Opened: January 7, 1992.
Location:
Just inside Animation Courtyard on the left side.
Extra Magic Hours: Evening.
Show Length: 15 minutes.
Type: Live musical theater show.
Similar To: Finding Nemo – The Musical.
Requirements: None.
Scary Factor: Medium for young kids. Low for everyone else.
Ursula, the wicked octopus, makes an appearance that may frighten young children. She is 12 feet tall, 10 feet wide, and accompanied by loud effects and darkness. You might want to prepare youngsters by reminding them that she can’t leave the stage.
What to Expect: Voyage of the Little Mermaid is a musical that features a mixture of puppets, animatronics, and live actors to tell the story of the Little Mermaid.
You may feel a light spray of water before the show starts to add to the atmosphere and special effects are used liberally throughout.
The actors sing many of the movie’s most popular songs and portions of the film are shown to move the story along quickly.
Where to Sit: Like most Disney shows, you’ll be told to head to the end of a row.
Let about half of a row enter before you enter so you’ll find yourself in the middle of the row. Seats at least a third of the way away from the stage provide the best view.
FastPass+: Yes, moderate Tier 2 priority. Your return window will be just 15 minutes long starting 20 minutes before a specific showtime and ending 5 minutes before, or 4:05pm to 4:20pm for a 4:25pm show. There is no reserved section for FastPass+ viewers, but using FP+ here guarantees a seat at the show of your choice, which can reduce your wait in line from 30ish minutes to just a handful.
Total Average Experience Time with FastPass+: Assuming you arrive 15 minutes before showtime, about 30 minutes.
4th FastPass+ Availability:
Expect to Wait: There are typically two to three shows scheduled per hour with the first show usually scheduled at 9:30am. For shows before noon, your wait should just be as long as it takes for the next show to start, which could be anywhere from 2 to 30 minutes. When crowds are heavier, waits for the afternoon shows can be as long as 45 minutes.
When To Go: Between 10am-11:30am, after 6pm, or with FastPass+. Most people will have higher ride or character priorities in the morning, but Voyage of the Little Mermaid does usually see appreciable afternoon waits. Hold off until the evening if you can’t see a show before noon.
Exit: You’ll exit out the other side of the theater near where you entered. Quick and orderly.
Rating: 7/10
Commentary: Fans of musicals and The Little Mermaid will enjoy this show more than people who don’t like either. The attraction is well done and the effects are top-notch, but there aren’t any “wow” moments like with other theater shows, other than possibly Ursula’s entrance. The only potential problem for younger kids is the emergence of said octopus, which some parents and children aren’t expecting to be quite as scary as she turns out to be. Still, this is a nice, relaxing, air-conditioned break from the sun that most visitors will enjoy. Just don’t expect to be talking about it tomorrow.
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