Early plans for Disney MGM Studios included a themed area known as the "Muppets Studios." In addition to Muppet*Vision 3D, the proposed area was to feature another attraction, The Great Muppet Movie Ride, and two restaurants: The Swedish Chef's Video Cooking School and The Great Gonzo's Pandemonium Pizza Parlor. However, only Muppet*Vision 3D was completed before the plans were cancelled following the death of Jim Henson and the fallout of the sale of the Muppets to Disney. The area surrounding MuppetVision would be folded into the New York Street area, which would later be known as the Streets of America.
The concept for a Muppet-themed nook within the park was re-explored in 2016 with the re-branding of the area around Muppet*Vision 3D as the "Muppets Courtyard", resulting from the majority of Streets of America being torn down for the Star Wars expansion. The area was added to park maps in the spring of 2016, with other updates (including the opening of PizzeRizzo and the addition of other Muppet-themed decor) arriving throughout the summer and fall of 2016.
However, this wasn't to last as Muppets Courtyard was announced in 2017 to be folded into Grand Avenue, an area based on contemporary Los Angeles that will consist of reworked remaining portions of the Streets of America, with the Muppet Courtyard area taking the new name of "Grand Park".[3]
