Little Mermaid Musical Adventure Stage Show Coming to Disney World in Summer 2025
Walt Disney World has announced that “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” is coming to Hollywood Studios as a newly-reimagined stage show. This post shares the announcement and official details, plus our commentary about the upcoming addition. (Updated January 24, 2025.)
“The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” is a fully reimagined theatrical production. The show is inspired by the Walt Disney Animation Studios classic movie, and will debut in the newly-refreshed theater in Animation Courtyard. The show was originally slated to debut last fall, but now is on track to debut alongside Villains Unfairly Ever After in Summer 2025.
As part of the continued investment in the parks experience, Disney Live Entertainment has been dreaming up innovative ways to bring new life to the beloved story of Ariel’s journey to be part of the human world. When it opens, the show will feature 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.
Although not explicitly stated by Disney, one thing to note is that “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” is expected to debut around the same time that MuppetVision 3D and Muppet Courtyard closes on the other side of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
It’s likely that the two new stage shows will pick up the slack and capacity of losing MuppetVision, especially at a time when Walt Disney World attendance has been softening. In any case, expect “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” to debut sometime around June 7, 2025. Our best guess is that it opens before then, but this is purely speculative.
Turning back to “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure,” here’s what else we know…
“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. According to Walt Disney World, that’s “an all-new addition that captures the magic of this fresh production.”
That’s not all that’s new in “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.” The reimagined show features all-new physical sets, cast of puppets, live performers, and stunning visuals. In fact, Walt Disney World is treating it as an brand-new show because so much has changed as compared to its predecessor, Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
“We thought about what Ariel’s room may look like and came up with this collage style that you’ll see woven throughout the production,” said Sarah Schmidt, Creative Concept Artist & Illustrator for Disney Live Entertainment. “This new look really informed every design decision – from scenic, to the puppets, even the custom digital content being created for the show.”
To pull off this artful blend of practical and projected scenic design, of real and digital puppetry, the Disney Live Entertainment team is pairing some tried and true methods (the blacklight puppets are back!) with state-of-the-art technology.
“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.”
This cutting-edge digital imagery will be used throughout the show to accent what is happening on stage, bringing to life characters like King Triton, Ursula, and even Ariel’s sisters, who kick the production off with an all-new “Daughters of Triton” number.
“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!”
Here’s more concept art released by Walt Disney World:
As suggested above, this is a reimagining of Voyage of the Little Mermaid. “Kiss the Girl” and “Daughters of Triton” are all-new additions, but other songs will be ported over from Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
There have been rumors about the fate of Voyage of the Little Mermaid since Summer 2020. If I recall correctly, rumblings at the time indicated that the theater had been gutted and the stage show permanently retired.
Even then, it was unclear what “gutted” meant–the seats were in pretty rough shape, and other shows (MuppetVision being a prime example) have seen a lot of updates over the last couple of years. Had those occurred all at once during the closure, one might’ve dubbed that “gutted” and erroneously concluded it was being permanently retired.
It wasn’t (and isn’t) the least bit surprising that Voyage of the Little Mermaid would end its lengthy run–the show is literally old enough to buy a round of drinks from BaseLine Tap House. It had been showing its age for years with circa-1992 cutting edge effects consisting of lasers and other outdated lighting.
Like a few shows in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Voyage of the Little Mermaid was/is overdue for an update or outright replacement. Personally, I liked its blast-from-the-past vibe and comforting 1990s quality–but I nevertheless realize that the show needed to be overhauled or outright replaced. This is very much good news from that perspective–I’m not lamenting the change.
Following those rumors, Walt Disney World refreshed the exterior of the building and kept up the marquee. Subsequent reports suggested that the Voyage of the Little Mermaid might live on–with a replacement show in the spirit of the original arriving “soon.”
I started hearing these rumors in either late 2021 or early 2022 (it’s been long enough that my memory isn’t 100% accurate). Honestly, I assumed the idea had been abandoned because it had been so long.
I guess not. On the one hand, I’m always happy to see more normalcy restored at Walt Disney World. And this is more than just that–it’s a stage show that has been overdue for an update for at least a decade getting a proper reimagining. Similarly, it’s great to see Disney Live Entertainment get some love (and budget).
The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure is also much-needed ’round out the day’ capacity at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which should help offset the park’s top-heavy ride roster. So all of that is great news. I don’t want to diminish any of that.
But (of course there’s a but…) it’s also a little difficult to get excited about this given the surrounding circumstances. First of all, because even with a replacement for Voyage of the Little Mermaid, the Citizens of Hollywood and Jedi Training Academy are still MIA. Not to mention an actual fireworks show at DHS.
These may seem like minor things, but Disney’s Hollywood Studios has the highest wait times (on average) of any park at Walt Disney World. The park really needs more to offer that doesn’t involve 60+ minute standby waits or Lightning Lanes. (See Walt Disney World Could Fix the Guest Experience by Improving These Things.) The only quick fix for these issues is entertainment.
