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A MOM AND THE MOUSE, FEATURED, KRISTIN FORD — BY KRISTIN FORD ON JANUARY 5, 2010 AT 1:40 AM
Since The Walt Disney Company bought Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppets in 2004, it has been searching for ways to make the characters relevant to a new generation.
In their heyday, and my youth, the Muppets were hugely popular. I remember the anticipation of going to see The Muppet Movie at the theater with my cousins in 1979, and the weekly television show featured top celebrities of the time. The hit song “The Rainbow Connection” plays in the background of many of my happy childhood memories.
But now? My children know who the fuzzy friends are only from Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They find the attraction amusing, but they don’t clamor for the merchandise because they don’t really know the characters.
That’s about to change, though. Disney has been re-introducing the Muppets by linking them to causes that today’s youth care about, such as the environment and volunteering. Who’s more green than Kermit, right?
More merchandise is showing up in stores, including Once Upon A Toy Store at Downtown Disney. We noticed quite a lot displayed up front by the registers when we were shopping during Christmas week.
And now visitors will be able to see the characters in the Disney parks.
Beginning Friday (Jan. 8), each afternoon Kermit, Miss Piggy and Sweetums will be part of a pre-parade celebration at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and at Disneyland in California. Muppets characters and parade dancers will join special floats and vehicles celebrating volunteerism and presenting honorary VoluntEARS as grand marshals of the parades. Can meet-and-greets be far behind?
Expect to see more of the Muppets, as marketing gears up for a feature film that is slated to be released this year.
Since The Walt Disney Company bought Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppets in 2004, it has been searching for ways to make the characters relevant to a new generation.
In their heyday, and my youth, the Muppets were hugely popular. I remember the anticipation of going to see The Muppet Movie at the theater with my cousins in 1979, and the weekly television show featured top celebrities of the time. The hit song “The Rainbow Connection” plays in the background of many of my happy childhood memories.
But now? My children know who the fuzzy friends are only from Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They find the attraction amusing, but they don’t clamor for the merchandise because they don’t really know the characters.
That’s about to change, though. Disney has been re-introducing the Muppets by linking them to causes that today’s youth care about, such as the environment and volunteering. Who’s more green than Kermit, right?
More merchandise is showing up in stores, including Once Upon A Toy Store at Downtown Disney. We noticed quite a lot displayed up front by the registers when we were shopping during Christmas week.
And now visitors will be able to see the characters in the Disney parks.
Beginning Friday (Jan. 8), each afternoon Kermit, Miss Piggy and Sweetums will be part of a pre-parade celebration at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and at Disneyland in California. Muppets characters and parade dancers will join special floats and vehicles celebrating volunteerism and presenting honorary VoluntEARS as grand marshals of the parades. Can meet-and-greets be far behind?
Expect to see more of the Muppets, as marketing gears up for a feature film that is slated to be released this year.
). She has seen the movies when they are on TV and asked (and received) "A Muppets Christmas Carol" for Christmas. If she knew that Kermit and Miss Piggy were out and about meeting and greeting in the parks, she would be beside herself. As for RnRC, that would be cool too.
I love the Muppets. And would be glad to see them allocated more. I think Disney is doing a great job so far at reintroducing them into mainstream (i.e. The Give A Day/Get a Day promos..and I saw them on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Jimmy Fallon's show, and the Bohemian Rhapsody online).... by taking these babysteps, they are definitely preparing to use them more. 
