits cover Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Buzz just came back from a big overhaul in April.
None of the filings say what’s being built. Each one is a Notice of Commencement, the form a Florida property owner files before construction starts. It lists an owner, a contractor and a short scope of work, and that’s about it.
Is Disney building a playground in Monstropolis?
It looks that way. Walt Disney Imagineering filed a Notice of Commencement on Tuesday, Oct. 13, with Landscape Structures as the contractor and “General Construction” as the scope, WDWMAGIC and BlogMickey reported.
Landscape Structures, based in Delano, Minnesota, makes commercial playgrounds. It’s also building the playground in Tropical Americas, the new land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, according to WDWMAGIC.
The company has Disney history, too. It supplied the Music Garden Melodies play area at the 2016 EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival, BlogMickey reported. Kids got outdoor chimes and drums next to the Fab Five topiaries.
The address on the permit belongs to the old Stage 1 Company Store. BlogMickey thinks the permit covers a play area shown in Disney’s concept art, to the left of the land’s coaster entrance. WDWMAGIC noticed colorful shade canopies over what looks like a play zone in that art.
When does Monstropolis open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
The first pieces open in 2027. At the D23 Expo in August, Disney said four Monstropolis locations would open that year, without giving exact dates.
That first wave includes the Glob Theater, a new show in the old MuppetVision 3D building, plus Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza in the old PizzeRizzo spot and the Scareporium shop. The show’s title song is a new Randy Newman tune, his first written for a theme park, BlogMickey reported.
Harryhausen’s, the land’s table-service restaurant, takes over the former Mama Melrose’s building and gets a sushi-chef Audio-Animatronic, according to BlogMickey.
The Monsters, Inc. door coaster, which will be Disney’s first suspended roller coaster, isn’t part of that first wave, according to BlogMickey.
What is the new Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster permit for?
Nobody outside Disney knows yet. The permit lists Buena Vista Construction Company, Disney’s in-house construction arm, and the scope reads “Provide labor, material and/or electrical for construction,” MickeyBlog reported.
MickeyBlog noted that handing the job to Buena Vista could mean the work isn’t tied to the ride itself. The coaster’s Muppets makeover opened May 26, replacing the old Aerosmith theme.
It’s also about to get festive. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets: Obligatory Holiday Overlay runs Nov. 4 through Jan. 6, with holiday songs from The Electric Mayhem. Disney calls it “a festive celebration filled with seasonal tunes and new surprises.”
Why is Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin getting more work?
Disney hasn’t said. Imagineering filed a Notice of Commencement for the Magic Kingdom ride on Friday, Oct. 9, with Icarus Exhibits as the contractor and “General Construction” as the scope, WDWMAGIC reported.
The timing is a little odd. Buzz only reopened in April after a major refurbishment that added new scenes, redesigned ride vehicles, upgraded blasters, digital targets and new projection effects.
WDWMAGIC said the new permit could cover small adjustments or finishing work from that refurb. Icarus Exhibits is a longtime Imagineering partner that has worked on guest-facing pieces all over Disney World.
How long do Disney World permits last?
Usually a year. The Monstropolis permit leaves the expiration line blank, which means the standard one-year window applies and the filing runs to around October 2027, BlogMickey reported.
That lines up with Disney’s 2027 target for the first Monstropolis openings. Disney hasn’t said whether a playground is part of that first wave.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
WDWMAGIC (Oct. 9 and 13, 2026), the Buzz and Monstropolis permits
BlogMickey (Oct. 13, 2026, and August 2026), the playground permit, Landscape Structures and the 2027 openings
MickeyBlog, Justin Hermes (Oct. 13, 2026), the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster permit
Pirates and Princesses (Oct. 6, 2026), the holiday overlay and Muppets dates
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