Brian Henson has confirmed that the future of MuppetVision 3D involves AppleVision, with the defunct Walt Disney World attraction coming to the VR headset. This shares the latest developments post-closing of Muppet Courtyard, plus our commentary and hopes for the future of the attraction to find a new home at Hollywood Studios.
MuppetVision 3D received a glorious 13-hour finale last June, with Walt Disney World sending off the attraction mostly on a high note. It was a fitting farewell to the iconic attraction (for now?), and Heather Henson was the last guest to enter the last public demonstration of MuppetVision 3D.
Work began almost immediately to transform the closed Muppets Courtyard into Monstropolis. Most of the progress that’s visible as of Winter 2026 has been laying the groundwork for the massive Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster gravity building outside the park. It’s also possible to see work on the facade of the former theater and, based on new public records, Walt Disney World is spending $22 million on the MuppetVision theater transformation to prepare for a new Monsters, Inc. stage show.
Fast-forward to late February 2026, and the latest development is that Brian Henson has confirmed that MuppetVision 3D is coming Apple Vision Pro. This isn’t the first time that he’s suggested that the attraction’s future beyond Walt Disney World would involve the VR world.
Brian Henson is the son of Muppets creator Jim Henson and current chairman of The Jim Henson Company. His latest comments were made during a Q&A session following a performance of his improv puppet comedy show, Puppet Up!, currently running at The Montalbán theater in Los Angeles.
During the Q&A, Henson reiterated that Disney’s team did a thorough job capturing MuppetVision 3D for the VR experience, according to The Daily Dot. Henson added that users will be able to sit in any seat in the house while watching the show, with the ability to change their viewpoint at any time.
When asked about his opinion on MuppetVision’s future, Henson joked: “It’s better than it not coming to VR!”
It’s worth noting that the Walt Disney Company was an early adopter of Apple Vision Pro. The two companies partnered to provide a dedicated Disney+ experience on the VR device, and Disney+ subscribers can transport themselves into iconic locations while watching content on the Apple headset.
These environments are high-resolution virtual spaces with realistic soundscapes and hidden details. Apple and Disney announced the partnership back in 2024 and shared lofty expectations. Much like Apple Vision Pro itself, those have largely not been realized.
Neither Henson nor Disney have offered a timetable for when MuppetVision will be offered in AppleVision.
This aligns with Henson has previously teased about the future of MuppetVision.
During an interview with TheaterMania last summer, Henson was asked whether MuppetVision 3D is gone from the theme parks for good? Here’s his response:
“They wrapped [MuppetVision 3D] up in the way Disney does, where everything is recorded for historical purposes and all the animatronics are packed away perfectly. So, theoretically, they could bring it back out if they wanted to at some point.
From the get-go, they designed it so that 500 people could go through every 25 minutes. It was one the most highly experienced attractions, I think, that Disney ever made. And I was very sad to see it getting wrapped up.”
A bit beside the point, but I’d highly recommend reading the whole interview in TheaterMania. There are some great tidbits in there about Muppet Christmas Carol, and the director’s dispute with Disney about the final cut of the film.
Around the time of the closure, the topic of MuppetVision came up during a Walt Disney Family Museum event celebrating the Jim Henson Company’s 70th Anniversary. During that, Lisa Henson stated the Henson Company is “in discussions” with Disney about bringing the beloved film to VR.
Henson added that MuppetVision was documented using VR cameras before the attraction closed permanently, suggesting that preservation efforts are well underway and that a public release could be on the horizon.
That fueled optimism that the fan-favorite attraction may live on in virtual reality via devices like Apple Vision Pro. This is hardly surprising, but it’s nevertheless reassuring to hear from Lisa Henson herself.
Shortly before the attraction closed, a filming event was held by Imagineering to archive MuppetVision 3D. The event invited select Cast Members to register for the event, where they served as the in-theater audience during the recording of the mixed media show.
At the time, Walt Disney World would only confirm that Imagineering was digitally recording the full show of MuppetVision 3D. No preservation plans were confirmed at that time–only that the recorded footage would ensure the attraction is documented for any potential future uses.
Henson has now confirmed one of those future uses–a virtual reality Apple adaptation! This is no huge surprise, as we’ve discussed that likelihood previously in Where Will MuppetVision 3D Be Relocated?
Another recent development is the smash success of The Muppet Show revival that debuted in early 2026. The special event drew 7.58M+ multiplatform viewers within eight days, doubling its initial ABC audience. The special achieved a 98% critical rating, topped Disney+ movie charts, and rejuvenated the franchise, potentially serving as a backdoor pilot for a new series. In almost every conceivable way, it’s been a huge hit that has exceeded expectations.
