Muppet Mobile Lab

The Muppet Mobile Lab visits Pixar.

Muppet Mobile Lab is a free-roving, audio-animatronic entertainment attraction designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, that has been tested at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California, at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and at Hong Kong Disneyland in Hong Kong.[1]

Implemented on a Segway platform, the Muppet Mobile Lab is a two-wheeled science-lab vehicle that resembles a small rocket ship. Two Muppet characters, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant, Beaker, pilot the vehicle through the park, interacting with guests and deploying special effects such as foggers, flashing lights, moving signs, confetti cannons and spray jets.[2]

The two animatronics characters and the special effects aboard the vehicle are controlled remotely by puppeteers, thanks to an advanced control system that allows the controllers to be located up to several miles away from the show location. On-board cameras, microphones and speakers allow the puppeteers to see and hear guests and interact with them.[1] Muppet performers Dave Goelz (Bunsen) and Steve Whitmire (Beaker) assisted in the development of the project.[3][4]

The project began as a continuation of Disney's "Living Character Initiative", a program that has generated other interactive shows at Disney theme parks including Lucky the Dinosaur, Turtle Talk with Crush, Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, and Stitch Encounter.

In 2009, the attraction was honored with the Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement (Technical) from the Themed Entertainment Association.[5]

In October 2016, the Muppet Mobile Lab returned to Epcot.[6]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Muppet Mobile Lab.
  1. ^ a b "The Themed Entertainment Association's 15th Thea Awards - Delightfully Disney - Muppet Mobile Lab Profile" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-30. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  2. ^ Powers, Scott. "Muppets go mobile at Epcot". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  3. ^ "Mobile Disney animatronics roam Imagineering's parking lot". Boing Boing. 3 February 2007.
  4. ^ "WD-FM Interview with Muppet Performers Dave Goelz and Bill Barretta" (video). YouTube. The Walt Disney Family Museum. October 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "15th Annual Thea Award Recipients". Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original on 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  6. ^ Attractions Magazine [@Attractions] (October 3, 2016). "NEW VIDEO: The Muppet Mobile Lab has returned to Epcot for a limited time: https://youtu.be/korGn9HowJM @TheMuppets" (Tweet) – via Twitter.