Honestly, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage, and Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular all should’ve been refreshed in early 2019 before the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. That was the time to do all of this, when the park was gearing up for a massive attendance increase and would badly need added capacity. Walt Disney World didn’t do that; they were more preoccupied with cutting entertainment costs instead.
The next best time to do this would’ve been Summer 2020 when there was another (albeit unanticipated) lull and Walt Disney World would’ve had an opportunity to make changes without taking away needed capacity from Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
But I guess you could argue that there was too much uncertainty and construction was difficult due to the dynamic. (It didn’t stop other projects around Central Florida, including at Universal–but let’s just pretend Disney is, somehow, different and couldn’t possibly have built during the downtime.)
The next best time to do this would’ve been sometime in 2021 or 2022. By that point, things were going back to normal and pent-up demand was arriving in full force. Even though the capacity was very much needed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the project could still have moved forward since Voyage of the Little Mermaid wasn’t being shown, anyway. The capacity had already been lost; it was a nonfactor.
Instead, we’re getting an announcement now for The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure. A reimagined version of an existing show that’s been ‘temporarily unavailable’ for nearly 4 years…coming almost another year from now. Maybe I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed–or maybe it’s the contrast of this news with what Universal is doing–but it’s really difficult for me to get excited about Walt Disney World belatedly doing what they should’ve done years ago, and taking forever in the process.
I would’ve expected something more. That entire corner of the park is well past its prime, with Star Wars Launch Bay being a sad shell of its former self. Moving those meet & greets to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (some kind of ‘portal’ or some story nonsense if necessary to sidestep timeline issues) and transforming that space into the long-rumored blank slate dark ride–or literally anything else–would be welcome.
Again, Disney’s Hollywood Studios needs a lot more to do, and this is a very underutilized corner of the park. Supposedly, Josh D’Amaro and Bob Iger want to redevelop areas like this to improve capacity! (For whatever it’s worth, we believe them. As discussed in Why a 5th Theme Park Will NOT Be Built at Disney World in the Next Decade, this is the more efficient approach.)
I’m sure The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will be a fun stage show that we’ll really enjoy. I’m already looking forward to taking Megatron to it! So I’m not trying to be a debbie downer or negative nelly or whatever.
I’m just a bit frustrated by Walt Disney World’s lackadaisical approach over the last several years. It seems like the only things done with a sense of urgency are upcharges, cutbacks, and Disney Vacation Club construction. For everything else, there’s the implicit expectation that we, as fans, should simply be appreciative about whatever Walt Disney World–an expensive vacation destination–chooses to give us.
Honestly, it also bothers me that there was plenty of budget to develop two new stage shows for Disney Jollywood Nights, the hard ticket Christmas party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but not bring back or refresh entertainment for regular day guests.
It’s no secret to anyone in park management that DHS wait times are high. That people leave the park early out of frustration. That more balance is needed in the attraction and entertainment lineup. And yet, they chose to allocate resources to that as opposed to expediting The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure (and more).
To be crystal clear, this is not a knock at the creatives or team at Disney Live Entertainment working on The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure or Disney Jollywood Nights. Even though I didn’t love the event as a whole, those Christmas stage shows were not the reason why–they were absolutely fantastic (and I really hope they live on, one way or another). It’s not the fault of creatives that one thing gets budget and another doesn’t. They’re playing the cards they’ve been dealt.
Let’s hope that next year and in 2025, they start being dealt better cards, because it’s not just the exhaustion of pent-up demand that’s going to be a problem for Walt Disney World. There might be plenty of people who defend everything Disney does, but there are also a lot of longtime fans starting to get frustrated. And, as we discussed in Is Universal “Beating” Walt Disney World?, the opening of Epic Universe is right around the corner.
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Your Thoughts
What’s your reaction to The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure? Are you simply excited at the prospect of a newly-reimagined stage show and something else to do at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Or is your reaction more mixed, with frustration that it’s taking so long to accomplish so little? Think we’re being too harsh or perfectly fair? Do you agree or disagree with our take? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Kind of sickened how the hard ticket event drove a good stage show and yet HWS during normal operating hours is in desperate need of distractions, stage shows and more non E ticket rides to keep people occupied between 60 min plus waits. Why are they neglecting this park? Did they sell the farm on Star Wars?
Fall 2024 to Summer 2025 is a major delay for a stage show; whether you want to consider this “refreshed” or “all new” I see no reason why it should be taking this long. I was excited for the future after D23 but it seems like we are already back to extremely protracted project timelines.
Someone gave me a heads up a couple of months ago that there were delays with the production. I still don’t get why this has taken so long, or why Walt Disney World didn’t share this update prior to today. Based on the original timeline, it should’ve already been open.
