Muppet Vision 3D

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Muppet Vision 3D is an attraction located in Disney's Hollywood Studios


Attraction History

The idea of bringing a Muppet themed attraction into Walt Disney World began in 1989. Disney had almost reached an agreement to purchase the Muppets from Jim Henson, and was planning on adding the characters to their theme parks. In 1990 Disney announced that following their purchase of the Muppets, a new area would be added to the Disney-MGM Studios. Known as The Muppet Movieland, the area would have featured attractions including The Great Muppet Movie Ride and a (a Muppet themed parody of The Great Movie Ride). Unfortunately, Jim Henson tragically died in May of 1990, and his estate choose not sell the Muppets to Disney.

Although the failed merger drastically cut back the scale, the Muppets were still added to the Disney MGM Studios as planned. Instead of Muppet Movieland, Disney only completed a 3D theater and a small themed surrounding area. The 3D show that Disney created, opened as Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D on May 16, 1991. The show used 3D film, in theater effects and Audio Animatronics, to give guests a tour of Muppet's lab. Muppet Vision 3D (as the show would eventually be known), was the last project to be directed by Jim Henson.

Although no changes have to the Muppet Vision 3D show itself, the attraction has seen some minor changes. In 2005, Jim Henson's name was dropped from the attraction, with the attraction being renamed simply Muppet Vision 3D. In 2006, the attraction's entrance sign was changed. Jim Henson's name was removed from the sign, and drawings of Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Dr. Honeydew and Beaker were added. In 2009, new parody posters were added to the show's queue. Some of the spoofs added include, Hammah Montana, Pirates of the Amphibian, High School Mayhem, Wild Frogs and BEAK•E. Finally, in 2010 the projection system used in the show was updated.

Attraction Plot

Queue

When guests first enter the queue for Muppet Vision 3D, they pass by posters of Muppets spoofing various movies. Some of the posters here include: Hammah Montana, Pirates f the Amphibian, High School Mayhem, Wild Frogs, and BEAK•E. Moving on, guests enter a room which is designed to look like the lobby of Muppet Labs. While winding through the queue, guests pass by various office rooms with ridicules titles. Above an unattended security desk, guests can see a photograph of Link Hogthrob in a patrol man uniform. A sign nearby, tells guests that there is a key under the mat, and if guests lift it, the mat reveals a key to the building. Also in the room, guests can see a

After reaching the end of the queue, guests enter a holding area which is designed to look like a storage facility for Muppet props. Some gags in the prop room including "a net full of Jell-O" (a pun on Annette Funicello) and a box of fruit marked "2D Fruities". Also located in the room are crates full of:

  • "Gonzo's Stunt Props (and really weird stuff).
  • Bunsesn's inventions
  • Photograph's from Fozzie's photo shoot.
  • Miss Piggy's costumes.
  • Lew Zealand's Boomerang Fish

Inside the prop room, guests all watch a Preshow film.

Pre-Show Film

The film that guests watch in the queue, shows the Muppets preparing for the upcoming show. The movie begins with a construction crew attempting to hang a series of Kodak signs, with comical (and disastrous) results. The preparations for the show are being supervised by Scooter, who first has to deal with a series of technical difficulties. As Scooter attempts to get the show in order he is constantly interrupted by the cast. Fozzie is the first to interrupt, while at first it appears that the comic is trying to get everyone ready in the orchestra, it eventually becomes clear that he is trying to present his new musical act, The Three Ds. The group then perform a disastrous version of By the Light of the Silvery Moon. The film then shows Bean Bunny who props for her musical number. Ignoring Scooters warnings not to interrupt Miss Piggy, Bean eventually is karate chopped across there room by the star. Next, Gonzo takes center stage in the film, when he sends Scooter away to answer the telephone (despite the fact that Muppet's don't have one). Gonzo then tries to tap dance with a vase of flowers on his head, which he is surprisingly able to do. After Bean once again attempts to "help" Miss Piggy, Sam the Eagle gives guests a safety spiel. Gonzo then tells Sam that Mickey Mouse is in the building. An excited Sam introduces Mickey, only to see that it is just Rizzo wearing Mickey Mouse ears. Sam then tells guests to move all the way down the row (claiming that "stopping in the middle is distinctly unpatriotic"). After Kermit tells guests that they are almost ready, a stampede of Muppet's enter the theater, guests follow them in.

Main Show

After watching the preshow, the audience enters a reproduction of the Muppet Theater. As in the show, Statler and Waldorf are sitting in their theater box. After entering the theater, guests are instructed to put on their 3D glasses as Nicky Napoleon and his Emperor Penguins (in Audio Animatronic form) play an instrumental version of The Muppet Show Theme. As the curtain rises a door, which reads “Kermit the Frog presents Muppet Vision 3D” is revealed. The 3D portion of the door seems to be moving towards the audience, but it is simply Gonzo holding the sign at the end of a long pole. After Kermit chastises the daredevil, he welcomes guests to the show and takes them around the facility. Kermit then informs guests that the Swedish Chef is once again in charge of filming the show. He also introduces the upcoming acts including a song by Miss Piggy, and musical finale by Sam the Eagle. Kermit concludes the introduction by saying that "at no time will we be stooping to any cheap 3D tricks."

