Why are the Muppets coming???

[johnvree]

I've been reading a lot on these boards that the new Disney-Henson deal will pave the way for a Muppets land in Disney-MGM Studios. To be honest, I have to wonder, why? Are the Muppets still popular with kids? Mine are 4 and 5 and they barely know what the Muppets are. When one of the Muppet movies are on TV, they lose interstest pretty quickly and they have never asked me to get one of the movies.

Obviously, I would love for them to add something to Disney-MGM Studios. And a Muppets land sounds fun to me, but then I grew up with those movies as well as the TV show. I am just not so sure my kids would love it. And I am wondering whether you feel this way about your kids.

* * Warning -- real agenda coming -- Warning * *
Now, if they want to expand that area of Disney-MGM Studios, then how about a Star Wars land. I think those movies are still very popular and Episode III is out in 2005. If the rumored Episodes VII, VIII and IX are ever made, that would guarantee popularity for at least another 10 years (assuming they continue to role them out every 3 years and assuming there isn't a 20 year hiatus again). Plus, IMO, Star Wars is important enough to get its own land. Love the new movies or hate 'em, you have to admit that they revolutionized special effects in movies.

Anyway, just curious on your thoughts - both on the Muppets and Star Wars. Thanks

 

[barnum42]

The parks are not designed exclusively for four and five year old kids – if not it would all be Playhouse Disney. *shudders at the thought *. I think the Muppets have a big enough following for the name to generate interest in a significant chunk of park visitors to make their expansion worthwhile.

Much as I would love to see more Star Wars, I think it has been posted that George Lucas is not on talking terms with Eisner. Until Eisner finally gets the hint and leaves there will be nothing new on the Star Wars front.

 

[Katherine]

I think the Muppets are great and I would LOVE to see them at the Studios more. I also think it'd be cool if brought the old Muppet Show back I remember watching it when I was little and loving it. I think if done well a Muppet Land would be awesome but I don't want Eisner to do it just becasue he'd probably make cuts and we'd get the watered down version of what it should have been. Just some random thoughts:animwink:

 

[disneyman23]

i think a muppet land would be amazing----mind you i grew up with the muppets and their tv show and movies and all those things, thus i "get" the muppet humor and all the characters that so many people love. i think that because disney now has ownership of the muppets they are going to need to do something to reach the new youth audiences of the day-so that any future movies or tv special will actually get the crowds that they would expect. to do this i would have to say that a muppet themed land seems like just the thing. what would be better than a whole land with new rides and attractions and stores all based around these loveable characters to get kids excited about them. it seems like that would be one of the best ways to have kids really get to know and like the muppets is if they were able to experience them in a way other than movies or tv. i can just picture kids after having gone through the land and then leaving the park that night with kermit stuffed animals, miss piggy t-shirts and talking non stop about the muppets. seems like it would work but its always a gamble.

on to star wars now--i really think this would be a great idea too, would i rather see an indy land i think so but i wouldnt mind a star wars land either. they are all time classic movies that there is a built in fan base for, thus why they have star wars weekends. how bout building some new SW rides and maybe even building like a massive death star or something, that seems kinda cool, anyways i would say that idea would def work--but for a more kid friendly area which i think is what they would want the muppets are the way to go.

my two cents

 

[johnvree]

Originally posted by disneyman23
i think a muppet land would be amazing----mind you i grew up with the muppets and their tv show and movies and all those things, thus i "get" the muppet humor and all the characters that so many people love. i think that because disney now has ownership of the muppets they are going to need to do something to reach the new youth audiences of the day-so that any future movies or tv special will actually get the crowds that they would expect. to do this i would have to say that a muppet themed land seems like just the thing. what would be better than a whole land with new rides and attractions and stores all based around these loveable characters to get kids excited about them. it seems like that would be one of the best ways to have kids really get to know and like the muppets is if they were able to experience them in a way other than movies or tv. i can just picture kids after having gone through the land and then leaving the park that night with kermit stuffed animals, miss piggy t-shirts and talking non stop about the muppets. seems like it would work but its always a gamble.

my two cents

I guess that's what I was getting at. It sounds like you and I would love it because we know the Muppets. We remember the show and the movies. Todays kids do not (at least not my kids). It would kind of be like if they built a Leave it to Beaver land. I am sure my parents would get a hoot; I would probably have little interest.

