VIDEO - Take a ride through at Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid

[Pixiedustmaker]

But I have to wonder how much of a fabricated Standby demand they can actually create with an Omnimover that sucks up 2,000 people per hour? Pooh and Peter Pan have much lower hourly capacity, which is why the waits are longer.

The Mermaid wait time is usually posted at "5 Minutes" at DCA on busy days and the actual wait time is about 30 to 90 seconds as you duck in the front door past 30 minutes of unused switchback queue now, at the exact same time the nearby Radiator Springs Racers wait time is posted at 120 Minutes.

Given that Radiator Springs Racers ride capacity is 1,500 per hour, and Mermaid is about 2,000 per hour, they aren't that different in ride capacity. And given that a lot of Mermaid's clam shells go empty, while guests line up hours for RSR, I bet that in a given day more guests ride RSR than Mermaid. I mean, if at 9:00 am Mermaid has a "0" minute wait time as most shells go by empty, and folks have been waiting over an hour for RSR . . . not hard to see that a lot of electricity is spent cycling clam shells that aren't full.

HM has a higher ride capacity that Mermaid b/c the clamshells go slower than the doom buggies, yet the line at HM in MK can get long in summer. Not sure yet if Mermaid's line will get as long.

I think the party-line excuse for Mermaid's short lines in DCA is that it is an omnimover which makes lines disappear. Funny how an un-popular Mermaid would also have short to non-existent lines.

 

[AEfx]

I'm so so happy.

Looks amazing. Just what I was expecting/hoping for. Would I have liked more Ursula? Sure, but I'm incredibly excited about seeing it. The simple "going under the sea" effect is gorgeous.

 

[danlb_2000]

California snobs?!? I resemble that remark!

This Magic Kingdom ride is an exact duplicate clone of the Disney California Adventure version from 2011, with the updates from the rehab the California version got in May, 2012. The queue at Magic Kingdom is lovely; it almost makes you think you are about to go on a better ride than what you end up with. But I have to wonder how much of a fabricated Standby demand they can actually create with an Omnimover that sucks up 2,000 people per hour? Pooh and Peter Pan have much lower hourly capacity, which is why the waits are longer.

At DCA the ride is just over one year old and DCA is now a very, very busy theme park. The Mermaid wait time is usually posted at "5 Minutes" at DCA on busy days and the actual wait time is about 30 to 90 seconds as you duck in the front door past 30 minutes of unused switchback queue now, at the exact same time the nearby Radiator Springs Racers wait time is posted at 120 Minutes.

But what really baffles me is..... Whatever happened to all those "insiders" who claimed the WDW version would be "lengthened" and "improved" and "much better" than the DCA version? If they were only talking about the Standby queue, then they were right. But if those suddenly non-existent insiders were talking about the actual ride, they were either lying or just making stuff up to try and impress people.

The Magic Kingdom's new Little Mermaid ride is an exact duplicate clone of California Adventure's Little Mermaid ride.

I don't think any of those claims came from reputable sources.

 

[danlb_2000]

I disagree as DCA's Mermaid opened well before MK's, and Mermaid was designed with DCA in mind, and then retrofitted to MK. I got the "hey, you look kinda familiar" from Scuttle, but you have to really imagine that he somehow flew quickly over to the ride's first scene. Yes, there are more than one Ariel and Scuttle in the ride, but that is the narrative which is stretched out over time in a way similar to the film. I think that they added the, "you look kinda familiar" Scuttle line after the fact, and not that it was planned out that way, IMHO.

Sorry, I don't buy your argument that having five Ariels in the ride is OK, but having three Scuttle's isn't. In the WDWMagic video of the ride they move pretty briskly through the queue but it's still almost 3 minutes between the two appearance of Scuttle which is longer then the time between any two appearance of Ariel.

 

[Skibum1970]

This ride is like a great push-up bra. It looks to be holding something impressive from the outside. But little disappointing when you get past the exterior.

Still laughing about this line. There was a long-standing joke about the Wonder Bra that follows a similar line of reasoning.

Honestly, I'm looking forward to it in December. One thing that I enjoyed about Islands of Adventure was the immersiveness. From the video, it appears that New Fantasyland is creating that feeling again. It does seem odd that we're only talking one additional ride (until SDMT opens) but the area still looks like an awesome place to spend time (also, I don't count the second Dumbo as an additional ride). I think the Mermaid ride looks great and will be an enjoyable ride. Plus, it's an omnimover and that should mean that a long line will keep moving. I will certainly grant that Haunted Mansion and Pirates are a notch or two up but noone claimed that LM was on the same level. Still, I will just enjoy it. My wife enjoys WDW but doesn't follow it like I do and is fine attending every other year. I am purposely not showing her any pictures or videos because I want to hear her unbiased opinion when we go there later this year.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Thanks @wdwmagic for bringing us the video and the other photos and vid of the soft opening.

As for the queue, so much better than the DCA version. The DCA version has a very nice building, but the WDW version is so much more immersive.

As for the actual show, I look at it as Disney was bringing to life the story of TLM from a kids cardboard book perspective. You know, those little book you get in a set, has about ten pages to them with the important scenes from the movie? Thats how I look at this attraction.

 

[Enchantâmes]

Well, the queue is absolutely gorgeous! The atmosphere is impeccable, and sets the mood for the ride perfectly. And it's so cool that Scuttle is there to chat with folks as they stand in line, rather like Mr. Potatohead in TSMM.

