Muppet*Vision 3D

Muppet*Vision 3D is a current attraction at the Disney-MGM Studios in Walt Disney World, Florida, the main feature of which is a 3-D film that was the last project directed by Muppet creator Jim Henson. The attraction, which opened on the first anniversary of Henson's death on May 16, 1991, has since been duplicated at Disney's California Adventure at the Disneyland resort in California, which opened its own version in 2001.

The attraction, which has occasionally been billed as Muppet*Vision 3D 4D due to its pioneering in-theater effects, is billed as a tour meant to showcase Muppet*Vision, Muppet Labs' newest technology. It is sponsored by Kodak.

The Show Building
The show building and queue for Muppet*Vision 3D are the only portions of the attraction which contain significant differences between the Walt Disney World and Disneyland versions.

At the Disney-MGM Studios, the attraction is housed in a brick building with a clock tower, on top of which is perched a yellow hot air balloon with Kermit the Frog's face on it. The building, which was designed to match the surrounding New York Street area (now the Streets of America), anchors a plaza that was originally intended to be the center of the park's Muppet Studios subsection before the 1990s merger between The Walt Disney Company and The Jim Henson Company fell through. At the center of the plaza sits a fountain in which Miss Piggy, dressed as the Statue of Liberty, is being "filmed" by Fozzie and "directed" by Gonzo, while Animal provides technical support, and some rats and fish look on. Instrumental versions of classic Muppet songs play throughout the plaza.

At Disney's California Adventure, Muppet*Vision 3D was an opening day attraction in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot section of the park. There, the attraction is housed in a reproduction of a soundstage. The attraction's sign, which hangs above the entrance and features a giant statue of Kermit, was recently changed, removing Jim Henson's name and adding drawings of Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, and Beaker.

For Disneyland's 50th Anniversary, a photomosaic of Kermit as The Scarecrow and Piggy as Glinda from The Muppets' Wizard of Oz was situated near the attraction's entrace.

The Queue
Both exterior queues feature a variety of jokes and references to the Muppets, some of which can be found in both locations, including posters of the Muppets spoofing classic movies. At Disneyland, the queue features a replica of the Swinetrek crashed in the pavement outside the show building, as well as a cannon not unlike those used by Gonzo in his ludicrous stunts.

Once inside, the queues become more similar and are meant to depict the lobby of Muppet Labs. The gags and references continue at the unattended security desk, by which hangs a photograph of Link Hogthrob in his "Bear on Patrol" uniform. A sign indicates that the key is under the mat, and, sure enough, if lifted, the mat reveals a key to the building embedded in the concrete floor.

Both queues end in a holding area designed to look like a storage facility for Muppet props. Although the specific props are different in each park, some examples of the gags to be found include a net full of Jell-O (Annette Funnicello) and flat, plywood fruit in a box marked 2D Fruities. Other props include a photograph of Fozzie from his Kermitage Collection photo shoot, Miss Piggy's costumes, and crates full everything from Gonzo's Stunt Props (and Really Weird Stuff) to Bunsen's inventions (a tongue inflator?).

It is in this room that the audience is treated to...

The Pre-Show Film
A pre-show is presented on elevated television sets and features footage of the Muppet characters preparing for the show. Scooter is featured prominently, attempting to organize back-stage crew and deal with interruptions from performers. Fozzie Bear presents a new singing group, The Three D's, while Bean Bunny attempts to bring Miss Piggy props for her number (anticipating the plot in the show proper). Sam the Eagle offers a safety spiel, and Rizzo the Rat briefly impersonates Mickey Mouse, amongst other complications.

A scrolling LED banner with additional jokes also hangs below the television sets.

Show Synopsis
Upon entering the reproduction of the Muppet Theater, audio-animatronic versions of Statler and Waldorf appear in the balcony. While Nicki Napoleon and His Emperor Penguins play an instrumental of The Muppet Show theme, the curtains rises to show a door that reads "Kermit the Frog Presents: Muppet*Vision 3D," with the "3D" spreading through the screen. The door opens, revealing Gonzo operating the 3D stick. Kermit welcomes the audience to the show, which explores the newest three-dimensional technology known as Muppet*Vision.

Kermit then introduces an animatronic Swedish Chef, who is operating the projector behind the audience, and says that there will be a big production number conducted by Sam Eagle that salutes all nations (but mostly America) and a number by Miss Piggy. He then gets interrupted by Fozzie who performs some 3D tricks (and also gets heckled by Statler and Waldorf, who say that they got to the theater by entering a contest, which they lost).

