How to Spend a Muppety Day at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Mitchell Stein - I just returned from yet another great trip to Walt Disney World, and saw and bought some really neat Muppet stuff. If you’re planning to head out to the parks soon, make sure to use this handy guide on where to find the greatest Muppet stuff in the parks, specifically, Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Upon arriving to the Studios, you should head straight for the Chinese Theater, home of The Great Movie Ride (y’know, that building behind the giant hat). Not only is The Great Movie Ride a great attraction for movie lovers like myself, but it’s also a great spot for Muppet fans as well. Meant to mimic the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, the Studio’s Chinese Theater hosts many cement hand/foot prints as well. Near the front of the theatre courtyard, you’ll be able to find Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog’s handprints in the cement. If you’ve watched The Muppets at Walt Disney World you would’ve seen Kermit leaving his impression on the park (pun intended). Yep, the Kermit bit is actual footage from when Jim and Kermit visited the parks in 1990.

Next up is the Backlot Tour, located right next to Toy Story Midway Mania. In the Backlot Tour, you see thousands of great movie props scattered throughout the entire attraction. In the pre-attraction area, you’ll see cages of movie props. In the middle row, you can see Beauregard’s car from The Great Muppet Caper. Really, you can’t miss it. It’s the biggest prop in the room, plus it has the words “Muppet Cab” stamped over it. The hubcap is open, so you can look inside and get an idea of what the Muppet performers went through to shoot those scenes. It’s truly amazing.

Now, keep moving and board one of the Backlot tour trams. As you drive around, you can spot many vehicles from many movies, such as Roger Rabbit, Star Wars, Pearl Harbor, Herbie, and of course, the fire truck from Muppet*Vision 3D. At the end of Muppet*Vision (SPOILER) you’ll know that the Chef successfully blows the entire theater apart and then Kermit rolls out in a fire truck ensuring everything is okay. Well, according to my research, this fire truck in the backlot is the same vehicle used in the show, and used to sit right outside Muppet*Vision itself.

Now that we’ve seen all the minor stuff, it’s time to make a full circle and head for The Mother Ship, a.k.a Muppet*Vision 3D.

Muppet*Vision 3D is the ultimate home for the Muppet fan. It’s the place for you to freak out by the Muppet fountain, watch the show several times and for you to freak out about the fantastic cameos during the show. Before heading in, I suggest you check out the entire queue. A little known fact about the attraction is the actual size of the attraction line. When it opened in 1991, the line went all the way back and took over two hours to see! Now that line is currently empty, but you can still visit it to get the idea of what it once was. It’s a nice quiet spot in the park with some really funny gags and parody posters hanging on the walls there.

To see the full attraction, head towards Muppet-Vision and take a right when you reach the door leading to the side of the building. Keep heading straight down, and make sure you see everything. It’s a must see for any Muppet fan. There’s some hilarious parody posters and signs from Muppet Labs that get you from HERE to THERE. It’s so brilliant, it’s disappointing its hidden all the way in the back where no one ever visits.

When you’re done with the show, right outside to your left is The Muppet Store, known as Stage 1 Studio Store, as they started to sell other stuff not long ago. When in the store, take your time to look around. Each area of the store is supposed to be set after a different Muppet movie, such as The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, and even Muppet Babies.

Ask the cast members for the Stage 1 Store scavenger hunt, where you’re set to find many different clues and details that are around the store. Upon finishing the scavenger hunt, return your paper with the answers to receive a special prize.

Little known facts about the store: You see the Happiness Hotel set up there in the front section? According to the cast members, that set was the one that they used in The Great Muppet Caper and they shipped it to Walt Disney World in the 90s along with Beauregard’s car!

You see those Electric Mayhem standees up there on top of the shelf in the Muppets Take Manhattan section? Those were originally featured in Here Comes the Muppets! Which was a live show which took place in Hollywood Studios and used to perform in the location that Ariel’s Grotto sits today. The figures were put into storage after the show closed up and they took them out and displayed them in the Muppet store only last year!

On my visit, I was SHOCKED at the lack of Muppet merchandise. You would think that with a new movie coming out next month they’d actually have some merchandise for that movie, but rather they didn’t have any of the new Muppets Most Wanted merchandise which we’ve seen at the Disney Stores. Not sure if they added those this week or last week, but as of three weeks ago, it was completely free of that merchandise.

