This year’s D23 was a monumental one for guests of Disney parks. An all-new Villains Land is coming to Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Nearby Animal Kingdom is also getting some big upgrades. Meanwhile Disney California Adventure is getting two additional Avengers rides while Disneyland is getting an Avatar expansion. And that’s not even close to everything the Mouse House announced.
Yet, despite all the excitement, fans are worried about one revelation that should otherwise be a reason to celebrate. An entire Monsters, Inc. Land is coming to Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. The problem is that could mean the destruction of a beloved longtime attraction, Muppet*Vision 3D.
Why are fans (rightfully!) so upset at this possibility? Why is that show historically important to both the park and pop culture at large? And why should the Muppets’ presence at Hollywood Studios not only be saved but improved upon? Here’s everything you need to know about why Disney lovers don’t love the idea of saying goodbye to Muppet*Vision 3D.
What is Muppet*Vision 3D?
Disney’s Hollywood Studios contains a “perfect replica” of the Muppet Theater from The Muppet Show. It’s home to Muppet*Vision 3D, an all-ages attraction whose name actually undersells the roughly 17-minute musical-comedy experience. In addition to a 3D-film starring the Muppets, the show also features 4D-elements. That includes animatronics, a live-action performer, and in-theater special effects.
It’s also a show with special meaning for fans of the late Jim Henson.
Muppet*Vision 3D was Jim Henson’s Last Muppets Project
Muppet*Vision 3D was a collaboration between Jim Henson Productions and Walt Disney Imagineering. It was also sadly the last Muppets project Jim Henson ever worked on. In addition to directing the film, it also marks the last time he voiced Kermit the Frog.
The legendary Henson passed away on May 16, 1990 before the show’s completion. Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3D (as it was originally called) opened exactly one year later.
It has since aged as well as its timeless stars.
Muppet*Vision 3D Is Just as Good as Ever
The Muppets Disney era, which officially began in 2004, has been a mixed bag at best. Multiple TV shows and specials have come and gone without much fanfare. Outside of two successful films, Disney’s Muppets projects have failed to fully capture why people love the group. That’s not a problem with Muppet*Vision 3D.
The show’s chaotic energy, tone, and humor have all the calling cards of classic era Muppets, no doubt because Henson himself was behind it. It has something that appeals to people of all ages. That alone makes it an especially great attraction for Walt Disney World. But it’s now also a meaningful longtime part of a destination which thrives on offering nostalgia and shared experiences across generations of families.
There’s simply no reason to get rid of it on its own merits, either as a self-contained show or attraction within the park. But there’s another reason Walt Disney World should keep it: Hollywood Studios has already lost too much of its original appeal.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Has Already Closed Too Many Great Attractions
Unlike every other Disney park in America, Hollywood Studios—originally called Disney–MGM Studios Theme Park when it opened in 1989—no longer has a single opening day attraction left. That wouldn’t necessarily be so bad if not for the fact some of its lost rides are among the best in Walt Disney World history. (We’ll forever mourn The Great Movie Ride, Studio Backlot Tour, Streets of America, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure.)
Losing Muppet*Vision 3D, one of the park’s oldest remaining attractions, would be another dagger to fans who have loved the park for more than 30 years. It’s closure would remove yet another piece of the park’s original soul. Hollywood Studios has changed dramatically in both style and feel, as it has moved further away from the “studio lot” idea that originally drove its design. Muppet*Vision 3D is one of the few remaining ties to an era of the park many still care about and want.
No Disney park is ever complete. The only thing certain about them is that change is always inevitable. And certain attractions do fall out with fans. But in this case Disney doesn’t have to worry about whether people will still care about the Muppets in the future. Kermit and friends have already proven they never feel dated.
The Muppets Have Already Endured the Test of Time
With all due respect to the incredibly successful, incredibly popular Monster, Inc. franchise, The Muppets are a safer longterm bet. They debuted in 1955—46 years before Mike and Scully showed up—and people still love them. If Disney fears the Muppets could feel dated or irrelevant in 10, 20, or 30 years, history should ease any worries. Especially compared to a property that has only been around for a fraction of the time.
That doesn’t mean Monsters, Inc. Land is a bad idea. It actually sounds fantastic. But Disney doesn’t have to worry about choosing between the two, anyway. It can have the best of both worlds, all while making the entire park better anyway.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Has a Much Better Spot for Monsters, Inc. Land Anyway
Muppet*Vision 3D sits in Hollywood Studios’ Grand Avenue, previously known as Muppets Courtyard. In addition to the signature attraction it’s also home to two restaurants, one of which is the Muppets-themed PizzeRizzo. It used to have its own Muppets store, but that’s currently shuttered much to the chagrin of many fans.
Grand Avenue is a small area with some room for growth behind it, but not as much as other underdeveloped areas at Hollywood Studios. It also sits between the older Star Tours ride and the newer Galaxy’s Edge area. Jamming an entire Monsters, Inc. Land between them would make for an awkward fit, both practically and thematically. And since that location wouldn’t greatly increase the actual physical size of the park, it would make an already overcrowded, very busy Hollywood Studios even more crammed.
Instead of knocking down Muppet*Vision 3D, Disney could/should instead replace the underwhelming Animation Courtyard, which sadly long ago lost its importance to the park. It’s a much bigger area with far more room behind it to build on. It would also thematically make more sense for Monsters, Inc. Land because it would sit next to Toy Story Land. The two areas would create a whole Pixar section of the park. It would also add to Hollywood Studios total space, alleviating many of the overcrowding problem. Disney could build a new walkway between Monsters, Inc. Land and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. Everyone would benefit from that, as Hollywood Studios really needs more room for people to move through.
There’s also one other big reason Animation Courtyard is the far better spot for Monsters, Inc. Land, only it has nothing to do with the Pixar characters. It would mean a long abandoned plan for the Muppets at Hollywood Studios could finally happen.
Disney Should Finally Build The Muppets Area They Originally Planned
Muppets Courtyard/Grand Avenue is a mere fraction of what it was supposed to be. The original plan for the area called for way more attractions and space. That included a very different Rizzo-themes restaurant as well as a second major second attraction, The Great Muppet Movie Ride.
The amazing premise would have seen The Muppets attempting their own version of the park’s (now defunct) signature ride, which would have resulted in many screwups. If you ever went on the actual Great Movie Ride, you know why this would have been truly amazing.
The idea was clearly too good and too pure for this world. Only it doesn’t have to be.
The collaboration and attempts at a deal between Disney and Jim Henson Productions was not a smooth one. Some, including Frank Oz, believe stress from the potential deal contributed to Jim Henson’s death. His passing led to a much smaller, less ambitious Muppets area that we know to this day.
But Disney has owned the Muppets for 20 years. Rather than eliminate the group’s presence in the park they can expand it whenever they like. Whether that means returning to the original plans or coming up with something new doesn’t matter. The Muppets are a timeless, adored institution that appeals to young and old alike.
All the reasons Muppet*Vision 3D is worth saving in the first place are the same reasons Disney’s Hollywood Studios should give visitors even more ways to enjoy the Muppets. And when you understand that you can understand why fans are rightfully freaking out that a bunch of monsters might lead to the closure of the last Muppets film Jim Henson ever worked on.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who obviously loves Muppet*Vision 3D. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
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