Changes: Muppet Mobile Lab

Revision as of 23:21, 5 April 2008

The Muppet Mobile Lab is a theme park exhibit for Disney's California Adventure. Part of Disney's "Living Characters Initiative" project, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker are "brought to life" through the use of advanced Audio-Animatronic remote-control-puppeteering technology.

Starting in Febuary 2007, Bunsen and Beaker began to travel in their Muppet Mobile Laboratory vehicle through the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, part of California Adventure. The Audio-Animatronic puppet versions of the characters encourage park visitors to take part in their experiments and antics.

The Muppets vehicle is equipped with flashing lights, rotating signs, bubble jets, smoke sprayers, water misters, confetti cannons, and even a built-in gorilla detector. Eight cameras are hidden on the unit, including one in the bridge of Bunsen's glasses which allows the contoller to make eye contact with guests.

Imagineers have written 53 scripted comedy bits and routines and a repetour of 12 traveling songs. The entire show can be controlled by a single operator from a control booth many miles away for the actual park. The characters can react spontaneously to audience involvement through improvisation as the characters can call guests by name, tell the color of their shirts and respond to unique questions.

The characters are really reacting to the guests and directly responding to them (rather than a one-sided Audio-Animatronic show). The Muppet Mobile Laboratory unit is of a shape and size that would make it impossible for any full-sized human being to operate the characters from inside. The two Muppets are detatchable from the unit and can be operated as remote puppets independent from the unit. On a few occasions, the Imagineers have set the pair in cafes, theaters and on benches throughout parks to have them interact with guests.

Dave Goelz has been a consultant for this project; and was personally on-site along with Steve Whitmire, observing and working on the show when the attraction was first unleashed on the park in Febuary/March 2007. The laboratory had several private test runs - including the 2006 Walt Disney Company corporate Christmas party, a Pixar Company event, and even in the Walt Disney Imagineering parking lot. A public test was conducted at California Adventure from Febuary 13 to March 4, 2007.

In August of 2007, the Muppet Mobile Lab moved to Epcot Center in Walt Disney World. In February 2008 it moved to Disneyland Hong Kong. It will return to the US to stroll the streets of New York City as part of the 2008 World Science Festivalm after which it will move to the Tokyo Disney Resort for the summer 2008. In Hong Kong Bunsen's dialog was performed in Cantonese.

A second unit is currently in production. The new unit will be shared by the Orlando parks - moving between Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot Center. The original unit will rotate between California, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

External Links

Jim Hill Media Disney's Living Character Initiative
Jim Hill Media Muppet Mobile Lab Update
Videos: [1], [2], [3]

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 The '''Muppet Mobile Lab''' is a theme park exhibit for [[Disneyland|Disney's California Adventure]]. Part of Disney's "Living Characters Initiative" project, [[Dr. Bunsen Honeydew]] and [[Beaker]] are "brought to life" through the use of advanced Audio-Animatronic remote-control-puppeteering technology.
-Starting in Febuary [[2007]], Bunsen and Beaker began to travel in their Muppet Mobile Laboratory vehicle through the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, part of California Adventure. The Audio-Animatronic puppet versions of the characters, based on the puppets used in ''[[Muppets Tonight]]'', encourage park visitors to take part in their experiments and antics.
+Starting in Febuary [[2007]], Bunsen and Beaker began to travel in their Muppet Mobile Laboratory vehicle through the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, part of California Adventure. The Audio-Animatronic puppet versions of the characters encourage park visitors to take part in their experiments and antics.
+The Muppets vehicle is equipped with flashing lights, rotating signs, bubble jets, smoke sprayers, water misters, confetti cannons, and even a built-in gorilla detector. Eight cameras are hidden on the unit, including one in the bridge of Bunsen's glasses which allows the contoller to make eye contact with guests.
-Imagineers have written script options for the show. The entire show can be controlled by a single operator from a control booth many miles away for the actual park. The interactions create the illusion of spontaneity, audience involvement, and improvisation as the characters can call guests by name, tell the color of their shirts and respond to unique questions.
+Imagineers have written 53 scripted comedy bits and routines and a repetour of 12 traveling songs. The entire show can be controlled by a single operator from a control booth many miles away for the actual park. The characters can react spontaneously to audience involvement through improvisation as the characters can call guests by name, tell the color of their shirts and respond to unique questions.
-The illusion makes it appear that there are really Muppets interacting right in front of the guests asking questions and directly responding to them (rather than a one-sided Audio-Animatronic show). The Muppet Mobile Laboratory unit is of a shape and size that would make it impossible for any full-sized human being to operate the characters from inside.
+The characters are really reacting to the guests and directly responding to them (rather than a one-sided Audio-Animatronic show). The Muppet Mobile Laboratory unit is of a shape and size that would make it impossible for any full-sized human being to operate the characters from inside. The two Muppets are detatchable from the unit and can be operated as remote puppets independent from the unit. On a few occasions, the Imagineers have set the pair in cafes, theaters and on benches throughout parks to have them interact with guests.
-In late 2006 [[Dave Goelz]] was consulted for this project; and was personally on-site along with [[Steve Whitmire]], observing and working on the show when the attraction was first unleashed on the park in Febuary/March 2007. The laboratory was tested on guests at the 2006 Walt Disney Company corporate Christmas party and was tested and tweaked while running in the Walt Disney Imagineering parking lot and at California Adventure for a test runs from mid-Febuary to March 4, 2007.
+[[Dave Goelz]] has been a consultant for this project; and was personally on-site along with [[Steve Whitmire]], observing and working on the show when the attraction was first unleashed on the park in Febuary/March 2007. The laboratory had several private test runs - including the 2006 Walt Disney Company corporate Christmas party, a Pixar Company event, and even in the Walt Disney Imagineering parking lot. A public test was conducted at California Adventure from Febuary 13 to March 4, 2007.
-In August of 2007, the Muppet Mobile Lab was moved to Epcot Center in [[Walt Disney World]]. Dave Goelz was replaced by an unidentified performer.
+In August of 2007, the Muppet Mobile Lab moved to Epcot Center in [[Walt Disney World]]. In February 2008 it moved to Disneyland Hong Kong. It will return to the US to stroll the streets of New York City as part of the 2008 World Science Festivalm after which it will move to the Tokyo Disney Resort for the summer 2008. In Hong Kong Bunsen's dialog was performed in Cantonese.
+A second unit is currently in production. The new unit will be shared by the Orlando parks - moving between Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot Center. The original unit will rotate between California, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
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