They had some Muppet plushes, including the bald Animal plush which I can barely stand, a few other plushes, including Gonzo, Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie and Beaker (no Walter, Rizzo, Pepe or Constantine) the Muppet comic books, mugs, T-shirts, books, and race cars. They also had three Star Wars Muppet figure sets which were half price, so I’m assuming they’re planning to introduce some more merchandise or make room for more Star Wars/Muppet figures in the future. The official Disney Parks Muppets figure set can’t be found here either, but can be found in the Journey Into Imagination with Figment store in Epcot, strangely enough. If you want my opinion, you should buy the Muppets Most Wanted set instead, since it features the same figures plus Walter, Constantine and a new Piggy.

I also spotted this ad right across and in between Pixar Place and One Man’s Dream. Great advertising!

I guess that’s it for your Muppety tour around Disney’s Hollywood Studios! If you happen to know of a location that I left out in this list, let us know in an email to muppetmindset@gmail.com and we’ll feature it in the article!

Have fun on your next visit!

Check out Mitchell's article on our sister site The Mickey Mindset for a look at Roger Rabbit in the Disney Parks!





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

News Update: April 11, 2013

NEWS UPDATE: April 11, 2013

While filming on location in London recently, Disney let loose some more plot details for The Muppets... Again! via a notice of filming sign on set. According to BleedingCool.com, the sign's new plot information states, Kermit the Frog and the gang embark on a World Tour, with the "help" of a Mysterious International Tour Manager. Things quickly go awry as it turns out the tour is being used as a ruse for the new manager – and his boss, "World's Most Dangerous Frog" – to embark on an international crime spree. So there ya go! Methinks Ricky Gervais is the "Mysterious International Tour Manager," which will be exciting. The sign also had a fun little blurb from Kermit... We're filming our new movie The Muppets... Again! here [in Greenwich]. Absolutely no Muppets are being harmed in the making of this motion picture. At least as long as they don't get between Miss Piggy and the camera. So there you have it! Some new, fun, exciting minor details about The Muppets... Again!

Fraggle Rock's big 30th Anniversary celebration is kicking off in style over at The Jim Henson Company. We've told you about the new releases of the entire series on DVD coming soon, but now we also know that an official website for the show's 30th is coming on April 22nd. You can visit the site now to see the placeholder page (also seen at right), but we can only imagine what content is coming in 11 days!

Speaking of Fraggles, our friends over at ToughPigs.com have all you need to know about the exciting Fraggle Rock display now being showcased at the FAO Schwarz flagship store in New York City. The display features a bunch of Fraggle merchandise and a ton of Fraggle decorations as well. Plus, some actual props, concept art, and design stuff from the show itself! Check out ToughPigs coverage for a ton of pictures or head over to FAO Schwarz in NYC to see the Fraggle fun for yourself!

In rumors that we really, really hope aren't true, SlashFilm is reporting that Disney is considering closing down Muppet*Vision 3-D in Disneyland's California Adventure Park. According to SlashFilm, "A new blog posted on MiceChat says Disney is considering revamping a huge section of Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure and theming it around Monsters Inc., which has its prequel Monsters University out this year. The biggest change would involve removing Muppet Vision 3D and replacing it with a roller coaster thrill ride inspired by the door chase at the end of Monsters Inc." As of now, this is still nothing but a rumor, and the Muppet*Vision at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios is going nowhere, but it would still be very upsetting if the only Muppet attraction in Disneyland was completely removed.

Finally, our friend Max Stein, who is currently writing a very anticipated biography of Muppeteer Richard Hunt, has written a fantastic, all-encompassing piece about her experience with Jerry Nelson. She also dives deep into Jerry's life and career and work. It's a beautiful piece and I highly recommend everyone read it to once again remember the magic and wonder that is Jerry Nelson.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Mindset Walt Disney World Round Up

Ryan Dosier - Longtime readers of The Muppet Mindset know that it is a tradition for my family and I to travel down to Orlando and go to Walt Disney World. This year we didn't get to make our trip in March, the usual time, but it was thankfully moved to just last week! Another tradition for me is to find all the Muppet stuff in the Happiest Place on Earth and come back here and write about it for you, my adoring (right?) fans! I'll break down the Muppet finds park-by-park... so park yourself and read on!

