Bit of a longer post this week, but if you know me, you know that The Little Mermaid has always been one of my absolute favorite Disney movies. Tiny Me was the target audience for its original release, and whatever the online discourse about it, I have continued to love it.
Is it a perfect movie? No, and I'd be the first to admit that. But I fear it has a chokehold on me that will never let up.
Luckily, there's always been a lot of Little Mermaid representation in the parks:
- at the Art of Animation hotel, the standard rooms have Little Mermaid theming
- you can meet Ariel at various character dining throughout the parks -- including Akershus in the Norway pavilion at Epcot, Cinderella Royal's Table in Magic Kingdom, and formerly at Trattoria al Forno at the Boardwalk
- at Magic Kingdom, you can meet Ariel in her grotto and go 'under the sea' on the Journey of the Little Mermaid ride (also at Disneyland)
- and at Hollywood Studios you can meet 2023 Ariel at Walt Disney Presents and see the Voyage of the Little Mermaid musical experience
Opened in 1992 at MGM-Studios park, The Voyage of the Little Mermaid closed with the rest of Disney World in March of 2020 due to Covid. Over the next few years, there were reports of mold infestations and rumors that the show would be going away completely. Then, around the time of the live-action release in 2023, Disney announced that they were bringing back a refreshed version of the show -- and I have been counting down the days until I had a chance to go and see it.
Luckily, I had that opportunity this summer -- and I kid you not, I saw this show 3 times in one afternoon. Was it because this offered an air-conditioned respite from the Florida heat & humidity? Maybe.
But did I also love it? Yes.
