Upgraded ‘Little Mermaid’ show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is puppet-filled, post-covid jubilee | Review
“The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” is now open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, replacing the pre-pandemic “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” show with updated technology.
The new version, which opened May 27, 2025, at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Fla., isn’t just a few tweaks of its predecessor; it’s an entirely new production. Yes, it’s still “The Little Mermaid” (and still follows the 1989 animated version of the tale rather than the 2023 live-action version), but the creative team completely started over with the script, sets, costumes, and special effects.
Casual visitors to Hollywood Studios who vaguely remember the former “Little Mermaid” show may not spot the differences, but frequent audience members likely will. Others still may not be able to tell exactly what’s different, but will feel the changes nonetheless. Phrased another way, this might not seem like a new attraction, but the previous version most certainly felt like an old attraction. This is a tech-savvy “Mermaid” show, not the kitschy, lasers-infused ’90s fever dream it replaced.
Stunning puppetry in Hollywood Studios’ new ‘Little Mermaid’ show
Particularly praiseworthy is the show’s use of puppetry. As with “Voyage of the Little Mermaid,” the new “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” makes use of blacklight puppetry. A cast of puppeteers dressed from head to toe in black wardrobe (including head coverings) populate the stage invisible to the audience, puppeteering vibrantly colored characters with the freedom to roam about the stage rather than stay put behind a wall, as most puppeteers usually need to do.
For all of the live entertainment at Walt Disney World, surprisingly few productions infuse puppetry as such an integral part of the pageantry as Hollywood Studios’ “Little Mermaid” show. If you’re interested in puppetry, it might be worth sitting closer to the front. You may be able to glimpse how some of the magic works better from a closer vantage point.
New for this version, Ariel’s tail is a puppet itself. Previously, Ariel just sat on a rock for the entirety of the show. Now, while still a live performer, she swims around the proscenium’s space thanks to some clever blacklight puppetry and, assumedly, some sort of invisible rig.
New CGI animation
If there is one effect that could have perhaps been retired with the upgrade, it’s the interaction between live actors and animated characters. Ariel and others on stage occasionally speak with computer-generated versions of King Triton and his daughters on a screen. While visually crisp, the animation movement is a bit stiff for 2025 standards and may date this version of the show quickly.
‘Little Mermaid’ is Disney World’s final pre-covid mainstay to return
“The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” is symbolic in more ways than one. Its vibrant colors and celebratory tone evoke a feeling of triumph, as they should — this is one of the last Disney World attractions that closed with the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 to finally reopen. To be clear, a handful of other entertainment throughout Disney World swiftly disappeared around the time of the pandemic closures with no signs of reopening (namely streetmosphere, such as Hollywood Studios’ Citizens of Hollywood and Magic Kingdom’s trolley show). In terms of formal, marquee, it’s-on-the-park-map “attractions,” though, the “Little Mermaid” production may be the last of the pre-covid mainstays to return post-pandemic.
Touring tips for ‘The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure’
There are no posted showtimes for “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.” Instead, the show performs continuously throughout the day with a posted wait time. On opening day, we began with a wait time of 80 minutes as the line spilled out of its formal queue and into the nearby promenade. The wait ended up being closer to 30 minutes.
Due to the nature of the show’s operations, expect to stand in one spot in line for about 20 minutes (or the cycle of a full show) and then move up to your next position in line.
“The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” may close earlier than the rest of Hollywood Studios; consult the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit for the show’s operating hours.
“The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” performs in an indoor venue in the area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios known as Animation Courtyard, next to Star Wars Launch Bay.
Full video of Hollywood Studios’ ‘Little Mermaid’ show
Enjoy “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” from home with our video of the full show, recorded during a media preview performance on May 26, 2025:
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