EPCOT: The first park I visited was Epcot, Walt Disney's Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (more or less) and home of the world's largest golf ball! It was here that the heat of the summer Orlando sun first kicked my butt. It was not pleasant... but I was at Walt Disney World, so it was nigh impossible to be angry. Anyway... there was a surprisingly large Muppet presence in one area of Epcot, and that was the Imagination Pavilion gift shop, found as you exit "Journey Into the Imagination with Figment." For Muppet fans who don't know, Figment is a hyper purple dragon who originated at the Disney Parks and is voiced by none other than Dave Goelz! Because of this I found it wonderfully appropriate to see Muppet stuff in the gift shop.

But what stuff was there? I'll tell you! They had plush, Animal drumsticks, the recent Disney toy set, and a few t-shirts. One of the shirts, which I later discovered came out that very day, is the one pictured at right. It. Is. Awesome. It was my first Walt Disney World purchase, and I'm actually wearing it right now. It features the eyes of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, Rizzo, Beaker, Bunsen, Rowlf, and (awesomely) Sweetums! The shirt was $25 but it was, and is, totally worth it. We'll get to the other t-shirt selections when we get to the Hollywood Studios section.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS: Oh, hey, look at that, it's the Hollywood Studios section! How convenient. For the uninitiated, Hollywood Studios is the home of Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3-D, my favorite attraction (duh) and one of the best things the Muppets have ever done. It was also here that I had one of the best parts of my trip, and that was meeting up with a Muppet fan! Muppet Mindset contributor and my friend Joel Swanson just happened to be hanging out in central Florida with his family at the same time! We obviously had to meet up, and Muppet*Vision 3-D was the only place two Muppet fans should go. Joel and I talked Muppets and watched Muppet*Vision 3-D together--the first time I've done so with a Muppet fan. It was awesome, and then we took the picture below and it was even more awesome. Thanks, Joel!!

But anyway... on to what you really care about: the merchandise. As seems to be a recurring theme at Disney these days, the Muppet gift shop was a major disappointment. Although the selection was much better than last year, it was still nothing to write home about (but apparently plenty to write on a blog about). They once again had the toy set, some recent books from the movie promotion, The Muppets and The Muppet Show on DVD, tons of plush dolls, some hats (including the AWESOME Sweetums hat at right), and a butt-load of t-shirts. The shirts were the best part, and I've got pictures of some of the best ones below:

The first three shirts were about $25 each, but the Kermit and Zoot shirts were $45! It was nuts! I guess they are part of some designer series, but still... crazy. Also crazy: Zoot headlining a t-shirt in 2012. If it wasn't $45 I would have bought it! Also ever-present at Hollywood Studios, thanks to the Star Tours ride, were the two-packs of Muppet/Star Wars action figures! These were $20 each, so I only bought Bunsen and Beaker... but it was incredibly hard to restrain myself because Link Hogthrob as Han Solo is not only hilarious but inspired.

One last thing I found at Hollywood Studios was a candied apple designed like Kermit the Frog. It was very well made (and incredibly tasty). I found it at the Villains in Vogue gift shop down the road approaching the Tower of Terror for anyone looking!

And, unfortunately, this is where the article comes to an end because that was really about all of the Muppet stuff to be found at all four Disney parks. Animal Kingdom had nothing, as always, and the Magic Kingdom had the same stuff mentioned above, just much less of it. So, kids, the moral of the story is... if you're looking for Muppets at Walt Disney World (merchandise, not the 1990 TV special), you will find it, but you won't find very much of it. However, what you will find is all pretty awesome, quality stuff so... give and take I suppose.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Bean Bunny

Written by Ryan Dosier.

BEAN BUNNY

Performed by...
Steve Whitmire

First appearance...
The Tale of the Bunny Picnic (1986)

Most recent appearance...
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005)

Best known role...
Sickeningly cute rabbit

WHO IS BEAN BUNNY?
Bean Bunny is a tiny rabbit known for being adorable and cute and sweet, much to the disdain of the other Muppets. As Gonzo the Great once said of Bean, "He's so cute... he's evil!!" Bean first appeared as the star of the little-known 1986 television special The Tale of the Bunny Picnic. In the special, Bean learns that he does have something to contribute and he isn't useless just because he's small. In a take on the classic "Boy Who Cried Wolf" tale, Bean saves the bunnies in the warren from a dog.

