Cool beans.

Those crazy guys in Glendale are great.  I love how innovative they can be.  I wonder if Lasseter's addition to the company has stoked their creativity?

I love the idea.  E-Tickets are not what makes a visit to Disney park great.  It's the hundreds of little experiences that you just happen upon.  Roving shows of a high quality (i.e. the improv troop at MGM, the Dapper Dans, etc.) really make a visit special beyond the $100M ride spectaculars (and the MML sounds really fun).  If Disney can do this with new technology and clever storytelling, I think the news is great.  There hasn't been enough of this in recent years.  

It looks really cool to see all these great inventions. But I only see these on the net, because the American Disneyparks get all these gems. I really hope that Paris will have them soon too.

And about the Muppets. It's good to hear something about them again. I was beginning to worry that Iger would let them slip into the darkness after all the big plans were being called off. I hope to read the stories real soon! ;-)

Nice article, Jim.

But you know...while Crush and Lucky are truly awesome, I don't think the Muppets rendered in that manner will nearly as effective. First of all, kids don't basically know who the Muppets (beyond Sesame Street) are. Nor do they care. Why should they, when there are better things, like Spongebob Squarepants, out there? Second, most kids AND adults don't go to Disney World to see Muppets. They want to see Mickey, Goofy, etc. Third...man, the Muppets are PUPPETS. Everyone knows this. The Muppets are already "living characters" in a sense, like all puppets are, as opposed to animated characters. There is no way they're going to seem as awesome and impressive as Crush or Lucky. Whereas with those two characters, it seems like you're really talking to a real live sea turtle or a dinosaur, and they're responding, with the Muppets...I'm afraid that it's going to come off as just another puppet show, nothing more. Puppets that interact with an audience is nothing new. Personally, I wish the Imagineers would spend the Muppet money on something more worthwhile. Purchasing the Muppets was, IMO, the crown jewel of Eisner's incompetence during his tenure at Disney. Iger really ought to sell them off or write them off as a loss.

What interests me is how these things will work in the next decade or two. You might start seeing more AA walk-arounds like Lucky, representing completely on-model versions of Disney characters. Did any of you see the robot tour guide on CNN a few weeks ago? Aside from her iPod skin tone, she looked real.

"...Lucky are truly awesome, I don't think the Muppets rendered in that manner will nearly as effective. First of all, kids don't basically know who the Muppets (beyond Sesame Street) are."

no one knew who lucky the dinosaur was...but he was still very popular.

i'm not saying you're wrong, i just disagree with your statements.  i think a lot of people will want to see the muppets.  i'm glad disney is finally doing something with them.

muppet 3d seems to still be popular...though i think it needs a big upgrade...but, kids still seem to enjoy it.  

maybe disney will think about having a tv series of the muppets again, to get interest going among kids...who knows?

I disagree with gigglesock. True, my children have no idea who the Muppets are, but I'll tell you, there's something universal about the humor of seeing Beaker getting the bad end of Honeydew's experiments that they will absolutely get.

And saying "puppets that interact with an audience is nothing new" is a little like saying 2D Animation has been done to death. There's always a way to take a medium to a new level, regardless of it's age, and this is it. Meanwhile, aren't we always saying here that it's not about the medium - it's about the story?

I definately think this is the step in the right direction. People know who the Muppets are. I think more than some people know who the playhouse Disney characters are. You have people who are parents now who were raised on the Muppets and with the DVD's there children know who the Muppets are. Turtle Talk is a great thing and even though there are scripted parts it is diff. everytime depending on the audience. I think this will be a pretty amazing use of the tech. and the imagineers have always felt that the muppets provide one of the most realistic looking ways to use the AA technology. I am looking forward to it. Now lets bring on more Muppet stuff.

