Here Come The Muppets

           The live stage show "Here Come The Muppets" debuted at the MGM Studios in the Animation Courtyard Theater on May 25th 1990, and ran until September 2nd 1991.  The interesting thing about this show was that all the Muppet characters that appeared were life size.  So no puppeteer, but an actual walk around character in a suit.  Another interesting thing about this stage show was the inclusion of many not so well known Muppet characters.  The show was meant to be a temporary fill until Muppetvision 3D opened.  The stage show ran alongside Muppetvision 3D for 4 months as Muppetvision opened on May 16th, 1991.  When the stage show finally closed it was replaced by the ever popular "Voyage of The Little Mermaid", which opened just two weeks after Muppets closed and has occupied that theater ever since.  

               The Muppets' presence in the studios was planned to be much more extensive than it ever was, or is today. The whole area around the Muppetvision 3D attraction was to be a Muppets themed land.  The "Muppet Studios" portion of the MGM Studios was to have featured a parody of the park's headline attraction, The Great Movie Ride, called "The Great Muppet Movie Ride".  As well as an eating establishment named  The Great Gonzo's Pandemonium Pizza Parlor.  The demise of this project, and the acquisition of the Muppets franchise by Disney fell through when the owner of the Muppets, Jim Henson, passed away on May 16th, 1991.  Disney did finally acquire the Muppets franchise in February of 2004, but the grand plans for the MGM Studios have not been rekindled as of yet.  

              Hopefully with the renewed interest in the Muppets franchise with the release of the new Muppets Movie and a sequel announced for the future, hopefully the Muppets presence in the Studios will be expanded beyond what space it occupies today.   And WDI revisits some of the ideas that were on the table around the inception of the park.

Backlot Tour at Night

     I am not exactly sure when the last time that the Studio Backlot Tour Trams pulled guests around the "backlot" of Disney's MGM Studios at night. I do know it was well before the name change to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008. Here are some pics of the tour at night around 1990.  Check the Dick Tracy cars and the Flight of the Navigator ship.  Catastrophe Canyon was such a cool experience at night.  Also there is one pic of Residential Street. Enjoy.

Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles

    
      The Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles appeared at Disney MGM Studios in 1990 and did performances until 1996.  The Turtles would pull up in their Turtle Party Wagon (which did not resemble the van they drove in the animated series) and dace around their stage while April O'neal sang.  This stage was located back on New York Street.  They did "sign" autographs and took pictures with guests as well.

Lets open my autograph book that I got in 1989

This was the first instance that I can remember where the character used a stamp for and autograph

The outfits were too cumbersome to actually sign their names

I guess them having three fingers didn't help either

April O'Neal was the only human character, so she is able to sign her name

     This was huge with my brother and I since we absolutely loved everything Turtles around this time. The cartoon show (1987) was very popular as well as action figures and other mechandise. The live action film debuted in 1990, along with two sequels to follow in the early 90's.  There is also many shows that have aired over the years on television.  There is actually a new series the will begin airing on Nickelodeon starting in 2012.