A salute to Muppet Vision 3D

A farewell post to Muppet Vision 3D:

Theme park attractions are not necessarily intended to stick around forever, and we’ve seen plenty at Disney World close through the years. Walt himself seemed to indicate that he would want the parks to keep growing and changing, stating that “Disneyland will never be completed.”

And while some of my favorite attractions have closed down throughout the years (Splash Mountain and Backlot Tours come to mind), I think the closure of Muppet Vision 3D has hit me the hardest.

It might not have been the most exciting thrill ride, but it was something special. I’ve always loved the Muppets growing up – those movies were some of my favorites as a child. As an adult, the same is true. I find the Muppet movies to be my comfort films when I’m feeling down. They make me laugh, smile, and remember what’s important.

Muppet Vision 3D did an amazing job at capturing all of the magic of the Muppets. It will be sorely missed in Hollywood Studios. So that the legacy lives on, I wanted to put together a blog post about it.

Henson started negotiations with the Disney company in 1989 to bring the Muppets to the theme parks, and at one point there were plans for Disney to acquire Henson Studios completely. The original plans would have meant an entire Muppets land that would be called Muppets Movie Land, and have a full attraction in addition to the 3D show.

Unfortunately, Jim Henson passed away in 1990 before the theme park plans could come to fruition, and after his death the acquisition plans fell through. Complications arose on both sides, and ultimately it meant that the Muppet land was not meant to be, but Disney still completed Muppet Vision 3D.

It opened on May 16, 1991, titled “Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D”. While the show stayed mostly the same throughout the years, there were a few minor changes to the area and the pre-show, including:

• Renamed to simply “Muppet Vision 3D” in 2004
• Parody movie posters added to the extended outdoor queue in 2009
• Constantine from the movie Muppets Most Wanted appeared in the pre-show briefly in 2014
• In 2017 the original sign with Kermit was removed and replaced with a new movie marquee sign
• At this time they also removed the Kermit hot air balloon on top of the building
• The original fountain featured a number of Muppets characters, including Gonzo and Miss Piggy. Others were removed throughout the years and so around 2017 we were left with only Miss Piggy and the rats (and for a little bit there was no water due to plumbing issues, so it was used as a planter!)
• The fire truck at the end of the show used to be outside the theater and available for photo ops – it was removed in 2017
• The side of the building originally had a mural of Kermit and Miss Piggy reenacting Gone with the Wind. They painted over it in 2019.
• The pre-show again changed briefly in 2021 to advertise the Disney+ Special Muppets Haunted Mansion

The waiting room was large so it was rare that you ever really had to queue up for this show, but if you did there was still Muppet entertainment in the outside queue! The walls were decorated with spoofs on famous movie posters.

Upon entering the doors you’d see the Security window to your right. One fun hidden detail here? The sign on the window says “Back in 5 minutes – key under mat.” If you picked up the mat on the floor, there was actually a key! (It was glued to the ground so you couldn’t pick it up).

On the other side of the entrance was a board with the “directory.” My favorite is probably the “Attitudinal Adjustment and Groove Testing,” run by Dr. Teeth and Floyd Pepper.

Then you’d pass by a series of doors, which led to different departments in Muppet Labs. My personal favorite was the Institute of Advanced Chronology: staying ahead of the times.

At the end of the hallway you’d enter into the pre-show area, where you’d grab your 3D glasses. There was a fun pre-show that played on TVs in the room, but you could also have a blast just looking around the space – they had so many hidden details!

Lots of crates are spread around the room, containing items for different Muppets, or holding props for their various productions. My favorites included “Gonzo descending a staircase. Production: Stair Trek” and “Emergency Tuxedos (open in the event of an event).”

There are also a number of clapboards, which had a “scene” and “take” listed for different productions. Some of these were from actual Muppets movies, while others are spoofs.

Throughout the space, you could tell that many of the Muppet characters had their own areas or crates to store things in. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem had a stack of trunks with their instruments coming out on top. The trunks also included things like “paisley bell bottoms, love beads, groovy shades.”

Sam the Eagle’s trunk definitely stands out, as it’s decorated in red, white, and blue. It says “Sam the Eagle’s Patriotic Paraphernalia – flags, fireworks, and so forth and so on.”

Unsurprisingly, Miss Piggy had quite a large section of the waiting area for her stuff. She had many really fancy satin gowns. And more really fancy satin gowns. And even more really fancy satin gowns.

