A little disappointed with new Little Mermaid ride....

[Butrcup98]

Isn't this ride geared toward younger viewers? Perhaps Disney wanted to keep it on their level...

 

[WDWChloe]

I love the colors, the new audio-animatronic technology is AMAZING - especially Ursula! Gosh I wish we see her more!!

Honestly, I'd rather stare at Ursula and her evilness in that huge center-room than the half-still-props Under the Sea scene...

Anywhooo... Our favorite is the transition from land to underwater. How the temperature drops, the projection - it's great

 

[luvthemouse71]

Isn't this ride geared toward younger viewers? Perhaps Disney wanted to keep it on their level...

I think that's a great point. Most of these dark rides are geared to little kids, so an adult claiming that it isn't all that thrilling doesn't make much sense. Fantasyland in general is geared to small kids,IMO.

 

[Sweettears]

It's cute. My three year old enjoys it. But I expected more. We have only done the DLR version so far, but my understanding is the queue is all that's different at WDW.

Even on a busy day at DCA, we always walked on this ride.

I had expected water. I mean, water is kinda a key part of an undersea life. It was just so so.

Too hard to hold your breath for the duration of the ride.

 

[newdeal]

I will agree it isn't the greatest but my 2 year old did love it. The thing I was bothered by the most was in the room where the spinning fish etc are the dancing ariel looks awful. I am sure they could have done a far better job. In fact all of the Ariel animatronics in that ride I thought looked bad

 

[mad madam mim78]

I will agree it isn't the greatest but my 2 year old did love it. The thing I was bothered by the most was in the room where the spinning fish etc are the dancing ariel looks awful. I am sure they could have done a far better job. In fact all of the Ariel animatronics in that ride I thought looked bad

Yeah like someone else mentioned you could see that arm coming out of the back of her and she had very little movement. I would love to have seen her move more like a human. Waving and smiling. Fin flipping around.

I agree Ursula is awesome.

 

[Allieran3]

It was cute, a lil cheesy IMO. My nieces ages 5,4,2 loved it and rode it about a half dozen times, def more gained to the young crowd!

Can't wait for the seven drawfs minecoaster. Planning an early 2015 trip it should be done by then I hope

 

[lugnut33]

I agree with this!! We have so many versions of this ride - take a seat, put it on a conveyor belt, and move it past some animatronic scenes. I love PP myself and Pooh and Snow White and Haunted Mansion all of these are classics. But with all the money and creativity at Disney lets do something new! It doesn't have to be a roller coaster but there are in-betweens. What about making it like you were in a bubble that descneded into the ocean and you were really in a tunnel like at many aquariums where the ocean life is all around you. And you could see through the top of the bubble and all the sides and it moved through this tunnel. Although to you you didn't see the tunnel because it felt like it was just the bubble protecting you from the water. Then Aerial could swim around you on the top and sides (animatronic or real underwater actresses with oxygen hoses). Then there could be real fish and fake ones and as the bubble moved different scenes played out above, below, and around you! Maybe at one point an animatronic octopus could wrap tentacles around your bubble and rock it back and forth. It could get dark and you'd go through with glowing eel eyes (but not too dark because we don't want scary). At the end you'd ascend out of the ocean amid some surf sounds and your bubble would open and there'd be the wedding scene...I don't know I'm no Imaginner but there's got to be something better!

And the most beloved extinct attraction at EPCOT Center was exactly what you describe, the famous omnimover type ride called Horizons. People still rant hard about missing that ride. So now they add a new omnimover type attraction and people don't like it because it's not technologically advanced. Really?

I think the Little Mermaid ride does exactly what it's supposed to, let little ones enjoy entering the story. Personally, I prefer the animatronics in TLM over the video screens of Nemo. Video screens appear to be the cheap way out.

 

[WillAustin]

I think the Little Mermaid ride does exactly what it's supposed to, let little ones enjoy entering the story.

I think they could have used technology to do a better job immersing us in the world of the story. It doesn't have to be video screens and feel high tech, but it could be far more immersive.

 

[jollygreengirl]

I have never ridden the one at DL, but we rode TLM a couple of times last week at MK. I thought it was cute, my ds(4) liked it, but I agree with those of you that think it needs something else. I was taken aback initially by Ariel's "look." She sort of has a Bratz doll look to her, especially the eyes. I also hated where she's getting her legs and the swirling/magic is really, really low on her body and a wee bit revealing. I'm no prude, but I was a little weirded out by that! Overall, it's cute and sweet, and I'm glad I got a chance to ride it.

 

[lugnut33]

where she's getting her legs and the swirling/magic is really, really low on her body and a wee bit revealing. I'm no prude, but I was a little weirded out by that!

I had the same thought.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

2 weeks ago today I was very fortunate to spend the day at the Magic Kingdom (was on a Norwegian Cruise) First stop was the new Fantasyland. I was really excited and when I saw the Entrance to TLM (already abbrev!)
I loved it. Let's take a look back at the other rides in Fantasyland. This particular land is for the young children and young at heart of course. But how many threads did I read about the kids screaming on Snow White's Scarey adventures. I loved it but it was nothing fabulous. Same thing with Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Fantasyland is just that, simple and fun.

I also recall MANY times when I went to see the Little Mermaid show at Hollywood Studios and as soon as it went dark and their were loud noises the kids started crying. Hundreds of times. So as a PP said this ride is really for the little kids to be amazed and for the adults to enjoy it as well.

I think the Painting as you are getting in you Sea Shell is just breathtaking.

Again the Mine Ride I feel will be the go getter. Not for nothig but Peter is quite simple as well. Just bothers me that it has only been open for a few days and everyone is so negative about it instead of being like wow, good ride everyone should go on it once.

Why point out the negative stuff when it JUST opened. Can't you give it a year haha!

 

[hookedonears]

Not having ridden it, I'm withholding judgment however, there's a huge build up to the ride with the incredible storyline build up in the queue. The queue looks unbelievable. It's understandable that there would be a let down with the ride itself. Also, the hype for the Fantasyland expansion was so great, that it has also lead to great expectations. If the attraction was not associated with the Fantasyland expansion and had just another run of the mill queue area like It's A Small World or Peter Pan, in my opinion, its reviews would not be so mixed.

 

[Disco]

After seeing the Seagull animatronic and then the submersion experience at the beginning of the ride I was excited. When it was over though I wasn't impressed.
There was just too much plastic IMO. Just made it feel cheap, like dollar store cheap. Just too much of a shock going from an awesome animatronic, like Ursula, to spinning plastic fish on a stick. Imagine Pirates with a plastic dog, it would totally throw you off!
I think the other part was that the spaces were large and open. In all the other dark rides just about every square inch is used and richly detailed.
Not that it was a bad ride just far short of the old greats HM and PotC. However, I might be a little weighted in my opinion because I’ve seen the DVD rendered ride through of what the ride was originally suppose to be. Just because the ride came out a pale comparison of what it was originally intended doesn’t mean that it is bad.
Myself I would rate Mermaid slightly above most of the small dark rides like Toad, PP, Pooh, Alice, Pinocchio and Snow White (I definitely understand exceptions to these as I love PP). Mostly because it is longer and has several advanced animatronics. I’m not a Small World fan so I would say it is better than that as well. However, LM is nowhere near the quality of Pirates, Haunted and Splash IMO.
But again it is not bad and a fine addition to FL and I think it goes just fine with the other FL dark rides. In DCA it is a little different story as it is in an more adult orientated park and the queue and building are subpar. Just doesn't feel like it belongs there.

 

[tiffjoy]

Don't get me wrong, it's cute. Like I said. But I just expected more. Frankly, I think Peter Pan is quite a bit better. This one is longer, but the animotronics feel very forced for the most part.

I also think everyone is going to like different things. Some people don't like it. Some people do. There's no right or wrong.

 

[Magpie]

I have never ridden the one at DL, but we rode TLM a couple of times last week at MK. I thought it was cute, my ds(4) liked it, but I agree with those of you that think it needs something else. I was taken aback initially by Ariel's "look." She sort of has a Bratz doll look to her, especially the eyes. I also hated where she's getting her legs and the swirling/magic is really, really low on her body and a wee bit revealing. I'm no prude, but I was a little weirded out by that! Overall, it's cute and sweet, and I'm glad I got a chance to ride it.

We just rewatched the movie, and couldn't help noticing that after Ariel transforms (in sexy naked silhouette) she then makes her way out of the sea with two seashells on her chest and her bare butt hanging out. Might have been a really awkward first meeting with Prince Eric if Scuttle hadn't suggested she wrap herself in a sail!

During our first ride on LM my husband laughed and commented, "Smart placement on the magic swirl!"

But ultimately I don't think the ride is any more risque than the movie itself. Ariel's used to letting her fish tail and butt hang out there for everyone to see. All she ever wears in her fish form are clam shells on her chest. Why would she be shy about her legs? Or even realize she's supposed to cover up her rear? And the magic swirl covers everything it needs to cover. More than your standard bikini bottom!

 

[KBecks]

It was a nice ride, we did it this morning. The waiting areas are beautiful and the little crab screens and all the decorations around them are gorgeous and fun to look at and play with. The ride is in the same style as the Magic Kingdom Disneyy rides and that is probably OK -- to match... we enjoyed it. It is not amazing but it is a nice ride.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

I thought the queue was gorgeous and detailed, but I found the ride to be just "ok." When I thought about why, I came up with one answer: the ceiling. Traditionally, Disney is the master of controlling your gaze. At HM, for example, you are carefully turned and the doombuggies curve around you so that you face a certain way. At Peter Pan, it's dark enough that in the ride you don't really see the mechanisms holding the ships to the track. At places where the ceiling is plainly visible, like the Mexico pavilion and Sci-Fi, they make the ceiling part of the show so that it looks like the sky. I could name more.

At this ride, the ugly drop ceiling is in plain view. There 's no attempt to control your gaze, and it results in a feeling of less "immersion" (hahaha, I crack myself up).

I think the ride is quite pleasant, but not up to WDW standards for creating a scene.

 

[KellyNY]

I will put it this way, nothing will blow you off when you go all the time. As I heard, did not see myself yet, ride is very cute and first timer will appreciate it more then us. Reminds me when I saw HM addition for the first time. I was like, so that is it? Talking about being spoiled by many trips.

 

[bwang123]

I thought the queue was gorgeous and detailed, but I found the ride to be just "ok." When I thought about why, I came up with one answer: the ceiling. Traditionally, Disney is the master of controlling your gaze. At HM, for example, you are carefully turned and the doombuggies curve around you so that you face a certain way. At Peter Pan, it's dark enough that in the ride you don't really see the mechanisms holding the ships to the track. At places where the ceiling is plainly visible, like the Mexico pavilion and Sci-Fi, they make the ceiling part of the show so that it looks like the sky. I could name more.

At this ride, the ugly drop ceiling is in plain view. There 's no attempt to control your gaze, and it results in a feeling of less "immersion" (hahaha, I crack myself up).

I think the ride is quite pleasant, but not up to WDW standards for creating a scene.

i love the theming of the small world ceiling.