The Jim Henson Company Releases Statement on the Future of MuppetVision 3D at Walt Disney World

Nov 23, 2024 in "Jim Henson's MuppetVision 3-D"

Posted: Saturday November 23, 2024 1:50pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The Jim Henson Company has released an official statement regarding the future of MuppetVision 3-D, following the recent announcement of its closure at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Full Walkthrough of Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney's Hollywood Studios

The Official Statement

"Jim Henson's final project was MuppetVision 3D, now regarded as a true theme park classic. Innovation was always Jim Henson's north star, and his trailblazing career led him to a unique challenge: a truly immersive Muppet experience where audiences are part of the happy chaos of the iconic Muppet Show. Originally debuting in 1991, MuppetVision 3D combined 3D technology with real-world practical effects, alongside animatronic and live Muppet characters. The result was a one-of-a-kind Jim Henson experience, and an unforgettable capstone to Jim's magnificent career. As we learn of the show's upcoming closure in its current form at Disney's Hollywood Studios, we look forward to Muppet*Vision 3D's next act."

A Tribute to Jim Henson's Vision

Debuting in 1991, the show embodied Henson's signature blend of humor, creativity, and technological innovation, combining 3D visuals with real-world elements to create an unforgettable, immersive experience. For many fans, MuppetVision 3D is more than a theme park attraction; it is a tribute to Henson's life work and his commitment to pushing the boundaries of entertainment.

Jim Henson was known for always looking towards the future, and the statement underscores that innovation was central to his career. With MuppetVision 3D, Henson took on the challenge of creating a theme park show that would immerse audiences in the world of the Muppets like never before. The result was an attraction that blended animatronics, practical effects, and 3D film in a way that was ahead of its time—an experience that allowed guests to feel like they were part of the Muppet Show itself, surrounded by the happy chaos that defines the Muppets.

What's Next for MuppetVision 3-D?

While the closure of MuppetVision 3D in its current form at Disney's Hollywood Studios is blow for fans, The Jim Henson Company's statement hints at a promising future. The phrase "we look forward to MuppetVision 3D's next act" suggests that this beloved attraction is not gone forever, but rather poised for an evolution—perhaps in a new format, location, or even as part of a digital experience.

A Legacy That Lives On

Jim Henson's influence on entertainment is immeasurable, and MuppetVision 3-D stands as a testament to his creative genius.

The Muppets' joyful chaos, brought to life through Henson's vision, will live on in whatever form MuppetVision 3D takes in its next iteration.

MuppetVision 3-D's Future: Potential Disney Park Venues and Apple Vision Pro Immersive Experience

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Wendy Pleakley9 days ago

Releasing MV3D for headsets is great news. Some people are dismissive of VR as a passing fad or think it should just be a regular Disney+ release, but I don't think they understand what the Vision Pro in particular is capable of. The Vision Pro is a very powerful spatial computer, it's not "just a VR headset" that allows for remarkable media viewing. You can, for example, watch Avatar: Way of Water on Disney+ and it actually feels like watching it on a movie theater sized screen. The 3D and high frame rate aspects are there as well. The ability to recreate a theater experience for older films is a great way to preserve the experience and it's a great home theater alternative. They are going to be able to present the filmed show in a high quality environment that looks like the real thing, and will maintain the feeling of watching in a large theater. A Meta Quest version won't have the same visual quality but should provide a good experience as well. Some people dismiss this because of Apple's relatively small install base to date. That's not a reason not to do this. The technology should become more accessible in time, they're rumoured to be developing a "budget" version. Meta Quest may graduate to 4K displays in the future as well. I've always been okay with the theme park attraction ending because it is dated. I'm very happy that Jim Henson's final project can be preserved this way.

TrainsOfDisney10 days ago

This is indeed the most out of touch thing they could have possibly done. And by they I mean both Disney and Apple. Both are companies I have long been a fan of but really don’t seem to understand what their customers want. Simple things like headphone jacks and free Fastpass! Haha

Touchdown10 days ago

In 10 years that will be how much a five day park hopper will cost.

V_L_Raptor10 days ago

Yes, re-live MV3D… with a ~$3.5k barrier to entry. Wow. Thanks, Disney!

Biff21511 days ago

Zero interest in investing time or money into a VR experience like this, just not my thing. Happy for those who do enjoy it though.

dolbyman12 days ago

Some 3D source video files resulting from this apple collaboration would be just what I need for my project. All I am saying is, that is why I am budgeting for a JVC NZ-800 3D laser projector for my build ;)

TrainsOfDisney12 days ago

And Andrew Barth Feldmans musical tribute! Back to back would be a great double feature for YouTube to advertise! Haha

HMF12 days ago

I think I would legitimately prefer watching @marni1971's tribute video of Muppet Vision to this.

StarWarsGirl13 days ago

I wish they would just straight up put it on D+ like they did for Disneyland attraction videos. I personally cannot use VR because it will set off a migraine, but would love it if Muppets were on D+.

DarkRideGuy13 days ago

Although I don’t own a Vision Pro, this is still exciting to me. Eventually, these devices and similar ones are going to be become more accessible and we can revisit our favorite, defunct, attractions. This could pave the way for some really cool virtual theme park experiences on the platform.

mattpeto13 days ago

I'd love to experience classic attractions on VR at some point, but I can't imagine it would be more than a one and done - I could be wrong though. I do think this sort of thing makes it much unlikley that MV3D will ever return. Maybe we'll get a new Muppets show attraction though.

MrPromey13 days ago

The problem here is that in the nearly two years of release, I think they've only sold around 500k of these headsets worldwide so releasing almost anything to AVP is effectively like not releasing it at all. This must be part of the 3D exclusivity deal they still have in place with Apple. Once that expires and the content can move to the other headset platforms (Particularly Meta's), it'll become much more accessible. Obviously, there is money and probably was "prestige" in being an Apple exclusive at the time the deal was struck but I kind of wonder if Disney's first foray into 3D streaming was being done on a limited platform, intentionally. 3D video eats considerably more bandwith and for it to work in headsets, it pretty much has to be the highest resolutions so this may have been intentional as the start of a phased rollout to work out the system... at least, that's what I tell myself. 🤷🏻‍♂️

rd80513 days ago

It's cool - but VR hasn't really been something "neat" for like 6 years now.

Wall-e13 days ago

Since there’s alway so much negativity on the internet I wanted to take the time to say I appreciate this development and I think somewhere down the line this needs to be something we can enjoy with other experiences that may leave us.