MuppetVision 3D closing for a month-long refurbishment in the summer

[Dads 2 Boys]

While I don't disagree with such quotes by any means, the problem is that Walt made them with the assumption that the new elements would be improvements over the previous attraction. When he was in charge of the company (and for some time after his death), this was a fair assumption. But in the past couple of decades, it has sadly become naive to assume they'll create a worthy replacement for any classics they replace.

Epcot is a perfect example of that still ongoing problem. Absolutely none of the attractions that replaced World of Motion, Horizons or Imagination have come anywhere close to being as good as those rides were (essentially every single change made to the park post 1994 refurb of SSE has been a major letdown if not abject failure). And with more and more creative talent being purged from the company, continual short sighted and crippling budget restrictions, and physical show sets and animatronics being considered "passé" by the company (now being replaced by video screens), it has become even more dire for new attractions replacing older ones. At the very least in regards to WDW.

If Disney actually came up with a concept wholly superior to Jungle Cruise and gave it the budget and talent it needed to succeed, then i'd agree with that completely. But I am not at all convinced that the current leadership is capable or willing to do that at all. If it can't be assumed that what we'll get as a replacement will be better than what was there, then the original needs to be preserved until someone else is placed in power who is capable and willing to do such a thing. Otherwise we're just likely to get dumbed down replacements ala Epcot.

In your opinion....and while others may agree with you, others will not. The first two of those you mentioned were so out of date and antiquated it wasn't funny. I've said it before here....there is a huge difference in old/antiquated/outdated attractions and classic attractions. Both WoM and Horizons were old and outdated and needed to be replaced with poor attendance......hence they were removed and replaced by newer and more thrilling attractions.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

In your opinion....and while others may agree with you, others will not. The first two of those you mentioned were so out of date and antiquated it wasn't funny. I've said it before here....there is a huge difference in old/antiquated/outdated attractions and classic attractions. Both WoM and Horizons were old and outdated and needed to be replaced with poor attendance......hence they were removed and replaced by newer and more thrilling attractions.

You can paint anything as an opinion to try to bring it down a peg with the "logic" that some will disagree. Sure it's an opinion and obviously some people are inevitably going to disagree, but it's an educated opinion that happens to be agreed upon by a good many people who have standards of quality for a Disney-made theme park experience. I'm sure there are some people that are of the opinion that Stitch is a better attraction than Alien Encounter or that the Under New Management Tiki Room was better than the original. There's one guy on this site that (though highly possibly is just trolling) has stated he wants Country Bears redone with hip hop music (among other weird controversial things). And you can say people averse to this "just have an opinion".

All Horizons or World of Motion needed were some general upgrades in the same vein that Spaceship Earth got in 1994 to keep them fresh and up to date. Horizons was actually going to receive such an overhaul before they decided to just tear it down. No matter what arguments anyone tries to come up with, I do not consider the gutting and/or demolition of these two rides to have been worthy for what I and many consider to be a glorified spinner or a car ride through a cheap warehouse (now a warehouse with some better lighting but still a warehouse). EPCOT's purpose was never to be a thrill seeker's park, it was a more intellectual experience for guests seeking a mentally stimulating yet awe inspiring and still fun experience like nothing else they could experience elsewhere. Coasters and simulators are a dime a dozen, but Horizons and World of Motion are truly special rides that just can't be found anywhere else and that we'll probably never see again save for Martin's great tributes.

And even if you insisted on adding thrills, there was plenty of space to do so without actually tearing down existing rides. There's a ton of space for additions that is being continually squandered by the company. There's a poster here called Randy Savage who has a blog where he posts hypothetical park layouts he made. One was EPCOT expanded using all the land available to the company to build on, and there's a lot that they aren't using now. That's another serious issue with modern Disney. Plenty of room to expand the parks and yet they insist on gutting and replacing current attractions. There were even several places in World Showcase planned pretty much from the beginning to receive mountains that would contain thrilling coasters (we know there were plans for a Mount Fuji thrill ride in Japan or a new and better version of the Matterhorn).

