DHS Monster Inc Land Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios

[Casper Gutman]

I think all they had to do was change Waldo, the first half of the show (which was Muppets heavy) was great, as was the ending, the middle portion that focused on the 3D computer generated Waldo is always where it lost me.

I wouldn’t have changed any of the Muppets parts, just the horrible computer generated (by today’s standards) Waldo.

Waldo was the focus for half a scene.

 

[LittleBuford]

I genuinely don’t understand what felt dated. Both the writing and presentation were miles ahead of most Disney shows. Is it simply that puppets feel “dated,” the same way hand-drawn animation supposedly does? Is it the Vaudeville conceit? The CG on Waldo is admittedly dated, but the character design means it still looks less obsolete then Figment at Imagination or the effects on the JUST reopened Mermaid show.

Waldo was a prominent part of the show and very much showed his age. Figment is just poorly done; having not seen the new Mermaid show (or any recordings of it), I can't speak to that particular comparison.

Again, this isn't a criticism; if anything, I think it made the show more charming. And with specific regard to the bolded, I agree entirely, though the quality of the writing and presentation is an entirely different matter from whether the show felt dated or not.

 

[JackCH]

I genuinely don’t understand what felt dated. Both the writing and presentation were miles ahead of most Disney shows. Is it simply that puppets feel “dated,” the same way hand-drawn animation supposedly does? Is it the Vaudeville conceit? The CG on Waldo is admittedly dated, but the character design means it still looks less obsolete then Figment at Imagination or the effects on the JUST reopened Mermaid show.

I'd argue the elements that were "dated" were so in a vintage/nostalgic way. Much like timeless movies like Empire Strikes Back or Casablanca.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Waldo was a prominent part of the show and very much showed his age. Figment is just poorly done; having not seen the new Mermaid show (or any recordings of it), I can't speak to that particular comparison.

Again, this isn't a criticism; if anything, I think it made the show more charming. And with specific regard to the bolded, I agree entirely, though the quality of the writing and presentation is an entirely different matter from whether the show felt dated or not.

I’d argue that, in almost any media, writing and presentation (mise en scene) is the only thing that can truly damage a work of art by being dated. Casablanca or Maltese Falcon feel more meaningfully up-to-date then any number of films from the 2010s.

Waldo was VERY early CGI, but he was designed and introduced into the story in such a way that the feeling of being “dated” was minimized. He’s very much of the Muppet world, a chaotic anachronism. If early CGI dates a film, the first Toy Story - and Monsters Inc - are more profoundly past their sell by them MV3D (all are still vibrant and relevant).

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Waldo was the focus for half a scene.

Doesn’t take much to take you out of the moment, a bad 2 minute scene in the middle of a 15 minute show can feel like an eternity.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I'd argue the elements that were "dated" were so in a vintage/nostalgic way. Much like timeless movies like Empire Strikes Back or Casablanca.

Precisely. The Muppets mixed several major 60s/70s trends - the anarchic, playful, nonsensical, often satirical humor of early SNL and, more meaningfully, Python (the Muppet Show had HEAVY British influences), a hippy sentimentality, and a related nostalgia for the 30s, most notably in the vaudeville format. It’s telling that in the show Piggy sang a song first recorded in 1931 but which had its greatest success in 1968 when re-recorded by Mama Cass.

 

[BrianLo]

Dated doesn’t have to be pejorative. I think you can just unambiguously tell this was not an attraction made this Millenium. That doesn’t mean it was bad or didn’t age well, to me.

I also can’t comment on Mermaid, but I would be surprised if you felt like it was not an attraction from this Millenium.

The material is timeless in both cases.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Dated doesn’t have to be pejorative. I think you can just unambiguously tell this was not an attraction made this Millenium. That doesn’t mean it was bad or didn’t age well, to me.

I also can’t comment on Mermaid, but I would be surprised if you felt like it was not an attraction from this Millenium.

But… why? Because it’s well written? Full of clever details? Features lots of perfectly appropriate AAs? I guess those are all old fashioned…

The most dated elements of Mermaid are the new ones.

 

[JackCH]

Precisely. The Muppets mixed several major 60s/70s trends - the anarchic, playful, nonsensical, often satirical humor of early SNL and, more meaningfully, Python (the Muppet Show had HEAVY British influences), a hippy sentimentality, and a related nostalgia for the 30s, most notably in the vaudeville format. It’s telling that in the show Piggy sang a song first recorded in 1931 but which had its greatest success in 1968 when re-recorded by Mama Cass.

Huh. Hadn't thought of the Python/British humor connection. Now that you've said it I can definitely see it.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Huh. Hadn't thought of the Python/British humor connection. Now that you've said it I can definitely see it.

The Muppet Show filmed in Britain, backed by a very British producer, for British TV, and featured tons of British guests, including several Pythons, Marty Feldman, Bruce Forsyth, etc.

 

[BrianLo]

But… why? Because it’s well written? Full of clever details? Features lots of perfectly appropriate AAs? I guess those are all old fashioned…

The most dated elements of Mermaid are the new ones.

You seem to be taking this as an affront, it’s not a criticism from my lens. It visually looks and sounds like it was filmed more than 25 years ago and hasn’t really been modified. Nothing more. Arguably that’s often a good thing in the case of the muppets.

In terms of filmed media in the parks it is aging better than most things newer than it. Though Disney takes way too long to remaster things beyond their best by date and this needed a remaster at least 10 years ago, mostly because of Gizmo.

 

[HMF]

@Casper Gutman and @BrianLo . If Disney only built stuff based on their most popular movies we wouldn’t have gotten Mr. Toads wild ride splash mountain or even new muppets offerings anywhere else at the resort in the modern day.

None of that stuff would actually be built today.

 

[HMF]

Surely they know the big criticism of lands like Toy Story Land is the lack of shade and cooling.

It could also be the weak theming and awful aesthetics but sure lack of shade doesn't help.

 

[HMF]

TTBAB was too intense for the modern WDW tourist crowd

I will say TTBAB was made in the era where WDI thought gross-out humor was actually funny. See also Stitches' Great Escape and Journey Into Imagination With Figment.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Explain. I thought the picture quality at closing was quite good.

The last time I watched the show in October 2023, it looked the best I had ever seen it.

The seat cushions had recently been replaced, all in theater effects were working and of course they had switched to digital projection a long time ago. The depth of field of the 3D imagery and tricks was still substantial by today's standards.

Knowing now it's closed, I'm glad I saw it when I did.

 

[HMF]

I would not think so considering the updated concept art removed all signs that could have given people the idea that MILF was moving here.

If MILF is still around when this land opens, I know I am going to be angry. But then again this is the same management that is still operating Star Tours when they have an entire Star Wars Land in a completely different section of the park.

 

[HMF]

I don’t get this at all, either. We’ve been begging for this Door Coaster for decades on these boards. They finally announce it and we have buyer’s remorse?

It should have been a stand alone attraction in Pixar Place, not the centerpiece of a whole land based on one movie which also happens to take out a classic attraction.

 

[HMF]

The question is, WHY wasn't MuppetVision more popular? Somehow, I doubt people were avoiding it just because it was the Muppets. Was it the location?

If Henson had lived and the Muppet Studios area actually built I do not think we would be having this discussion.

 

[HMF]

I don't think Snow White's Enchanted Dream should be preserved as-is for all time since it was one of Kim Irvine's final projects before retiring.

With all respect to Kim Irvine. She does not really have the cultural significance Jim Henson did. Also her last job for the company was neutering the Disneyland Haunted Mansion's Attic scene.

 

[Casper Gutman]

It could also be the weak theming and awful aesthetics but sure lack of shade doesn't help.

Also the utterly atrocious layout.