When Disney began teasing a raft of incoming updates and upgrades for its theme parks at D23 over the summer, amid the spectacle, fans began wondering just where all these new additions were going to go, even with Disney’s long-term plans to expand both parks over the next decade and beyond. One persistent worry at Disney World was that time was limited for the beloved Muppets attraction Muppet*Vision 3D–and now, those fears have been confirmed.
This morning Disney announced (via The Wrap) that Muppet*Vision 3D would close to make way for a new Monsters Inc. attraction in Disney Hollywood Studios previously announced at D23, a coaster inspired by the climax of the film, that will now sit at the heart of an entire section of Hollywood Studios themed around the Monsters movieverse, including a theater show that will replace Muppet*Vision 3D. “As we move forward with these changes, we are having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve the film and other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future,” the Disney Parks Blog statement about the closure reads in part.
One of the rare pieces of Muppets experiences at either of the main US Disney Parks, Muppet*Vision 3D opened in 1991 as a hybrid mix of 3D movie, animatronic puppetry, and live performance–and while it was meant to be the first of several Muppets collaborations at the parks, it ultimately would become one of the final Muppets projects Jim Henson directly worked on before his tragic passing the year prior to opening. The Disneyland version of Muppet*Vision 3D closed in 2014, leaving the East Coast version as a holdout up until now, a stalwart even as Disney at large–theme parks division or otherwise–has largely struggled with what it should do with the Muppets.
The closure of Muppet*Vision 3D, however, is not the complete death of the Muppets at Walt Disney World, however. Part of the announcement of Muppet*Vision’s closure was confirmation that the Electric Mayhem and a few more of their muppet friends would be part of a new overlay theme for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, currently themed around the band Aerosmith, marking the first actual ride at the Disney parks to feature the Muppets in some capacity. Sure, it’s not an original, Muppets-specific experience like Muppet*Vision 3D was, but at least Kermit and friends aren’t entirely exiting the parks altogether.
Work on the Monsters Inc. land is set to begin sometime in 2025, so you’ve still got a little time to head on over to Walt Disney World in Orlando and bid farewell to both Muppet*Vision 3D and Aerosmith. We’ll bring you more on Disney’s plans for the parks as and when we learn them.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
)
English (US) ·