Wouldn't it be easier (and cheaper) to just let the dressed-up characters who roam the various parks talk :)

peoplemover said:
"i'm not saying you're wrong, i just disagree with your statements.  i think a lot of people will want to see the muppets.  i'm glad disney is finally doing something with them.
muppet 3d seems to still be popular...though i think it needs a big upgrade...but, kids still seem to enjoy it."
-----
Muppets 3D has a special place with Muppet fans for being in the right 1989-90 place at the right time, and giving us the last farewell appearance of the "real" Muppets, before we got those cheesy unfunny replacements:
Jim Henson still playing Kermit, Frank Oz still playing Piggy, Richard Hunt still alive and Jerry Juhl still scripting...If the "big breakup" of the surviving group was during "Muppets From Space", MuppetVision was the Concert on the Rooftop.  :)

That said, I'm not sure why Bunsen & Beaker are getting their own attraction--
They're funny and all, but seems like it was a fifth backup choice, like any more recognizable characters would've been too unconvincing to imitate...And assuming this's going to be a side attraction to MV3D, and not its own building.
(And yes, seems like they'll be having a little too MUCH Crush-on-the-brain for the next couple years of attraction ideas...)

PingBack from http://brokehoedown.wordpress.com/2006/09/21/disney-imagineers-developing-beaker-living-character/

Thanks Jim.  I think that Bunsen and Beaker are a timeless team, and you don't have to know anything about the history or particularly care about them to have their schtic work.  A great choice to reintroduce the muppets!  Can't wait to see it next year.

sweet innocent gigglesock,,, here, let me remove the pile of tomatoes heaped on top of you.

This is not your basic creative decision that makes sense - it is a spreadsheet decision - what's easiest, what's cheapest. The Muppet characters are easy to make a 3-d animatronic figure out of since they are already 3-d puppets, so this will be straight-forward to build and believable once finished. It would be cool to have Chip and Dale riding around on an apple cart, or the moose from Brother Bear out in front of the kiddie trail, but they might not look right, and would cost a whole lot more to design.

Disney has to exploit the purchase of the Muppets - we've got these characters lying around not getting any younger. We need to get people into Calif Adventure. Older boomers remember the Muppets, and maybe they'll hang around afterwards and spend some money in one of the restaurants. Calif Adventure isn't hip or edgy afterall so let's try for the boomer market, which unfortunately likes DLand better. This isn't a move designed to get kids into Calif Adventure.

I don't know much, but using characters from the upcoming Ratatouille would introduce the characters, plus have a tie-in up and running when the movie is released, instead of 5 years later. If everyone hates the amount of Pixar stuff - even though Pixar is the main studio inventing memorable characters today - have your "Enchanted" woman talking to two animated friends - synergy to the max.

I was nodding along with everything that Jim was saying, until the part about Roz.  I'm normally a World visitor, so I'll admit that I was only able to ride Monsters Inc once this past summer, but I thought she was just a regular audioanimatronic.  Did I miss something really cool?

All I have to say is that if there is no Gorilla detector (at least as a sight gag) with them in the mobile labs there will be no justice in this world.  This is a great idea and I cannot wait to see this.  It will be awesome if it works out they way everyone is hoping.

"Jungle Cruise" the movie!

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=filmNews&storyID=2006-09-21T070908Z_01_N21260690_RTRIDST_0_FILM-DISNEY-JUNGLE-DC.XML

I really liked how you went into WDI's "Living Character Initiative".  It's like a timeline of what they made and presented and what the future holds.  I'll look forward to the Muppet meet n greet when it comes and I'll judge for myself.

Thanks, curmudgeon. You're right, and frankly I pretty much expected the reaction I got - some people have strong childhood memories of the Muppets, and it's understandable. But I don't think those Boomer memories translate into entertainment value for today FWIW. I remember when I first saw them, I was impressed overall by how cleverly they moved and the cool things they could do - like Kermit riding a bike in The Muppet Movie. But would a kid of today weaned on CGI be similarly impressed by that trick? Did anyone see those Ford and Pizza Hut commercials where full-body-style Kermit and Miss Piggy were seen walking, kayaking etc. Can you say CHEEZY and UNCONVINCING? How about LAME? Can those in any way compare with a CGI rendered Shrek or Sully? And while the Muppets might have some nostalgic appeal, well, didn't Rocky and Bullwinkle? And didn't the movie they were in bomb - from the very first weekend it premiered? Kids didn't know who they were and not enough adults who did remember, cared. Some things just don't stand the test of time. IMO the Muppets qualify for that category.