After this, Bean's star rose high as he became a regularly featured member of the Muppets cast with a supporting role in the Muppet Central segments of The Jim Henson Hour (1989). Bean was seen in all but one episode of the show's 12 episode run. During the show, Bean appeared in segments and sketches such as "Space Guy," "Bean Bunny and the Cuteness Thief," and, my personal favorite, "Beanbo," took the satellite dish off the roof of the studio, sang "La Bamba" with the cast, made his own work out video, and scolds people for saying the "P" word (puppet).

Once the The Jim Henson Hour came to an end, Bean Bunny continued to appear in Muppet television specials. In The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990), Bean was paired with Scooter for the first time as the duo explored Epcot. It was here that Scooter sighed, "Cute is [Bean's] middle name." to which Bean responded, "Actually, it's Norman." in his usual plucky demeanor. In The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990), Bean is seen running the projector that plays Jim Henson's biography until he somehow gets tangled in film and ruins the film. It is also in this special that Clifford calls Bean a "yo-yo."

Perhaps Bean Bunny's biggest role came in 1991 with Muppet*Vision 3-D, the 3D show at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios. In the movie, Bean messes up Miss Piggy's big song by blowing bubbles, aggravating her with a butterfly and a bumblebee, and forcing her onto water-skis. Sam the Eagle then tells Bean that he is "ruining this movie" and so Bean joins up with Waldo C. Graphic, the spirit of 3D, and runs away. It takes Kermit, Gonzo, Fozzie, and Sweetums to find Bean and convince him to come back for the finale--with fireworks! In the end, Bean sets off the fireworks and the show is an explosive success.

Bean Bunny's most well known role came with The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), where he played a Dickensian poor boy, caroling for Mister Scrooge in hopes of a shilling or shelter from the cold. Instead he got a wreath to the head and was forced to seek warmth in a pile of garbage. It wasn't until the end of the movie that Bean's luck turned when Scooge asked him what day it was--which was apparently enough for Scooge to throw down a bag of gold and ask Bean to go buy a turkey twice his size.

In Muppet Treasure Island (1996) Bean appeared silently and very briefly in the Benbow Inn. Muppets Tonight (1996-1997) saw Bean appear three times, twice in the background and once trying to sell Johnny Fiama chocolate so Bean's school can buy books. Sal Minella will have none of this, however, so he drop kicks Bean out a window. In Muppets From Space (1999) Bean was crushed by a door when Miss Piggy made her grand entrance. Bean also appeared in the background of It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005), marking Bean's most recent on-screen appearance.

An animated version of Bean Bunny appeared on Muppet Babies in twelve episodes throughout the sixth and seventh seasons of the show (1989/1990). In 2009, Bean played the part of Michael Darling in the Muppet Peter Pan comic book. Merchandise of Bean has been entirely exclusive to Walt Disney World with plush dolls, plastic toys, and a Vinylmation figure being released throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED BEAN BUNNY?
Although Bean Bunny did not appear in The Muppets (2011), he is still a fan favorite, semi-popular character thanks to his continuing role in Muppet*Vision 3-D and the wide popularity of The Muppet Christmas Carol. The other Muppets have an odd relationship with Bean... most of them find him too cute for them, bringing down their image. However, Bean is how most people see the Muppets: cute to an almost annoying point. Think of the fun the Muppets could have trying to stoop Bean from ruining their image. Also... might I propose a Bean Bunny/Animal pairing? Think about this, friends.

But the Muppets need Bean because he's sickeningly cute. You pair Bean alongside Gonzo or Floyd or Pepe and you can easily show that the Muppets aren't just cute and sweet and nice. They're crazy and sarcastic and adult. It could really shape the Muppets in a different light for a lot of casual fans and viewers.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

Remembering Jim Henson and Celebrating Muppet*Vision 3D

Greetings, Muppet fans! Today is May 16th, a day that holds dual meanings in the world of the Muppets. First, in 1990, it marked the day we lost the vision, the magic, and the hero to many that was Jim Henson, who we all surely miss daily, but an extra sting hits and holds special poignancy today, even 21 years later. Today also marks the 20th anniversary of Muppet*Vision 3D, Jim Henson's last major project, being opened at Walt Disney World--and it is still, of course, still operating today.

