The Little Mermaid is an iconic Disney animated movie, spawning sequels, Disney rides, a live-action remake, merchandise, and of course a Broadway musical. I’m a fan of the stage musical especially, which translates the magic of the movie in a special way to the stage, adding songs that arguably surpass some of the originals!
I was delighted to see Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios taking on the iconic sea creatures in The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure, which opened in May 2025. How does it stack up to the Broadway show, and does it do the original movie justice? Let’s dive in!
This short 20 minute show captures the main story beats of the movie, designed to give you a highlights reel if you will of the most iconic moments. We follow Ariel as she struggles to decide between her life under the sea, and following her true love out on the surface all while trying to defeat the evil Ursula.
Five songs are included in the show, which are “Daughters of Triton”, “Part of Your World”, “Under the Sea”, “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, and “Kiss the Girl”. These were overall really good choices, being arguably the most iconic songs from the movie. However, I would’ve loved more songs beyond “Daughters of Triton” from the Broadway show. “She’s In Love” especially is showstopping and I feel really would’ve gone down well with younger and older audiences alike. I get though they have a limited runtime and iconic songs from the movie to include which adds constraints.
Another differentiating factor from the Broadway show is how A Musical Adventure combines Ariel as the live action cast member with puppets and CGI characters and elements. Eric’s best pal, Max, is in this show! Sebastian worked really well as a puppet feeling authentic, as did Ursula who was a very large and suitably evil presence moving across the stage. The CGI characters were a little less impressive, with Triton’s CGI feeling a little lower budget. This never broke the immersion though, and huge credit to the cast member portraying Ariel, who was believable throughout as she interacted with Flounder’s puppet and CGI version with a lot of heart!
The theatre itself is quite intimate, so bear in mind the show reaches capacity quite quickly and I couldn’t see my intended showing. Fear not though, as with a shorter runtime, I was enjoying life under the sea not 30 minutes later. The stage is surrounded by some nice edge decoration that looks professional, and it really feels like you’re looking through a portal into a magical world rather than on to a stage. Kudos all around to the creative team.
All in all, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure was a fantastic show. While I wouldn’t have minded another song or two from the Broadway adaptation, this musical did a great job of differentiating itself with nicely put together puppetry and effects. This is a different experience to Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After (which we’ve covered before) and adds a lot to the diversity of entertainment on offer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Chris.
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