It's the last day for Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and The Muppets have announced when they will make their move across the park.
Walt Disney World is closing the Muppet theater show - the last major project Jim Henson worked on before his death in 1990 - to clear space for its upcoming Monsters Inc.-themed Monstropolis land. But The Muppets are not leaving the park.
Disney announced last year that the characters would be taking over the current Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith ride, transforming it into a Muppets-themed coaster starring Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Today, in a social media post, Kermit the Frog confirmed that The Muppets version of that coaster will be opening next year.
I took advantage of the opportunity to see Muppet*Vision 3D one last time during my trip to Disney World last week. While 3D attractions tend not to age well, Disney and Henson plussed this show with animatronics and in-theater effects, including a live-action Muppet appearance. Those enhancements, plus the timeless irreverence of The Muppets, have helped this show endure and connect with audiences since its May 1991 debut.
The show also opened with Disney California Adventure in 2001 before closing there in 2014, and many Disneyland fans are hoping that the company will find its way to bring the show back there, so it can continue to connect with audiences in the future.
But if not, here's looking forward to Disney's next chapter with The Muppets, over at Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starting in 2026.
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34 years is a damn great run for a Disney attraction without major changes. I get much of it dated but also timeless in its own way and will miss it dearly. Thanks for some great laughs.
Of all the companies that Disney could get their grubby little hands on, The Muppets are by far the most iconic, timeless, and easily my favorite. RIP to a real one.
As much as I’m pleased that the Muppets will still have a presence in the park, I’m not sure an Electric Mayhem reskin of R’n’R is the best use of the IP. With Aerosmith, we all know the songs and we’ve all had a little dance on the way out of the pre show. But how many of us are familiar with any Electric Mayhem songs?
Although I’m pretty excited to see what the Monsters Inc. coaster will be (please don’t let it be another Mine Cart Madness let down), I think it’s a real shame that Muppetvision has gone. It was so much more than a 3D movie. All of the extra stuff really made it special, and I’ll be sad that I wont get to see those great animatronics anymore!
Also, not very impressed with Kermit’s voice. He sounds too ‘normal’.
@80s: I agree on the Kermit opinion. That is just objectively bad. I know it’s a tall order to fill and whoever is puppeteering is doing a great job, but the voice is nowhere close.
@80sMan - While Disney has not confirmed it yet, my guess is that the reskinned Rock 'n Rollercoaster will feature recognizable pop tunes being performed by Electric Mayhem (and other famous artists). If you happened to catch the recent incarnation of "The Muppets" on ABC or Disney+, there were plentiful cameos from celebrities including: Chris Stapleton, Lil Nas X, Tommy Lee, Steve Aoki, Billy Corgan, Zedd, Sofia Carson, Ke$ha, Ziggy Marley, deadmau5, Weird Al Yankovic, Susanna Hoffs, Paula Abdul, and Rachel Bloom, and I would anticipate a similar parade of stars in the rethemed coaster that may even still include an Aerosmith song or 2. Ultimately it will come down to what songs Disney can get the rights to and artists that want to appear in the attraction in some form.
TBF, Aerosmith aged extremely well for Disney, especially since the options for using an American band were pretty slim at the time. Frankly, I can't think of a current American artist, save for Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, or Beyonce, who could carry the attraction by themselves today. There aren't a whole lot of American bands/groups who are actively touring today with a deep catalogue and wide enough popularity who could be singularly featured on this coaster (off the top of my head maybe Dave Mathews Band, Imagine Dragons, and Foo Fighters).
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Pouring one out ever so majestically for this beloved show…