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These are real Disney secrets. For more Disney secrets and trivia and bloopers try
DISNEY Ever Notice... ?. If you are interested in rumors (some true, most not), checkout Disney Urban Legend Reference Page and Urban Legends Archive.
Big Bird, Kermit and Miss Piggy better
brush up on their German. Munich-based EM.TV and Merchandising AG is
buying the Los Angeles-based Jim Henson Co., creator of the Muppets -
the biggest U.S. name to go German since Chrysler was bought up by
Daimler-Benz to form DaimlerChrysler AG in 1998. The cash-and-stock
deal announced Monday is worth $680 million. The Jim Henson Co. rose
to international fame from its humble founding in 1958 with the hit
television series "Sesame Street," "The Muppet Show," "Jim Henson's
Muppet Babies," "Fraggle Rock" and a string of Muppet films. "Sesame
Street," first broadcast in 1969, is seen in 140 countries.
Charlie Chaplin always moved a little
like Grover, but now the Little Tramp will have even more in common
with the little blue Muppet and his furry friends. Jim Henson's five
children have purchased the historic Charlie Chaplin Studios in
Hollywood with plans to renovate the five-acre lot and move the
Muppets from their current residence at nearby Raleigh Studios in
mid-April. "When we heard that the Chaplin lot was for sale we had to
have it," said Brian Henson, president and CEO of the Jim Henson
Company, the puppetmaster behind "Sesame Street" and programming on
the Odyssey channel. "It's the perfect home for the Muppets and our
particular brand of classy but eccentric entertainment."
The renovation plans coincide with a larger attempt to revitalize
Hollywood's landmarks. In 1917, Charlie Chaplin broke ground for his
new studio, where he would go on to film "The Kid," "The Gold Rush,"
"Modern Times" and "The Great Dictator." During the '50s, the lot
turned to television with a variety of owners. As Kling Studios
(1953), it produced the "Superman" series starring George Reeves; Red
Skelton (1959) shot "The Red Skelton Show" (1961) and the Perry Mason
series, during which time Raymond Burr lived on the lot. Herb Alpert
and Jerry Moss' A&M Record Company and Tijuana Brass Enterprises
converted the lot into a recording studio before it became a
historical landmark in 1969.
Muppet Vision 3-D is the only 3-D attraction at the Walt Disney World resort that the 3-D
glasses are actually called 3-D glasses. At It's tough to be a Bug they are called Bug Eyes,
at Honey, I Shrunk the Audience they are called Safety Goggles.
REPORTED: joey 11 MAY 01
I think that Waldo the spirit of 3D on Muppet Vision is a cross between a herring and a butterfly. There are a lot of butterflys and fish in the waiting area, and I think there is a joke or two about herring.
REPORTED: Michael Crowell 02 AUG 99
You'll see a long brick wall to your right as you approach the ride from Star Tours. Along the top of the wall are planters with flowers and such in them. If you follow them along to the very end, the last one has an ice cream sundae in it instead of the flowers.
REPORTED: Bill Barto 22 OCT 96
CONFIRMED: Craig Prall 06 JAN 98
CONFIRMED: Melanie Emmons 25 SEP 98
The planter on the wall with the ice cream sundae is actually the first planter after the second entrance to New York Street. But, if you look at the VERY last planter, along the side of the building, you can see that the last one HAD a sundae, but it has "melted".
CONFIRMED: Rob Steere 20 DEC 98
This is not a hidden Mickey but it is a hidden Gonzo. As you are in the cue to enter the Muppetvision 4D and before you enter the building it is on the brick wall. Look up as you snake along the cue. There is a large diameter pipe which sticks out of the brick wall and then bends 90 degrees down towards the ground (in the shape of Gonzo's nose). Around this pipe, in chalk, the rest of Gonzo's face is drawn in. Pretty cool.
REPORTED: Charlie Vazquez 28 MAY 99
The first door on the right as you enter the turnstiles is the security office. It has a sign hanging, saying "Be back in 5 minutes, Key is under the mat". If you stop and lift up the mat, there is a real key underneath imbedded into the carpet.
REPORTED: Rob Steere 20 DEC 98
When walking into Muppet Vision 3-D, there IS a sign that says "Be back in 5 minutes.
Key under mat." There IS NOT, however, a key under that mat (or at least there wasn't when I
checked during my trip to Disney World during June of 2002).
WISHFUL THINKING: Liza 25 JUN 02
As one enters the Muppet 4D Vision theater, one passes several fake doors. (to the left I think). Many if not all of the doors have some kind of joke written on the window in the form of a sign. My favorite is : "Artificial Reality". :)
REPORTED: anon 01 MAY 99
During the Lobby Video (preshow) Test pattern as Scooter crosses one of the screens,
there is a Hidden Kermit in one of the test patterns.
