Walt Disney International has introduced that “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey” is coming to Hollywood Studios as a newly-reimagined degree display. This publish stocks the announcement and reliable main points, plus our remark in regards to the upcoming addition. (Up to date January 24, 2025.)
“The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey” is an absolutely reimagined theatrical manufacturing. The display is encouraged by means of the Walt Disney Animation Studios vintage film, and can debut within the newly-refreshed theater in Animation Courtyard. The display was once firstly slated to debut ultimate fall, however now could be on course to debut along Villains Unfairly Ever After in Summer time 2025.
As a part of the ongoing funding within the parks revel in, Disney Are living Leisure has been dreaming up leading edge techniques 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 sector round her.
Even if no longer explicitly mentioned by means of Disney, something to notice is that “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey” is anticipated to debut round the similar time that MuppetVision 3-d and Muppet Courtyard closes at the different aspect of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
It’s most probably that the 2 new degree displays will select up the slack and capability of dropping MuppetVision, particularly at a time when Walt Disney International attendance has been softening. In spite of everything, be expecting “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey” to debut someday round June 7, 2025. Our highest bet is that it opens prior to then, however that is purely speculative.
Turning again to “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey,” right here’s what else we all know…
“The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey” may have visitors flipping their fins to musical numbers impressed by means of the movie together with “A part of Your International,” “Deficient Unlucky Souls,” and extra. In line with Walt Disney International, 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, reside performers, and shocking visuals. In reality, Walt Disney International 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 would possibly seem like and got here up with this collage taste that you simply’ll see woven all through the manufacturing,” mentioned Sarah Schmidt, Ingenious Idea Artist & Illustrator for Disney Are living Leisure. “This new glance in reality knowledgeable each design resolution – from scenic, to the puppets, even the customized virtual content material being created for the display.”
To tug off this suave mix of sensible and projected scenic design, of actual and virtual puppetry, the Disney Are living Leisure staff is pairing some attempted and true strategies (the blacklight puppets are again!) with state of the art era.
“We’re the usage of some in reality state-of-the-art gear like movement seize era, which you could have noticed utilized in blockbuster movies,” mentioned James Silson, Display Director. “Mainly, we have now a reside performer in a go well with coated in sensors, and the information 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 shall be used all through the display to accessory what is going on 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.
As advised above, this can be a reimagining of Voyage of the Little Mermaid. “Kiss the Woman” and “Daughters of Triton” are all-new additions, however different songs shall be ported over from Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
There were rumors in regards to the destiny of Voyage of the Little Mermaid since Summer time 2020. If I recall appropriately, 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” intended–the seats had been in beautiful tough form, and different displays (MuppetVision being a primary instance) have noticed a large number of updates during the last couple of years. Had the ones came about unexpectedly all over 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 least sudden 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 leading edge results consisting of lasers and different out of date lighting fixtures.
Like a couple of displays in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Voyage of the Little Mermaid was once/is past due for an replace or outright alternative. In my opinion, I appreciated its blast-from-the-past vibe and comforting Nineteen Nineties high quality–however I however notice that the display had to be overhauled or outright changed. That is very a lot just right information from that viewpoint–I’m no longer lamenting the trade.
Following the ones rumors, Walt Disney International refreshed the outside of the construction and stored up the marquee. Next studies advised that the Voyage of the Little Mermaid may survive–with a alternative display within the spirit of the unique arriving “quickly.”
I began listening to those rumors in both overdue 2021 or early 2022 (it’s been lengthy sufficient that my reminiscence isn’t 100% correct). Truthfully, I believed the speculation have been deserted as it have been goodbye.
I suppose no longer. At the one hand, I’m at all times glad to peer extra normalcy restored at Walt Disney International. And that is extra than simply that–it’s a degree display that has been past due for an replace for a minimum of a decade getting a right kind reimagining. In a similar way, it’s nice to peer Disney Are living Leisure get some love (and finances).
The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey may be much-needed ’spherical out the day’ capability at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which will have to lend a hand offset the park’s top-heavy experience roster. So all of this is nice information. I don’t need to diminish any of that.
