Last night at the very end of the D23 Experiences Showcase a suspended coaster announced for Monsters Inc. Land at Disney Studios! This land was not something that was telegraphed or widely expected and was quite surprising. What was even more surprising was that construction is set to begin next year, so this isn’t “blue sky” stuff, this appears to be really happening. In fact it is supposed to being construction next year in 2025!

Humans have now been invited to visit the world of Monsters, Inc. — and the monsters need laughter to power the city and keep it running smoothly. But it’s not a true visit without the factory itself. You’ll be able to see the sights, hear the laughs and zoom through the building just like James P. Sullivan (a.k.a. Sulley) and Mike Wazowski — via a door!

-D23 August 10, 2024 Presentation

This will be the first suspended coaster by Disney and one of the only indoor suspended coasters in the world. The only other ones I’ve found are in a mall in Kiev, Ukraine and a single rider It’ll also be only the second suspended coaster in Orlando with the only other one being the Freedom Flyer at Fun Spot Orlando. Of course if you head over to Tampa and Busch Gardens you’ll find the amazing Montu and the new Phoenix Rising. Freedom Flyer is also a Vekoma and there are some decent similarities with the trains that we’ll talk more about later.

As mentioned previously, this announcement was one of the true surprises of the night. There were rumors of a “door coaster” years ago, but it was thought to be a dead project. The only real hint of this announcement was some last minute news of something potentially being in the works for the area of the park encompassing The Muppets and Star Tours. Of course if it replaces these two longtime attractions there will no doubt be a small contingent of upset folks, but nothing official has been announced yet. Other people are also speculating replacing the Indiana Stunt Show, the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster or the Animation Courtyard and Launch Bay area. There are pros/cons for all of these areas.

So there are zero details on the coaster and in the picture about all you can say is it’s a suspended coaster and appears to be indoors inside the Laugh Factory where you’ll be riding through the door vault like the movie scene below. No specs were given with regard to speed, height or inversions, but with good theming an indoor ride can be quite thrilling with what would be considered moderate thrills on a standard minimally themed outdoor ride (see Space Mountain).

In terms of manufacturer Vekoma may be a safe bet as the concept art sure does look like a Vekoma Family Suspended Coaster Train. Also, Vekoma seems like Disney’s coaster supplier of choice with with them providing Tron, Guardians of the Galaxy, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. What’s interesting is that in the movie the doors are moving on a single rail, so could this be a new single rail suspended coaster? The models available at the show appear to show just that! (thanks to Dateline Disneyland for use of the pics) However, what’s more likely is something like the Donkey Kong coaster at Epic Universe where it looks like you’re riding on a false set of tracks while the train is really supported elsewhere.

People often complain there is “nothing to do” at Disney Studios pointing to the small number of attractions when compared to a place like Magic Kingdom or EPCOT. If this does replace two relatively large capacity attractions like Muppets and Star Tours this better be what Disney calls a “People eater” or it could make this issue at the park even worse. Studios is home to the most immersive lands and some of the best themed lands in all of Disney, but there comes a point where a little quantity over quality may benefit it some.

This ride has the potential to have some of the best theming ever for a coaster and be a true roller coaster and dark ride combination. Details about what Disney Studios will be losing, if anything, to make room for it should be coming out soon. Villains Land got a lot of the press out of D23, but that could easily be a 2030 project where Monsters Inc. Land begins construction next year making this one of the most exciting announcements of the night.