With the recent opening of the reimagined Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there are surely as many belly laughs emanating from the attraction as there are screams. And that’s a good thing. When rumblings first started about the possible closure of Muppet*Vision 3D to make way for a new Monsters, Inc. land, I was fretting over the potential loss of Kermit and the gang and their unique, wacky, wonderful brand of humor at Disney World. But I was also lamenting about the blow that comedy in general would take at the Florida park resort–and throughout the industry.
Yes, there is plenty of laughter in the air at parks. Some of it is the byproduct of anecdotes and banter exchanged among families and friends. Some of it is nervous laughter shared on coasters and other rides. Many shows and story-based dark rides incorporate some token humorous moments. But I believe parks could use more laugh-out-loud attractions, where comedy is as much a focus, if not the primary focus, as the thrills and other elements.
Fortunately, as The Muppets migrated across the Studios park to their new digs, the troupe’s trademark postmodern, vaudevillian shenanigans followed them. From all reports (I have not experienced RnRC 2.0), the queue, pre-show, loading station, and unload area are packed with videos (that include celebrity cameos), gags, props, and more that keep Muppets silliness front and center. The Imagineers even shoehorned the curmudgeonly animatronic hecklers, Statler and Waldorf, into the ride so that they could hurl some barbs as passengers whiz past them.
The Muppets have perfected the art, but as it has been said, “Dying is easy, comedy is hard.” Maybe that’s why there aren’t a heckuva lot of other examples where guffaws are the raison d’être at parks and attractions. Let’s explore a few.
RnRC isn’t the only thrill ride to elicit laughs. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! at Disney California Adventure feature’s the franchise’s offbeat mayhem and hilarity. Like RnRC, the Guardians ride repurposed an existing attraction, the West Coast version of Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and replaced the mostly serious proceedings with a much lighter, and frequently funny, tone. To a lesser extent, the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind coaster at Epcot, also injects some interplanetary humor into the ride.
The Minions are just as super silly in their pre-show presentations as they are during the main event for Minion Mayhem, the motion simulator attraction at Universal’s parks in Hollywood and Orlando. As is the characters’ wont, there are plenty of slapstick and wacky scenes to get guests giggling, but there are also some surprisingly tender moments. Considering the whole experience spans a few minutes, it’s incredible that Mayhem can elicit such a broad range of emotions. That’s part of the challenge at theme parks and attractions; unlike movies, TV shows, and other longer forms of entertainment, it can be hard to generate real belly laughs given the constraints.
Ardent and more casual fans of ”The Simpsons” can find hilarious examples of the long-running series’ comedic chops in Universal’s namesake attractions as well as throughout the Springfield lands. Like RnRC, the queue and pre-show for The Simpsons Ride is absolutely jammed with nonstop nods to the show’s inanity.
Depending on how well the performer can improvise and interact with the audience, the laughter can be uproarious at Disney’s freewheeling Turtle Talk With Crush. Similarly, depending on the skipper’s improv skills and delivery of one-liners, the Jungle Cruise can be a riotous affair. While it’s based on a similar premise as Turtle Talk and also features a beloved franchise, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor at the Magic Kingdom doesn’t rise to the same level of lunacy–at least not when I’ve experienced the show.
One of the challenges of bringing a comedy-based show to a park is making it accessible and appealing to a broad audience. The Legoland parks solved that challenge with The Lego Movie 4D. Like the hip and wildly funny theatrical films on which it is based, the show cleverly operates on two levels. Children and adults simultaneously find it hilarious for different reasons. (There is a similar dynamic at Turtle Talk.) The Lego Movie 4D may be the park attraction that generates the most laughs for me. There are so many stupid (in a good, funny way), throwaway lines, I am in stitches.
Might Nate Bargatze lean into the funny at Nateland, the theme park he is developing in Tennessee? I’d have to assume that the popular comedian would want to showcase the craft that made him famous. But, as I’ve outlined, comedy at parks can be a tricky proposition. Maybe he can take some lessons from The Muppets.
Maybe the entire industry can look to The Muppets for inspiration. We could all use a whole lot more laughter and silliness at parks–and really everywhere else too for that matter.
What theme park attractions and shows get you laughing out loud? Do you agree there should be more comedy at parks?
The film loop in the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater is a favorite of my wife and I, and always makes us chuckle. And hopefully, when the Horror Make Up Show makes its return at Universal Studios, it will be as gut-busting hilarious as it has been in the past.
Tom, you beat me to the comment - I immediately thought of the Horror Make Up show while reading Arthur's article. I am so happy that the Muppets are back in a park. I have fond memories of the Muppets while growing up that I share with my sister. But, I can't get my wife or kids into them. I also like the idea of the Villains show next-door to turn into something for the Muppets when the the full Villains land opens.
The Simpsons ride was funny for me the first couple of times riding it. And I always chuckle on the Jungle Boat and Turtle Talk. We stopped at the Monsters Laugh Floor to cool off during the Magic Kingdom Halloween event and that got me laughing a few times.
Anyways, yes Arthur, I think comedy belongs in the parks because the rides & attractions already make us scream and cry. Why shouldn't laughter be part of it? But, I know funny is harder to pull off than scary.
Finally, my wife and I have seen Nate perform twice now. I think we laughed more during his first tour than his second, but he was still funny. I don't see the connection with him making a theme park, but if I had gobs of money, I would probably try to open a new amusement park as well.