Disney World Signals Possible End of ‘The Muppets,’ Removes Attraction From Long-Time Spot

Are The Muppets getting ready to move out?

Crowds at Disney's Hollywood Studios at night. — Credit: Jess Colopy, Inside the Magic

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is on the cusp of one of its most transformational periods ever, with several new projects currently in the pipeline for the decades-old Disney theme park.

Hollywood Studios has certainly seen its fair share of upgrades, with new rides and attractions like Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opening to the park-going public over the last five or so years. However, Hollywood Studios is about to enter a new era, with Disney confirming a brand-new land based on Pixar’s Monsters Inc. (2001) will soon be built.

The news was confirmed during Disney’s D23 event this August, which saw the company announce and tease several other projects, such as Magic Kingdom’s new Cars land and a West Coast version of Pandora—The World of Avatar.

Monsters Inc land artists rendering from D23 — Credit: Disney

If initial concept art can be trusted, Disney’s new Monsters Inc. land will be quite large in scope and scale. This means that wherever the land is located will likely need some major retooling. Disney did not reveal the exact location of its new Monsters Inc. expansion, leading fans to worry the worst about The Muppets.

During Disney’s D23 event, the company shared two pieces of concept art for its new Monsters Inc. land, each one occupying a different space inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios. One of the spots appeared to be in Animation Courtyard near the Voyage of the Little Mermaid site.

The other spot looked to be precisely where Muppets Courtyard is currently located. This sent shivers down the spine of Muppet fans worldwide, with Jim Henson’s colorful cast of puppets calling this place home since 1991.

Disney is still yet to confirm where its Monsters Inc. land is going, but as time moves on, the fate of The Muppets grows more concerning. To make matters worse, Disney’s Hollywood Studios recently debuted a new park map, which sees The Muppets lose their longtime featured spot.

As BlogMickey reports, Vacation Fun, an animated short film, is listed as a featured attraction, replacing Muppet*Vision 3D.

The Muppets Office Show — Credit: Disney

The last time Disney updated its Hollywood Studios map was back in February when Ice Cold Hydraulics, a new quick-service location, opened.

The new map also removes any mention of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, as the attraction closed permanently earlier this week.

While fans still don’t have a definitive answer about what’s going to happen to The Muppets, this may be a good thing, as it indicates Disney itself may be hesitant to replace the characters and their signature attraction. Not only is this the only major Muppets-themed attraction featured at Walt Disney World, Muppet*Vision 3D also acts as the final Muppets project Jim Henson worked on before his death.

Do you hope The Muppets stay at Walt Disney World? What new Disney parks project are you most excited about?