Rumor Muppets to Take Over The Hall of Presidents

techgeek

Well-Known Member
And, I think that having the Muppets as a pre-show in the outer area would be a fun way to celebrate our history before entering the main room for the more serious presentation.

The ‘Great Moments’ show outside effectively was already a pre-show. It was scheduled to end immediately before a HoP start, and the script ended with an invite to step inside.

The park is not just about leaving the real world behind. The fantasy of Magic Kingdom includes time travel to eras past and future:

"Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America"

"Here you leave the world of today and enter the worlds of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy"

"This program is dedicated to the memory of Walt Disney" - HoP (2017-2021)

There's just something different about seeing actual AAs of characters.

I can remember that a large part of the attraction of the HoP back in the early days was the impressive technological feat of having so many ‘lifelike’ characters realistically portrayed on stage. To acknowledge the time travel aspect of Magic Kingdom, it was (as it was with many attractions) an experience that was grounded in the past but felt like you were living a bit in the future at the same time. Robotics was still the realm of science fiction when the show was conceived, and the show was legitimately impressive and world renowned for that in its own right.

Disney one-upped themselves a decade later with American Adventure, but aside from adding some projection tricks ala Frozen and more fluid and nuanced articulation like the Navi River shaman, AA’s have largely hit a wall in development.

In a modern era where literally anything is possible on a movie screen and we can summon YouTube videos on our phone of cutting edge robotics, the tech behind HoP is decidedly less of a draw then it used to be. How amazing and ‘must see’ would the show become if instead of the Presidents being mostly static figures behind a curtain, the Presidents walked independently around the theater and up onto the stage? If it became a cutting edge demonstrator for the possibilities of modern robotic tech?

The show is completely stuck in the past as it is, along with CoP, missing the futuristic wonder that was part of making the special sauce for both of those attractions.
 

GimpYancIent

Well-Known Member
The ‘Great Moments’ show outside effectively was already a pre-show. It was scheduled to end immediately before a HoP start, and the script ended with an invite to step inside.





I can remember that a large part of the attraction of the HoP back in the early days was the impressive technological feat of having so many ‘lifelike’ characters realistically portrayed on stage. To acknowledge the time travel aspect of Magic Kingdom, it was (as it was with many attractions) an experience that was grounded in the past but felt like you were living a bit in the future at the same time. Robotics was still the realm of science fiction when the show was conceived, and the show was legitimately impressive and world renowned for that in its own right.

Disney one-upped themselves a decade later with American Adventure, but aside from adding some projection tricks ala Frozen and more fluid and nuanced articulation like the Navi River shaman, AA’s have largely hit a wall in development.

In a modern era where literally anything is possible on a movie screen and we can summon YouTube videos on our phone of cutting edge robotics, the tech behind HoP is decidedly less of a draw then it used to be. How amazing and ‘must see’ would the show become if instead of the Presidents being mostly static figures behind a curtain, the Presidents walked independently around the theater and up onto the stage? If it became a cutting edge demonstrator for the possibilities of modern robotic tech?

The show is completely stuck in the past as it is, along with CoP, missing the futuristic wonder that was part of making the special sauce for both of those attractions.
Yes! HoP is a classic. Maybe it has become a museum piece, a historic venue, a small glimpse at a time when it was AA cutting edge. If anything there is more value to it being maintained. A light hearted, humorous Muppet presentation pre-show, Statler and Waldorf in a balcony (heckling the audience) then a respectful, well narrated, classic presentation of the presidents. The HoP absolutely has a historic place at Disney (with or without the Muppets) regardless of where tech has gone.
 

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
The show is completely stuck in the past as it is, along with CoP, missing the futuristic wonder that was part of making the special sauce for both of those attractions.

CoP still works brilliantly for the first three eras as a look back at history -- essentially the same as when it was originally designed. It's one of my favorite attractions at WDW because of those first three eras.

The final scene is the problem. It's obviously no longer futuristic, and unless Disney designs something set in like the 2070s, it's not going to work going forward because they won't commit to updating it regularly. Even if they would, the time jump from the 1940s to however far in the future they go will feel bizarre.

I think they should restore the final scene to its original 1960s version and let it be a fun look back at homes of the past. The history aspect of the attraction is what really makes it work anyways. The only problem there is that it would have to be moved out of Tomorrowland.
 

