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matthewsoberman
Reviews
Disneyland: The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990)
A Fitting Final Work for Jim Henson
The only thing that mars this special is that Jim Henson passed away a few days after its airing. Other than that, this is possibly one of the best Disney specials ever. The perfect blend of Muppet humor and Disney magic truly combines here to make a wonderful show. My favorite scene is when the Swedish Chef puts a Scandinavian twist on a classic Mexican dish. Raven's cameo is cute and captures the essence of a Disney vacation, and it's cool to see what today's stars looked like when they were younger. And in this special, Kermit the Frog uses a gun! (Sort of.) Overall, if you can find this somewhere, watch it. If you own it, watch it again. And to Jim Henson, wherever you are, you went out in a flourish of excellence, and that will never be duplicated by anyone.
A Musical Christmas at Walt Disney World (1993)
Not one of Disney's better specials.
I found this special going through a box of old videotapes. After watching this, I feel that this is one of Disney's worst specials. It doesn't feel like a real Walt Disney World Christmas Special, but more of a Christmas special that just happens to take place at Walt Disney World. The parks are used as mere backdrops for music, rather than incorporating them into the show. (However, there is a small shining moment where they talk about how the backlots at the Disney-MGM Studios can be utilized.) The songs are sung amazingly slow, and lack real charisma. If you like Christmas music, watch it at least once. If you expect more variety in a Disney special, skip this one.