If you’ve walked through Disney’s Hollywood Studios lately, you can feel it.Construction walls. Closed doors. Farewell crowds gathering for “one last ride.” This isn’t a small refurbishment cycle. This is a visible rebrand in motion.As someone who spends a lot of time in the park, I’ve watched Hollywood Studios evolve from a half-day destination into one of Walt Disney World’s most in-demand parks, even for families with smaller children. But 2026 marks something different. This isn’t just growth. It’s replacement. It’s recalibration. And in some cases, it’s the end of beloved experiences that defined the park for decades.Here’s what’s gone—and what’s going next.Credit: D23Muppet*Vision 3-D Is Gone, Monstropolis Is ComingThe closure of Muppet*Vision 3-D was the emotional gut punch.For years, this attraction anchored Grand Avenue with its chaotic humor and Jim Henson’s unmistakable charm. It wasn’t the newest experience. It didn’t rely on cutting-edge ride systems. But it had personality. It had heart. And it had repeat value.Now, the theater is closed. In its place, Disney is preparing for Monstropolis—a full land inspired by Monsters, Inc. The expansion is ambitious, but it won’t open in 2026. That leaves a gap.Grand Avenue feels quieter right now. Transitional. You can sense that Disney is playing a long game, but in the short term, the absence of Muppet*Vision 3-D changes the rhythm of that corner of the park. It removes a low-stress, indoor option that absorbed crowds and offered families a break from the heat.Monstropolis will likely be transformative when it arrives. But until then, this is a farewell period for one of the park’s most distinctive voices.Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Closes March 1The next major shift hits March 2, when Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith officially closes.For 27 years, this coaster has roared through the darkness, launching guests from 0 to 60 mph in seconds. It brought inversion thrills to a Disney park that, at the time, wasn’t known for that intensity. It was bold when it opened in 1999. It felt rebellious in a way Disney rarely does.Now, its final days are playing out with packed queues and emotional sendoffs.But this isn’t a permanent goodbye to the building. By summer 2026, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets will debut in its place.That swap tells you a lot about Disney’s direction.Aerosmith was edgy, loud, and very much a product of its era. The Muppets are nostalgic, comedic, and entirely Disney-controlled. The ride system remains. The thrills remain. But the tone shifts dramatically.Credit: Inside the MagicThe Magic of Disney Animation Is RisingWhile closures grab headlines, something else is happening behind construction walls.Animation Courtyard has been closed for months, and The Magic of Disney Animation is steadily taking shape. Scheduled to open in summer 2026, this new experience replaces Star Wars: Launch Bay and transforms the entire courtyard into a stylized version of the Walt Disney Studios Lot.This isn’t just a building update. It reorients the area around animation as process and artistry.The new indoor Drawn to Wonderland playground—based on Mary Blair’s Alice in Wonderland concept art—will finally restore a true play space to the park. Olaf Draws! introduces an Audio-Animatronics Olaf guiding guests through drawing sessions. Character encounters in “Off the Page!” celebrate the animation departments themselves.For years, Hollywood Studios leaned heavily into thrill capacity and blockbuster IP. The Magic of Disney Animation swings the pendulum slightly back toward creativity and family balance.But it also underscores how different the park will look by late 2026.A Park in TransitionPut these changes together, and the scope becomes clear.Muppet*Vision 3-D: closed.Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith: closing March 1.Animation Courtyard: shuttered for months.Star Wars: Launch Bay: gone.Within a matter of months, entire corners of Hollywood Studios have gone dark.This isn’t the slow churn of refurbishments. It’s visible transformation. When you stand in the park today, you can feel that you’re in between eras.Disney is tightening brand alignment. It’s refreshing aging attractions. It’s correcting past imbalances, particularly in family play areas. But it’s also removing pieces of the park’s late-1990s and early-2000s identity.For longtime fans, that shift is bittersweet.For newer visitors, 2026 will feel cohesive and polished.Credit: DisneyThe Bigger PictureHollywood Studios has always been the park most willing to reinvent itself. It moved from production backlot to thrill-heavy destination in less than two decades. Now it’s evolving again.Monstropolis will eventually redefine Grand Avenue. The Muppets will headline a major coaster. The Magic of Disney Animation will anchor a reimagined courtyard with indoor, family-focused design.The question isn’t whether change is happening. It’s how quickly guests will adjust.Walking through the park in February 2026, you can see the layers peeling back. You can hear the goodbye conversations in coaster queues. You can watch kids press against construction walls, trying to glimpse what’s next.Hollywood Studios isn’t just refurbishing.It’s rebranding.And by the end of this year, it’s going to look—and feel—very different.What do you think of the changes coming to Hollywood Studios? Let us know in the comments below!The post End of an Era: Disney Confirms Rebrand of Hollywood Studios appeared first on Inside the Magic.