Crossed steel chopsticks now mark the Harryhausen’s construction site inside Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. BlogMickey reported the July 28, 2026 progress photos after crews installed an X-shaped steel frame that matches Disney concept art for the table-service restaurant marquee.
If you are planning a Hollywood Studios day around Monstropolis dining or theater shows, treat this as construction progress, not an opening date. The marquee structure is rising, but Disney has still not published a public open calendar for Harryhausen’s or the wider land.
- Where: Harryhausen’s facade site in Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- What changed: Crossed steel beams forming the chopstick marquee framework are now installed.
- Why it matters: The steel matches Disney concept art for the restaurant entrance sign.
- Nearby work: The Glob theater and other Monstropolis facades also continue to advance.
- Still unknown: No official opening date for Harryhausen’s or Monstropolis.
What the July 28 construction photos show
According to BlogMickey’s July 28, 2026 construction report, visitors near BaseLine Tap House can now see two crossed steel beams in front of the Harryhausen’s building envelope.
The beams form an X that will eventually be themed as chopsticks for the restaurant marquee. That silhouette matches Disney concept art showing a large eyeball resting on crossed chopsticks above the Harryhausen’s entrance sign.
Harryhausen’s is rising in the former Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano building. Disney confirmed the restaurant name in June as part of the H.U.M.A.N.
Day backstory for Monstropolis.
That premise is the in-world reason humans are being welcomed into the monster city for the first time, and it is the narrative shell for Harryhausen’s, The Glob, and the surrounding city-block facades.
The restaurant concept plays on the sushi-house gag from Monsters, Inc., where Mike Wazowski takes Celia to dinner. The marquee steel is the first large exterior signal that the final themed entrance is no longer only paper concept art.
For park context and multi-park comparisons while Monstropolis is still under construction, Deep Arrival’s Universal Studios Orlando versus Hollywood Studios planning page remains a useful evergreen comparison surface for trip builders choosing between the two Orlando studio parks.
| If this is you | What to do now |
|---|---|
| Planning a 2026 Hollywood Studios day soon | Expect active Monstropolis construction walls and incomplete dining inventory. |
| Hoping to book Harryhausen’s soon | Do not plan a firm reservation strategy until Disney posts an opening window. |
| Watching D23 for Monstropolis reveals | Treat August as the next likely official detail window, not a guaranteed open date. |
| Choosing between studio parks this summer | Keep Hollywood Studios flexible and use current ride and dining availability as the real day plan. |
| Photographing construction | Look from public vantage points such as the BaseLine Tap House side rather than entering closed zones. |
What else is moving in Monstropolis
The same July 28 walkthrough noted new steel supports on the former MuppetVision 3D building that will become The Glob theater. Concept art shows an ornate vertical marquee and a clock-tower roofline with jagged, tooth-like cornice details.
A scaffolded clock tower with a working clock face already matches that art direction. Walt Disney Imagineering also filed a July electrical permit naming Elite A/V Systems Inc.
for work inside The Glob, reinforcing that the building is being fitted as a theater show venue even while the show itself remains unannounced.
Nearby, crews continue reshaping the former PizzeRizzo and Gonzo’s Royal Flush facade complex. Orange-toned board material has appeared near the roofline peak, and work continues on jagged tooth-like trim and a rooftop water tower where Broadway lettering is being painted over.
Taken together, the land is no longer only a flat wall and scaffold story. Multiple named destinations inside Monstropolis are now showing permanent exterior structure, not only temporary construction wraps.
Deep Arrival earlier covered the narrative setup for the land when Disney rolled out the H.U.M.A.N. Day framing for Monstropolis.
That background still matters for understanding why Harryhausen’s, The Glob, and surrounding facades are being built as a connected city block rather than isolated one-off projects.
For broader Walt Disney World trip structure while this land remains unfinished, the Walt Disney World planning hub is the right evergreen base for park-day sequencing and multi-park pacing.
- Dining: Harryhausen’s is visibly progressing, but it is not bookable as a confirmed operating restaurant yet.
- Entertainment: The Glob continues toward a theater fit-out without a public show title or open date.
- Park day: Budget extra photo and walk time near Monstropolis construction if you care about progress, not finished experiences.
- Next checkpoint: Watch official Disney channels and D23 for opening windows rather than treating construction photos as schedule proof.
What is confirmed and what remains open
Confirmed from the July 28 specialist construction report and earlier Disney naming: Harryhausen’s is the restaurant brand for the former Mama Melrose’s site, crossed steel chopsticks matching concept art are now installed, The Glob is advancing as a theater conversion of the MuppetVision building, and Monstropolis still lacks a public opening date.
Still open: exact dining menu, reservation timing, theater show content, and whether any soft-open window will land before or after other Monstropolis facades finish.
Construction progress can move fast after steel goes up, but it can also pause for theming, AV, or soft-open rehearsals. Keep travel plans flexible until Disney publishes a dated guest-facing schedule.
How to plan a Hollywood Studios day around unfinished Monstropolis
Do not build a full park day around a restaurant that is still only steel and scaffold. Use currently open Hollywood Studios dining and entertainment as the spine of the day.
Leave a short walk window near Monstropolis if you want to see construction progress. Do not treat closed walls as a queue for a hidden soft open.
If your group cares about Monsters, Inc. storytelling, the H.U.M.A.N.
Day framing already published for Monstropolis is the best way to understand why Harryhausen’s and The Glob sit in one city block. Deep Arrival’s earlier report on that narrative still provides the land’s guest-facing premise while facades finish.
Keep transportation and park-hopper timing flexible. Construction photography is free.
A no-show restaurant reservation strategy is not.
When Disney finally posts dates, expect reservation systems, mobile ordering rules, and theater return times to matter more than marquee steel photos. The chopsticks are a progress marker, not a service promise.
Also recheck Hollywood Studios park hours and Lightning Lane priorities against the rides and shows that are actually open on your travel dates. An unfinished land should not steal the whole itinerary from working attractions.
Independent construction reporting from specialists such as BlogMickey is useful for visible progress.
Official Disney channels, including the live resort site at DisneyWorld.Disney.go.com, remain the only release path that can turn steel into a bookable restaurant or timed theater show.
If you need a second official-facing surface while you wait, watch Disney Parks Blog and resort reservation systems for the first guest-facing dining listing rather than relying only on social construction photos.
Is Harryhausen’s open yet?
No. The July 28 update shows marquee steel going in.
Disney has not announced an opening date.
Where is Harryhausen’s being built?
Inside the former Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano footprint in Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
What do the chopsticks mean?
They form the structural base of the restaurant marquee shown in Disney concept art, including an eyeball motif above the entrance sign.
Is The Glob also advancing?
Yes. New steel supports, a clock-tower form, and a July electrical permit all point to continued theater conversion of the former MuppetVision building.
When should planners expect more official detail?
Disney has not set a public open date. D23 Expo in August is a likely window for additional official reveals, but not a guaranteed opening announcement.
