Disney’s New The Little Mermaid Show: 3 Highlights and Tips for Families
We all know that life is better under the sea. If your family loves The Little Mermaid you’re going to be excited about the return of a classic show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Perhaps your kids prefer relaxing rides and attractions. Or maybe you’re planning your first trip to Walt Disney World. Either way, the tide has returned the splashy mermaid and her classic live performance.
“The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure Show”
The new “Little Mermaid Show” formally known as “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure“ is now open! And we attended a media event to witness one of the first full performance, complete with an introduction from the original voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson!
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What to Expect
1. New Effects and Technology
The show features stunning new set pieces, cutting-edge effects, and a bold new design that captures Ariel’s imagination and emotions through her unique view of the world around her. I absolutely loved the new scrapbook-style decorations around the Proscenium arch. It is meant to evoke Ariel’s colorful point of view of her adventure to be part of our world.
During a media event for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, we heard from project managers with Walt Disney Imagineering as well as Live Entertainment Directors.
“Designers take all of this motion capture performance and translate it into a larger than life animated version of Ursula that Ariel and Eric will be battling against in our epic battle sequence. We really harken back to animation history and the multiplane camera. So we’re creating lots of different layers of visual that you can almost reach into and see all of the different layers of physical and digital scenic working together.”
Now that the show has opened and I have witnessed it in person, I can safely say it lives up to this original description.
2. The Theater
The newly refreshed Animation Courtyard theater is beautiful, a complete transformation!
The stage and theater become parts of the show. Without giving too much away, throughout the show the stage and the lighting effects in the theater make the performance all encompassing. Some moments with Ursula do get intense, and I was worried about my son’s reaction.
Thankfully, bringing hearing protection works wonders for us. And he wore one of our MagicBand+ devices, which lit up at certain parts of the show. The lighting on his wrist distracted him a little and gave him something else to focus on when needed.
3. The Songs
“The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” will have guests flipping their fins to musical numbers inspired by the film including “Part of Your World,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and more.
There are even two new songs that were not part of the original production at Disney-MGM Studios, including the beloved “Daughters of Triton” from the animated movie.
The show’s “Kiss the Girl” scene is an all-new addition that captures the magic and humor of the original movie. The whole scene itself is beautiful and a few moments gave the audience a little chuckle.
“The beauty of Disney is that it brings these beloved characters into our world in a way that’s tangible and relatable,” said Show Director James Silson. “Reimagining The Little Mermaid for the stage gave us the opportunity to mix new technology with theatrical direction to create something fresh and exciting—while still staying true to what audiences love about the classic film.”
“Watching this brand-new, magical version of The Little Mermaid come to life on stage was incredibly emotional,” said Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel. “To see our story shared in a fresh and beautiful way is truly an honor. I’m so grateful to have been part of your world all these years.”
As a child, anytime I swam in the pool or the ocean I pretended to be Ariel. So having the chance to experience this story that I loved as kid now with my son, in a condensed 18 minute version, actually brought tears to my eyes.
The original show was beloved by longtime Disney fans and this new version is the perfect fit for modern-day Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We can’t wait to swim under the sea with Ariel and her friends again soon!
Featured image by Dani Meyering
