The Jim Henson Company Responds to The Muppets Ride Closing at Disney World

As we learned precocious past week, the beloved Muppet*Vision 3D attraction astatine Walt Disney World has been confirmed to beryllium a portion of the closures to marque mode for Pixar’s Monsters Inc. onshore slated for the Disney Parks’ super-charged expansion successful the works.

Then, implicit the weekend, it was officially announced that Muppets Courtyard, the location of the Muppet*Vision 3D, volition beryllium demolished without immoderate third-act efforts from the Muppets to prevention their theater—though Henson nerds person expressed however overmuch similar a Muppet movie it would beryllium to marque a past stand. But arsenic things are often taxable to large changes astatine Walt Disney World, it’s the extremity of an epoch for the cherished cinematic 3D chaos of Muppet*Vision. 

What makes it each the much bittersweet is that it was the past Muppets task to beryllium helmed by their creator Jim Henson. It features timeless animatronic enactment (Statler and Waldorf heckling on connected the balcony, a walk-around Sweetums) arsenic portion of the show.

In a connection connected Instagram, the Jim Henson institution shared the following: “Jim Henson’s last task was Muppet*Vision 3D, present regarded arsenic a existent taxable parkland classic. Innovation was ever Jim Henson’s northbound star, and his trailblazing vocation led him to a unsocial challenge: a genuinely immersive Muppet acquisition wherever audiences are portion of the blessed chaos of the iconic Muppet Show. Originally debuting successful 1991, Muppet*Vision 3D combined 3D exertion with real-world applicable effects, alongside animatronic and unrecorded Muppet characters. The effect was a one-of-a-kind Jim Henson experience, and an unforgettable capstone to Jim’s magnificent career. As we larn of the show’s upcoming closure successful its existent signifier astatine Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we look guardant to Muppet*Vision 3D’s adjacent act.”

Image: Sabina Graves, io9/Gizmodo

Muppets Courtyard featured the whimsy and wonderment of walking astir the acceptable of a Muppet accumulation backlot, with statues of Miss Piggy abounding—like the Ms. Liberty fountain, which we anticipation conscionable gets re-homed astatine the Muppets’ caller spot of residence (more connected that below). At slightest we won’t miss the genuinely atrocious (yet someway cult-beloved) portion location PizzeRizzo.

While the Monsters Inc. Monstropolis volition instrumentality up the abstraction arsenic it’s presently occupied, the Muppets won’t beryllium going acold astatine least. In fact, they volition play the starring relation successful the re-imagining of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (currently headlined by Aerosmith) astatine Hollywood Studios. This quality came on with the announcement of Muppet*Vision 3D‘s closure.

It’s a small concerning, fixed that pairing the iconic household franchise with 1 of the park’s astir hardcore coasters could alienate introducing the Muppets to children; that was easier erstwhile it was baked into Muppet*Vision arsenic a gateway to get them funny successful The Muppet Show and spin-off movies connected Disney+.

Here’s hoping that possibly Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster gets caller thrust way akin to the interactive level of Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind but possibly conscionable a tad spot much household friendly—and that could so beryllium what Disney Imagineering has successful mind, and not conscionable giving it a caller overgarment of paint. Let’s spot them spell each successful Muppet-ifying it with a batch of Electric Mayhem.

Image: Disney Experiences

Want much io9 news? Check retired erstwhile to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s adjacent for the DC Universe connected movie and TV, and everything you request to cognize astir the aboriginal of Doctor Who.