REPORTED: Xris Albers
CONFIRMED: Sam and Jennifer Backer 27 JAN 96
In the pre-show area, there is a hidden Jim Henson. There is a poster
hanging from the ceiling with a picture of a muppet that looks just like him.
REPORTED: stuart bowers 13 MAR 95
This isn't a Mickey and it isn't really hidden but I
think it fits. Find the "Swine-trek" space ship from "Pigs in Space." It
is hanging from the ceiling towards the front and to the right of the
preshow area. Now, look directly to the left of it and you will find a large
picture of a Muppet with a camera lens around its neck, that is a Muppet
of Jim Henson.
CONFIRMED: Xris Albers 26 MAY 95
CONFIRMED: Freddy Zanfardino 03 AUG 98
In the pre-show area, there is a hidden Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker. There is also a ball
and a whistle on the top of the monstrous projector in the back. The ball
has glasses and the whistle has 2 bulging eyes. They look like Honeydew and
Beaker.
REPORTED: Chris Caines 15 DEC 95
Doors along the hallway as one enters the preshow for Muppet Vision 3D: "Muppet*Vision 3D and those clever folks at Muppet Labs".... "Stress Testing Dept: Caution! Contents Under Extreme Pressure" "Institute of Advanced Chronology: 'Staying Ahead of the Times'" "Division of Fashion Technology: 'Making Tomorrow a Prettier Place To Be'" And my personal favorite: "Department of Artificial Reality: This is Not a Door"
REPORTED: anon 07 MAY 01
I work at MuppetVision and a few other places around Disney. There are a number
of gags that no one has written into you about. In the preshow area, there is
a cage with a fish in it. The fish is on a perch (like a bird's perch in a
cage). There is also a large cargo net with a lot of orange and green cubes
in it that appear to be jello. This is called A-Net-Full-Of-Jello (Annette
Funicello). In the scene that follows Bean running away, a soaked Piggy
passes by and says "Good Riddence." If you listen closely you can hear Gonzo
say "Hey, Fatso." Some of the marching soldiers in the final production
number are not wearing pants!! Some are even up on the scaffolding in the
preshow area. You can see them as you enter through the first set of doors
closest to the small phone in the very front of the area. Turn around and
look up. The soldiers are right there. No pants!!! There is also a ball
and a whistle on the top of the monstrous projector in the back. The ball
has glasses and the whistle has 2 bulging eyes. They look like Honeydew and
Beaker. The sheet music in front of the penquins in the orchestra pit is the
music to The Rainbow Connection. There are more gags than this, but I forgot
a few. I'm sure other people who have worked at MuppetVision can add to
these.
REPORTED: Chris Caines 15 DEC 95
CONFIRMED: Sam and Jennifer Backer 27 JAN 96
It is Kermit who Says "Fatso" to Miss Piggy.
UPDATE: joe 17 JUL 98
CONFIRMED: Tinker*Bell 14 AUG 01
If you look at the large projector at the back of the auditorium
on your way in before the movie starts, you can see the brand name
of the projector is "Yell & Howelle." "Belle & Howelle" is the
name of a prominate manufacturer of movie projectors. This not
so obvious play on words was pointed out to me by my father who
never misses Hidden Mickeys or Disney Secrets.
REPORTED: Tim O'Connor 27 AUG 96
When entering the main show area try to sit on the far right
and during the show look on the wall behind you and there is a electronic
sign that has the script for the entire show spelled backwards like
this: "uoy evol i" = "i love you".
REPORTED: Doug Cooper 17 JUL 97
The backwards LED display is actually part of the "Reflective Captioning" system, used in many Disney theater presentations.
CONFIRMED: Rob Steere 20 DEC 98
CONFIRMED: Tom & Renée Shaw 27 DEC 96
During the Muppet Vision 3-D show, look carefully at the background action in the Muppet Vision
hall that Kermit takes you into. You can see some chickens walking around behind him, and later
you can see two muppets riding one of those tandem bicycles near the back of the hall.
REPORTED: Liza 25 JUN 02
When Kermit says there will be a little show from Miss Piggy, she pops out of her dressing room and says, "Little?" To the right of her is a fire pull station. If you look carefully, it is pulled.
REPORTED: Jason Pomposelli 28 JAN 98
CONFIRMED: Rob Steere 20 DEC 98
During the 'Dream a Little Dream of Me' by the Mama's and
the Papa's, Bean Bunny keeps trying to get into Miss Piggy's
song by doing assorted things. One of them is flapping a butterfly tied
to a string in Miss Piggy's face. Another is buzzing a bee around her
head. As soon as Bean appears with the bee, the penguin in the
orchestra to the right of the conductor (the violin player) turns toward the audience,
raises up out
of the pit and breaks into a great version of 'Flight of the Bumblebee'.
