Walt Disney Global has introduced that “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey” is coming to Hollywood Studios in Fall 2024 as a newly-reimagined degree display. This put up stocks the announcement and reliable main points, plus our remark concerning the upcoming addition. (Up to date June 10, 2024.)
Let’s get started with the announcement from Walt Disney Global. “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey” is a completely reimagined theatrical manufacturing. The display is encouraged through the Walt Disney Animation Studios vintage film, and can debut within the newly-refreshed theater in Animation Courtyard in Fall 2024.
As a part of the continuing funding within the parks revel in, Disney Are living Leisure has been dreaming up cutting edge tactics to carry new lifestyles to the liked tale of Ariel’s adventure to be a part of the human global. When it opens, the display will characteristic shocking new set items, state of the art results, and a daring new design that captures Ariel’s creativeness and feelings via her distinctive view of the arena round her.
“The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey” could have visitors flipping their fins to musical numbers impressed through the movie together with “A part of Your Global,” “Deficient Unlucky Souls,” and extra. The above idea art work presentations the “Kiss the Lady” scene in “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey.” In keeping with Walt Disney Global, that’s “an all-new addition that captures the magic of this recent manufacturing.”
That’s no longer all that’s new in “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey.” The reimagined display options all-new bodily units, solid of puppets, are living performers, and shocking visuals. In truth, Walt Disney Global is treating it as an brand-new display as a result of such a lot has modified as in comparison to its predecessor, Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
“We thought of what Ariel’s room might appear to be and got here up with this collage taste that you simply’ll see woven all the way through the manufacturing,” stated Sarah Schmidt, Inventive Idea Artist & Illustrator for Disney Are living Leisure. “This new glance in point of fact knowledgeable each and every design choice – from scenic, to the puppets, even the customized virtual content material being created for the display.”
To drag off this suave mix of sensible and projected scenic design, of actual and virtual puppetry, the Disney Are living Leisure workforce is pairing some attempted and true strategies (the blacklight puppets are again!) with cutting-edge generation.
“We’re the use of some in point of fact state of the art gear like movement seize generation, which you might have observed utilized in blockbuster movies,” stated James Silson, Display Director. “Mainly, we now have a are living performer in a swimsuit lined in sensors, and the knowledge captured from their efficiency is helping us create a virtual animation of the nature, which our animators then use to carry them to lifestyles on degree.”
This state of the art virtual imagery can be used all the way through the display to accessory what is occurring on degree, bringing to lifestyles characters like King Triton, Ursula, or even Ariel’s sisters, who kick the manufacturing off with an all-new “Daughters of Triton” quantity.
Previous this 12 months, Walt Disney Global posted a few audition notices for The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey on Disney Careers. Submissions have been accredited via February 19 and in-person callbacks took place in March and April in Orlando, New York, and Atlanta.
The primary casting name was once searching for performers to play Ariel and Prince Eric. The attention signifies that Ariel is a making a song function, in search of a lyrical pop soprano with belt to C, while Eric is a non-singing function. The opposite casting name sought puppeteers for each The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey and Competition of the Lion King.
Whilst those audition notices didn’t proportion a gap time-frame, given the common turnaround time between casting and opening, we’d be expecting The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey to debut very early in its previously-announced Fall 2024 time-frame.
Previous precedent means that the display may just open nearer to past due summer season in response to the ones casting calls. On the other hand, for the reason that within the June 2024 replace, Walt Disney Global didn’t supply a gap date or timeline, in all probability no longer. So at this level, we’re no longer in point of fact certain what to anticipate. This isn’t a significant addition, so a strategic opening date isn’t in point of fact important.
The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey may just debut anytime between August and December 2024 and it in point of fact wouldn’t come as a lot of a marvel. We’re vulnerable to consider it’ll open previous in that time-frame…however who is aware of.
As urged above, this can be a reimagining of Voyage of the Little Mermaid. “Kiss the Lady” and “Daughters of Triton” are all-new additions, however different songs can be ported over from Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
There were rumors concerning the destiny of Voyage of the Little Mermaid since Summer season 2020. If I recall as it should be, rumblings on the time indicated that the theater have been gutted and the degree display completely retired. Even then, it was once unclear what “gutted” supposed–the seats have been in lovely tough form, and different presentations (MuppetVision being a primary instance) have observed a large number of updates during the last couple of years. Had the ones passed off suddenly all the way through the closure, one may’ve dubbed that “gutted” and erroneously concluded it was once being completely retired.
It wasn’t (and isn’t) in the slightest degree unexpected that Voyage of the Little Mermaid would finish its long run–the display is actually sufficiently old to shop for a spherical of beverages from BaseLine Faucet Area. It have been appearing its age for years with circa-1992 innovative results consisting of lasers and different old-fashioned lighting fixtures.
Like a couple of presentations in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Voyage of the Little Mermaid was once/is late for an replace or outright substitute. For my part, I favored its blast-from-the-past vibe and comforting Nineteen Nineties high quality–however I nonetheless notice that the display had to be overhauled or outright changed. That is very a lot just right information from that standpoint–I’m no longer lamenting the trade.
Following the ones rumors, Walt Disney Global refreshed the outside of the construction and saved up the marquee. Next stories urged that the Voyage of the Little Mermaid may survive–with a substitute display within the spirit of the unique arriving “quickly.”
I began listening to those rumors in both past due 2021 or early 2022 (it’s been lengthy sufficient that my reminiscence isn’t 100% correct). In truth, I thought the theory have been deserted as it have been see you later.
I suppose no longer. At the one hand, I’m at all times glad to peer extra normalcy restored at Walt Disney Global. And that is extra than simply that–it’s a degree display that has been late for an replace for a minimum of a decade getting a correct reimagining. In a similar fashion, it’s nice to peer Disney Are living Leisure get some love (and price range).
