Disney+ Has a Secret Extended Edition of ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol'

Many of us have watched The Muppet Christmas Carol more than we can count — but far fewer have seen "When Love is Gone," the moving ballad performed by actress Meredith Braun and Michael Caine. The song takes place midway through the film, when Ebenezer Scrooge (Caine) is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, and Scrooge is presented with the memory of his former fiancée, Belle (Braun), when his penny-pinching and miser personality drives away his lost love for good.

"When Love is Gone" was removed from the film's 1992 theatrical release, when test screenings found that many children began to get fidgety during the three-minute, sentimental song reflecting on romantic grief - perhaps not helped by the fact that it is performed by two human actors and no muppets whatsoever. While the song found a new life on the VHS release of the film, most televised showings of The Muppet Christmas Carol exclude the scene, other than a brief exchange between Scrooge and the one that got away.

Now, thanks to streaming, anyone with a Disney+ subscription can watch an extended version of The Muppet Christmas Carol, including "When Love is Gone", as well as a full version of Statler and Waldorf's full performance of "Marley and Marley" — that is, if you know how to find it.

Where To Find ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ Extended Edition on Disney+

After selecting the title The Muppet Christmas Carol on Disney+, users shouldn't click the play button. Instead, they should toggle to "Extras", usually listed between "Suggested" and "Details".

In this section, there is a video titled "The Muppet Christmas Carol (Full Length Version)," listed at a runtime of 1 hour and 29 minutes, compared to the standard version of the film that the streaming app usually offers, which stands at 1 hour and 24 minutes. You can select this video instead.

"When Love is Gone" has always been a divisive addition to the film, and many Muppets fans welcome its removal, due to its length and lack of all things Muppet-y. Others find it fleshes out Belle's character more than the few lines she performs on the syndicated version of the Charles Dickens adaptation. However, anyone interested in seeing the whole version of The Muppet Christmas Carol can now access the extended version with ease and judge for themselves.