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The Muppets land at Hollywood Studios is on the chopping block to make room for Monsters, Inc., and fans are once again outraged and confused about what exactly Disney is trying to do with its park that was once themed around movie-making magic.
Shortly after Disney’s parks news showcase at D23, TheWrap reported a tip that Imagineering “has only a few weeks to decide whether to keep Muppet*Vision 3D” and the Muppet-filled Grand Avenue courtyard of the Orlando park. TheWrap’s source told them the attraction’s closure was originally going to be revealed during the D23 panel.
The Aug. 10 Horizons showcase revealed all the new lands and attractions coming to Disney’s parks worldwide. For Disney World, each of the four parks is getting at least one new attraction — Cars and Disney Villains in Magic Kingdom, Indiana Jones and Encanto in Animal Kingdom, Monsters, Inc. in Hollywood Studios and a reimagined Test Track at Epcot.
The concern for the Muppets grew out of TheWrap’s reporting as well as an artist rendering of the Monsters, Inc. land. It wasn’t revealed where in Hollywood Studios Monstropolis would go, but fans spotted a familiar water tower in the background of one of the images. It was the signal the Muppets fandom needed to express their dismay over Disney even considering getting rid of the Muppet*Vision 3D show and the Jim Henson character-filled courtyard.
Muppet Vision 3D isn’t just a great attraction, it was also the final Muppet project Jim Henson was involved with before he passed away
It’s an important piece of Muppet history and to lose it would be losing a significant part of Jim’s legacy and the joy he brought to our world pic.twitter.com/BrIDzllf2d
— Muppet History (@HistoryMuppet) August 13, 2024
Outlets like Nerdist, Paste magazine and USA Today likewise decried the possibility of removing the Muppets, calling the move a “colossal mistake” if Disney went through with it. A month before D23, Vulture writer Rebecca Alter waxed poetic about how “the greatest moviegoing experience you can have in America” is at Muppet*Vision 3D. She also called for the 33-year-old attraction to be designated a cultural heritage site on the National Register of Historic Places.
If the Muppets were removed, Disney would cross the line from “typical fan discourse surrounding the removal of an attraction” into further tainting Hollywood Studios’ legacy by continuing to dump random IP they don’t have anywhere else to put.
I say all this as a huge fan of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and the nearby Toy Story Land. Both of those lands — and the upcoming Monstropolis — belong in a Disney park. But at what cost? What is Disney even doing at Hollywood Studios?
There’s no longer a cohesive “ride the movies” theme to compete with Universal Studios Florida. The old Hollywood-themed park that used to have The Great Movie Ride inside a replica Chinese Theatre, a Studio Backlot Tour and actual Walt Disney Animation satellite studios now has crowd control issues for a couple of thrill rides alongside swaths of the park that remain largely empty every day.
Looking at you, Animation Courtyard, Star Wars Launch Bay and Pixar Plaza.
Back to the Muppets. They’re part of a timeless franchise that perfectly balances goofy kiddie pranks and puppetry with subtle adult humor. The Muppets are one of the few franchises that truly appeal to all ages. The absurdist ensemble of lovable felt puppets remains as relevant today as 70 years ago when Jim Henson created it.
Speaking of Henson, Muppet*Vision 3D was the last project the creative legend directed before he died in 1990. It was also one of the last times Henson performed as Kermit, Waldorf and Swedish Chef, and veteran Muppeteer Richard Hunt played Scooter, Statler, Beaker and Sweetums.
With that status, Muppet*Vision 3D is a cultural landmark and place of remembrance.
It’s no secret Disney has struggled to land a sustainable future for The Muppets. Their comedic storytelling style doesn’t need any changing, but they do need to be included in more Disney projects to stay relevant. Still, there are few franchises and stories from seven decades ago that are still funny, entertaining and appropriate for all ages like The Muppets.
Plus, everything is made better with The Muppets. Let them host the Oscars. Create alternate-universe short stories like “what if Kermit the Frog was Iron Man?” Put Swedish Chef in an episode of The Bear. Let Miss Piggy guest star on Drag Race (not a Disney property, but can you imagine?).
Critics will cry that The Muppets is no longer relevant to today’s kids. That families are more interested in immersive lands based on blockbuster IPs that aren’t more than several decades old (I’ll remind you that Monsters, Inc. came out in 2001). That older kids want thrill rides and escapism — not reminders of the past or anything that could possibly educate them on entertainment history.
Bringing Monstropolis to a Disney park is a great idea. The Monsters, Inc. films are fun, sweet and beloved by several generations of Disney fans. And that door vault coaster is going to be epic.
But sacrificing the one tiny area of the park that celebrates The Muppets is too high a cost. The Muppets — and Henson’s masterful puppetry — deserve better than to be written off into obscurity because they aren’t “trending” in today’s screen-obsessed world.
Removing The Muppets and Muppet*Vision 3D would not only further taint Hollywood Studios’ legacy but also the legacy of Disney parks as a whole. One of the core tenets of Disney parks has always been immersive, relatable nostalgia. In every park are attractions that let fans get a taste of childhood whimsy. Time slows down in a Disney park, letting you stop and smell the flowers (and churros) and get a small taste of historic days gone by.
Few things exemplify that joyous, comedic mentality quite like The Muppets. Closing Muppet*Vision 3D and the surrounding courtyard would rid the world of a priceless and irreplaceable piece of cultural magic.
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Chelsea Zukowski
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