It was no coincidence that Muppet*Vision 3D opened today exactly one year after Jim Henson's passing. Disney opened the attraction on this day as to honor the memory of Jim and, perhaps, even showcase that his work will continue to live on. It's a testament to both Disney and The Jim Henson Company knowing that relations between the two were not at their best at this time, yet they still worked together to make sure Jim's last work was seen and enjoyed by millions of people.

It's extremely difficult to express what Jim Henson means to me and millions of other people all over the world... and I really think I expressed it best last year when I wrote up an article to help remember Jim Henson, and to talk myself through my own issues, after 20 years without him. It was coincidentally titled Remembering Jim Henson and I think it really expresses everything I could possibly express if I tried to write another article like it today.

And, of course, we are also celebrating Muppet*Vision 3D today so you should also check out my Diary of an Obsessed Muppet Fan entry that highlighted this magnificent attraction. Honestly, the Muppet*Vision locale at Walt Disney World is still the most Muppety place I've ever been to and the film itself is nothing but hysterical Muppet glory. It's fast-paced, it's witty, it's charming, it's perfect all the way from the pre-show to the exit queue. I'm so thrilled that such a testament to Jim's work and the legacy of both he and the Muppets still stands and entertains every day.

Thank you Jim Henson for the love, the laughter, and the light... and thank you Muppet*Vision 3D for 20 years of entertaining millions of people with all of the above.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Waldo C. Graphic

Written by Ryan Dosier.

WALDO C. GRAPHIC

Performed by...
Steve Whitmire

First appearance...
The Jim Henson Hour Episode 101 "Science Fiction" (1989) 

Most recent appearance...
Muppet*Vision 3-D (1991) 

Best known role...
The spirit of 3-D, shape-shifter, general nuisance, Mickey Mouse impersonator. 

WHO (or what) IS WALDO C. GRAPHIC?
Waldo C. Graphic was first developed by Jim Henson for The Jim Henson Hour in order to demonstrate the new technology of the Waldo, a machine for puppetry which allowed puppeteers to remotely control Muppet characters without physically moving a puppet. The technology had been used in the past to operate such characters as the Doozers and Gorgs from Fraggle Rock. However, Waldo marked the first time that a character was developed utilizing the technology to create an entirely digital character--the first of its kind to be operated in real-time.

Waldo's main appeal as a character was his ability to shape-shift into almost anything imaginable to suit the mood or make a good visual pun. In The Jim Henson Hour his shapes morphed from a doctor, a hat, a power saw, a dinosaur, a teenage girl, a book, a clown, and a cowboy.

Although he debuted on The Jim Henson Hour, Waldo's biggest and most well-known role was in Muppet*Vision 3-D in Walt Disney World. In the film, he is created by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew in Muppet Labs to demonstrate Muppet-Vision technology by creating the first living 3-D element. Waldo proceeds to bounce on people's heads and generally wreak havoc. Throughout the film he became a knapsack, a firework, a taxi cab, a duck, a regular car, and, perhaps his most famous role, Mickey Mouse ("They'll never recognize me now!").

Waldo has not appeared since Muppet*Vision 3-D, but he continues to entertain tons of people everyday as the film shows in Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The first merchandise representation of Waldo C. Graphic will be included in The Muppets Vinylmation Series 2, where Waldo will be available as the chaser figure of the line.

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED WALDO C. GRAPHIC?
It's hard to come up with a reason that the Muppets might need Waldo in today's entertainment business. In The Jim Henson Hour he was a character used to showcase new technology and in in Muppet*Vision 3-D he was merely a tool for fun 3-D tricks. However, in today's world there are countless films made every year with 3-D creatures interacting with real people so the technological newness is gone from Waldo's appeal... and 3-D tricks aren't really needed in a lot of Muppet projects nowadays.

Unfortunately, because of the short run of The Jim Henson Hour, Waldo was never really given the chance to develop much as a character. However, due to his nature as a shape-shifter there is a lot of room for growth with the character (identity crisis, anyone?). I guess the Muppets don't really need Waldo... but it would be neat to see him return as a character sometime and fleshed out a bit more.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier