The Little Mermaid has had different themed shows and attractions over the years at the Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Parks. A favorite ride for Ariel fans is the Journey of the Little Mermaid Ride Disney World has located in New Fantasyland.
Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid Ride Disney World
Under The Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid is a magical ride for guests of all ages to experience this classic “tail” for themselves. This ride is inspired by Ariel’s undersea adventure from the Little Mermaid movie.
This is the only Ariel ride Disney World offers for guests. Let’s dive in to many frequently asked questions about this ride.
Is The Little Mermaid ride in Disney World?
Yes! You can find the Little Mermaid ride Disney World has at the New Fantasyland area behind Cinderella’s Castle. Set beside Ariel’s Grotto you will find Under The Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid.
The area is so beautiful and full of amazing details. It even includes Prince Eric’s Castle in the background.
What type of ride is Journey of the Little Mermaid?
Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid is a slow moving dark ride attraction that is perfect for the whole family. If you are traveling with small children, this ride is an excellent choice because it has no height, health or safety requirements.
The ride vehicles are shaped like clam mobiles, so you feel like you are a part of their world. This enchanting ride is 7 minutes long and perfect on a hot day. It is a great place to rest and cool off in the air-conditioned indoors.
Disney fans of all ages can enjoy this attraction as it hosts all their favorite characters from the movie. The ride system here is a continuous loop, like the Haunted Mansion. This is a reason the ride usually has shorter wait times to get on.
What is the queue like?
If you do decide to do the stand by line you will be happy to know that there is an amazing interactive queue area.
Upon entering the attraction, you will see Prince Eric’s castle and the shipwreck. You will wander through the bottom of the castle and pass a beautiful waterfall and tide pools with pieces of ships.
Inside the grotto is an interactive game with cute crabs on screens. They are scurrying around gathering Arie’s thingamabobs. To play the game you point at the trash items that don’t belong and the crabs will take them away. This is a fun way to pass the time if the line is long.
As you enter inside, you will see a larger than life audio-animatronic of Scuttle where he tells jokes and stories. Scuttle is the narrator of your journey under the sea.
Is there a hidden mickey on the ride?
Yes, there is a very special and creative hidden mickey on this ride! When the Imagineers built the queue and the caverns in the castle they had a unique idea to create a hidden mickey that would only be seen on Mickey’s birthday on November 18th at noon EST!
On this day and time, if it is not cloudy, the sun aligns with the gaps that are in the rock and projects a shadow of Mickey’s head and ears into the queue! This was such a creative and imaginative idea and is really amazing if you get a chance to see it on a sunny day.
What are the scenes in the Little Mermaid Ride?
In this ride you get an amazing view of the world underwater. As you begin the ride in your clamshell, you are transported into the ride backwards as the ride gently descends under the water.
You are not really going under water, but projections of bubbles and beautiful blue lights appear to make it feel like you are really going under the sea.
- The Treasure Trove – You will see Ariel in her treasure trove with her collections of human items.
- Under the Sea – Travel through an amazing and colorful rendition of Under the Sea with all of your favorite characters and sea creatures from the movie.
- Ursula – You will get to see where she meets the evil Ursula, which is an amazing, gigantic animatronic. She then gets her new legs and turns into her human form where she meets Prince Eric.
- Kiss the Girl – In one scene you find Ariel and Prince Eric in a romantic lagoon for the iconic Kiss the Girl song that Sebastian sings.
- Fairytale Ending – Then there is the final scene with King Triton saving Princess Ariel and the “poor unfortunate souls” from Ursula. Celebrate with Prince Eric and Princess Ariel in their happily-ever-after fairytale ending and a wedding!
Can You Use Genie+ Lightning Lane on Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid?
You can skip the standby line and use the Genie+ Lightning Lane on the Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid ride. The line for the ride is normally short, but on crowded or rainy days at Disney, you can skip the line if you have purchased Genie+.
I usually choose to skip using Genie+ here, because the standby queue has never been more than 20 minutes of waiting. The queue is also interactive and very shady, so it makes any wait not seem as daunting.
Is Voyage of The Little Mermaid Open 2024?
Voyage of The Little Mermaid is currently closed. It opened in 1992 in the Animation Courtyard Theater in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Voyage of The Little Mermaid closed at the start of the pandemic.
After Hollywood Studios theme park reopened, the show continued to stay closed. The Walt Disney World Parks said the continued closure was due to the update to a new live show.
One of the most iconic shows, Voyage of The Little Mermaid included live actors, musical numbers, puppets, water features, and laser light projections.
Guests had a chance to see Princess Ariel, Prince Eric, King Triton, and many of Ariel’s undersea friends. Ursula even makes an appearance to sing “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”
It was announced on the Disney Parks Blog that a brand new show will be coming towards the end of 2024. The show will be called Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure and will feature Disney live entertainment, a new set design and brand new puppets and puppeteers!
Parents and kids alike share a love for the classical tale of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. If you are planning a trip to Disney, make sure to check out the Princess Ariel ride, Under The Sea-Journey of The Little Mermaid.
I have to go listen to the soundtrack now. Since writing this, Ursala’s Poor Unfortunate Souls is stuck in my head! That’s the downside sometimes of writing a blog about this great ride. Please don’t ask me to write about It’s a Small World again, I can’t take that song getting stuck in my head!
This fun ride is perfect for all ages and a ride you won’t want to skip on your magical day.
Do you love Disney’s The Little Mermaid? Tell us who your favorite character is from the classic “tail.”
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