Hoo boy... What can I say about this ride? How about the tiny little fact that it looks like the Imagineers blew all of their money on the audio-animatronics and had to make due with what little they had left for the rest of the ride. How else would you explain the finale sequence being represented by a cardboard cutout and a screen?
While "cute", this ride created in the 21st Century is really not Disney's best work or even on par with what they were able to do in the mid to late 20th Century. We FP+'d the ride so didn't see the details others have described in the queue, but it sounds like the queue is the best part. Nothing wrong with having another Nemo/Haunted Mansion-style clamshell ride, but on those other attractions the lighting is managed so you don't see floors or ceilings. Not so here... it really takes away from the effect when you see all of that. The animatronics are very plastic-looking compared to older Disney work, except for Ursula who was fairly well done. The story line segments seemed so randomly selected that nearly two weeks later, my kids -- 15, 12, and 9 -- are still talking about how poorly it represents the story. Other reviews have said not to waste more than 10-15 minutes waiting for this. We were given "free" fastpasses we could have used for this ride when another ride we were on broke down, but nobody in our group was interested in riding it again. With the excellent Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the beautifully executed Be Our Guest restaurant it's clear that Disney can still deliver the magic, but in comparison this was more like a carnival ride.
I don't understand all the negative talk for this ride. No its not a thrill ride but its not supposed to be... it is a beautiful ride and quite relaxing. We ride it at the end of the day when we need a 'breather' and lover to just sit back and enjoy the music and the ride. I loved it..:)
I waited with my young daughter for I don't know how long! What a complete waste of time and good energy waiting for that ride. It's more exciting riding an elevator! It looks so appealing going in but, boy I felt so ripped off. Disney is slacking on the rides as they build you up for a big let down!!!
This ride is not worth the wait. Disney really missed on this one, just like the re-make of the now terrible Test Trak at EPCOT. Ariel was broken in the larger room and everything looked cheap or fake. With all the technology available, it seems Disney took a step backward on this one, unless they intend to upgrade it over the next few years to make it "new again." Queue is good, but ride not worth a wait longer than 20 mins.
Love the little mermaid!!!! So happy they made a ride for her!!!
The area around it is beautiful and the ride is fun. Great songs too. Love the little mermaid and this ride does it justice!
Maybe not an "E-Ticket" but is a great ride. Fun for the whole family!
This ride gets a lot of hate for no real reason. It is a solid dark ride. Much Much Much better than Snow White's Scary Adventure and Peter Pan's Flight. And slightly better than Winnie the Pooh. Many people are upset that it is the same as the ride out in California, or that it was not as good as their expectations. However, it is a great ride. The que is beautiful and flawless. Also it is shaded and nice and cool. The ride is an omnivore system which is the same as Haunted Mansion and it features the Clamobiles like Nemo in EPCOT. It is about the story of the Little Mermaid and features all the great songs. The AAs are fun and very well done. All in all the ride exceeded my expectations.
My family got to go on this ride in November 2012 when they were still 'testing' the new area. The queue part is amazing, with CGI crabs and and awesome trip that takes you from the shore to the sea (kind of like the line for Nemo at Epcot). The ride itself is filled with animatronic sea creatures and some CGI video of Ariel. While the ride might not wow adults, my daughter (2 at the time) became in instant Little Mermaid fan. The look in her eyes while riding this is the reason i give it full stars. The ride is designed for kids, not thrill-seeking adults. Don't hate on this ride because it doesn't take you from 0-60 in nothing flat and doesn't try to scare you. Think of it from the perspective of a young child who gets to ride through one of their favorite movies and interact with the characters. I for one loved it and think Disney hit the nail on the head for what they were going for.
My son and I rode this ride and thought it was gorgeous! No its not a "thrill ride" but not all rides need to be..:) We both enjoyed the ride and the "breather" that it provided! It was hot outside so it was a cool escape. I think its a lovely addition to the new Fantasyland!
I had read the reviews on here and totally thought this would be a terrible ride. When we went to Magic Kingdom a few weeks ago we saw it didnt have a long ride so we rode it anyway. The rockwork on the outside of the ride.....wow! I was blown away by the detail and the work they had put into it. the interactive Scuttle was really neat as well. When we got on the ride I was ready to be let down but I was not. Most of the animotrinics were really good looking, and the ride has that perfect screen to AA ratio. I was not even bothered really by the bad lighting in the Under the Sea room. It was really good, and even though it jumped from scene to scene, you could still put the story together. My only main complain is some of the AA's look real cheap looking compared to others. My other complaint is that they use the same cheap looking AA's in the final scene. So the final scene makes no sense in a way. Other then that this was a great ride inside and out, and I will be back!
I'll never understand the vehement hatred some have towards this ride. Not everything has to be an E-Ticket with constant in-your-face action. This ride is a great family-friendly attraction and a perfect addition to the Magic Kingdom.
As soon as you walk up, you are very anxious to see what Disney has in store this time. The queue for the ride is amazing. The rocks, the waves, the music…everything is unbelievable. There is even this little animated crab that is running around through the props in the line. Then it (the good stuff) all ends!! You get on the ride and it appears more outdated than the Carousel of Progress. Why Disney, why? You spent so much time and money on what should have been a great ride, only to come up with a total stinker. Why not try to have a Little Mermaid ride that was created just like Pirates of the Caribbean? Even those raggedy-old pirates, which are almost 40 years old, look more up-to-date then the 2012 version of the Little Mermaid. I am not sure if corners were cut or if they just flat out bombed on this one, but, again, so disappointing. This should have been an unbelievable ride, but unfortunately it’s not (enter sad face here). ?
Very disappointed. They had the chance to make this amazing using the old 20,000 area but FAILED. Thought with Scuttles scavneger hunt we were getting something really incredible. instead we got something from 1985 imagineers instead if 2012. i will never get the 90 mins back from standing in line. the blowfish really blew and under the sea was underwhleming. be sure to bring crackers for the cheese factor. Good for the kiddos tho.
This is one of those rides where the queue is better than the ride itself. The AAs (save for Ursala) look like plastic and not AAs and only shwcases songs from the movie. If the wait is under 10 minutes, ride it. If not, skip it.
Just ok. Very similar to the seas with Nemo (the epcot ride). I was expecting something original and new.
The Journey of the Little Mermaid is essentially a ride through the Little Mermaid story, both "Under the Sea" and above ground. It appears that they're still working out some early glitches, including a very unfortunate experience trying to board the ride with a wheelchair bound guest. Disney has not marked the lines well for wheelchairs or trained its staff on how to handle them. Additionally, the undersea cave wall structure gives the ride lines a very enclosed feel that didn't do much for my claustrophobia. The ride itself is your basic rotating vehicle ride like Haunted Mansion, and you go through various scenes from the movie, heavy on music and dancing characters, light on any real story (but you knew the story coming in). Perhaps due to the fact that the attraction is new, there appeared to be some seams showing in the Disney magic. There were animated items that appeared not to be working and the floors and some of the gearing for the ride were plainly visible in a way not normally seen on a Disney ride. This is a must ride for fans of the movie and young kids. Anyone who isn't a fan might appreciate it for the scenery, music, and colors, but can skip it without missing much.