Muppet Vision 3D opened on May 16, 1991, just a couple years after Disney’s Hollywood Studios (MGM Studios back then) opened.

Since it’s opening, it has gone through a few minor updates, but still stands largely the same. Muppet Vision 3D is a fun, quirky, and love-able 3D show that the whole family will enjoy.

Most avid Disney go-ers have seen this show a fair amount of times, but did you know these fun facts?

Watch Muppet Vision 3D

If you need a little reminder of the show, check out this video here.

They even put 3D glasses over the camera, so you can experience it in (somewhat) 3D! The first 6 minutes are pre-show, so skip to about 6:12 to see just the show.

Check Under The Mat

Disney is all about the details, and the Muppets ride is no exception.

You’ll want to keep your eyes peeled all throughout this ride, from when you very first enter, into the pre-show, and then in the theater itself.

The area around Muppet Vision 3D is so fun and colorful! Photo by Cliff Wang

Right when you enter the ride queue, look at the ticket booth that’s to your side. In the window, a sign reads “Back in 5 minutes key is under mat.”

Lift up the mat, and you’ll find a real key under there! The sign wasn’t lying!

This is an especially fun treat if you have little kids on your tour. Get them to lift up the mat and find the surprise!

Of course, kid or adult, we all love these little touches Disney adds to make the magic even more real.

A Net Full Of… Puns

Carrying on with the theme of fun details and added touches, there’s absolutely no escaping visual gags and puns throughout this show.

It is the Muppets after all!

The ride and surrounding areas are covered in jokes and puns. Photo by Cliff Wang

Many of the jokes and puns throughout the queue and holding area pay tribute to or reference other Disney things and people. 

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While you’re in the holding room, be sure to look around. You’ll find an abundance of references. 

For this particular visual gag, you’ll want to look up to see a net full of Jell-O hanging from the ceiling. This may seem strange, but say “a net full of Jell-O” out loud, quickly.

It sounds kinda like you’re saying Annette Funicello! Annette was one of the original Mousketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club.

Muppets Were Meant For More

When the Muppets came to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney was in the process of purchasing The Muppets.

However, Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, passed away before it was completed and the deal fell through.

This area was meant to extend beyond Muppet Vision 3D. Photo by Brett Svenson

Because of this, the idea Disney had to create a whole section of the park dedicated to the Muppets never came to be. This area would have been known as “Muppet Studios.”

Plans for this land included two additional Muppet themed attractions and a restaurant. One attraction, a parody of another popular gone-but-not-forgotten attraction, was slated to be called “The Great Muppet Movie Ride.”

The restaurant was supposed to be a pizza place: “Great Gonzo’s Pizza Pandemonium Parlor.”

As we all know now, Disney still put a pizza joint nearby, but instead of Muppets themed, it was Toy Story’s Pizza Planet!

Later, in 2016, when the area where Muppet Vision 3D lives was re-arranged to be Muppets Courtyard, Pizza Planet left and was replaced by PizzeRizzo! It all comes full circle.

A Jim Henson Legacy

This ride is a special one for Jim Henson fans. Photo by Cliff Wang

As previously stated, Disney completed this ride around the time Jim Henson passed away. That makes Muppet Vision 3D a particularly special ride, especially for Jim Henson fans. 

Muppet Vision 3D would be one of the last Muppets projects Jim Henson ever participated in.

What’s even more special is that the film would be Jim Henson’s very last performance as Kermit the Frog.

These things make it not just a fun 3D adventure full of hijinks and puns, but a very sentimental tribute to Jim Henson and his work and creation of the Muppets.

Is Muppet Vision 3D a “must-do” attraction for your family? Let us know over on our Facebook group!

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