Disney hasn't really changed much from a corporate perspective since they ruined EPCOT, the same kinds of people are still in positions of power. It's arguable that for WDW at least they've actually gotten worse since then. And their creative employees have diminished even further than their 90's people (ever more are still just waiting to be pushed out like Tony Baxter). They've made other mistakes since EPCOT's ruination. Whether it be opening Animal Kingdom with a massively slashed budget and unfinished/underwhelming all around as a result, or building cheapo new rides such as Toy Story Midway Mania and even the Little Mermaid ride (much more recent examples, the queue in the Little Mermaid at WDW is much better than the ride itself). And Spaceship Earth ironically received an upgrade in 2007 that actually managed to render it worse than its 1994 version, somehow dating it even more than it was prior. And yes I would say the same is true of Test Track and Mission Space, both of which somehow felt immensely more outdated even upon opening than their substantially older predecessors...

 

[EpcoTim]

and needed to be replaced with poor attendance

Actually, they took two of the greatest rides in Disney history and replaced them with newer and much, much worse rides.

 

[lebeau]

this among many others don't need just a refurbishment, they need a complete virtual overhaul to bring much of the things up-to-date

I don't understand what is out of date about the Muppets? Do they also need to bring Small World up to date?

 

[Magenta Panther]

I don't understand what is out of date about the Muppets? Do they also need to bring Small World up to date?

Of course not. Small World is a celebration of world cultures, expressed by children. That will never go out of style. But a fad that peaked in the '80's, and is built around PUPPETS...yeah, we're talking out-of-date here.

 

[Black Pearl]

But a fad that peaked in the '80's, and is built around PUPPETS...yeah, we're talking out-of-date here.

No.

 

[tissandtully]

Of course not. Small World is a celebration of world cultures, expressed by children. That will never go out of style. But a fad that peaked in the '80's, and is built around PUPPETS...yeah, we're talking out-of-date here.

You're a horrible person.

 

[lebeau]

Of course not. Small World is a celebration of world cultures, expressed by children. That will never go out of style. But a fad that peaked in the '80's, and is built around PUPPETS...yeah, we're talking out-of-date here.

I believe your opinion on the franchise is well-documented to the point where even those who agree with you would probably agree that it's time for you to back off this subject. We all know where you stand.

Outside of your own personal axe to grind, is there anything about the attraction that is remotely dated? Nothing I can think of.

 

[Magenta Panther]

You're a horrible person.

So the Muppet fanatics on this board tell me.

 

[Rosso11]

Outside of your own personal axe to grind, is there anything about the attraction that is remotely dated? Nothing I can think of.

I love MuppetVision but the CGI can be updated for sure. Pretty much the character Waldo. While the're at it I would be pretty happy if they gave him a new voice as well. They can leave the CGI Mickey at the end alone since its historical for being the first CGI Mickey ever.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I believe your opinion on the franchise is well-documented to the point where even those who agree with you would probably agree that it's time for you to back off this subject. We all know where you stand.

Outside of your own personal axe to grind, is there anything about the attraction that is remotely dated? Nothing I can think of.

The only "personal axe" I have is also aimed at other non-Disney-originated stuff in the parks, which I also dislike, which I've also mentioned oh, a couple of times. But dude, comparing Small World to Muppetvision...um, no. One has an iconic status and Disney legacy the other does not. Remove Muppetvision, and a few nostalgic grownups and even fewer kids might miss it. But remove Small World...and the uproar would be tremendous. It'd be like...like...why, when Eisner wanted to replace Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland with the Muppets. The public put a very loud stop to that!

 

[lebeau]

I love MuppetVision but the CGI can be updated for sure. Pretty much the character Waldo. While the're at it I would be pretty happy if they gave him a new voice as well. They can leave the CGI Mickey at the end alone since its historical for being the first CGI Mickey ever.

I'll give you the CGI. But there are plenty of other attractions which are more dated than Muppetvision. Like half of Future World.

The only "personal axe" I have is also aimed at other non-Disney-originated stuff in the parks, which I also dislike, which I've also mentioned oh, a couple of times. But dude, comparing Small World to Muppetvision...um, no. One has an iconic status and Disney legacy the other does not. Remove Muppetvision, and a few nostalgic grownups and even fewer kids might miss it. But remove Small World...and the uproar would be tremendous. It'd be like...like...why, when Eisner wanted to replace Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland with the Muppets. The public put a very loud stop to that!

Outside of Disney circles, most people see Small World as annoying.

If you ignore the fact that one is tied to a franchise and one isn't, they are both timeless. Ellen's Universe of Energy is dated. Muppetvision plays about as well today as it did when it was new. The only reason Disney fans complain about it is they have seen it too many times. And that's a result of the park it is in being hopelessly stale.

