Disney Files Permit to Demolish Stage 1 Company Store at Hollywood Studios Ahead of Monsters, Inc. Land

13 days ago in "Stage 1 Company Store"

Stage 1 overview
Posted: Thursday May 8, 2025 3:45pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a new Notice of Commencement for the demolition of the Stage 1 Company Store at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.


The permit lists PCL Construction Services as the contractor, with a scope of work that includes demolition, infrastructure preparation, and utility modification.

The Stage 1 Company Store, located near the entrance to Muppet*Vision 3D, is currently closed and was home to Muppet-themed merchandise and ties to the surrounding Grand Avenue area. The store did not reopen following the pandemic shutdown, but occasionally served as a special event space during Jollywood Nights and May 4th Star Wars days.

This move is the first step of the phased redevelopment of Grand Avenue, which will soon be transformed into a new Monsters, Inc. land. Other locations in the area, including Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, PizzeRizzo, and Muppet*Vision 3D, are all set to close by June 2025.

The permit marks another step forward in the creation of Monstropolis, which will feature a suspended door coaster, the Monstro Theater, and a new Harryhausen’s-themed restaurant.

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    EagleScout61039 minutes ago

    Me and my fiancee both were terrified by Sweetums running out into the theater as kids. Although now we've adopted "Aw, nothing up there but a bunny! A bunny?! Bean!!" for when we spot a rabbit outside.

    The Leader of the Club2 hours ago

    I think we’re gonna have to agree to disagree on this one. I think the script is hilarious, the effects still hold up, and you can’t beat the surprise when a real Sweetums comes out into the audience. It’s one of my favorite attractions and one of my favorite Muppet projects. I’ll definitely be sad to see it go

    mattpeto2 hours ago

    I think MV3D has become my favorite show on property. I think the effects still hold up, it doesn't feel dated to me. It's just in a bad spot because of bad decisions along the way.

    Sirwalterraleigh2 hours ago

    So what is “great”?

    rle4lunch14 hours ago

    It's just not that great.

    Skibum197017 hours ago

    Especially a single walkway with one way in/out to what will be an insanely popular ride at the farthest end. On those days when DHS is packed, this walkway will become nigh impassable.

    DarkMetroid56717 hours ago

    Got my last MuppetVision in today. It kinda hurt that my somewhat-full audience was not into at all. But sometimes that’s the way it goes.

    sedati18 hours ago

    EPCOT Center in the 80”s was 1,000,000,000 times worse.

    TheMaxRebo19 hours ago

    well, they definitely weren't sufficiently factoring in how the weather in Florida is different than Southern California

    ToTBellHop20 hours ago

    This talk of shade in TSL made me chuckle a bit. What were the 1970s Imagineers thinking?!

    rle4lunch21 hours ago

    I was in the parks the last 2 weeks and our time in TSL (minus the torrential downpour) was very crowded. The meandering at the intersection between SDD and MM and the bathrooms is a straight up cluster f. If you've ever experienced the tightening walkway around Indy at DL in Adventureland or between Star Tours and Buzz in Tomorrowland there, it's nearly identical. The bottleneck is bad. Be glad you've never experienced it. When it's 92 degrees and slam packed with strollers, EVs, people just standing looking at all three rides along with cross traffic getting to the bathrooms and stroller parking, it's quite infuriating. Add those idiot green drummers into the mix, you've just created hell. lol

    TrainsOfDisney21 hours ago

    Agreed. Could a flat ride have gone into the soundstage where BBQ went as well?

    ToTBellHop22 hours ago

    I do wish they had packed it to the rafters with flat rides like Pixar Pier. The theme lends itself to it, they are reasonably cheap, and would have addressed a need at DHS. Saucers shouldn’t end up with 60-minute wait times but it does. And you have heat stroke by the time you board this time of year.

    UNCgolf22 hours ago

    While I think almost everything about TSL is mediocre (Slinky Dog Dash is the best attraction and it probably wouldn't even crack a top 20 at WDW to me), that's all subjective. The bigger issue is how poorly it's designed. It uses a huge plot of land but feels tiny; it's just one path and there's very little to see. Compare it to Pandora, which is actually much smaller, or Galaxy's Edge, which isn't too much larger, and the issues are pretty obvious.