Concrete Auger Pilings Installed for Monstropolis Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The days of Disney taking five years to build a coaster seem to be over. Crews at Hollywood Studios have made serious progress on the Monstropolis roller coaster, installing dozens of concrete auger cast pilings that will support the future show building.

If you remember, the Monsters, Inc.–themed attraction is being built in a former Cast Member parking lot. Thanks to Bioreconstruct’s latest aerial photos, we’re able to watch construction unfold in real time. And, as always, a huge thanks to Aahs n Oohs for his insights. His understanding of theme park construction is an invaluable resource for our site.

Last month, we spotted an auger in one of Bio’s aerial photos.

Today, we can see just how much work that machine has done. Over the past month, crews have installed several concrete auger cast pilings, likely forming the foundation for a massive slab footer. The pilings are evenly spaced, but there’s one small area with additional pillars, suggesting that section will support a heavier load.

While Bio’s photos make the pilings look like weathered relics, they’re actually brand new. The auger cast piles are formed in place, and as the concrete cures, the surrounding dirt sticks to the surface, giving them that aged look.

Concrete auger pilings (also known as auger cast piles) are a deep foundation technique. As the auger drills into the ground, grout is pumped through its hollow center to form a solid concrete column. The process is efficient, cost-effective, and ideal for sandy or silty soil conditions. Once the pile is poured, a reinforcing steel cage or bar is set into the still-fluid grout for added strength.

Aahs believes a large concrete footer will eventually be added:

“It looks like they are casting a gigantic slab footer. The supports will be placed on top of the slab instead of having individual pilings for each coaster support. With a large slab atop small pilings, they don’t have to go as deep as individual coaster support pilings.”

Monstropolis could start feeling real very soon. What was once a parking lot is on its way to becoming one of Hollywood Studios’ biggest additions. As the building goes vertical, we’ll get an even better sense of the scale which already seems huge to begin with.