Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Voyage of the Little Mermaid was a live show attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Voyage was an abridgment of the 1989 film The Little Mermaid. Along with a mix of live actors and puppets. The show featured effects such as light and laser projections on the auditorium walls and light rain over the audience. Voice actors included Pat Carroll as Ursula,[2] Jess Harnell (initially Samuel E. Wright) as Sebastian, Corey Burton (initially Kenneth Mars) as King Triton, Edan Gross as Flounder, Paddi Edwards as Flotsam and Jetsam, and Frank Welker as Max the Sheepdog.[3] Wright, Carroll, Mars, Edwards, and Welker reprised their roles from the original film. The show replaced the previous attraction, Here Come The Muppets, on January 7, 1992, in the Animation Courtyard Theater.[4]
Voyage of the Little Mermaid | |
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Disney's Hollywood Studios | |
Area | Animation Courtyard |
Coordinates | 28°21′27.04″N 81°33′39.5″W |
Status | Removed |
Opening date | January 7, 1992 |
Closing date | March 15, 2020 |
Replaced | Here Come The Muppets |
Ride statistics | |
Attraction type | Live show |
Designer | Walt Disney Creative Entertainment |
Theme | The Little Mermaid |
Music | Alan Menken |
Duration | 17 minutes[1] |
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On March 15, 2020, Walt Disney World closed due the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] It was reported that signage for the attraction was removed the following September[6] though Disney claimed that this was simply due to refreshing the sign and that the attraction would return the following week.[7] The attraction's puppets were sold the same month, which seemed to confirm the attraction's permanent closure.[8]
Synopsis
The show starts out with a preshow following artifacts including King Triton's trident. Then guests enter a theater where the show begins. Due to the special effects that are involved in the attraction, guests are asked to remain seated during the performance. It starts with Sebastian singing the Oscar-winning song "Under the Sea", featuring various "black light" puppets, then goes into "Part of Your World" after King Triton forbids Ariel from going to the surface, after encountering Flotsam and Jetsam the scene is followed by Ursula singing "Poor Unfortunate Souls". This song is performed by a gigantic puppet, 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide. After Ursula steals Ariel's voice, a montage of the film leading up to the demise of the sea witch is shown. It then goes to the scene where King Triton lets Ariel go with Prince Eric. At the end of the show, a curtain of falling water covers the stage, allowing guests to "return" to the surface. Voyage of the Little Mermaid is located in the Animation Courtyard section.
References
- "Voyage of the Little Mermaid".
- Kondolojy, Amanda. "Remembering Pat Carroll’s legacy at Disney Parks." Aug 02 2022. Web. ProQuest. 28 Apr. 2023.
- "Voyage of the Little Mermaid (1992)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- Abramson, Ben (25 November 2011). "Muppets at Disney's Hollywood Studios". USA Today. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
- Pallotta, Frank (2020-03-13). "Walt Disney World closes, paralyzing the company's tourism empire | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- Allen, Katrina (2020-09-08). "Is Disney Closing Voyage of The Little Mermaid? Photos Point To Yes". Inside the Magic. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- Dufresne, Alessa (2020-09-09). "Disney Confirms 'Little Mermaid' Show Isn't Leaving Hollywood Studios". Inside the Magic. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- Ward, Brittni (2023-01-24). "Mold Infestation Closes Disney World Attraction, Fate Confirmed". Inside the Magic. Retrieved 2023-04-27.