Y'know, that one was so bizarre, gigglesock, I'll have to respond?:  :)
The R&B Movie didn't flop on opening because we "didn't remember" the characters...It sent audiences walking out because we -did- remember the characters, and the filmmakers DIDN'T:
The script could have come straight out of Cartoon Network's retro-snotty toon-bashing, while at the same time shoving Whoopi Goldberg cameos in our face to gush thinly-disguised ad copy about how much she "loved the old show"--Guys, if you're going to try to sell us licensed baby-boomer merchandise, don't spit on us while doing it.

Which, to tie it into topic, could also describe that snotty and depressing "Very Muppet Christmas" special from a couple years back, as well as most of the other post-Juhl attempts to make the Muppets "hip" and "wisecracking" in the last few years but losing the appeal.
Hopefully, that's not going to happen with the new semi-ad-libbed park incarnations--Iger may not have any particular love for Eisner's Folly, but I trust that he and the new people in the parks know Entertaining when they see it.  :)

Also important to add:
==
curmudgeon said:
"Disney has to exploit the purchase of the Muppets - we've got these characters lying around not getting any younger. We need to get people into Calif Adventure. Older boomers remember the Muppets, and maybe they'll hang around afterwards and spend some money in one of the restaurants. Calif Adventure isn't hip or edgy afterall so let's try for the boomer market, which unfortunately likes DLand better. This isn't a move designed to get kids into Calif Adventure."
----
That's the key issue here:
It's not being designed for both parks or for MGM's Muppets (although expect it to show up if it catches on)--It's being developed for DCA's Hollywood Backlot Muppets, which, like Millionaire, was one step away from closing.  The Muppets Block Party couldn't get crowds into that section of the Backlot, but they're not giving up yet.

If you're still wondering, ask yourself one very simple question:  Iger could have put a new Living-Initiative attraction anywhere, to cash in on the Crush Rush...But if he chose to throw company money anywhere, his first impulse was to throw it at:
A) Rehabilitating some Muppet-license use out of Eisner's Folly, and
B) Putting new modern attractions into California Adventure.
If you see Iger throw money at -anything- in the next few years, expect it to go in either or both of those general directions, especially B....People, the man is OBSESSED.  :)

It's a fact that "Rocky and Bullwinkle" bombed its very first weekend. It was not a case of audiences giving it a try, disliking it and word of mouth getting around. True, it wasn't a very good film - I saw it at the theatres - but it was also, IMO, a case of the movie's characters being extremely dated and irrelevant to today's tastes. That's because R & B were a product of yesterday's tastes - the Cold War commentary especially. We all know that audiences will ignore movie critics' advice if there's a film audiences really want to see. So what kept audiences away from R & B's opening weekend? See above.

Will Dave Goelz and Steve Whitmire be voicing these animatronic versions of the characters?

curmudgeon: "Older boomers remember the Muppets..."

I think you mean GenX. "Older boomers" are my parents, and I'm the one that grew up on the Muppets. But more to the point, I don't think it's about who are fans of the Muppets - this show sounds pretty accessible to non-Muppetized children. My kids don't know Kermit, but I know they'd love this show, if it's done the way it's described.

And pardon the rant, but we really analyze everything to death, here. Every time a new attraction/product/event is announced, we pontificate on exactly why Iger did this instead of that, why he isn't promoting something else or OUR favorite characters, the particular nitpick of why this decision was ill-conceived or won't make a huge difference in your park experience, and of course, how this shows that Disney management, despite all the positive buzz, is as misguided as ever and carries an obsessive and miserly agenda.