Although I’ve been skeptical and cynical about MuppetVision’s future in-park prospects, pretty much everything that has happened since the closure of MuppetVision has been reassuring. It gives me hope that there are so many Muppets fans within the Walt Disney Company and throughout Hollywood, but especially within Imagineering.
There are high-profile people championing the Muppets and MuppetVision within Disney, which is likely how we got the ‘olive branch’ of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets in the first place. Based on everything we’ve heard about that attraction thus far (Audio Animatronics in the pre-show!), it appears more and more like that attraction isn’t just a 5-year stopgap until they’re ready for something Marvelous. While those Imagineers and others lost the battle to save MuppetVision, it’s still possible they’ll win the war.
We’re hoping this keeps the door open for Muppets Courtyard 2.0 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
A lot hinges on the reimagined Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, which debuts at DHS this summer after the eviction of Aerosmith. The success of that ride and The Muppet Show revival special increase the likelihood of Muppets Courtyard (revival) featuring a MuppetVision 3D (revival) once Villains Unfairly Ever After ends, which we assume will happen around the time that Villains Land opens at Magic Kingdom
At the very least, it could be a cohesive land, as opposed to what it currently is. Sunset Showcase feels tacked on, like it isn’t really part of the park. This has always been the biggest impediments to shows in this venue (now Villains and Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy it) finding more of an audience–it felt like you were leaving Sunset Boulevard and entering this makeshift area and venue.
Here’s hoping that we’re standing on the precipice of a bona fide Muppet-aissance. That we look back at 2026 decades from now as the year when the Muppets started once again dominating pop culture; as the moment when Muppets’ fortunes changed!
For reference, here’s the original official statement on the closure of MuppetVision 3D from the Jim Henson Company that was made in late 2024:
Jim Henson’s final project was Muppet*Vision 3D, now regarded as a true theme park classic. Innovation was always Jim Henson’s north star, and his trailblazing career led him to a unique challenge: a truly immersive Muppet experience where audiences are part of the happy chaos of the iconic Muppet Show.
Originally debuting in 1991, Muppet*Vision 3D combined 3D technology with real-world practical effects, alongside animatronic and live Muppet characters. The result was a one-of-a-kind Jim Henson experience, and an unforgettable capstone to Jim’s magnificent career. As we learn of the show’s upcoming closure in its current form at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we look forward to Muppet*Vision 3D’s next act.
And now, our commentary about why it’s essential for MuppetVision 3D to live on, as it’s an important piece of American pop culture, Walt Disney World history, and more…
MuppetVision 3D was last project that Jim Henson personally worked on, as he passed away on May 16, 1990. The show was finished after his passing by Henson’s longtime collaborators, but bears his fingerprints and trademark humor and heart all over it.
Jim Henson may not have the same stature as Walt Disney, but for a large swath of Americans of a certain age, they are regarded similarly. Both ‘American Originals’ who broke the mold, with few more impactful creative people in our nation’s history.
MuppetVision 3D is essentially the last legacy of Jim Henson, and when people (like me) say it’s culturally significant and should be treated as such, we aren’t kidding. MuppetVision 3D is a prime example of theme parks as art and national heritage.
Consider this excerpt from Jim Henson: The Biography:
“Disney would be good for the Muppets as well. If there was any organization that knew how to preserve and promote iconic characters beyond the lifetimes of their respective creators, it was the Walt Disney Company.
For Jim, finding such a suitable home for the Muppets was important…and if he couldn’t always tend to their well-being, he wanted to ensure they were with someone else who would. ‘Looking way back down the road to when I stop sitting in my rocking chair and working Kermit the Frog, I really like the idea of characters living on in the Disney parks,’ said Jim. ‘It’s a wonderful future for these characters. It’s as close to an eternal life as a little green frog can get.’”
While there’s some truth to the superficial sentiment that “Disney is not a museum” that’s bandied about by fans, there’s also truth to the notion that some attractions are untouchable. Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and “it’s a small world” all would absolute fit this bill. Among a certain segment of fans, this also extends to MuppetVision 3D.
I am one of those fans, and no decision of the last several years pains me as much as the closure of MuppetVision 3D. While I appreciate that it has been preserved and will live on for the .00000001% of the population that owns an Apple Vision Pro, I really hope that we see it revived at Walt Disney World.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of MuppetVision coming to Apple Vision? Think there’s any chance of MuppetVision 3D being relocated within Walt Disney World or outside the parks? What do you think of Monstropolis replacing MuppetVision? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
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