One of the highlights of the upcoming Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be a restaurant that Monsters, Inc. fans may recognize immediately: Harryhausen’s. The restaurant first appeared in Pixar’s 2001 film Monsters, Inc., where Mike Wazowski takes Celia Mae on a date. The sushi restaurant becomes the setting for one of the movie’s memorable sequences — and soon, guests will have the opportunity to step inside Harryhausen’s themselves when Monstropolis opens in 2027.
Disney recently offered a closer look at the restaurant and, perhaps most excitingly, some of the food and drinks that will be served throughout the new land. The culinary team faced a unique challenge: creating food that feels authentic to monsters while still being appetizing to humans. The result is what Disney’s culinary team calls “grossly fun” food: familiar dishes with unexpected, monster-inspired twists.
At Harryhausen’s, the table-service restaurant will feature more than just sushi, despite its depiction in the film. Disney has revealed that the menu will include ramen bowls inspired by traditional Japanese flavors, featuring familiar ingredients like rich tonkotsu broth and alkaline ramen noodles. But these dishes will have some distinctly Monstropolis additions, including fishcake sliced to look like eyeballs and green eggs.
The restaurant itself will also bring a memorable character from the movie to life. At the center of the dining space will be Harryhausen’s head sushi chef, recreated as a new Audio-Animatronics figure. With eight tentacles, the chef will be seen preparing food for guests, adding another layer of storytelling to the dining experience.
Just down the street, guests will find another new restaurant: Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. Inspired by Monsters University, this quick-service location is based on the neighborhood pizza shop where generations of monster college students gathered with friends. Disney says the menu will draw on the nostalgia of a classic neighborhood pizza shop while adding the playful twists that fit the world of Monstropolis.
One of those twists is Blort, a popular soft drink from Monsters University that humans have never actually been able to taste. Disney’s beverage team has created its own interpretation: a purple frozen version of the fictional soda topped with Scream Apple Foam.
These dining experiences are just part of the larger Monstropolis project. At D23 in August, Disney gave fans a closer look at what will eventually fill the land, including Harryhausen’s, Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza and the Glob Theater. Broadway star Megan Hilty also performed “Welcome to Monstropolis,” the land’s theme song, written by Disney Legend Randy Newman.
Disney is also displaying Monstropolis concept art at Hollywood Studios, and some of the artwork has recently been updated as development continues. This is a normal part of the Imagineering process, as concepts can evolve and designs can be adjusted throughout a project.
Before Monstropolis, Monsters, Inc. had a much smaller presence in the Disney parks. Disneyland Resort was home to Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! which is set to close 2027, while Tokyo Disneyland features Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek!
Now, Walt Disney World is preparing to bring the world of Monsters, Inc. to life on an entirely different scale. From an eight-tentacled chef to eyeball-shaped fishcakes and purple Blort, Monstropolis is shaping up to be a land where even the food is part of the story!
Featured Photo: Disney.
Written by
Izi K
From hunting for Hidden Mickeys to trading pins with anyone who had a lanyard, Izi grew up finding joy in the little details of Walt Disney World. That love for the parks eventually led to roles as a Cast Member on both coasts – at Disneyland and across several teams in Florida. These days, you’ll often find Izi wandering Disney resorts, diving into bits of park history, or finding the perfect spot to relax and soak in the atmosphere in the parks.
