Disney World pushes new 'Little Mermaid' show to 2025

October 14, 2024, 4:31 PM · The Walt Disney World Resort's new "The Little Mermaid" musical will not open this year, as originally announced.

Last year, Disney announced that it would reboot the stage show at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The previous show, "Voyage of the Little Mermaid," never reopened after the pandemic lockdown. In its place, Disney announced last year that it would stage a new production, "The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure," in the Animation Courtyard theater to debut this fall.

In an update today, Walt Disney World announced that the show's premiere would be pushed back to summer 2025. The resort said that work will begin soon on the exterior of the building, including the installation of a new marquee.

Disney teased the new show during its global press event last June for the opening of Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Producers shared that the new show would offer practical sets and puppetry along with digital effects, including projection mapping and "digital puppetry" created with motion-capture technology.

Refurbs and closings coming

In addition to The Little Mermaid news, Walt Disney World also confirmed today that the TriceraTop Spin ride and other areas of Dinoland USA will close January 13 at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Disney is retheming that land to Tropical Americas, including a new Indiana Jones storyline for the current Dinosaur ride, which will remain open for now. Tropical Americas is expected to open in 2027.

At the Magic Kingdom, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will go down for the rest of the year, starting January 6. The park's Frontierland also is set to undergo a major transformation, as Tom Swayer Island and the Rivers of America will close at an undisclosed date to make way for two new Cars rides and a pathway to the Villains land that Disney is building behind Big Thunder Mountain. The coaster is set to return in 2026.