After my recent visit to Disneyland Resort, I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s coming next for Disney California Adventure Park… and what we’re about to lose.
More specifically, I’m still struggling with the idea of losing Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
Then I came across a post on X that stopped me in my tracks. It claimed that Disney is reportedly debating shifting away from its Avatar expansion at Disney California Adventure. According to the post, park operations teams prefer a Zootopia-based project because the ride system would be easier to maintain, while Avatar would require something as complex as a water-treatment facility.
The source cited an article from TheWrap, which I haven’t been able to read yet due to a paywall. But even without the full context, I thought the idea itself was interesting enough to talk about.
Because honestly? It raises a bigger question.
Would Disney actually reconsider this project?
The Loss That Still Doesn’t Sit Right
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger announced back in early 2023 that an Avatar-themed land would be coming to Disneyland Resort. At the time, details were scarce. It was more of a concept than a concrete plan.
Then in June 2025, we learned the real cost.
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! would be closing to make room for it.
To say I was crushed would be a huge understatement.
Monsters, Inc. is such a warm, heartfelt story about friendship, and that attraction captures it perfectly. It’s one of those rides that just feels good. It doesn’t need to be the most thrilling or the most technologically advanced. It just works.
And for me, it’s personal.
My family happened to be visiting during a soft opening of the attraction years ago. My kids loved it. They loved meeting Mike and Sulley. I even made a double scrapbook layout just for that ride. That’s how much it meant to us.
So when I hear that it’s going away, even knowing it will stay open through 2027 instead of closing earlier, it still stings.
Does Avatar Even Make Sense Here?
I want to be clear. I don’t dislike Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s beautiful. It works in that park.
But bringing Avatar to California Adventure at the expense of Monsters, Inc. and the rest of Hollywood Land? That’s where it starts to feel off.
Hollywood Land already struggles with identity. Swapping in Avatar doesn’t necessarily fix that. If anything, it risks feeling just as disconnected, only with a much higher price tag and more complicated infrastructure behind the scenes.
Which is why this rumor about Disney potentially reconsidering things caught my attention.
Could Disney Actually Pivot?
If there’s any truth to the idea that operations teams are pushing for something like Zootopia instead, it wouldn’t be the first time internal realities influenced creative decisions.
Maintenance matters. Long-term cost matters. Guest flow matters.
And let’s be honest, Zootopia would arguably make more sense for this park and this audience.
But here’s the thing.
Disney doesn’t typically walk back announcements like this once they’re out in the world. Especially not something tied to a major intellectual property like Avatar.
So while it’s interesting to think about, I wouldn’t count on a full pivot just yet.
The Bigger Frustration
At the end of the day, this isn’t really about Avatar versus Zootopia.
It’s about what we’re losing.
I am genuinely excited that a full Monsters, Inc. area is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That’s huge. That’s long overdue.
But that doesn’t mean the California Adventure attraction should disappear.
Both things can exist.
And for a park that’s still trying to find its footing in certain areas, removing one of its most charming, family-friendly rides doesn’t feel like the right move, at least to me, and I don’t think I’m the only one.
So now I have to ask.
If Disney really is reconsidering its plans, even a little – would you want them to change course?
Or is this one of those decisions that’s already too far along to turn back?
