All Things Muppets in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT

Disney’s Hollywood Studios allows its guests to enter the worlds of their favorite shows and movies. The world of the Muppets is no exception. Kermit and friends have had a place in the park since the early ‘90s, but a lot has come and gone of them since then. Nowadays, their biggest presence lives over at Grand Avenue. Formerly known as Muppets Courtyard, Grand Avenue in Disney’s Hollywood Studios features the Muppets’ main attraction in Walt Disney World, Muppet*Vision 3D. This 4D film attraction lives up to the park’s quota by transporting guests into a replica theater from The Muppet Show. You are welcomed by Kermit the Frog himself as he introduces all the guests to the Muppets’ new show, Muppet*Vision 3D, where various segments will be performed by the Muppets. Everything takes a left turn after Kermit decides to show everyone how the 3D effects are created. What follows is a funny, chaotic 15-minute show that the entire family can enjoy. Hopefully, the entire family is hungry after all the laughs, because right across the street and past the Miss Piggy fountain is PizzeRizzo. This pizzeria is run by everyone’s favorite rat not named Remy, Rizzo. Everyone who has seen the Muppet*Vision 3D pre-show will recognize this little guy as the one who insulted all the tourists…but hey at least he was dressed as Mickey! In all seriousness, PizzeRizzo is a solid option for either picky eaters or those in the Muppet kind of mood. They, of course, offer various types of pizza, along with different subs and salads. It is a quick service restaurant, but anyone can feel free to take their time inside and enjoy not only the air conditioning, but all the fun Muppet details placed throughout. If Italian food is not your thing, then allow me to take you across the Skyliner and tell you about another Muppet-themed restaurant in EPCOT. World Showcase offers plenty of variety for the many different countries represented there, and America is no exception. The American Adventure in EPCOT is home to the Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts and Barbeque. As the name would suggest, this quick service restaurant specializes in the types of things you would find at an American cookout. While the interior is not as Muppet-centric as PizzeRizzo, Sam the Eagle definitely makes his presence felt amongst the decor. After you finish enjoying your ribs, burger, or chicken, you can treat yourself with the smokehouse’s famous banana pudding. This dessert is one of the best you can find not only in World Showcase, but in all of Walt Disney World. If you are more of a chocolate fan, then you can go for the S’mores Brownie as well. If you are looking for some caramel, then luckily our trip to find all things Muppets in Walt Disney World can continue! The Germany Pavilion in EPCOT is not only home to Karamell-Küche, an entire shop dedicated to caramel, but there are also some Muppet topiaries that are always fun to snap pictures of. You can find Kermit riding a bicycle and Miss Piggy waving at all of her adoring fans. (This includes us, as we wrote an entire article dedicated to Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppets.) While their presence is not as large as that of Star Wars characters or Mickey and friends, what the Muppets do have is truly special and totally worth checking out for all the Muppet lovers out there. It is fitting to end this Muppet journey with the man who started it all, Jim Henson. All the way back at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theater (you can’t miss it). In front of the theater are different handprints of various celebrities placed in the concrete. As you may have guessed, one of these concrete tiles holds the handprints and signatures of Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog. See how your hands match up with theirs, and take a selfie to commemorate this piece of Hollywood Studios history that has been there for over 30 years.