I'm not even going to try to change your opinion on non-Disney properties. Better men than I have tried and failed. I respect your opinion, I just get a little weary of hearing it every time someone makes a passing reference to the Muppets.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I'll give you the CGI. But there are plenty of other attractions which are more dated than Muppetvision. Like half of Future World.



Outside of Disney circles, most people see Small World as annoying.

If you ignore the fact that one is tied to a franchise and one isn't, they are both timeless. Ellen's Universe of Energy is dated. Muppetvision plays about as well today as it did when it was new. The only reason Disney fans complain about it is they have seen it too many times. And that's a result of the park it is in being hopelessly stale.

I'm not even going to try to change your opinion on non-Disney properties. Better men than I have tried and failed. I respect your opinion, I just get a little weary of hearing it every time someone makes a passing reference to the Muppets.

Fair enough. *shrug*

 

[Communicore]

I say implode it. There's nothing sentimental about WDW anymore. I mean they closed Toad, so this Muppetvision can go. And yes I think Muppetvision is more dated than Captain EO.

 

[Disvillain63]

Something being out-of-date is really an individual opinion. The other night I mentioned the Muppet revision to my DD23 and she was a bit dismayed that they would be updating...it's a memory from her childhood that she treasures. I said that the end showed people looking in that were clearly dated late 1980s. Her reply was that she liked seeing the fashions of the late 80's because they were still the fashion when she was born in 1990.

I think we all hold something sentimental about attractions at WDW...it just varies by person and experiences.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I say implode it. There's nothing sentimental about WDW anymore. I mean they closed Toad, so this Muppetvision can go. And yes I think Muppetvision is more dated than Captain EO.

Here's something interesting: over on Amazon.com, the re-release of Mary Poppins is now number 2 in all Blu-Ray sales overall (it was number one until Star Trek: Into Darkness came out). And it isn't even officially for sale yet. It won't be until December. The orders for it are all pre-sales. Whereas The Muppet Movie, just re-released in a 35-year Anniversary edition, is #578. Its companion release, The Muppet Caper and Treasure Island, is #1,122. Wow, spectacular.

So yeah, implode Muppetvision - and replace it with a Mary Poppins attraction. Or at least something truly Disney. That's what people really want - what they come to a Disney park for.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Here's something interesting: over on Amazon.com, the re-release of Mary Poppins is now number 2 in all Blu-Ray sales overall (it was number one until Star Trek: Into Darkness came out). And it isn't even officially for sale yet. It won't be until December. The orders for it are all pre-sales. Whereas The Muppet Movie, just re-released in a 35-year Anniversary edition, is #578. Its companion release, The Muppet Caper and Treasure Island, is #1,122. Wow, spectacular.

So yeah, implode Muppetvision - and replace it with a Mary Poppins attraction. Or at least something truly Disney. That's what people really want - what they come to a Disney park for.

What do DVDs have to do with anything?

Another question, how can you speak for everyone? You can't. You're applying your own opinion to everybody, and it doesn't work that way.

Not every single attraction has to be based on Disney property.

 

[EpcoTim]

So yeah, implode Muppetvision - and replace it with a Mary Poppins attraction. Or at least something truly Disney. That's what people really want - what they come to a Disney park for.

No, it's not. One of the main reasons to go to the Studios, for many, is the Muppets.

Mary Poppins is more than welcome in Muppet Theatre, I for one would love to see Fozzie run her down in his cab.

 

[wcjordan06]

So yeah, implode Muppetvision - and replace it with a Mary Poppins attraction. Or at least something truly Disney. That's what people really want - what they come to a Disney park for.

So I guess the many many people I saw walking around with Muppet related shirts at HS yesterday, plus the many disappointed guests I saw walking up to the closed attraction, means people are over the muppets? Right keep telling yourself that.

 

[Goofywilliam]

The muppet franchise itself is nowhere near outdated. People love the muppets! Heck, just the other day I was at a hallmark store and while I was there I glanced over at the ornaments. When I did I found a Kermit ornament that looked like the scene where he was singing the rainbow connection in the movie. Best of all there was a button you pressed on it and when you did the song actually played. i geeked out of course and asked a worker there about it and she replied that they have sold out for the third time of these kermit ornaments. I was shocked! I figured most people had forgotten about that movie. Anyway, muppet vision is amazing and all it needs is a few tweaks here and there. There is no reason to knock it down!