At this point Kermit is interrupted by Fozzie, who performs a series of cheap 3D tricks. His tricks include a party streamer, a shake nut can and a flower in his lapel that squirts real water onto the audience. In the middle of his act Statler & Waldorf heckle Fozzie, telling him that his act isn't even funny in 3D! When Fozzie asks how the old men got here, the inform him that they:

Statler: "We entered a contest

Waldorf: "Yeah and we lost!"

Following Fozzie's act, Kermit takes guests on a tour of Muppet labs, where Bunsen and Beaker invented Muppet vision. Unfortunately, Bunsen and Beaker are unable to control their newest invention, which ends up releasing Waldo C. Graphic, the first living 3D effect. Waldo then performs a series of 3D effects for the audience including bouncing on the audience’s head. After a series of unsuccessful attempts to control Waldo, Beaker uses the VacuumMuppet. The attempt to control the new creation proves to be unsuccessful, as the vacuum sucks up everything on the screen except for Waldo, who turns himself into a car and drives away.

Kermit then appears on screen, telling guests that Muppet Labs has temporarily been sucked up. As he is speaking, a flying banana cream pie floats by. It turns out that thee pie is actually being controlled by Fozzie. Fozzie demonstrates his invention by hitting himself in the face with the fly. Following Fozzie's interruption, Kermit introduces Miss Piggy's music number.

While Miss Piggy performs her musical number "Dream a Little Dream of Me", Bean attempts to help her by using a series of 3D effects. In one of his attempts to help, Bean showers the audience with bubbles, before handing Miss Piggy a water ski rope, which drags her away. After Miss Piggy's departure, Sam the Eagle appears, telling Bean that he is ruining the film. Bean, upset by the scolding leaves the film, going to a pitch-black area outside of the scene. As Bean prepares to leave, he meets up with Waldo who is also trying to escape the film. As the two of them head out the door, Gonzo asks Bean where he is going. Although Bean says he is going away forever, Gonzo fails to understand, instead asking Bean if he can bring him back a sandwich. After Bean has left, Gonzo realizes the gravity of the situation, and goes to find Kermit.

After Gonzo leaves the screen, Sweetums appears playing paddle ball. Just as Fozzie is complimenting the effect, Gonzo and Kermit enter the scene, discussing what has happened. Gonzo, Fozzie and Kermit then organize a search party for Bean, telling the audience to holler if they see a rabbit.

While the Muppets are looking for Bean, a walk around version of Sweetums strolls through the audience holding a flashlight. After a little while searching, voices of children say that they see Bean in the balcony on the left. Sure enough, the bunny is sitting in a box opposite Waldorf and Statler’s. Bean eventually agrees to stay, after Fozzie suggests that he can set off the fireworks for the show's finale.

Sam the Eagle's big finale, "A Salute to All Nations (But Mostly America)," then begins. As dolls modeled after those found on "it's a small world" begin to sing and play instruments, Waldo accidentally knocks one of them over, causing chaos. Many of the dolls begin firing cannons and other weapons, before Sam shoots off the fireworks. The scene concludes with Miss Piggy dressed as the Statue of Liberty, but Waldo then appears as a rocket flying around her and causing her dress to fall down.

Waldo, continuing to cause chaos, then crashes into the orchestra pit, which explodes into flames. He then shoots back onto the screen. Sweetums, trying to get control of the situation, throws water on the fire, and yells at Chef to turn off the projector. The penguins in the orchestra pit think that Sweetums is the one causing the problems, and they raise a large cannon out of the pit. The cannon fires, but instead of hitting Sweetums, it misses and hit's Chef's projection booth. This causes the film to break, leaving the screen black.

The Swedish Chef, now angry with Waldo, pulls out a blunderbuss and shoots at Waldo, missing several times. As Waldo teases the Chef (turning himself into a target the Chef pulls out a huge cannon, which when fired, is so explosive that it almost destroys the theater. When the smoke from the battle clears, Staler and Waldorf (now hiding in their box), hold a white flag and proclaim: "We surrender! We surrender!".

Kermit then re-enters the theater through the large hole that has been blown into the back wall, Sitting on the back ladder of a fire truck. He apologizes for the slight technical difficulties, and ensures guests that the theater only suffered minor damages. As Kermit leaves, Waldo reappears, turning himself into Mickey Mouse. This time however, the VacuumMuppet behind the curtain is able to suck him up, finally ridding the show of him.

Bean, who is still sitting in the box above guests, comments "What a cute ending". Finally Waldorf who is back to sitting in his balcony asks if they have time to go to the bathroom before the next show. The show concludes with Waldorf telling him that they can't, because they are bolted to the seats. Guests then leave the theater as the Muppet show theme plays.