Disneyland

Muppet*Vision 3D marquee at Disney California Adventure.

Robin's first trip to Disneyland, as seen in this comic strip from the 1980s.

Tony Danza communicates with Gonzo and Piggy in the Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration TV special.

Jim Henson and the Muppets in the exit corridor of "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln".

Kermit and Miss Piggy in the VoluntEars Cavalcade.

Kermit and Miss Piggy hosting the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade in 2004.

Gonzo and Camilla aboard the Dumbo ride in a "Give a Day. Get a Disney Day." commercial.

Kermit at the world premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in Spring 2011.

Miss Piggy in Mickey's Costume Party Cavalcade, Fall 2011

The Disneyland Resort is a theme park resort in Anaheim, California, run by the Walt Disney Company. The first park, Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. The second theme park in the resort, Disney California Adventure, opened on February 8, 2001. The resort also includes three hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment district called Downtown Disney.

Presence in the park

• Muppetland was a proposed takeover of the park by the Muppets that never came to fruition.

• A picture of Jim Henson, Kermit the Frog, and other Muppets is hanging in the exit hallway of Disneyland's "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" attraction as part of a gallery of influential Americans in the "Spirit of Imagination" section.

• In 1990, Miss Piggy and Gonzo spoke with Tony Danza and the Three Little Pigs over a video conference provided by C-3PO and R2-D2 on the Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration television special.

• Muppet*Vision 3D, an attraction that originally opened at Walt Disney World in 1991, opened in Disney California Adventure in 2001. It had previously been rumored for inclusion at Mickey's Toontown section of Disneyland and later a replacement for the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln show, but neither plan came to pass.

• In 2004 Kermit and Miss Piggy hosted the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade from Disneyland for the television special Christmas at Walt Disney World.

• In 2005, as part of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary, the Happiest Homecoming on Earth, a photomosaic of Kermit as the Scarecrow and Miss Piggy as Glinda from The Muppets' Wizard of Oz was situated in Disney California Adventure near the entrance to Muppet*Vision 3D.

• From February 13 through March 4, 2007, the Muppet Mobile Lab made several test runs at Disney California Adventure.

• The Muppet Experiment, an "Alternate Reality Game", was held online and at the Disneyland Resort in December 2008.

• In August 2009, the Muppets visited the parks to film commercials for the Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. campaign. Attractions featured in the television commercials and internet spots included, from Disneyland, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Tea Party, King Arthur Carrousel, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mark Twain Riverboat, and the Main Street Fire Engine, and from Disney California Adventure, Toy Story Midway Mania!.

• In 2010, Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Sweetums appeared in Disney's Honorary VoluntEars Cavalcade at Disneyland.

• That same year, Kermit, Piggy and Fozzie Bear pumpkin decorations were displayed at Big Thunder ranch for Halloween.

• In May 2011, Kermit appeared in a web video reporting from the "black carpet" at the world premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides at Disneyland. The end of the video included a teaser for The Muppets. (YouTube)

• In Fall 2011, Miss Piggy appeared at the end of Mickey's Costume Party Cavalcade at Disneyland.

• On December 31, 2011, the Muppets' 2009 cover video of Bohemian Rhapsody was projected onto the mist screens along the Rivers of America at Disneyland as one of the "Random Acts of Disney" during the park's New Years Eve party. (YouTube)

• The Muppets have also appeared on merchandise created specifically for the Disneyland Resort, including pins, Christmas ornaments, Vinylmation, and Pook-a-Looz.

References

• When Kermit hosted The Tonight Show in 1979, he mentioned that the Muppets went to Disneyland, and that the guard at the gate refused to let them out.

• In episode 317 of The Muppet Show, during Kermit's introduction to the closing number, he refers to Disneyland as "our favorite country."

• The Muppet Show episode 520 guest-starred Wally Boag, a Disneyland performer who made several references to his Disneyland presence, and performed several of his Disneyland acts in the episode.

• Kermit, Fozzie, and Robin take a trip to Disneyland in a Muppet comic strip by Guy and Brad Gilchrist. Robin is set on capturing Mickey Mouse as a souvenir for his friends.

• The Dinosaurs episode "Variations on a Theme Park" spoofed Disneyland as WESAYSOLAND.

• At the D23 Expo in 2009, Pepe appeared in a video in front of the Muppet*Vision 3D building, mentioning some Disney theme park attractions that could be changed to be centered around him (YouTube). In another video, Pepe and Gonzo are trying to figure out the secret to Disney magic. Fozzie, who says he "interstudied" (presumably referencing the study abroad organization Interstudy) at the Country Bear Jamboree (former attraction, 1972-2001), deduces that part of it is the magic element "Sala kadula," leading to a brief rendition of "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" from Cinderella.

• In a 1989 episode of Sesame Street, Oscar the Grouch reads the story of "Snow Grouch"; one of The Seven Dwarves comments after their day at work that he'll "never get used to that electric parade", a reference to the "Main Street Electrical Parade" (in which the Seven Dwarves marched).

• In The Muppets, Veronica keeps a picture of her children in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland on her desk.

• Jim Henson once said, "I love Disneyland. It's like one of my very favorite places. Disneyland and Disney World I think are so beautifully done."

