The final Muppets undertaking Jim Henson labored on earlier than his dying is closing.
That’s been the rumor for months, ever since Disney introduced they had been including a complete new land based mostly on Monsters Inc. to its Hollywood Studios theme park in Walt Disney World. However now it’s confirmed. An article on Disney Parks Weblog states that “to make approach for the monsters, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and extra of their buddies shifting proper alongside to Sundown Boulevard!”
In different phrases, Henson’s Muppet*Imaginative and prescient 3D movie will shut with a view to make room for the brand new land. The Muppets will as a substitute develop into the brand new topics of the park’s Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster, which opened in 1999 and is at the moment themed across the band Aerosmith.
Muppet*Imaginative and prescient 3D first opened in 1991, and it is among the oldest sights at Disney Hollywood Studios (previously Disney-MGM Studios) nonetheless in operation. It’s notably notable amongst Muppet followers as a result of it was one among Jim Henson’s final initiatives earlier than his dying.
Though Henson died in 1990, earlier than the attraction formally opened, he directed the movie — a 3D film with extra in-theater results — in addition to puppeteered Kermit the Frog and a number of other different Muppet characters in it.
Disney launched this idea artwork for the brand new model of Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster:
READ MORE: Disney Is Constructing the First Spider-Man Curler Coaster
Though the Muppet*Imaginative and prescient 3D movie was additionally at Disney’s California Journey park for a time, it closed there in 2014. When the movie closes in Florida, that would be the finish of the attraction — and maybe the final time Muppet followers will have the ability to watch this very fashionable and beloved Henson undertaking.
The Disney Parks Weblog does say that the corporate is “having artistic conversations and exploring methods to protect the movie and different components of the expertise for followers to take pleasure in sooner or later.” That implies the movie could possibly be made obtainable on streaming or house video — though with out the varied 3D and 4D in-theater results, I’m unsure will probably be fairly the identical factor. (And in the event that they’re eradicating the theater the place it performs with a view to make room for Monsters Inc. stuff, I’m unsure how you can “protect” the total expertise.)
Provided that Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster is themed round a band that formally retired from touring earlier this 12 months, it’s greater than overdue for some type of replace. At Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris, their model of the Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster has already been reskinned to be an Avengers trip. However the deal between Marvel and Common for the latter’s tremendous hero space at their Islands of Journey theme park ensures that idea shouldn’t be allowed at Disney’s Florida parks. Utilizing the Muppets as a substitute appears like a enjoyable different. Whether or not that lessens the sting of the closure of Muppet*Imaginative and prescient 3D for hardcore Muppet fanatics stays to be seen.
Disney didn’t announce closure dates for Muppet*Imaginative and prescient 3D or the Aerosmith model of Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster but, saying solely “there’s nonetheless sufficient time to catch a super-stretch?limo to the Discussion board to take pleasure in Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith and catch Muppet*Imaginative and prescient 3D once more earlier than their remaining curtain calls.”