Who cares? It's all speculation. More importanly, we're getting another new attraction and it sounds pretty amusing, besides being technologically newsworthy. Remember when we weren't getting any new attractions? Yes, it's small, but all the more reason. I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy to see some attention given to small details again.

btbarlow said:
"And pardon the rant, but we really analyze everything to death, here. Every time a new attraction/product/event is announced, we pontificate on exactly why Iger did this instead of that, why he isn't promoting something else or OUR favorite characters, the particular nitpick of why this decision was ill-conceived or won't make a huge difference in your park experience, and of course, how this shows that Disney management, despite all the positive buzz, is as misguided as ever and carries an obsessive and miserly agenda."
----
I said nothing of the kind!
Was just trying to put the motives back on topic by pointing out that when Bob stands up at the meetings and says "I'm going to fix DCA personally (and keep the West Coast Muppets from closing)!", we now know he means it...In fact, it may possibly be too -much- of a top priority with him.  But consider this and Monsters Inc. as just the tip of the DCA-rehabilitation iceberg for the next year.
And that's not necessarily a bad thing.  :)  (Well, it is for me, since I'm on the East coast and can't get to see any of it, but it'll probably all be exported to Florida anyway.)

Even though "Howdy Doody" wasn't still airing in my lifetime doesn't mean that I don't know who he is.  Parents' culture often rubs off on the kids.  I'm surprised that kids these days don't know the Muppets, on average.  Why aren't parents putting in their VHS or DVD of "The Muppet Movie" or "The Muppets Take Manhattan", etc.?  Let kids grow up on quality family entertainment, and not some crap like "Barnyard".  

Jim Hill said:
"The one which will "bring to life" two characters that have been making Muppet fans laugh since September of 2006."
----
What? I guess after 30-years of trying, the Muppet team finally got fans to laugh last week.

DerekJ - I didn't necessarily direct that comment to you personally, although I can see how it looked that way. Sorry. I was commenting on the tone of the message boards in general over the last six months (estimated). Nothing wrong with a healthy critique, but lately, so many people here are just waiting with fangs bared to attack either Disney or Jim. Or if they get lucky, both.

For the record, I thought your comments were intelligently put, and I don't take issue with them. I would like additional clarification of the term "Eisner's folly." Was it the purchase of the Muppets, the price he paid for them, or improper use of them? For me, it's only the latter two, but many seem to think all of the above and more.

I LOVE THE MUPPETS AND I HOPE DISNEY BRING THE FRAGGLES IN DISNEYWORLD.

PingBack from http://brokehoedown.wordpress.com/2006/09/30/walt-disney-world-to-use-cell-phones-in-new-attraction-give-math-tests-to-canadians/

Jim Hill shares what he's heard about this new Tomorrowland attraction. How the Imagineers associated with this "Living Character Initiative" show are now actively looking for ways to improve this experience

PingBack from http://www.mouseextra.com/2007/01/09/2007-disney-world-preview-the-rumors-part-2/

Jim Hill shares a photo of the very next phase of Disney's "Living Character Initiative." Which will soon let a remote controlled versions of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker loose in DCA's Hollywood Pictures Backlot area

PingBack from http://www.puppetbuilding.com/index.php/2007/03/taking-muppets-to-the-next-level/

I can certainly appreciate the progression of interactive characters. Unfortunately the public sometimes misses the creativity behind the imagineering work in their rush to 'get to the next ride' mentality.

Stitch's Picture Phone - Stitch doesn't 'seem to interact with the Guest' during the phone call, he is talking to Guests about O'hana, about his island Kaua'i, and about being Hawaiian. Each phone call is a unique Guest experience.

For the regular WDW visitor who 'missed something special about Roz' - yes, Roz actually talks to the Guests visiting Monstropolis. Again, similarly to Stitch, a unique Guest experience.

Please be careful to slow down and smell the roses. It is not as important how the experience happens - it is important that it DOES happen and that you, the Guest, notice.  

Jim Hill walks us through the recent history of the Muppet Holding Company / Muppet Studios LLC. Which has blown through a trio of Disney VPs in the past three years. Does Lylle Breier now have what it takes to restore this beloved set of characters to

PingBack from http://brokehoedown.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/jim-hill-on-disneys-muppet-revival-project/

PingBack from http://khellekson.wordpress.com/2008/03/30/dworpf-1/

Ephedrine. Prescriptions that contain ephedrine.