Honestly, I wish the “news” would’ve been that they were putting this in the Mickey Shorts Theater instead. Even if it meant a scaled back production (and it would’ve), that would’ve explained the delay, and paved the way for something bigger and better in Animation Courtyard.
FWIW – Everything after October 1 is a new ‘era’ for Walt Disney World project timelines. From what I’ve been told, funding is much better for the upcoming projects than the past ones.
I’m really excited to have another show at DHS and I hope this show is on par with Finding Nemo at Animal Kingdom — that’s our favorite stage show by far. But I’m with all of you on wanting a Star Wars interactive experience back. It doesn’t make any sense to build out Batuu and not have a show. Plus, Jedi Training Academy is particularly well suited to the Disney College Program: it doesn’t have to be a complicated show, but the payoff for the guests is huge.
Finally! This was a family favorite and has been sorely missed since the shutdown. I hated to even walk past the theater.
Obviously, Disney Parks still needs to do more in order to counter the high wait times and keep pace with Universal. I wish they would stop building new resorts and focus more on the parks that have to handle all those guests!
Hopefully, it won’t take them two years to open it, and we’ll continue to see more positive announcements like this.
Tom, you are my favorite blogger and I’ve read you for years but lately your site has been as frustrating as Disney! Typically, I am kicked out of your articles eight times while reading. I have a new iPad and great Wi-Fi. Please help I would pay for an ad free experience. I actually got kicked out trying to write this!
Totally understand the frustration. We just reduced the ad density late last week and I’ve put in another request today–you’re not the only one who has complained. Previously, the ad provider said it was an issue with iOS memory thresholds changing; I’m not sure whether that’s just an excuse, but I have noticed a couple other sites I read are having the same problem. Regardless, I know this issue exists, am actively monitoring it, and working on changes to balance the reader experience with revenue.
Sorry about the issues!
I’m super disappointed. There already is a Little Mermaid ride. The songs and stuff are frequently a part of the nighttime package shows. How many times can we inundated with same property? In the thirty years since the Little Mermaid, they still haven’t thought of anything other property they could try to make a show about?
I’ve been looking forward to a Voyage of the Little Mermaid production incorporating the technological advancements that were seen just two and a half years later in the Magic Kingdom’s Legend of the Lion King. Since the latter show opened in mid-1994 and closed in 2002, I share Tom’s excitement *and* frustration since I’ve been waiting almost two decades.
I know they said it is the classic version, but I really hope they still include the Scuttlebutt song from the new movie. Hahahah just kidding
So, it will have taken them almost 5 years to build something that was already there. Wow.
I am so excited this show is coming back! I have never seen it in person but have watched the YouTube videos. We just got back from six nights at Wilderness Lodge, which was so much fun to stay at during the Christmas season. My favorite is the Halloween party, though, and we already have booked for October 2024. Hope this show is performing at that point!
Yeah I guess my primary disappointment here is that they’re not announcing a big new awesome thing for Animation Courtyard as a whole.
Jedi Training is so badly needed! My now 8 year old son never had a chance to experience this and it makes me so sad! Would love to have it back as it was also so fun to watch- even without your own kid participating! Hopefully one day Megatron and my son will get to do it!
You don’t count “The Wonderful World of Animation” as a fireworks show?
No. Like ‘Once Upon a Time’ at Magic Kingdom, it is/was a projection show intended to supplement the main fireworks show, not replace it.
The main fireworks show at DHS was/is Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular.
Happy to hear the news but absolutely love this paragraph you wrote….”I’m just a bit frustrated by Walt Disney World’s lackadaisical approach over the last several years. It seems like the only things done with a sense of urgency are upcharges, cutbacks, and Disney Vacation Club construction. For everything else, there’s the implicit expectation that we, as fans, should simply be appreciative about whatever Walt Disney World–an expensive vacation destination–chooses to give us.” You said it perfectly Tom!
As usual you’re being very fair.
Glad to hear the announcement.
Frustrated? Not anymore. Disappointed? It’s become par for Disney.
When they shut down Voyage they should have already had plans for what was coming next. Three, four, five years of wasted empty space is absurd. The true sign of a bloated clueless chaotic corporation.
Agree with you. It’s never been about imagineers, it’s corporate dilly dallying and making long time fans feel unappreciated. Watching the 2 seasons of imagineers showed us that these talented people go above and beyond to make things happen when they are charged with a task. From doing whatever it took in the early days to bring Walt’s visions to life to the modern day amazing attractions at parks around the world, we know it can be done. Honestly after watching those shows and seeing the amazing pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Shanghai, I truly feel that those of us who only want to go to Orlando are being made to feel like sit down, shut up and be happy with what we have to offer! But we go, remember the old magic and try to create new memories with our granddaughter while we still can.
Agree 100%! I’ve been patiently waiting for it to come back for years-glad it finally is. They definitely need to speed up many projects and add something to combat the long wait times at DHS. It will be interesting to see what happens when Epic Universe opens.