Why is the Little Mermaid ride closed?

Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Disney's Hollywood Studios has been closed since COVID-19 shut down Walt Disney World in March 2020.



As of March 2026, Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid (the ride at Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland in Florida) is currently undergoing a routine refurbishment. These temporary closures are standard practice for Disney to maintain the ride's complex animatronics, calibrate the "Omnimover" track system, and touch up the lighting and projection effects that create the "underwater" illusion. In 2026, Disney has been particularly focused on upgrading older attractions with more energy-efficient LED lighting and improved audio systems. While some fans worry about permanent closures, this specific attraction is a cornerstone of the 2012 Fantasyland expansion and is not slated for replacement. Typically, these refurbishments last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Guests are encouraged to check the "Refurbishment Calendar" on the My Disney Experience app, as the "Ariel's Grotto" meet-and-greet area often remains open even when the ride itself is behind construction walls for its "tune-up."

People Also Ask

The show also had some changes in costumes, lighting, effects or scenography in 1994, 1997, 2001, 2009, 2017, 2019 and 2020. On March 15, 2020, when Walt Disney World reopened after being temporarily closed during the ongoing of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was permanently closed.

MORE DETAILS

As the sea witch explains, every step the little mermaid takes will feel as if she is walking on sharp knives, making her time on land excruciatingly painful. The mermaid has to repeatedly go to the sea to cool her feet in the water because of the pain she's in throughout the story.

MORE DETAILS

(MORE: 'Little Mermaid Live': Who will play Ariel, Ursula, Sebastian and more!) Queen Latifah stars alongside actress Auli'i Cravalho who will play Ariel and reggae singer Shaggy who will play Ariel's friend, Sebastian.

MORE DETAILS

Voyage of The Little Mermaid was a live show attraction located at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

MORE DETAILS

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith closed on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, to undergo refurbishment, according to Walt Disney World's website, and is expected to reopen sometime over the summer. This rocktastic attraction will resume its super-stretch limo rides in summer 2023, reads a note on Disney's website.

MORE DETAILS

The movie is loosely based on the fairy tale, so Disney has the freedom to give Ariel any skin color they want. In the 1989 movie, Ariel was born in the fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which technically makes her Atlantican, not Danish.

MORE DETAILS

Ariel, the Little Mermaid, meets guests and poses with them for photos in her Grotto in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. Ariel sometimes appears in her human form at the princess meals at both Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom and the Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot.

MORE DETAILS

While lighting itself isn't all that expensive, darkness can be used to hide a lot of things. Halle Bailey is not actually a mermaid, and so having the scenes be darker makes it easier to disguise the CGI work.

MORE DETAILS