The Muppet Mobile Laboratory to begin rolling through DCA in early 2007

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

hey gang,

found this little beauty on JHM.com, this IS GREAT news for us Muppet fans!

Muppet fans rejoice! Thanks to Walt Disney Imagineering's "Living Character Initiative," Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his able assistant Beaker will soon be appearing at Disney's California Adventure

link to find out MORE: http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2006/09/21/5842.aspx

 

[Vic Romano]

That sounds awesome! I was planning on goin' back to WDW this Christmas, but it's just not gonna' happen now. However, hopefully when I eventually do go back, this'll be there.

But I'm a little confused, it's like animatronics; right?

And what's the plan for their voices, is this part of their Muppet puppeteer recruitment deals?

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

That sounds awesome! I was planning on goin' back to WDW this Christmas, but it's just not gonna' happen now. However, hopefully when I eventually do go back, this'll be there.

But I'm a little confused, it's like animatronics; right?

And what's the plan for their voices, is this part of their Muppet puppeteer recruitment deals?

Vic, just a note that THIS IS JUST for DisneyLand in CA only, not for Disney World in florida....yet! yeah its a little like animatronics, but i think it some one off stage or somthin to that will be puppeteering Bunson and Beeker in "real time" with voice tracks! like you i DONT know im just guessing! but im GLAD Disney is starting to add MORE Muppet stuff in the Disney parks! and NO this is NOT part of the Muppet puppeteer recruitment deal.

 

[Vic Romano]

Yeah; I know it's only in DL, but I'm confident the Muppets can generate enough hype to get over here on the East Coast. Thanks for the other info, though. I hope someone gets video up on YouTube when it comes out.

Someone here (shoot... I can't remember who) works at Disney World in the Magic Kingdom, maybe they can shed some light if they've heard anything.

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

Bear goes there alot right

 

[Electric Mayhem]

D'oh! You beat me to it!

All I can say is I'm psyched. Then again, I'd be psyched about seeing Disney do ANYTHING with the Muppets. The fact that their were hints of "other projects" fills my Muppety heart with hope & penguins too.

 

[Giar Fraggle]

...

I really, really, REALLY need to go to DCA more often.

They had all this cool stuff in the past few years and I didn't even KNOW about it?!

WHYYYYYYYY?!

Okay...phew...gotta...compose myself here...

*takes a moment to regain composure*

I'm okay now.

Anyway, this looks pretty interesting. I've always been fascinated in the work of the Imagineers and pretty much anyone else involved in the Disney theme park attractions, as they are vastly more complicated than appearance would ever suggest.

I hope they use Dave and Steve for the voice tracks. I have no idea how this newfangled technology works, but I really really hope Dave and Steve get to do the voice tracks. They deserve it.

 

[Kynan Barker]

I hope they use Dave and Steve for the voice tracks. I have no idea how this newfangled technology works, but I really really hope Dave and Steve get to do the voice tracks. They deserve it.

The characters and the fans deserve the real performers, but Disney's current plan, as reported by Jim Hill (and confirmed elsewhere), is to have their theme park cast members perform both voice and puppetry. So the good news is, Disney wants in-person performances by established Muppet characters, but the bad news is, they're deliberately auditioning only totally inexperienced non-puppeteers.

However you feel about the alternate casting Disney's done for cruise ships/TV appearances/From the Balcony, we're now looking at something like four degrees of remove from the original Muppet performers: Dave Goelz --> Victor Yerrid --> Last year's auditionees --> Random theme park costume performers.

Five degrees, if you consider Disney's theme park puppeteers have been passed over. I'm not saying that scenario would be ideal either, but at least they know how to make dolls wiggle.

A little more info here: http://forums.delphiforums.com/toughpigs/messages?msg=8651.62

Kynan Barker
One Muppet, One Voice
www.savethemuppets.com

 

[Giar Fraggle]

Dave deserves better than that. Harrumph.

What a horrid paradox.

 

[beaker]

Well I know I can do a most excellent Beaker and Bunsen impersonation, but can they find teenage CDA workers that can?

Anyways, I'm kind of disappointed...I'd be more excited if they had some pretty kick *** muppet rides, a star tours type ride, and more just Muppetyness.