The Muppet Fans Petition Disney+ to Add the Muppets at Walt Disney World TV Special

This year is a big year for various entertainment-related anniversaries and it's no different for [...]

By Nicole Drum

This year is a big year for various entertainment-related anniversaries and it's no different for The Muppets. The 1990 television special The Muppets at Walt Disney World turns 30 today (Wednesday, May 6th) and it's a project that holds a special place in the hearts of Muppet fans everywhere. The special was the last that Muppets creator Jim Henson worked on as the legendary puppeteer and creator died just a few days after it's airing on NBC. Now, with Disney+ offering fans a treasure trove of content, fans have taken to social media to petition the service to add The Muppets at Walt Disney World in Henson's honor for the special's 30th anniversary.

In The Muppets at Walt Disney World, the Muppets join Kermit the Frog in going to his annual family reunion in a Florida swamp. Upon learning that the swamp is right next door to Walt Disney World, however, the Muppets decided to sneak into the theme park where they are pursued by security guard Quentin Fitzwaller (Charles Grodin). What ensues is a grand tour -- Muppet style -- of Walt Disney World and its associated parks at the time (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney-MGM Studios). While the group is eventually caught by Quentin, Kermit makes a call to his old friend Mickey Mouse who straightens things right out and invites the Muppets to put their names and footprints in the cement outside the Chinese Theater, welcoming them to the family (though, technically, the Muppets wouldn't be property of Disney until 2004 as the merger between Jim Henson Productions and The Walt Disney Company were cancelled following Henson's death though a licensing agreement was initiated that allowed for the continued development of Muppets attractions.)

On Twitter, Muppets fans were very vocal about asking for the special to be added to the Disney+ catalog with the "Muppet History" Twitter posting on Wednesday with the request.

While fans were very enthusiastic about the idea that The Muppets at Walt Disney World should come to Disney+ fans also asked for more Muppet content on the streaming service in general. While Disney+ does have some Muppet content, there's quite a bit more that's not there, something a report earlier this year claimed was likely the doing of outgoing Disney CEO Bob Iger.

In late March, Vanity Fair reported that it all stemmed from Iger's taking on the CEO role at Disney. Iger had inherited the Muppet property from former CEO Michael Eisner who left shortly after the acquisition of the Muppets. When Iger took over the role, he was more focused on things like Pixar, Marvel, and more. The lack of focus on the Muppets has left the property somewhat on the backburner in terms of new developments as well as in terms of streaming offering. Still, fans are still hopeful they will get more Muppet content soon -- especially The Muppets at Walt Disney World that many want to share with a new generation of fans.

"Yes, please!" Twitter uses @pantalones79 wrote. "I want to share Gonzo and Camilla's "Love in a Laundromat" with my kids!"

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