As for the actual ride, well, it's a bit hard to tell just from watching videos, but the lighting does look better in WDW's version than in DL's version. And thank god they fixed Neptune's beard and hair!!! Man, that furry stuff on the Neptune in DL looked like blighted kudzu or something. But it's a bummer about those static plastic fish glued to the walls. Couldn't they at least wave their tails or something? And you can still see the metal wheel attached to the fish rotating overhead in the "Under the Sea" scene. I think if the Imagineers had attached various-sized, light-up glass bubbles to the metal arms, that would have looked cool and helped hide the ugly lame construct that really takes you out of the moment. But I'll reserve final judgement when I actually ride the thing during my visit to the World in December.

HIS NAME IS NOT NEPTUNE ITS TRITON THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE.

 

[jme]

Queue looks amazing. Just absolute superb AAA Disney quality.
A nicer transition underwater over the CA version, I think. Ride is otherwise the same - they did fix Ariel's "Ice Cream" Hair and I must admit, it looks much better.

But the thing I'm MOST impressed with is that this ride does not seem to exit you into a gift shop.
Mind = blown.

 

[Enchantâmes]

Queue looks amazing. Just absolute superb AAA Disney quality.
A nicer transition underwater over the CA version, I think. Ride is otherwise the same - they did fix Ariel's "Ice Cream" Hair and I must admit, it looks much better.

But the thing I'm MOST impressed with is that this ride does not seem to exit you into a gift shop.
Mind = blown.

Someone hasn't been keeping up with the updates to DCA's version... Also the DCA version does not exit into a gift shop either.

 

[hollywoodj]

This ride (and queue) are JUST what WDW has needed! It's all stunningly breathtaking. Who cares if the same ride is in Cali? It's still great! And our queue is MUCH better! I loved it.

 

[Jose]

Triton's beard and hair is plastic, isn't it??

 

[Jose]

I think this ride is going to be better than DCA's! The queue with the stunning castle, Scuttle's game, waterfalls, Ariel's Grotto, the details in the ride like Atlantica, Usula's movement or Triton's hair and beard....
I love THIS ride

 

[Californian Elitist]

I think this ride is going to be better than DCA's! The queue with the stunning castle, Scuttle's game, waterfalls, Ariel's Grotto, the details in the ride like Atlantica, Usula's movement or Triton's hair and beard....
I love THIS ride

The ride experience is the same as DCA's. If you YouTube Mermaid at DCA, you'll find the same thing in the video posted here.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Well, the queue is absolutely gorgeous! The atmosphere is impeccable, and sets the mood for the ride perfectly. And it's so cool that Scuttle is there to chat with folks as they stand in line, rather like Mr. Potatohead in TSMM.

As for the actual ride, well, it's a bit hard to tell just from watching videos, but the lighting does look better in WDW's version than in DL's version. And thank god they fixed Neptune's beard and hair!!! Man, that furry stuff on the Neptune in DL looked like blighted kudzu or something. But it's a bummer about those static plastic fish glued to the walls. Couldn't they at least wave their tails or something? And you can still see the metal wheel attached to the fish rotating overhead in the "Under the Sea" scene. I think if the Imagineers had attached various-sized, light-up glass bubbles to the metal arms, that would have looked cool and helped hide the ugly lame construct that really takes you out of the moment. But I'll reserve final judgement when I actually ride the thing during my visit to the World in December.

Wait, who's Neptune? I don't remember a character named Neptune from the film.

 

[jdmdisney99]

Wait, who's Neptune? I don't remember a character named Neptune from the film.

Triton! Shows just how much some people absolutely love the movie!

 

[flynnibus]

you can't really make lighting claims based on a little camcorder.. especially INDOORS. It's tough to say if they changed the under the sea sequence lighting. It's also hard to take in alot of the complaints about the DCA version because of the narrow field of view for a camera vs a person.

I love how people say 'its an exact clone' after 4 pages listing minor differences...

My fear is the queue. That much 'rockwork' in seclusion and with that much guest 'interaction' is going to lead to alot of breakage. I hope it doesn't end up looking like your local putt-putt with the broken skimcoat exposing the mesh underneath everywhere. Between stains and breakage.. that queue is going to be hard to maintain.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Triton! Shows just how much some people absolutely love the movie!

Ha, wow! And that poster is always talking about how Disney is the best of them and how they should only use their characters in the park. Can't even get the characters' names right. Thanks for replying

 

[Adam5897]

I would rather not have Ariels grotto and less queue to have a longer/ better ride. Im starting to wonder if 7DMT is going to be similar to this. Amazing on the outside and a unimpressive ride with a few good animatronics and some cheap scenes.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I think Mermaid could have been a much better ride with just a little bit bigger budget.

The budget for the attraction was already obscenely large. The attraction is a great example of the wasteful system in place at Walt Disney Imagineering.

But what really baffles me is..... Whatever happened to all those "insiders" who claimed the WDW version would be "lengthened" and "improved" and "much better" than the DCA version? If they were only talking about the Standby queue, then they were right. But if those suddenly non-existent insiders were talking about the actual ride, they were either lying or just making stuff up to try and impress people.

I do not think anybody of repute ever made such claims. It was all from people who were widely speculating in response to the lackluster reception of the attraction in California, that Disney would not just redo an expensive attraction that was not some huge hit.

 

[flynnibus]

I do not think anybody of repute ever made such claims

No, posters did... they just were never credible