Watch as he raises up out of the orchestra pit and a spotlight falls on him.
At the end of the song, Miss Piggy getting dragged across the screen by
a skiboat.
Personally, I think that the penguins are some of the funniest
characters in the show. I suggest sitting in the front row center and
keeping your eyes ion the penguins. You'll be surprised with all of the
reactions that they come up with and how they interact with the people
on the screen.
REPORTED: Bill Barto 23 OCT 96
CONFIRMED: Rob Steere 20 DEC 98
When the Chef starts setting his cannon off, and large
holes start appearing in the theatre, do you know how they do that? Well, the interior wall
is gauze that is painted. Behind the
gauze is a three dimensional set with the hole and stuff behind that.
They turn on the lights in the set and you see through the gauze. Turn
off the lights in back and you just see the painted gauze.
REPORTED: Gregg Vandivert 22 DEC 95
The description of the 'blown up theater' effect is correct.
CONFIRMED: Sam and Jennifer Backer 27 JAN 96
At the end when the swedish chef gets blown up, it's obvious that the glass where he sit's behind is a revolving triangle. As you're walking out if you watch the projector you can see it turn around and set up for the next show.
REPORTED: Sean Henderson 26 JUN 96
Not a Hidden Mickey but fun. Have you noticed that Sweetums (the large brown and tan monster Muppet)
appears both live in the theater and in the film (to the right, through the
smoke behind the fire truck) at the same time.
REPORTED: Xris Albers 26 MAY 95
Sweetums is not on the screen when
he is in the theatre. I know the choreography, and every guy that does the
show and that was his mistake. There were probably some
practical jokes going on that day.
UPDATE: anon 13 FEB 96
CONFIRMED: Amy Ledbetter 30 MAR 96
Sweetums does appear on screen very faintly through the smoke. he is looking toward the left and should not be confused with Pluto who is very clearly seen. I have worked this attraction and seen the movie hundreds of times. The on-screen Sweetums has also been said to be Goofy, but i still thinks it's sweetums.
CONFIRMED: eric moy 20 AUG 97
The arrows that appear to be shot into the auditorium walls by characters
in the film are actually stored in the walls. They stick out at the
appropriate times based on the action in the film. After the show, when
about two-thirds of the audience has left the theater, the arrows retract
into the walls and the lights in the set are turned off, thus restoring
the theater to its normal appearance.
REPORTED: Sam and Jennifer Backer 27 JAN 96
In the final scene when the archers step up to the front line an arrow actually hits the right hand wall (facing the screen) close to the critics.
UPDATE: Sean Henderson 26 JUN 96
CONFIRMED: Ry Ogron 25 JUL 99
The Fire Truck that enters when then the theater explodes is a Disney Fire Truck and has a castle on the license
plate.
REPORTED: CONFIRMED: Rob Steere 20 DEC 98
CONFIRMED: Tom & Renée Shaw 27 DEC 96
Outside the theatre is a fountain featuring the
muppet characters. Gonzo is balancing on an inflatable toy who's head
looks just like Mickey, except the eyes are bulging a bit (but so would
yours if Gonzo had his left foot in your back!).
REPORTED: REPORTED: Graham Allan 06SEP93
CONFIRMED: Anesa Vecciarelli 18 SEP 94
All of the Disney 3D Adventure Shows, such as Muppet Vision 4D, and Honey I Shrunk the Audience, It's Tough To Be A Bug, as well as the since past show Magic Journeys all use the same principle of presentation. Unlike normal 3D show (red/blue lenses) these film use a process of reverse polorization every other frame. The clear glasses are reversed polorized which allow your eyes to detect the difference of angle between the two frames - this method is cheap for filming, and it can be added after filming is done. It also adds a higher degree of control on the 3D effects.
REPORTED: Kenneth Klingensmith 25 JUN 98
Listen closely during the grand finale when all the soilders come out carrying the different countries flags. At one point you can hear them softly singing "It's A Small World!"
REPORTED: Freddy Zanfardino 06 AUG 98
I haven't heard this (or remember hearing this), but the "dolls" during the finale are very much like the Small World Dolls.
COMMENT: Melanie Emmons 25 SEP 98
It's kinda faint, and you have to be listening for it.
CONFIRMED: Rob Steere 20 DEC 98
When you get out of the Muppet movie look to your left, you can see the fire truck that crashes through the wall at the end of the show.
REPORTED: Michael Crowell 02 AUG 99
