Removed Muppet Labs Photo Op Has Not Returned Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival. The Theory of Pickletivity, Onion Breath Wings, Potato Pants, Edible Gravel, and a Durian Air Freshener were all experiments that Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker were working on at Muppet Labs inside the Bew Wing at the Odyssey Pavilion in Epcot. But you won’t know that or get to experience reading all about these experiments because the blackboard these were written on lasted less than 48 hours, and after suffering damage, has not returned to the Food & Wine Festival 2024.
“MEEP!” Sorry, we had to use such language! (Yes, that is a whole sentence if you understand Beaker)
We reported on August 31st, 2024, 72 hours after Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, that the Muppet Labs Photo Op was missing and had been completely removed. The reason for this removal was a few kids had destroyed the set. Reports at the time and from what we have discussed before was a few kids were left unattended by parents, also there was a set of children who were attended by parents but were allowed to touch and play with the prop pieces on display.
There was also a kid who “went tornado” on the whole photo op. Of course, our first reaction was to blame the parents, but when we heard more information, we had to rethink our quick-to-blame mentality. We do not know enough to blame this child or parents, for one simple thing, having a son on the neurodivergent spectrum we know when things can go wrong, they can go wrong very fast!
“MEEP!” See Beaker agrees, who are we to judge?
We heard reports that the maker of the Muppet Labs photo op had removed the props, backdrop, and chalkboard with hopes of fixing the whole thing. The repairs were initially thought to be quick and the photo op would return within a day or two. It is now 3 weeks later and the photo op has still not returned. We have no idea if the photo op will return at all to this year’s festival, or was this a treat for those who got to see it and take an image with it?
While the Muppet Labs photo op and backdrop were immersive and fun, there were a lot of parts that were easily manipulated. With 3d parts sticking out, like a banana sticking out of the chalkboard, or a glass beaker being at eye level that people could act like they were holding. People in general would immediately think to grab onto these parts to make their photos look better, and no one blames anyone for that. But, over time these pieces that were not protected very well will fall apart with wear and tear.
Welcome to Brew Wing at the Odyssey Pavilion in Partnership with Muppets Lab in World Celebration at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista Florida, USA in the Western Hemisphere of Planet Earth, 25,843 Light Years from the Epicenter of the Milky Way Galaxy, then 4 Feet to the Left reads the sign hanging over the door. The Brew Wing and Muppets Lab just opened on August 27th, 2024, with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker giving us some behind-the-scenes skits, and inside into how the menu was made. The centerpiece was the new photo op, with multiple easter eggs and callbacks to past The Muppets movies and shows.
Brew-Wing Lab
(The Odyssey)
Food
- Unnecessarily Spicy Yet Extremely Tasty Carolina Reaper Pepper Curry Wings with Creamy Cucumber Raita (NEW)
- Traditional Buffalo Wings with Celery and Ranch
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Wings
- Garlic-Parmesan Wings
- Impossible™ Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Blue Cheese, Celery and Ranch
- Fried Pickle Spears with Dill Ranch
Beverages
- Coppertail Brewing Smoked Lager, Tampa, FL (NEW)
- Keel Farms Elderberry Serrano Hard Cider, Plant City, FL (NEW)
- 3 Daughters Brewing Pickle Hard Seltzer, St. Petersburg, FL (NEW)
- 3 Daughters Brewing Palm Paradise Hefeweizen, St. Petersburg, FL (NEW)
- The Bruery Desert Flora with Hibiscus & Prickly Pear, Placentia, CA (NEW)
- Cigar City Peach White Oak Jai Alai, Tampa, FL (NEW)
- Frozen Pomegranate & Raspberry Tea: Twinings® Pomegranate & Raspberry Herbal Tea with Orange Ice Cream Molecules (nonalcoholic)
- Pickle Milk Shake (nonalcoholic)
- Beer Flight
