Attention all "Little Mermaid" Fans: There's a new ride in town with your name on it. It's called "Ariel's Undersea Adventure" and is a colorful, musical extravaganza located in Disney's California Adventure. I was one of the lucky members of the media invited to the grand opening last week, and got to experience it first-hand.
The ride opened with a great deal of fanfare, with a live musical performance by some talented Disney Cast Members and special guests, including composer Alan Menken.
The original voice of Ariel herself, Jodi Benson, was on hand to sing "Part of Your World", and honestly, she doesn't seemed to have aged a bit since the movie opened 22 years ago. Pat Carroll, the original voice of Ursula the Sea Witch was in the audience. Broadway Star Sherie Rene Scott was on hand to sing Ursula's famous number, "Poor Unfortunate Souls" and later joined Jodi for a duet. Sherie portrayed Ursula in the Broadway production, and she is a fantastic singer. It was like a mini-musical highlighting music from both the movie and the ride.
After the confetti-popping opening ceremony, members of the media had a chance to board brightly-hued clamshells and take a trip through Ariel's world, while keeping completely dry. I rode with Colleen from Travel Mamas and Charlene from Trekaroo the following day, because of a little issue involving my cranky 10-year old companion (who shall remain nameless). I'm pretty sure that if my 10 year old son was a 5 year old girl, I never would have gotten off the ride.
The ride reminded me of a cross between the Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World, with the cars on a track, moving through different scenes with animatronic figures singing and dancing to the familiar songs. The colors and lighting were quite beautiful, but I don't think my camera really captured it well. It's a visually stunning attraction, with some new twists. One of the Imagineers responsible for creating the ride later told us that one of the biggest challenges was animating Ariel's hair to flow as though it were in water.
At the end of the ride, there are a few very sweet scenes of Ariel and her prince in a rowboat and getting married, but my favorite was turning the corner into Ursula's lair. Something about Ursula is more fun than sinister, and she has always been a favorite of mine.
Outside, the line to get in was quite long, with about an hour and a half wait time. About 1,000 people per hour were able to enjoy the ride on opening day, and by the evening, the wait was down to about 40 minutes. If you want up-to-the minute ride times, check out the MouseWait app for your phone.
Tips for Enjoying Ariel's Undersea Adventure:
- Watch the movie before you go. There are quite a few hidden gems in this ride, and part of the fun is seeing familiar characters in a new way. Unfortunately, it has been years since I saw the movie, so I think I missed some things along the way.
- Most of the ride is appropriate for kids of all ages, but there is one dark spot with an eel that might frighten toddlers. It goes by quickly, so many kids might not even notice it.
- When you enter the ride, be sure to look up. To me, this was the most magical part of the ride.
Disclosure: Disney Parks & Resorts paid for my airfare and accommodations to attend this event. I did not receive any compensation for writing this review, or payment in exchange for posting. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the opinions or policies of the Walt Disney Corporation.
All photos are Copyright Glennia Campbell 201l. All Rights Reserved. For more photos of the event, check out my Flickr pages.
