Walt Disney World's "Voyage of the Little Mermaid"

This live show can be found at Disney's Hollywood Studios and is one of four parks located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The show is a truncated version of the movie, "The Little Mermaid". It follows the same storyline, only it takes place live and speeds through much of the plot. This live show, more than any of the other live shows at Walt Disney World, may only please a very specific type of visitor, the youngest guests.

As a side note, guest expectations for this show could also be complicated by the fact that Walt Disney has recently created a full live Broadway show out of, "The Little Mermaid" much the same way that they did with, "Beauty and the Beast". So what some people see as footage from the Broadway version of, "The Little Mermaid" show will not be the same experience they will have when they go to see the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Knowing that going in may help a lot of park guests before they see the show not to feel disappointed. That being said, let's move on to talking about the actual show.

As usual, I will tell you about the waiting experience first. I have to say, waiting for this show is fairly unpleasant. Most people think that waiting in lines for rides is the worst, but I honestly think that waiting for shows is the worst. Why? Because it can get extremely claustrophobic waiting in a room full of a crowd that's standing still. At least in a line, you get to move. But honestly, it all depends on whether or not you have kids or just how big of a fan you are of the Little Mermaid animated film to know if the slightly uncomfortable wait will be worth it. Also, I don't want to sound like a snob. I'd rather be waiting in a crowded room for a live Disney show any day of the week than waiting in traffic or in a doctor's office. So it's all a matter of perspective.

As far as the show itself, one of the most unique aspects of the show is the theater in which the show is performed. The theater is designed to appear as though it's underwater. A combination of simple special effects is used quite effectively to make this illusion work. It's a combination of sound, lighting, and even at times gentle mist. Also, kids just go nuts for this! They absolutely, "ooh" and "ah" over it, and it's a truly wonderful feeling to see young kids enjoy the experience who aren't thinking about how they do it.

The show passes by rather quickly, but is filled with a lot of creatively staged versions of musical numbers and scenes from the movie. The highlight of this show is the glow-in-the-dark live hand puppet version of the song, "Under the Sea". The kids will just see the puppets, but as an adult, you'll get a kick out of the way they coordinate this moment between all the puppeteers, lighting and materials. They've found a way to stage something live that should technically be impossible. The show also uses mixed mediums. There are puppets, animatronics, live performances, and animation from the film as well as all of the atmospheric effects I mentioned earlier in the review.

If you are at Walt Disney World on your honeymoon or with other adults, don't feel bad about skipping this show. But if you are a fan of puppets in general, the movie, "The Little Mermaid" in specific, or you have kids, then this is a must-see. The great thing about this show is that you don't really invest too much time in waiting for the show. Unlike some of the larger shows, such as "Fantasmic", this show has a much shorter wait and a much quicker run-time. So if you feel like taking a risk or are curious about the underwater-illusion of the theater, go ahead and take a chance on, "The Voyage of the Little Mermaid".