Mister Rogers takes his television neighbors to a kindergarten classroom at the local school. Prior to beginning the Neighborhood of Make-Believe segment, he disguises the Trolley as a school bus with a cardboard cover. The disguise arouses everyone's attention in the neighborhood. It gets to the point where King Friday decrees that a school should be built in the neighborhood within three days. After scouting four locations, Lady Aberlin and Handyman Negri decide that the school should be built at Someplace Else. Harriet has agreed to be the teacher for Ana, Daniel, and Prince Tuesday.
In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Lady Elaine attempts to get the children ready for school. Mister Rogers visits the "real" neighborhood school again, this time learning from the first-grade teacher.
Mister Rogers gets a beginner's drum lesson at Negri's Music Shop. He also discovers Mr. McFeely is learning to type, prompting an unusual quartet version of Everybody's Fancy. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Daniel tells Lady Aberlin his fears about starting school.
Mister Rogers arrives with some pictures of various people around the Neighborhood. He talks about how pictures and sounds can remind you of different people who you haven't seen for a while. To prove this point, Mister Rogers plays on the practice drum pad he purchased at Negri's Music Shop the previous day to remind viewers of his drum teacher and Joe Negri.
The new school at Someplace Else opens, with an inviting atmosphere for Ana, Prince, and Daniel. To finish his school lecture, Mister Rogers rides on a real school bus.
This panel program previews the upcoming week of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood devoted to children's fears and beliefs. It includes footage of Rogers' talk with actors Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno about The Incredible Hulk television series.
Rogers finds Trow making wooden blocks. He asks Rogers to use something "super" to use in his invention. Before leaving, Rogers watches Mr. McFeely's video clip of a dinosaur painting. The Neighborhood of Make-Believe is full of scary talk. Prince Tuesday has been having bad dreams about a dinosaur wearing a crown. He also tries to counter with a "super funnel."
Rogers brings model dinosaurs and takes viewers to a hall of dinosaur skeletons at a natural history museum. A dinosaur with a crown appears in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, although it is really a skeptical Purple Panda in a costume. This is all part of Lady Elaine's ploy to scare the neighbors.
Rogers visits Universal Studios to see Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno during a shoot of The Incredible Hulk. The Neighborhood of Make-Believe residents are still in awe of the Purple Panda dinosaur.
Rogers returns to the film studios to speak with Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby. Mr. McFeely shows his video of Ferrigno in make-up to look like The Incredible Hulk. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, everyone discusses the Purple Panda dinosaur. Lady Aberlin wishes to prove that the dinosaur is not real.
Rogers remembers the day he operated a backhoe and a high-lift. At his bakery, Chef Brockett reveals how he makes tapioca pudding. Everyone in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe now hatches a plan to reveal that Purple Panda is the one playing to be a dinosaur.
Guest Jay O'Callahan tells a story about a king trapped in an enormous soap bubble. When King Friday asks for a bubble that lasts, no one can help, until Reardon calls.
Rogers finds a bubble-making machine and a knitting machine at Bob Trow's workshop. Mr. McFeely shows a video of how people make sweaters in a factory. Reardon also visits the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Lady Aberlin decides she will be a sweater-maker for an upcoming opera.
Mister Rogers visits a weather station and helps launch a weather balloon. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Handyman Negri is named to play the Wind in the upcoming Bubbleland Opera.
In the opera "Windstorm in Bubbleland", a news team promises "There's never any trouble here in Bubbleland." What they do not know is that a windstorm is approaching. It's the by-product of a chemical company's aerosol spray. While all the residents are worried about their bubbles, Hildegarde Hummingbird strives to protect the people from the giant wind.
Aired on May 23, 1980.
This was one of the few operas of the series to take up the entire 30 minutes of the episode.
This is one of the only episodes in the show's history that does not feature the show's logo in the opening. Instead, about 8 seconds into the beginning, the episode title, "Mister Rogers Makes an Opera", appears.
This is also the only episode in the show's history where Mister Rogers does not change into his sweater. Instead, he is already in it when he enters the porch.
