Disney has replaced the background of the “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” marquee at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, indicating the marquee will stay the same for the new show, “The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure.”
The Little Mermaid Marquee
“The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure” will be in the same theater in Animation Courtyard as the former “Voyage of the Little Mermaid.” The old show’s sign has yet to be removed from the theater’s marquee, but the scrim backdrop above the sign is new. The backdrop depicts the ocean with seaweed and bubbles. For comparison, below is the marquee as it looked just a few weeks ago.
The scrim was extremely faded. The right side had almost completely turned white.
The new backdrop has approximately the same design as the old one, although we don’t see the old hidden Mickey bubbles. The Ariel and Flounder sculptures, and the cutouts of Ursula and Triton, remain the same.
“Voyage of the Little Mermaid” never reopened after Walt Disney World closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In late 2023, Disney announced the replacement show and said the theater would be refreshed. Disney originally announced the show would open in the fall of 2024 but it was delayed to 2025.
Disney first held auditions for Ariel, Eric, and puppeteers in February 2024. They recently posted a new casting call for Ariel and Eric. The show will use all new puppets, which Disney previewed in June. It will also use digital imagery and motion capture to depict King Triton, Ursula, and Ariel’s sisters. The latter group will perform “Daughters of Triton,” which wasn’t part of the previous show. Ursula will also appear live on stage.
The “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” billboard on the side of the building has yet to be replaced. The billboard and sign will likely be updated closer to the show’s opening to include the new name.
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