The Muppets become Enchanted Art aboard the Disney Fantasy Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line just announced that The Muppets will make their debut on Disney Cruise Line in a new adventure game aboard the Disney Fantasy, the new Disney ship setting sail in March 2012. The adventure game will leverage the ship wide system of interactive art known as ‘Enchanted Art.’ Here’s a clip of three such installations filmed aboard the Disney Dream in January 2011.

Throughout the Disney Fantasy, guests will discover creative and whimsical technical innovations – whether it’s mealtime, playtime or bedtime. “Paintings” spring to life. Guests’ own drawings dance with Disney characters. Interior staterooms have a porthole view of the sea outside. Animated characters chat with guests. The floor beneath children comes alive to movements.

The Muppets will be featured in one of the ship’s adventure games. “The Case of the Stolen Show” will take guests on an interactive adventure quest around the ship, uncovering clues via more than a dozen pieces of Enchanted Art and physical “evidence.”

The adventure begins with Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal and a cast of more than 20 Muppets preparing to stage a big performance. But there’s a problem: Kermit’s banjo is missing, Fozzie’s squirting flower has vanished, Gonzo’s crash helmet has gone astray, Animal’s drum sticks have disappeared and the Swedish Chef can’t find his cleaver! All of the props for the big show have been stolen by a cunning thief (or more likely, another Muppet).

Pepe the King Prawn offers to take on detective duties to help Kermit and the rest of the Muppets find their missing props. Kermit, worried about Pepe’s lack of detective skills, turns to the guests for help.

Guided by a map and holding a unique game card in front of select pieces of Enchanted Art, guests unveil clues and find missing props. Elsewhere on the ship, guests may check a Muppets message board and find a Muppet-sized stateroom door to discover clues. Their mission is to identify the culprit and solve the crime before it’s time to raise the curtain and light the lights on the Muppets’ big show.

“The Case of the Stolen Show” is a self-paced adventure game designed for guests ages nine and older. It features several possible endings and multiple randomized events – so each time a guest plays, they have a different gaming experience.

Enchanted Art

Throughout the Disney Fantasy, more than 20 pieces of Enchanted Art, inspired by classic Disney characters and animations, immerse guests in Disney storytelling in a completely new way.

As guests pause to admire an individual piece of Enchanted Art, it magically comes alive. Some examples of Enchanted Art new to the Disney Fantasy…

• Dual circus art posters featuring Dumbo and Timothy Q. Mouse flying from one frame into the other — a nod to the Disney Fantasy stern characters.
• Walt Disney animating three new clips that spring from his sketch pad featuring the “Fab Five” (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto).
• Scenes from Disney’s classic animated film “Fantasia” depicting dancing fairies set to “Nutcracker Suite” and a frolicking unicorn and satyr set to “The Pastoral Symphony.”
• Fanciful animations of “Alice in Wonderland” inspired by Disney Legend Mary Blair’s artwork.
• “Pinkie Daisy” inspired by Thomas Lawrence’s painting “Sarah Barrett Moulton: Pinkie.”

While Enchanted Art looks like other hanging art pieces around the ship, it is actually a framed LCD screen that utilizes technology to create special effects. Enchanted Art “recognizes” a guest is present and activates several seconds of animation. Guests may see new and different animation when they visit the Enchanted Art another time.