34 years after its launch, Muppet*Vision 3D closed its doors to the public on June 7th. This project was one of the last that Muppets creator Jim Henson worked on before he passed away in 1990. Disney’s Hollywood Studios arranged a fitting send-off with wall-to-wall fans of the ride and franchise.
Among these guests was Heather Henson, Jim Henson’s daughter, who was the last to walk through the attraction. She is also on the board of Directors of the Jim Henson Company and Jim Henson Foundation.
Before she went through, Heather thanked fans for their years of dedication to the Muppets and her father’s work. Then she walked through the doors to watch the last showing of the beloved Muppet*Vision 3D to the public. During the final performance, the audience sang along throughout and gave it a standing ovation at the end.
Disney announced that the attraction would be closing last year to give fans as much of a chance to say goodbye as possible. It will be replaced by the new Monsters, Inc. land at Hollywood Studios. However, Disney did say that the “muppets” would be taking over Aerosmith’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, after 30 years in operation. But that switch over isn’t slated until some time next year.
The company has confirmed it recorded showings of Muppet*Vision 3D for future audiences. At this time, it’s unclear how or when these recordings may be accessible to the public.
Muppet*Vision 3D still has one final hurrah, a private event for Disney World cast members only. After that, demolition for Monsters Inc. will begin as early as this summer. You can see some of Heather’s final walk-through below:
