Cast Member Previews Scheduled for New Villains and Little Mermaid Shows at Disney's Hollywood Studios

23 days ago in "Disney Villains Unfairly Ever After"

Posted: Tuesday April 29, 2025 9:40am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has scheduled Cast Member previews for its two new stage shows coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios this summer.


According to current plans, previews for Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After and The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will take place across two separate weeks in May 2025.

The current Cast Member preview schedule is as follows (dates are subject to change):

  • “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After” – May 21, 22, 23
  • “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” – May 24, 25, 26

Both new shows will officially open to all guests on May 27, 2025.

Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After will debut at the Sunset Showcase, featuring iconic villains like Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent as they argue their case for being the most misunderstood characters. The show promises live musical numbers, cutting-edge special effects, and an audience-driven finale inside the mysterious realm of the Magic Mirror.

Meanwhile, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure brings a reimagined stage version of the beloved animated classic back to Hollywood Studios. The updated production will feature new sets, refreshed musical arrangements, and modern stage effects, offering guests a fresh take on Ariel’s undersea journey.

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    Cmdr_Crimson10 minutes ago

    Dear sweet jeebus!!!

    Moth18 minutes ago

    Never! This community RUNS on overreactions to menial stuff! I hear that they moved a trash can an inch at MK On a less "hyperventilating" note, after letting it soak in. The show is fine, actually. Better than what was there before, and with the mindset it's temporary, an appetizer type deal to Villains at MK, something much bigger in scope than a 14 minute show.

    solidyne20 minutes ago

    No, they misunderstand us.

    ᗩLᘿᑕ ֊ᗩζᗩᗰ26 minutes ago

    Spoilers: It's Josh. But he's not misunderstood, he's one of those rare twist Villains that most didn't see coming.

    Comped29 minutes ago

    It's got less cast, less songs, and less length, than the castle show at MK (or other castles) now. It's actually kind of amazing that this made it out of the concept stage at all, much less got final approval. Clearly budget wasn't an issue (well, on things Disney didn't need to follow their rulebook with Equity on), so it must have been length/cast size restrictions that caused this. Because there's no way anyone would plan for a show like this, with literally 3 cast involved. Too few for a stage half this size, let alone something that could easily run a much larger show. I agree that it feels like a M&G/street entertainment, but lacks the size, scope, or length, of a proper theatre show for what was a pretty big investment all things considered. Well, at least the theatre can be reused. The concept of a villains show is good, in theory, the way they executed it was horrible. Too short for any kind of linkage or exposition to explain why and justify your concerns, too uninteresting to actually get people to do anything but trash it on the internet (most people anyway). Feels like they wanted to replace the Cars show but had no idea how, and this was the first thing that popped out of somebody's head.

    Minthorne54 minutes ago

    The most misunderstood villain is Disney Imagineering.

    LittleBuford1 hour ago

    You’re asked at the very end of the show to applaud for the most “misunderstood” villain. Remove that one element and it becomes just like any other show, performed identically every time. What will determine its rewatchability is how good it is (which is a separate matter from whether it’s the same each time or not).

    Bocabear1 hour ago

    cringeworthy. The performers do a great job with the material... the set is nice....

    Disgruntled Walt1 hour ago

    Except that this is supposed to be a competition show...and there's only three choices. And they always say the exact same things. The only differences introduced is based on how much applause each one gets, and once you've seen all three scenarios, you've seen it all. It's not really built for re-watching.

    LittleBuford1 hour ago

    That’s what I was referring to as the execution. I don’t see how you can criticise these elements while maintaining that the execution “is about as good as it could be”.

    ToTBellHop2 hours ago

    Cruella does a fabulous job twirling around and all, but at least in video, I’m left feeling Better in person, perhaps? They need Starlight and they need it now.

    StringBeanDream2 hours ago

    Yeah, let's celebrate and encourage people losing their jobs!

    FerretAfros2 hours ago

    On the contrary, I think the execution is about as good as it could be. The set is impressive, the costumes are elaborate, and the cast are giving it their all. It’s the concept that’s lousy. The characters have no reason to exist in the same universe. They have no reason to sing these songs we’ve all heard before. There’s no reason for the pep rally-style popularity contest. There’s no reason to not have better connective tissue, like a plot, background performers, or musical theme woven throughout. There is no dramatic arc, no stakes, and nothing for the audience to care about. It’s all superficial with no substance. On the technical side, it’s a nicely assembled little production. On the conceptual side, it was doomed before it ever got off the ground.

    LittleBuford2 hours ago

    The show doesn’t look great, but this seems an odd thing to object to given that most Disney shows are the same every time they’re performed.

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