New vertical steel has gone up at Harryhausen’s, the Monsters Inc. restaurant taking over the former Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We spotted the new steel installation during a recent visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Steel columns and a horizontal beam now define the line where the new facade will sit. The prior visit showed a gutted interior with no new facade elements at the building’s edge. The pace here points to a building that is moving from gutting into the construction phase. Here’s a closer look!
Harryhausen’s Facade Construction Progress at Hollywood Studios
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- A look at the new vertical steel installed along the Harryhausen’s facade
- What changed between the two construction visits
MAMA MELROSE GUTTED IN LATE MAY
When we checked in on the project in late May, the building was fully gutted. The exposed interior revealed ductwork, conduit, and concrete beams. The original pink exterior wall was still standing on the right side of the structure. Part of the former Mona Lisa mural remained visible on the wall. There was no new vertical steel along the front edge of the building, and the structure was basically a shell waiting for its next phase.
AERIAL PHOTOS SHOW PREP WORK
Late May aerial photos from friend of the site Bioreconstruct showed where the facade would be built. As you can see, the concrete had been poured. Wooden boxes protected the footers for the steel that would shape the new facade.
NEW STEEL DEFINES THE FACADE LINE
Now, the picture had changed. New vertical steel columns and a horizontal beam now run along the front of the building. This establishes the line where the Harryhausen’s facade will be built out. The new pieces are clearly distinct from the older steel and concrete behind them. The original pink wall and mural still stand to the right, which gives a useful reference point for tracking how the new construction relates to what remains of Mama Melrose’s.
The progression from a gutted interior to fresh vertical steel in about two weeks suggests the project has moved past demolition and into building the new structure.
FROM MAMA MELROSE’S TO MONSTROPOLIS
Harryhausen’s is the restaurant referenced in Monsters, Inc., and it is being built in the Monstropolis land taking shape at Hollywood Studios alongside the Monsters Inc. Door Vault coaster. The conversion of Mama Melrose’s, has progressed from interior gutting to the current steel framing.
WHEN WILL HARRYHAUSEN’S OPEN?
Disney has not announced an opening date for Harryhausen’s or the rest of Monstropolis. With new steel now rising, the project is clearly advancing, but a finished facade and a fully built-out interior are still ahead. Our best guess is that Monstropolis opens sometime in 2028 following the debut of the new Tropical Americas Land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2027.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!