A behind-the-scenes exhibit about “Muppets Haunted Mansion” will be opening in the lobby of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland on Friday, October 8 (today) to coincide with the special’s Disney+ release.
The exhibit will be an add-on to the pre-existing Haunted Mansion art exhibit, with screen-used props and set pieces from the special. These will include a seance set, funeral wreath and tiny coffins for Gonzo and Pepe the King Prawn, and a “muppetized” hearse.
Walt Disney Imagineer Dani Iglesias told OC Register, “This is your peek behind the curtain at the art and design that went into the production of the special itself.”
The props will give a look at how the puppeteering process works when creating a film like this.
“You can see how Gonzo’s coffin is cut away so that they can put their hand in there to puppeteer Gonzo,” Walt Disney Imagineer Kim Irvine said. “You can see the cut in the seat where Miss Piggy sits. It’s got really fun ways of understanding how muppeteering works.”
A descendant of the original Madame Leota and the holiday Leota herself, Irvine will be making a cameo in “Muppets Haunted Mansion” as a servant cleaning Madame Leota’s crystal ball. It was during Irvine’s set visit that the idea for the exhibit was born.
“When I was on set filming, what I loved so much was just meeting all of the characters for the first time in person,” Irvine said. “To be able to interact with the Muppets in that way was just a real treat.”
The plaques alongside the exhibit displays will also have commentary from the Muppets themselves.
“The Muppets have all gone and provided their own commentary about what the prop is or what their take on that particular artifact might be,” Iglesias said. “It’s got some fun tongue-in-cheek humor in there as well.”
Disneyland visitors can also visit a “Muppets Haunted Mansion” photo-op at Downtown Disney District.
Source: OC Register
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