I know, like Barnum42 said, the park is not built for 4 and 5 year olds. But todays 4 and 5 year olds will not be 4 and 5 forever. Disney hopes that they will coming back for years to come and hopefully bringing their families some day. If kids do not know the Muppets today, that's not likely to change unless the Muppets become popular again. Will they make more movies? Maybe, though it's a little difficult to picture a movie with puppets when animation is as advanced as it is today.

I guess my point is, Disney seems to build new attractions based on today's movies and concepts. The Living Seas update gets Nemo; AE gets Stitch; Maybe that is why Disney is so reluctant to start up 20,000 Leagues. They do not want to invest the capital to rehab a ride based on a movie that kids have never seen.

 

[tigsmom]

My kids (15 & 9) know & love the Muppets. Its the first thing we do when we hit MGM. Have you fallen down on the job & not taught your kids properly? :lol:

Its true alot of kids don't appreciate them because they have not really been exposed to them except on Sesame Street. Now that the Disney Co. owns the rights to them again (and they have plans to bring back the shows) maybe a new generation will come to know the genius known as the Muppets. :wave:

 

[ILUVTHEMOUSE]

My kids are 8 and 5. When my 5 year old was about 2 or 3, his favorite movie was Muppet Christmas Carol. My older son would watch it to. They enjoy Muppet 3D at MGM and would probably like any other Muppet attractions that may develop.

However, they are really into Star Wars and both love the Star Tours attraction. If they had their choice, they would probably choose Star Wars over Muppets. But it sounds like there aren't going to be any more Star Wars attractions in the near future.

I on the other hand like the Muppets and would love to see more!

 

[Tom]

The muppets entertained a different generation, and then they went off the air.

If the Disney-Muppet merger goes well, I believe that Disney will put them back on TV first, maybe make a movie or two with them, to get the hype back up.

At that point, when their marketing dept sees that Muppets have a new following and they are hitting all the generations again, they may do something in the parks.

Disney is smart enough not to just throw millions of dollars at a project in the parks without testing the waters first.

So, don't worry, your young kids will know who the Muppets are soon enough, and then, their lives will be complete

 

[disneyman23]

i think the muppets are timeless, and their humor is just about as classic slap stick stuff as you will find anywhere (anyone else think the show that plays while you are waiting to get into muppet vision 3-D is hillarious and almost better than the actual show, haha the stuff is just classic humor that any one can laugh at.

and with disney at the helm i really think they will make a triumphant comeback into mainstream media. heck i am already seeing them in pizza hut commercials (mind you that probably doesnt have much to do with disney, but at least they are still out there in the public eye)

and even if kids dont know or really get the muppets now, they will soon enough. try to expose them to some of the old classic stuff that is really funny and family oriented-like the muppet movie, great muppet caper, a muppet christmas carol, and even some of the old "shorts" that the muppets were in like a muppet family christmas (which has SS characters in it, so your kids can connect to it, heck even fragel rock characters are in it) or any of the ones they did with john denver. if you introduce them to things like that they will fall in love with them and as a family you could def watch them together year after year !

 

[disneyman23]

also you can read about the new made for tv movie that disney and the muppets are making in the forum down the main page. they are making the wizard of oz with all the muppets-which is a great start for disney to get the muppet characters and names back into the eye of youthful new fans

 

[DonaldDuck]

When I was growing up, I watched Muppet Babies all the time. That's what got me introduced to the Muppets. Then when I got older I watched the movies, and even caught some episodes of the original TV show when Nickelodeon (I think) reran them a few years back.

