With the news that MuppetVision 3D will be leaving Walt Disney World and our lives within the next year, a lot of us are feeling real nostalgic for the attraction. And not just for the show itself, but for the pre-show, the waiting room, the Muppets Courtyard outside, and even the theater itself. The entire experience is a monument to the unique humor of the Muppets.
There are plenty of walkthroughs and video footage of the whole thing if you know where to look, so we won’t bore you by repeating it all. But that doesn’t mean we’re not currently obsessing over our favorite elements from each part of the Muppet experience at Disney World.
Through the next week, we’ll be celebrating the many corners of MuppetVision with highlights on our favorite moments. But before we get to the show itself, we’ve got to make our way into the theater! Here are five of our favorite, most iconic parts of the show-before-the-show!
Miss Piggy’s Fountain
Quite possibly the most iconic part of the Muppets Courtyard, which is also the most photogenic. The fountain is situated right in the middle of the square, luring parkgoers in and giving them a focal point to the area. And honestly, it just looks so cool. Miss Piggy’s rising up in the center as the Statue of Liberty, while Gonzo directs, Fozzie films, and Animal handles the waterworks, all of which ties it into the overall theme of Hollywood Studios. And because no Muppet joke is complete without gilding the lily, the fountain also features spitting fish and rats in a rowboat.
From what we hear from our contacts at Disney, several internal groups have already shown interest in taking possession of the fountain, which heightens the chance that it’ll end up on display somewhere we can still enjoy it. Our hope is that it ends up near the upcoming Muppet-themed Rockin’ Roller Coaster, but we’ll be happy as long as it doesn’t just get lost in storage.
The Key Under the Mat
When you enter the MuppetVision pavilion, the first think you see is the security office. You know, Disney takes their security very seriously. Not so much here, because no one’s ever there. The security guard (Link Hogthrob, presumably) is always on his break, leaving several Easter eggs behind for you to spot, like Fozzie Bear on a “Wanted” poster, or a Miss Piggy cheesecake calendar. But the best of all is the sign that tells you the key is under the mat. While not giving me any confidence in Disney’s security practices, the joke really lands home if you’re sharp enough to actually check under the mat. As expected, there’s a key. Less expected, the key is literally bolted to the ground. I guess that’s one thing that’s actually secure there.
Boxes, Boxes, Boxes
Not every gag has to be high concept or high tech to land. While the waiting room for MuppetVision is literally full of jokes and references, the most prevalent are the many, many crates. In real life, they’re just empty boxes (or the facades of boxes) with words painted on them – you really can’t get any less technical than that. No pictures, no moving parts, no practical use. And yet the humor is perfectly Muppety and full of sly references to the characters we know and love.
Entering this part of the attraction can be overwhelming – the room feels very full and busy, and you get this sense that you’ll never be able to see everything before the real show starts. But the crates give you an opportunity to slow down and scan the entire room, taking in all of the jokes as you make your way around. Plus, it’s a great way to fill the time before the show starts (not that you need it – there’s an iconic pre-show that we’ll cover later!).
It’s not even that the boxes that great. But quantity wins out over quality here, making the experience feel more full and giving the illusion of an endless barrage of jokes and references.
Jim
Meanwhile, above the chaos and cacophony of the waiting room is a portrait of the founder of the feast. Straight up, you’ll find the visage of Jim Henson – naturally in his Muppet persona – looking down on his fans enjoying a part of the world he created. Despite the fact that the real Jim didn’t live long enough to see MuppetVision’s popularity, he’s still a presence, keeping an eye on us and hoping we’re having a good time.
A Net Full of Jello
I love a joke that works on multiple levels. One person might look up at a collection of gelatinous cubes trapped in netting and laugh at the absurdity of it all. Another person might look at it and recognize that a net full of Jello sure sounds a lot like Disney icon Annette Funicello. A third person would’ve heard about the net full of Jello decades earlier and came to MuppetVision specifically to find it and point it out to every stranger they’d meet. Folks, it will not surprise you in the slightest to learn that I was that third person.
It’s a truly delicious pun, worthy not only of the Muppets, but of maintaining its position in the MuppetVision waiting room for 34 years – which is about the length of time between Funicello’s first appearance on The Mickey Mouse Club (in 1955) and her last (in 1990).
Of course, there’s so much more to the courtyard and waiting area that you may love and remember – the miniature Swinetrek, Gonzo’s biplane, parody posters, and more. And that’s one of the greatest things about these parts of the attraction – they’re just so full. How many other Disney attractions can boast the same??
This is just the tip of the iceberg! Stay tuned as we look at our favorite moments from the pre-show and the MuppetVision feature, coming soon!
Click here to ask your parents about The Mickey Mouse Club on the ToughPigs Discord!
by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
