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The Muppets are back, but will they take more of a place in Disney's theme parks?

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Published: October 27, 2011 at 4:54 PM
Today the final parody trailer -so they say- was released. It is truly meta meta brilliance.

Although there hasn't been a Muppet movie in over a decade, there have been viral videos from the Muppets. To top it off, the Muppet movie trailers have been clever spoofs of other movies coming out this year.

With their new movie debut, The Muppets represent a side of Disney that we haven't seen before - hip, clever banter, low brow jokes and excessive explosions (sans pirates). This, of course, leads to the question, will we see more Muppets in the parks?

Muppet Vision 3D is a favorite amongst fans, despite that irritating Waldo. Could we be seeing a long needed update on the attraction?

There was also that technical display of awesomeness with the Muppets Mobile Lab. If you have never seen video of that, you should.

The area around Muppet Vision 3D was a planned Muppets land. There was to be a live Muppet show and a Muppet dark ride. When the merger of Jim Henson Studios never came to be after Jim Henson's untimely death, the area remained largely undeveloped except that now out of place Pizza Planet restaurant.

Could we see this long lost attraction ideas return? Could we see a brand new ride idea for the Muppets? Who knows, but lets hear your ideas.

Readers' Opinions

From steve lee on October 27, 2011 at 5:36 PM
I think it's all going to come down to the box office returns. Getting people to watch a video online for free is one thing. Getting them to pay to watch a movie is an entirely different animal.

ANIMAL!

Sorry.

But I wouldn't mind at all if Pizza Planet got shuffled over near the Pixar area if it meant a second Muppet attraction.

From Justin Kermgard on October 27, 2011 at 6:29 PM
I love the Muppets(personal favorite is Miss Piggy who is hilarious all the time) and after the movie comes out(which I hope does well at the box office) I do hope Disney does change a bit of the area surrounding the Muppetvision 3D attraction at Hollywood Studios. I do agree that Pizza Planet has to go as its completely out of place there(perhaps the building that housed "Journey Into Narnia" would be a nice place for the Pizza Planet). As for a possible dark ride, I think it would be awesome if Disney kinda spoofed themselves by building a Muppet dark ride that took you through both the world of the Muppets from the Muppet show to the numerous Muppet movies to Muppets spoofing other films/attractions(I think it would be hilarious to see Muppets spoofing It's a Small World or Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean).
From Dominick D on October 27, 2011 at 7:04 PM
Hopefully the new movie can bring Muppet life to Disney Parks!
From steve lee on October 27, 2011 at 8:16 PM
The Muppets spoof every other dark ride at Disney (as well as some jabs at Universal)?

BRILLIANT!

Make this happen!

From Anon Mouse on October 28, 2011 at 7:40 AM
I always thought they horribly mishandled the Muppets. I don't get their shtick. What's their act? Who is their audience? What if they came back and no one noticed or cared? That already happened.

Muppet 4D must be removed. It never worked as an attraction.

From Robert Niles on October 28, 2011 at 2:49 PM
The Muppets must star in an Animatronic attraction. There's just no excuse for a film starring these characters when they are perfect for the tactile animatronic medium. Dupe some Muppets from Henson, design in the animatronic mechanisms and let's get ready to party.

You're right, the Muppets are more Universal-like in their irreverence than Disney. But they provide Disney's Imagineers (some of which have some Universal Creative experience, by the way), with a safer opportunity to try something wickedly sarcastic without going off the rails and ticking off the fan base the way the awful Tiki Room Under New Management did.

I'd love to see a "Muppets room", with Muppets lining the walls and ceiling like the Tiki Room, subjecting the audience to 10 minutes of absolutely gleeful chaos. Best case scenario? Give the attraction some "Laugh Floor"-like capabilities to tailor the schtick to the specific audience, or at least to keep the jokes fresh and timely. Muppets never must be allowed to grow stale.

From Joshua Counsil on October 30, 2011 at 10:36 AM
That is one brilliant trailer. Judging by the amount of views and comments on YouTube, this movie should do really well. And judging by these parody trailers, the writers have plenty of creative ideas to spawn a new attraction.
From 68.200.212.214 on November 1, 2011 at 8:20 AM
Can't say for sure, however, Animal Kingdom now has a new fake topiary of Rafiki holding Simba up high. Perhaps we'll see a life size stuff Miss Piggy doing the same to Kermit at Hollywood Studios. Orm adding Big Bird to the Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade at Animal Kingdom.
From Skipper Adam on November 2, 2011 at 11:42 AM
Disney doesn't own any of the Sesame Street characters, otherwise I'm pretty sure we would have seen them in the parks already.

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