The Muppets might be one of the most beloved yet underutilized properties owned by Walt Disney Studios. Despite their cult following, the characters have begun appearing less and less in the parks, and their footprint is about to get a whole lot smaller as Muppet*Vision 3D leaves Hollywood Studios. However, I think I know the perfect place for the attraction to relocate to if the Imagineers are serious about preserving the attraction, which it sounds like they are.
Now, I have to be honest, it's more likely that we’ll see the show be added to Disney+ as part of its upcoming releases than get a new home in a theme park. However, I wouldn’t be a Disney Parks fan if I didn’t have a little bit of blind hope. If the higher-ups did want to surprise Muppets fans with some much-needed good news, they should consider bringing Muppet*Vision 3D back to the West Coast. Think about it, they could reinstall the entire show in the Sunset Showcase Theater at Disney California Adventure Park.
The Muppet's show ran in the same theater (formally under a different name) when DCA first opened in 2001 until 2014, when the show was replaced by a Frozen Sing-Along. Nowadays, the Sunset Showcase Theater plays Mickey’s PhilharMagic 4D show multiple times a day.
As a Disneyland Magic Keyholder, I can tell you for a fact that the current show is hardly ever sold out. While it’s a fun thing to see once or twice, it’s not one of the best Disneyland Resort attractions. Not to mention, the theater is a bit hard to find for non-locals as it’s tucked into a back corner of Hollywood Land.
Bringing Muppet*Vision 3D back to DCA would not only save the beloved show -- which was one of Jim Henson’s last projects -- but it would also help breathe new life into the struggling Hollywood Land. Right now, the area is grossly underutilized and in desperate need of some TLC. Of course, there are rumors that the area is set to be demolished to make way for the new Avatar-land that has been promised to West Coast Disney parks fans. However, the exact location of the land remains to be confirmed, with some holding out hope the expansion will be part of the Disneyland Forward project.
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While the future of Hollywood Land is a valid concern — after all, nothing would be worse for Muppet*Vision 3D fans than having to see the show close twice in a short time period — I don’t see the Imagineers demolishing the area anytime soon (and hopefully not ever). In fact, the beloved show might be the thing that saves the overlooked part of the park, if only because The Muppets are non-existent on the West Coast.
After all, the last time Kermit, Miss. Piggy, and their friends appeared at Disneyland, at least that I can remember, was back in 2021 during the separate ticketed-event Merriets Nites celebration that has yet to return. The gang appeared on one of Disneyland’s famous double-decker cars and serenaded a packed Main Street with Christmas carols.
Based on the crowd side for the short-lived show, Disneyland fans desperately want more ways to interact with The Muppets, so bringing them back to their original home in DCA is a no-brainer. It wouldn’t even be that much work for the Imagineers since they wouldn’t need to build a new venue or even do many renovations to the existing theater. A few news signs and maybe a paint job to make the theater stand out would do the trick.
The fate of Muppet*Vision 3D remains to be seen, but thankfully, the beloved gang will still have a home in Hollywood Studios when they take over the Rock ’N’ Roller Coaster theme. Until then, I’ll be here holding out hope that they will make their way over to the West Coast sooner rather than later.