However (in fact there’s a however…) it’s additionally just a little tricky to get fascinated about this given the encompassing instances. Initially, as a result of even with a alternative for Voyage of the Little Mermaid, the Voters of Hollywood and Jedi Coaching Academy are nonetheless MIA. To not point out a real fireworks display at DHS.
Those would possibly appear to be minor issues, however Disney’s Hollywood Studios has the best wait instances (on moderate) of any park at Walt Disney International. The park in reality wishes extra to provide that doesn’t contain 60+ minute standby waits or Lightning Lanes. (See Walt Disney International May just Repair the Visitor Revel in by means of Making improvements to Those Issues.) The one fast repair for those problems is leisure.
Truthfully, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Attractiveness and the Beast – Live to tell the tale Level, and Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Impressive all will have to’ve been refreshed in early 2019 prior to the outlet of Big name 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 International didn’t do this; they had been extra preoccupied with slicing leisure prices as an alternative.
The following highest time to do that would’ve been Summer time 2020 when there was once every other (albeit unanticipated) lull and Walt Disney International would’ve had a chance to make adjustments with out disposing of mandatory capability from Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
However I suppose it is advisable argue that there was once an excessive amount of uncertainty and building 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, come what may, other and couldn’t in all probability have constructed all over the downtime.)
The following highest time to do that would’ve been someday in 2021 or 2022. Via that time, issues had been going again to commonplace and pent-up call for was once arriving in complete drive. Despite the fact that the capability was once very a lot mandatory at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the venture may 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 an alternative, we’re getting a press release now for The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey. A reimagined model of an current display that’s been ‘briefly unavailable’ for just about 4 years…coming virtually every other 12 months from now. Possibly I simply aroused from sleep at the unsuitable aspect of the mattress–or perhaps it’s the distinction of this information with what Common is doing–however it’s in reality tricky for me to get fascinated about Walt Disney International belatedly doing what they will have to’ve accomplished years in the past, and taking without end within the procedure.
I’d’ve anticipated one thing extra. That whole nook of the park is well beyond its high, with Big name Wars Release Bay being a tragic shell of its former self. Shifting the ones meet & greets to Big name Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (some more or less ‘portal’ or some tale nonsense if vital to sidestep timeline problems) and reworking that house into the long-rumored clean slate darkish experience–or actually anything–can 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 reinforce capability! (For no matter it’s value, we consider them. As mentioned in Why a fifth Theme Park Will NOT Be Constructed at Disney International within the Subsequent Decade, that is the extra environment friendly way.)
I’m positive The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey shall be a amusing degree display that we’ll in reality experience. 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 annoyed by means of Walt Disney International’s lackadaisical way during the last a number of years. It sort of feels like the one issues accomplished with a way of urgency are upcharges, cutbacks, and Disney Holiday Membership building. For the entirety else, there’s the implicit expectation that we, as enthusiasts, will have to merely be appreciative about no matter Walt Disney International–a dear holiday vacation spot–chooses to provide us.
Truthfully, it additionally bothers me that there was once a lot of finances to broaden two new degree displays for Disney Jollywood Nights, the onerous price ticket Christmas birthday celebration at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, however no longer carry again or refresh leisure for normal day visitors.
It’s no secret to any individual in park control that DHS wait instances are top. That folks depart the park early out of frustration. That extra steadiness is wanted within the enchantment and leisure lineup. And but, they selected to allocate sources 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 staff at Disney Are living Leisure running on The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey or Disney Jollywood Nights. Despite the fact that I didn’t love the development as an entire, the ones Christmas degree displays weren’t the explanation why–they had been completely unbelievable (and I in reality hope they survive, a method or every other). It’s no longer the fault of creatives that something will get finances and every 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 International. There may well be a lot of individuals who protect the entirety Disney does, however there also are a large number of longtime enthusiasts beginning to get annoyed. And, as we mentioned in Is Common “Beating” Walt Disney International?, the outlet of Epic Universe is correct 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 goodbye to perform so little? Suppose we’re being too harsh or completely honest? Do you compromise or disagree with our take? Any questions we will mean you can resolution? Listening to your comments—even while you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas underneath within the feedback!