_caleb

Well-Known Member
CoP still works brilliantly for the first three eras as a look back at history -- essentially the same as when it was originally designed. It's one of my favorite attractions at WDW because of those first three eras.

The final scene is the problem. It's obviously no longer futuristic, and unless Disney designs something set in like the 2070s, it's not going to work going forward because they won't commit to updating it regularly. Even if they would, the time jump from the 1940s to however far in the future they go will feel bizarre.

I think they should restore the final scene to its original 1960s version and let it be a fun look back at homes of the past. The history aspect of the attraction is what really makes it work anyways. The only problem there is that it would have to be moved out of Tomorrowland.
This, but then I want them to add a second story to the theater and have the seating raise/lower into another circle of vignettes. They could make what is currently the final scene into a look at the 1980s, then move into the new set of scenes for 2000, 2020, a new future (2040+). and still have a placeholder for expansion.

But this is a thread about Hall of Presidents. I‘m not anti-Muppet, but I don’t care for the idea of putting the Muppets into the actual show.
 

Rich Brownn

Well-Known Member
I wish they would rebuild something like the Mickey Mouse Revue with updated technology. A bunch of Disney characters in one place, playing classic Disney music? I think that sounds great -- and it would probably be more successful today because attendance is so much higher.

If it was designed so they could easily change the music and sync the characters to that new music (which shouldn't be that hard; the old Showbiz Pizza animatronics can do that without too much work and newer technology should make it a much simpler task), then they could incorporate new Disney songs as well as rotate in old classics regularly. That would keep it somewhat fresh instead of being the same show every time. It would also probably need to only have the orchestra scene -- since additional scenes with specific animatronics wouldn't be so easily changed -- but they could add many more characters and instruments to that scene.

I bet it would stay busy most days at the Magic Kingdom just as something for people to do (and also as a place to get AC in the summer), especially since kids would probably enjoy it. It could also go in at DHS to add capacity to that park.
I remember asking one of the Imagineers why the MMR review seemed not to work while CBJ did. He told me, look at the eyes. In the MMR they don't move. He pointed out that was your first clue that the CBJ was programmed by animators, while MMR was done by engineers.
 

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
I remember asking one of the Imagineers why the MMR review seemed not to work while CBJ did. He told me, look at the eyes. In the MMR they don't move. He pointed out that was your first clue that the CBJ was programmed by animators, while MMR was done by engineers.
Well, whomever updated these are having a wiz-bang of a time trying to keep them going..
Gran-Fiesta-Tour-Starring-The-Three-Caballeros_Full_26131.jpg
 

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
Regarding the muppets and how they are handled by Disney... the D23 presentation yesterday said everything - WDI VP of Muppets is all corporate and proper reading off of a script while Brian and the muppet performers are joking around and having a great time.

Dave even made fun of the questions that the VP sent in advance.
 

cjkeating

Well-Known Member
Regarding the muppets and how they are handled by Disney... the D23 presentation yesterday said everything - WDI VP of Muppets is all corporate and proper reading off of a script while Brian and the muppet performers are joking around and having a great time.

Dave even made fun of the questions that the VP sent in advance.
Is there a link to the video?
 

MadTeacup

Well-Known Member
Funny how someone potentially or actually saying something obnoxious is grounds to remove this attraction, but actual fights that have resulted in design changed don’t enough for people to call for the end of FastPass.
I'm pretty sure there's LOTS of Disney Parks guests that want Disney to permanently end FastPass+. Also, there's no movement to REMOVE HoP (that I'm aware of.) Some people would just like to see Disney improve the way they tell the story on that stage.
I also have to wonder if there's an overalap between those who admit to skipping HoP during certain Presidencies and those who assume that guests in the audience act up during the show.
There may be, but that doesn't make them wrong. I'd never witnessed an audience disrespect that show the way they disrespected the post-2016 version. (Honestly, the Hillary animatronic wearing a Trump wig didn't help.)
 

MaryJaneP

Well-Known Member
Perhaps it is unfortunate that HoP (and CoP as well) is the past to some and the future to others. Adding the muppets to HoP (or CoP) would be entirely inappropriate to those to whom it is either a respectful display of their past or a projection of their future.
 

Rambozo

Well-Known Member
I don't want to see the Muppets in Magic Kingdom, especially if they are replacing Hall. If you want to do something Disney finally give us "The Great Muppet Movie Ride" at DHS.
 

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