Kermit’s tux is on display too. The plaque states that “Kermit the Frog wore this tuxedo during the telethon to save the Muppet Theater in The Muppets (2011).” It’s too bad that they could do a telethon to save the Muppet Vision theater…

And you wanted to make sure you looked up, because there was plenty to see above your head, too! Way up high was a portrait of a Muppet you might not recognize. That’s because this one was actually the Muppet version of Jim Henson himself.

Some of the televisions in the waiting area showed their own versions of movie spoofs or other funny advertisements. I liked the one for the Wocka Wocka Comedy Club, with quotes from the critics about different Muppet comedy performances.

The pre-show itself was wonderful entertainment, and had lots of great gags. There were lots of laughs, from Fozzie discovering the classic “Why did the chicken cross the road” joke, to Sam the Eagle asking Gonzo to stop this foolishness: “what foolishness would you like to see?” And of course, a surprise appearance by Mickey Mouse!

It was also very quotable. I know many of the lines will be with me for the rest of my life. I’m sure other Disney fans feel the same – I think I’ll be randomly saying some of these quotes in lots of everyday situations:

“It’s a salute to all nations, but mostly America.”

“I wish they’d move it to Pittsburgh!”

“It’s a glorious three-hour finale.”
“You’ve got a minute and a half!”

“What a cute ending!”

Muppet Vision 3D has been around a long time, and so many people have memories through the years. I remember being too scared to see it at first (even though I loved the Muppets) because I had been traumatized by the show Honey I Shrunk the Audience! Luckily fear didn’t keep me away too long, because I’ve now seen it enough times to know every single line.

Blog reader (and occasional guest poster) Kristin will also be quoting Muppet Vision 3D for a long time. She told me every time she and her dad ask each other if they’re ready, “The response is always ‘Yes! It’s a glorious 3-hour finale!’”

Emma feels much the same, sharing that she and her husband “routinely quote bits of the show to one another and shall miss it greatly! A salute to all Muppets, but mostly Miss Piggy.” They even put together these fabulous costumes during their last visit!

Of course, just like any theme park attraction, you can get some unusual stories or memories too! Travis shared a story about visiting Muppet Vision 3D late in the evening, when only about seven people were in the theater. “As we were leaving, a security guard was shocked to see us. Why, you ask? The evening fireworks were in full swing and shrapnel was raining down upon us. So we ended up scrambling while having a laugh. One of many memories associated with one of my favorites at Walt Disney World.”

As Dawn described it, “It truly felt like visiting old friends every time.” Muppet Vision has been through many parts of her life, seeing it first with her mom, then with her husband, and later introducing their children to the show. As she stated, “Saying goodbye feels like closing a chapter filled with some of our happiest theme park memories.”

PizzeRizzo, a quick service restaurant, has also closed. In this case Rizzo the Rat had brought his New York pizza to Florida. Was it the best pizza ever? No, but it was well themed and also had many great details.

A shop called The Stage One Company Store was also in Muppets Courtyard, though it hasn’t been open for a number of years. It had Muppet merchandise, and then was used for specialty items (for example, when I visited on May 4th, 2021, they had special May the 4th merch for sale here). Part of the inside was themed like the Happiness Hotel from The Great Muppet Caper, one of my favorite movies.

And honestly, the bathrooms with the best title in Disney World! We will certainly miss Gonzo’s Royal Flush. This was a nod to Gonzo’s second career in The Muppets, when he started his own plumbing business.

Maybe it’s because I grew up on the movies, but there is something that feels important about the Muppets in general. They might be over-the-top, they might be very flawed, but they have a sort of passion and hope that I think the world needs right now. 

The song “Pictures in my Head,” has been playing through my mind all week, because it perfectly encapsulates a lot of what I’m feeling right now. I know the Muppets will still be around in many ways (including over at Rock n Roller Coaster), but it will never quite be the same again.

The show was funny, heartfelt, and happy – not to mention air-conditioned! As the last Muppet project that Jim Henson worked on, you could feel his influence. He really threw himself into this project before he passed, and I think it shows. 

Muppet Vision 3D will live on in our memories, and maybe elsewhere… Disney has hinted they are preserving the show, but haven’t clarified exactly what that means. Perhaps as a Disney+ special, or (this might be a bit too optimistic) maybe they re-open the show someday in a different location.

It feels like too much to hope that might happen, but then again I think that’s what the Muppets are all about – hope, no matter what the circumstances.

Were you a fan of Muppet Vision 3D? What were some of your favorite parts of this show? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments!