Disney Announces Return of Little Mermaid Show to Hollywood Studios—See All Details!

Disney has announced that a popular show that has been closed for a few years will be making its return to Hollywood Studios in a reimagined form. The show, formerly “Voyage of the Little Mermaid,” ran in Hollywood Studios from 1992 through 2020 and did not reopen after the pandemic. It has remained closed for the last few years, leaving many guests wondering whether or not it would return.

Disney has now announced that the fully reimagined show will debut at the Animation Courtyard theater as “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure,” inspired by the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, returning with exciting new additions and songs.

Keep reading for more details on the reimagined Little Mermaid show, concept art that has been released for the show, and a new update for when it will be opening.

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure Reimagining

For the reimagining of the show, Disney Live Entertainment has been finding ways to “bring new life” into Ariel's journey. Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will feature new set pieces, cutting-edge effects, and a new design that “captures Ariel’s imagination and emotions through her unique view of the world around her.”

Disney shared that The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will be different than the original, as this is an all-new theatrical version to follow the original story of the film. Disney really emphasized that this is not the same show as the prior one, as it builds on favorite moments but is made with brand new physical sets, puppets, live performers, and visuals.

When Will the Reimagined Little Mermaid Show Open?

Construction inside the theater is underway. Disney originally shared that the show would be opening in the fall of 2024, but the opening has been pushed back to the summer of 2025. Disney has announced that this new date is still on track with the show projected to open by the start of summer in 2025.

We now expect that the show will launch alongside the new nighttime parade coming next summer as part of the summer Disney World kickoff.

New Little Mermaid Show Details

The show will feature favorite songs from the movie like “Daughters of Triton,” “Part of Your World” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” as well as a brand new song and scene “Kiss the Girl.” You can see the concept artwork for this scene above! The artwork shows us an idea of the level of detail going into the design and the beautiful visuals and lighting that the audience can look forward to in the show.

The show will get a new look and style focused on storytelling from Ariel’s point of view. They compared Ariel’s grotto to a teenager’s bedroom and how teens use it to showcase their personality. It will still be the same story we love, but now the perspective is shifting to Ariel’s to emphasize her “hopes and dreams.”

Disney is using technology to enhance the show, like digital puppets and regular puppets featured in the song “Under the Sea” while Ariel is performing as a live actress. “We’re using some really cutting-edge tools like motion capture technology, which you may have seen used in blockbuster films,” said James Silson, Show Director. “Basically, we have a live performer in a suit covered in sensors, and the data captured from their performance helps us create a digital animation of the character, which our animators then use to bring them to life on stage.”

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will feature physical and digital elements working together to bring the show to life. “We’re really blending the line between real and digital in ways we’ve never done before to completely fill the stage for these show-stopping scenes,” said James. “You’re going to see these large new physical set pieces we’ve created blend seamlessly with a digital environment in a way that really fills the stage. You’ll see digital puppets transform into real ones right before your eyes. You’ll even see animated characters performing in the same space as real actors. It’s going to feel like magic!”

The show building has sat empty since the parks closed in 2020. Generally this part of the park has been underutilized since far before the show was closed. The Animation Courtyard also sits in this space which offers the Star Wars Launch Bay.

This pad of real estate is prime property for expansion and addition of new offerings at Hollywood Studios. We hope that the return of this show doesn't prevent the further master planning to expand the park in this area.

Generally we are very pleased to see some version of this show return to Hollywood Studios. We continue to love the Finding Nemo show at Animal Kingdom even with the various changes and know that a Little Mermaid offering will be particularly successful also.

The same thought that I have about the Dinoland and “it's Tough to Be a Bug” areas in Animal Kingdom applies here. Let's get these things in overdrive and get them open immediately.

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