Kermit then introduces the creators of Muppet*Vision, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker. Bunsen shows everyone the newest living 3D effect: Waldo C. Graphic, who was first seen on The Jim Henson Hour in 1989. Waldo performs several amusing tricks such as blowing himself up (and producing millions of himself). Bunsen then tells Beaker to take out the Muppet Vacuum to get rid of Waldo, which backfires, causing Waldo to escape from the movie.

Kermit opens the doors and finds the audience again. He then sees a flying whipped banana cream pie, operated by Fozzie. The pie then hits Fozzie in the face. The next scene is a musical number performed by Miss Piggy entitled "Dream a Little Dream." Bean Bunny wants to help by adding some effects (holding a butterfly on a fishing net, blowing bubbles, etc) but Piggy tries to get rid of him. Bean hands her a water ski rope and Piggy gets pulled away.

Sam appears and tells Bean to go away and never come back. Waldo joins him as well. Gonzo asks where he is going, to which Bean replies that he is leaving "forever." Gonzo asks him to bring him a sandwich when he comes back but realizes that Bean won't be coming back. Gonzo rushes to find Kermit.

Sweetums appears briefly playing with a paddleball. Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo decide to search for Bean, and Kermit asks the audience to holler if they see him. Sweetums comes out from backstage and asks the audience if they have seen a rabbit. A little girl (voiceover) says that she saw him in the box on the left. Kermit wants Bean to come back. Bean agrees to stay, but only if they will give him something to do. Fozzie decides that maybe he can light the fireworks for the big production number, which starts immediately.

The big production number, "A Tribute to All Nations (But Mostly America)" stars a variety of toy soldiers and dolls, patterned after those seen at the It's a Small World attraction in the neighboring Magic Kingdom theme park. But things go haywire when one of them gets a tuba stuck on his head and starts running around for help. The film then cuts to Miss Piggy dressed as the Statue of Liberty. Waldo, as a rocket, flies around Piggy and her dress falls down. Waldo crashes into the orchestra pit, which then catches fire.

Sweetums rushes with a bucket of water, which he pours onto the pit. One of the penguins prepares to fire a cannon at him in retaliation. The cannon hits the projection booth where The Swedish Chef is. Chef sees Waldo flying around the screen and takes out his blunderbuss to shoot at him. Waldo turns himself into a dartboard until he sees that he is about to be shot.

Sweetums comes back and asks the audience if they're okay. Statler and Waldorf are holding white flags, saying "We surrender! We surrender!" The theater has had holes blown in its walls. Back on screen, we can see that the whole back wall of the theater is missing, through which Kermit is seen perched on the ladder of a Disney-MGM firetruck, with a crowd of theme park guests and a costumed Pluto behind him. After Kermit says goodbye, the curtains close and Waldo reappears, turns himself into Mickey Mouse, and is sucked up by the Muppet Vacuum.

The Film

 * Directed by Jim Henson
 * Written by Bill Prady
 * Edited by Victor Livingston

Pre-Show

 * Gonzo, Scooter, Rizzo the Rat, Sam the Eagle, Fozzie Bear, Camilla, Bean Bunny, The Three D's, Penguins, Whatnots
 * Background Muppets: Cows, Quongo, Luncheon Counter Monster, Pink Frackle, Dark Green Hunchback Frackle, Goldfish

3D Movie

 * Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Zoot, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, Waldo C. Graphic, Bean Bunny, Sweetums, Sam the Eagle
 * Background Muppets: Janice, Scooter, Toy Soldiers

Audio-Animatronic / Live

 * Statler and Waldorf, The Swedish Chef, Bean Bunny, Sweetums, Nicki Napoleon and His Emperor Penguins

The Attraction

 * The show features animatronic appearances by Statler and Waldorf, Bean Bunny, the Swedish Chef and an assortment of penguins. A costumed actor appears as Sweetums, yet unlike the performers of other costumed Disney theme park characters (Mickey Mouse, Goofy, etc.), the performers of Sweetums are trained by The Jim Henson Company for authenticity.
 * Among other things, in the plaza outside the show building in Orlando there is a fountain with models of some of the rats 'rowing' through the water in a little boat.
 * Outside the building in the Anaheim version, there are posters for movie parodies (Jurassic Pork, Frumpy Old Men, Pigs in Space: The Movie).
 * The rear half of a crashed motorcycle near the top of the entrance represents a failed stunt by the Great Gonzo.
 * In Orlando, guests exiting the theater and rounding a corner used to see the fire truck from the end of the film lodged into the wall of the theater. The fire truck has since been removed to make way for a Muppet-themed gift shop.