• In a 2014 interview for the Disney Parks Blog, Kermit named the Muppets' favorite attractions: "Miss Piggy loves Sleeping Beauty Castle so much, she tried to sublet it. And Sam Eagle can't get enough of the Enchanted Tiki Room. (It’s a bird thing.) Fozzie, of course, loves the Jungle Cruise – he always brings a notebook so he can write down those jokes told by the guides. (Funn-ee!) Gonzo is a big fan of Space Mountain. There's nothing he likes better than flying through the air in total darkness. And as for me, I've loved It's a Small World ever since I first saw it at the New York World’s Fair. Very catchy tune, too."

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney is the district in the Disneyland Resort that is host to a number of shopping, dining, and entertainment venues.

Lamppost banner for The Muppets in the Downtown Disney district, November 2011.

The Muppets banners outside of the AMC theatre in Downtown Disney, November 2011]]

Disney's The Muppets Downtown Disney Artists Event ft. Noah Fine art

D23's Muppet-acular Mayhem at D Street event in Downtown Disney, November 17, 2011

Connections

• Jason Alexander voiced Weevil Kneevil in the "Its Tough to Be a Bug!" 3-D film at Disney California Adventure
• David Arquette voiced Skully in the Disney Junior-Live on Stage! show at Disney California Adventure
• Walter Cronkite was a host in the "Back to Neverland" film in the Animation Screening Room (2001-2004) at Disney California Adventure
• Billy Crystal voiced Mike Wazowski in the Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue! ride at Disney California Adventure
• Anthony Daniels portrayed C-3PO in the film and ride of Star Tours (1987-2010) and Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Disneyland park
• Johnny Depp voiced Captain Jack Sparrow in the updated (2006-present) Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland park
• Paul Dooley voiced Sarge in the Radiator Springs Racers ride at Disney California Adventure
• Brad Garrett voiced Bloat in the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland park
• Whoopi Goldberg voiced a caricature of herself in the Superstar Limo ride (2001-2002) and starred as Califia in the "Golden Dreams" film (2001-2008) at Disney California Adventure
• John Goodman voiced Sulley in the Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue! ride at Disney California Adventure
• Neil Patrick Harris voiced the safety spiel (2010-present) for the California Screamin' roller coaster at Disney California Adventure
• Jonathan Morgan Heit voiced Cubby in the Disney Junior-Live on Stage! show at Disney California Adventure
• Bonnie Hunt voiced Sally in the Radiator Springs Racers ride at Disney California Adventure
• Jeremy Irons was the narrator in the "Seasons of the Vine" film (2001-2008) at Disney California Adventure
• Michael Jackson starred in the "Captain EO" 3-D film (1986-1997, 2010-present) at Disneyland park
• James Earl Jones voiced Darth Vader in the Star Tours: The Adventures Continue ride at Disneyland park
• Allison Janney voiced Aly San San (spokesbot) in the Star Tours: The Adventures Continue attraction at Disneyland park
• Richard Kind voiced Van in the Radiator Springs Racers ride at Disney California Adventure
• Nathan Lane voiced Tom Morrow in Innoventions at Disneyland park
• Cheech Marin voiced Chili in the "Its Tough to Be a Bug!" 3-D film and Ramone in the Radiator Springs Racers ride at Disney California Adventure
• Edie McClurg voiced Minny in the Radiator Springs Racers ride at Disney California Adventure
• Ian McShane portrayed and voiced Captain Blackbeard in the updated (2011-present) Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland park
• Rick Moranis played Wayne Szalinski in the "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" 3-D film (1998-2010) at Disneyland park
• Bill Nighy voiced Davy Jones in the updated (2006-present) Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland park
• Rosie O'Donnell is a co-host in "The Bakery Tour" film at Disney California Adventure
• Frank Oz voiced Yoda in the Star Tours: The Adventures Continue ride at Disneyland park
• Austin Pendleton voiced Gurgle in the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland park
• Madison Pettis voiced Izzy in the Disney Junior-Live on Stage! show at Disney California Adventure
• Karen Prell animated Buzz Lightyear for the video sequence at the end of the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride at Disneyland park
• Paul Reubens voiced RX-24 (Captain Rex) in the Star Tours ride (1987-2010) and in the queue of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (archival audio) at Disneyland park
• Kevin Michael Richardson voiced Sebastian in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure ride at Disney California Adventure
• Don Rickles voiced Mr. Potato Head at the Toy Story Midway Mania! attraction at Disney California Adventure
• Joan Rivers voiced a caricature of herself in the queue of Superstar Limo (2001-2002) at Disney California Adventure
• Geoffrey Rush voiced Captain Barbossa in the updated (2006-present) Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland park
• Tony Shalhoub voiced Luigi at the Luigi's Flying Tires attraction and in the Radiator Springs Racers ride at Disney California Adventure
• Bruce Spence voiced Chum in the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland park
• French Stewart voiced The Termite-ator in the "Its Tough to Be a Bug!" 3-D film at Disney California Adventure
• John Tartaglia provided live action reference for the updated (2009-present) Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln show at Disneyland park
• Patrick Warburton hosts the safety video in the Soarin' Over California attraction at Disney California Adventure and voiced G2-4T in the queue of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Disneyland park
• Robin Williams was a host in the "Back to Neverland" film in the Animation Screening Room (2001-2004) at Disney California Adventure

External links

• Official website