The best way to introduce the show to kids would be the cartoon, but it is almost 20 years old and kids today may not relate to it very well. If Disney can introduce the Muppets to a new generation properly, then a whole new land at MGM would work. They just have to market the Muppets correctly.

Movies might not be too hard, but TV shows would be much more difficult. Whether it be the Muppet Show or the Muppet Babies, audiences today want something different from when those shows first aired. I may be wrong, but I don't think the Muppet Babies would fly well with today's kids (considering modern cartoons). And the Muppet Show may have trouble. You saw what happened with Muppets Tonight! a few years ago. There just aren't too many shows like the Muppet Show in primetime today. Maybe they need HBO to handle it - they seem to have popular shows.

Well, whatever. I hope that Disney can properly recreate the greatness of the Muppets for new generations. It's too good to let die.

 

[disneyman23]

yeah muppet babies great show !~

 

[PaisleyMF]

Originally posted by DonaldDuck
Maybe they need HBO to handle it - they seem to have popular shows.

Like:
Pig and the City
starting Miss Piggy...

Green Yout entusiasm
Kermit

"The Bears"
Fozzie as a Ganster / Comedian

Actually it can work as a parody of all the television programs around and make jokes at them, Just imagine Kermit as Jerry Sienfeld or even Springer. Miss Piggy as Monica or Rachel in Friends, Gonzo could be a great Ross.

The Muppets where inovative in so many places and help so many generations to grow, as Muppets, as Sesame Streat as Bear in the Big Blue House (remembre that he is part of the Deal and he is also a Muppet)

Show any kid old Muppet Movies, vintage shows, hey even some Muppets Tonite (wish the run a maraton of the on Disney Channel or ABC family soon) They must be already washing SS or Bear.

 

[DivineMadness7]

Originally posted by PaisleyMF
Gonzo could be a great Ross.

You think? I always pictured Gonzo as more of a "Joey".....:hammer: :lol:

 

[disneyman23]

gotta love gonzo :sohappy:

 

[onecoolmama]

I am 27 and I grew up on the Muppets. My kids are 3 and 1 and they watch The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper all the time. So we would all LOVE to see a Muppet Land!

 

[Legacy]

I personally think if they did something closer to the original Muppet Show compared to Muppets Tonight (which relied too much on a new character), it would be accepted much more easily. I fell in love with the original show, and while I enjoyed Tonight, it was nowhere near as good as the original. Maybe it's because I didn't like Clifford, but I think it's mostly because the new one was nowhere near as irrelivant as Show was.

I am really hoping the Muppet Wizard of Oz captures the original essence, or else we may have another Figment on our hands.

 

[johnvree]

OK, I am renting the Muppet movies on line right now (NetFlix). My kids are going to love the Muppets or they are staying home. :lol:

Thanks for all the input.

 

[disneyman23]

^thats awesome ! you make them watch those movies until they get every joke and can quote every line !!

its muppet time !

 

[Tom]

I watched Muppet Babies every saturday morning with my brother as a kid. I saw SOME of the original airings of the Muppet Show on Sunday nights, until they stopped.

Now I own the DVD of The Muppet Movie, The Muppets Take Manhattan, and the best of The Muppet Show. I also have Muppet CDs - you could say I'm a fan :hammer:

Anyway, I agree - the Muppet Babies, albeit a classic cartoon, isn't what the kids today want, with all the Japanese crap they watch, the skateboard cartoon junk, and other rediculus shows cluttering their minds (some of those cartoons make my head hurt).

HOWEVER, I think that if they did some NEW Muppet Baby cartoons, and used styles present in today's cartoons, they would fly. Also, if they made new Muppet Shows and aired them on Sunday Night (Family TV Time) like they used to - obviously on ABC - and even perhaps during the Disney Hour, they would take off, I guarantee! I'd watch every one!

Start with that, then move on to some merchandise to correspond. Get Muppets back on every kid's (and kid-at-heart's) mind, then explode with a new section of MGM! That would be the ideal way to have like a soft opening and grand opening of Disney's Muppets!