The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey may be much-needed ’spherical out the day’ capability at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which must lend a hand offset the park’s top-heavy journey roster. So all of this is nice information. I don’t need to diminish any of that.
However (after all there’s a however…) it’s additionally a bit of tricky to get interested by this given the encircling cases. Initially, as a result of even with a substitute for Voyage of the Little Mermaid, the Electorate of Hollywood and Jedi Coaching Academy are nonetheless MIA. To not point out a real fireworks display at DHS.
Those might appear to be minor issues, however Disney’s Hollywood Studios has the best possible wait occasions (on moderate) of any park at Walt Disney Global. The park in point of fact wishes extra to supply that doesn’t contain 60+ minute standby waits or Lightning Lanes. (See Walt Disney Global May just Repair the Visitor Revel in through Bettering Those Issues.) The one fast repair for those problems is leisure.
In truth, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Attractiveness and the Beast – Live to tell the tale Level, and Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Impressive all must’ve been refreshed in early 2019 earlier than the outlet of Celebrity Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. That was once the time to do all of this, when the park was once gearing up for an enormous attendance build up and would badly want added capability. Walt Disney Global didn’t do this; they have been extra preoccupied with slicing leisure prices as an alternative.
The following best possible time to do that would’ve been Summer season 2020 when there was once some other (albeit unanticipated) lull and Walt Disney Global would’ve had a possibility to make adjustments with out putting off obligatory capability from Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
However I suppose it’s good to argue that there was once an excessive amount of uncertainty and development was once tricky because of the dynamic. (It didn’t prevent different tasks round Central Florida, together with at Common–however let’s simply fake Disney is, in some way, other and couldn’t in all probability have constructed all the way through the downtime.)
The following best possible time to do that would’ve been someday in 2021 or 2022. Via that time, issues have been going again to standard and pent-up call for was once arriving in complete power. Although the capability was once very a lot obligatory at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the mission may just nonetheless have moved ahead since Voyage of the Little Mermaid wasn’t being proven, anyway. The capability had already been misplaced; it was once a nonfactor.
As a substitute, we’re getting a press release now for The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey coming in Fall 2024. A reimagined model of an current display that’s been ‘briefly unavailable’ for almost 4 years…coming nearly some other 12 months from now. Perhaps I simply aroused from sleep at the fallacious facet of the mattress–or possibly it’s the distinction of this information with what Common is doing–but it surely’s in point of fact tricky for me to get interested by Walt Disney Global belatedly doing what they must’ve carried out years in the past, and taking eternally within the procedure.
For 2024, I’d’ve anticipated one thing extra. That complete nook of the park is way past its top, with Celebrity Wars Release Bay being a tragic shell of its former self. Transferring the ones meet & greets to Celebrity Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (some more or less ‘portal’ or some tale nonsense if important to sidestep timeline problems) and reworking that area into the long-rumored clean slate darkish journey–or actually anything–could be welcome.
Once more, Disney’s Hollywood Studios wishes much more to do, and this can be a very underutilized nook of the park. Supposedly, Josh D’Amaro and Bob Iger need to redevelop spaces like this to enhance capability! (For no matter it’s value, we consider them. As mentioned in Why a fifth Theme Park Will NOT Be Constructed at Disney Global within the Subsequent Decade, that is the extra environment friendly means.)
I’m certain The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey can be a a laugh degree display that we’ll in point of fact revel in. I’m already taking a look ahead to taking Megatron to it! So I’m no longer seeking to be a debbie downer or detrimental nelly or no matter.
I’m just a little pissed off through Walt Disney Global’s lackadaisical means during the last a number of years. It kind of feels like the one issues carried out with a way of urgency are upcharges, cutbacks, and Disney Holiday Membership development. For the whole thing else, there’s the implicit expectation that we, as fanatics, must merely be appreciative about no matter Walt Disney Global–a dear holiday vacation spot–chooses to present us.
In truth, it additionally bothers me that there was once quite a lot of price range to increase two new degree presentations for Disney Jollywood Nights, the onerous price tag Christmas birthday party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, however no longer carry again or refresh leisure for normal day visitors.
It’s no secret to somebody in park control that DHS wait occasions are top. That individuals depart the park early out of frustration. That extra steadiness is wanted within the appeal and leisure lineup. And but, they selected to allocate assets to that versus expediting The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey (and extra).
To be crystal transparent, this isn’t a knock on the creatives or workforce at Disney Are living Leisure running on The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey or Disney Jollywood Nights. Although I didn’t love the development as an entire, the ones Christmas degree presentations weren’t the explanation why–they have been completely unbelievable (and I in point of fact hope they survive, a method or some other). It’s no longer the fault of creatives that something will get price range and some other doesn’t. They’re taking part in the playing cards they’ve been dealt.
Let’s hope that subsequent 12 months and in 2025, they begin being dealt higher playing cards, as it’s no longer simply the exhaustion of pent-up call for that’s going to be an issue for Walt Disney Global. There could be quite a lot of individuals who protect the whole thing Disney does, however there also are a large number of longtime fanatics beginning to get pissed off. And, as we mentioned in Is Common “Beating” Walt Disney Global?, the outlet of Epic Universe is true across the nook.
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Your Ideas
What’s your response to The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey? Are you merely excited on the prospect of a newly-reimagined degree display and one thing else to do at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Or is your response extra combined, with frustration that it’s taking see you later to perform so little? Suppose we’re being too harsh or completely truthful? Do you compromise or disagree with our take? Any questions we will be able to permit you to solution? Listening to your comments—even whilst you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas underneath within the feedback!
